Not only do the Canadiens hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, which begins with the first round on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), they also host the event at the Bell Centre.
For the first time since 2019, the draft will be held in person with fans in the arena. The 2020 and 2021 NHL drafts were held virtually due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
“I think it’s exciting for us as a management group and certainly exciting for us as an organization,” Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. “I remember the last time the draft was in Montreal (2009) and it was a packed house. That’s not the case at every draft location, so especially since we own the first pick, I can only imagine the anticipation, excitement and interest building for the Montreal Canadiens.
“You hope, as an organization, you don’t get the No. 1 overall pick too often, but when you’re in that situation, it’s pretty special.”
The NHL Draft will be held in Montreal for the 27th time, the most of any NHL city. The Canadiens have held the #1 pick five times, the most of any NHL team. Rounds 2-7 of the draft will be Friday (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
Montreal is the first team to host the draft and pick No. 1 since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected forward Wendell Clark in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.
The big question is what will the Canadiens do with the No. 1 pick? Shane Wright (6-foot, 199 pounds), right center for Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, is ranked No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s 2022 draft-eligible North American skaters throughout the season and is the projected top choice.
The Canadiens are undecided whether to select Wright or perhaps Juraj Slafkowski (6-4,229), a TPS left winger in Liga (Finland) who is No. 1 in Central Scouting’s final international skater rankings , or possibly trade the pick.
[RELATED: Complete coverage of 2022 NHL Draft | Canadiens undecided on No. 1 pick]
And the drama doesn’t stop there. The New Jersey Devils own the second pick in the draft and there have been several reports that they could potentially move up to No. 1 or move back in the draft.
Arizona Coyotes (No. 3), Seattle Kraken (4), Philadelphia Flyers (5), Columbus Blue Jackets (6), Ottawa Senators (7), Detroit Red Wings (8), Buffalo Sabers (9) and Anaheim Ducks (10) round up the top 10.
The Coyotes have three first-round picks (Nos. 3, 27, 32), as do the Sabers (Nos. 9, 16 and 28). The Canadiens (No. 1, 26), Ducks (No. 10, 22), Blue Jackets (No. 6, 12), Winnipeg Jets (No. 14, 30) and Minnesota Wild (No. 19, 24) have two.
The fact that there are several top-tier players in the draft makes for even more intrigue.
“I think the part that we’re going to see and hear about is there’s a lot of players that have a similar projection, a similar position, different positions, and that’s what’s going to make this decision difficult,” Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said . “There is no jamming. There’s a bunch of really good hockey players that we can add to our stables, so it’s a good problem to have.”
New Jersey has taken a player with the top two picks eight times, most recently center Jack Hughes (#1, 2019 NHL Draft).
Wright remained the No. 1 ranked North American skater by Central Scouting throughout the season despite missing more than 13 months of competitive hockey. He participated in the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, scoring 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in five games while captaining top-ranked Canada. The OHL has canceled its 2020-21 season due to COVID-19.
“I think it would be extremely special to be drafted by Montreal,” said Wright, who was born in Ontario. “First of all, it’s a dream come true to just be drafted, and then to be drafted first overall by a franchise in such an amazing city with that type of fan base and the history surrounding this organization would be pretty incredible. Definitely a lifelong dream come true for sure.”
Wright was eighth in the OHL with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) and had 28 power play points (8 goals, 20 assists) in 63 regular season games.
“He plays a strong two-way game with a pro structure and habits and has an excellent shot with an unpredictable shot that can beat goalies from any angle,” said Joey Tenyut of NHL Central Scouting. “Shane is the definition of a hockey player and will be a franchise player in the NHL.”
Slafkovski was born in Slovakia but has lived and played in Finland for the past three seasons.
He was named the most valuable player at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Still only 17 (he turned 18 on March 30), Slafkovski scored a tournament-best seven goals in seven games to help Slovakia to won the bronze medal, his first Olympic medal in men’s ice hockey. His seven points tied for the tournament lead, he led Slovakia with 24 shots on goal and averaged 15:50 of ice time despite being the youngest player in the tournament.
“Juray is a physically mature forward who is already playing a mature game at the professional level, and what stands out most about him is his continued improvement and development over the course of the season,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Scouting. “He’s like a sponge, soaking up the game and adapting his game to the level of play. He has the potential to develop alongside Aleksandar Barkov, Leon Draisaitl and Auston Matthews, which certainly puts him as a potential number one pick in Montreal.
“I’m not a fan of using the word NHL ready with 18- and 19-year-olds, but physically he might be the closest player to competing for an NHL job next year.”
Slafkovski and compatriot Simon Nemec (No. 3 in Central Scouting’s international skater rankings), a defenseman for Nitra in Slovakia, could become the highest-selected Slovakian-born players in the NHL draft. Marian Gaborik currently holds that distinction, going No. 3 to the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Draft. Gaborik played 17 NHL seasons with five teams.
Logan Cooley (5-10, 180), a center on the USA Hockey Under-18 National Team Development Program team, is the No. 2 final skater by North American Central Scouting, and Joakim Kemmel (5-10 , 185), right winger JYP in Liiga (FIN), is No. 2 in Central Scouting’s final international skater rankings.
While Wright may be the No. 1 favorite because of his complete, smart and all-around game, there are others who should be considered as top picks, Marr said.
“This draft class has kind of expanded to where the top two players from North America or the top two international players can be taken at the number one spot,” Marr said. “You’d have to go back to the 2013 NHL draft where you had a similar situation (when Barkov went No. 2 to the Florida Panthers).”
Cooley was second in the NTDP with 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 51 games. He had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and 23 shots on goal in six games to help the United States finish as runner-up at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
“The gap between the top two North American prospects (Wright and Cooley) narrowed as the season went on,” Marr said. “Both have NHL attributes and use their skills and assets within their own style of play. There is a completeness to Shane’s game that he has the innate ability to rise to the level of play necessary to get results, whether it’s his speed, his extremely quick hockey mind or simply competing with a never-say-die approach. conveys.”
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