Here's how the top 10 stacked up at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft; surprises aplenty
The Montreal Canadiens went from Stanley Cup Finalists to league laughing stock in less than 12 months. The only bright spot in an otherwise disastrous season? They didn't trade away their first round pick in the Dvorak trade. Because of that, the Habs had the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The choice came down to 3 players, Shane Wright, Logan Cooley, and Juraj Slafkovsky. They chose... poorly
With the first overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkovsky. A big, strong Finnish winger. His 6-4 218 pound frame is already NHL ready. His defensive game has room for improvement, but highly skilled power forwards are hard to come by. He's been rated #1 on several lists, most notably on Bob McKenzie's ranking, and apparently by the Habs front office. Missing out on Wright to draft Slafkovsky is a choice that the Habs will likely come to regret.
The New Jersey Devils selected Simon Nemec at 2nd overall. A highly skilled Slovakian defenceman Nemec made some sense for the Devils, who have drafted a lot of forwards in the early rounds over the last few seasons. Still, missing out on Logan Cooley and Shane Wright. Nemec isn't a huge player at 6'0 177lbs. But he isn't undersized either.
WIth the 3rd overall pick, Arizona selected Logan Cooley. A small but hardworking and fast centreman who spent 2021-22 with the USNDP team. His impressive speed and the pace of his game are his best assets. At 5"10 174lbs, he's not going to be the biggest guy, but he plays incredibly hard every shift. Its this constant effort and Cooley's ability to make plays at high speeds that made him a contender for the first overall pick and #1 on several draft boards.
Finally, at 4th overall the consensus first overall pick heading into the draft, Shane Wright was selected by the Seattle Kraken. A centre who played with the Kingston Frontenacs this season. His 94 points in 63 games was the best in the OHL among draft eligible players. He's got size at 6'1, 184lbs and is very difficult to knock off the puck. He's a strong, but not elite skater that plays well in all 3 zones. Most notable is his shot, Wright can shoot with authority. It's not quite the lethal wrister that Auston Matthews or Patrick Laine can unleash, but he is great at getting himself lost in coverage. Wright was the odds on favourite for the #1 pick going into the draft. Seattle has to be extremely happy to have Wright fall all the way to them at #4. They lost the lottery, but won the draft.
5th overall. Philadelphia Flyers. Cutter Gauthier. LW USNTDP 6'2. 200lbs
6th overall. Columbus Blue Jackets. David Jiricek. RD. Czechia. 6'3 189lbs
7th overall. Chicago Blackhawks (aquired from Ottawa Senators in a package for Alex DeBrincat) Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle Thunderbirds. 6'2 185lbs
8th Overall. Detroit Red Wings. Marco Kasper. C. SHL. 6'1 187lbs
9th Overall. Buffalo Sabres. Matthew Savoie. Winnipeg Ice. 5'9 170lbs
10th Overall. Anaheim Ducks. Pavel Mintyukov. D Saginaw Spirit. 6'2 194lbs
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 8 | 358 ANSWERS Here's how the top 10 stacked up at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft; surprises aplenty Who was the biggest surprise at the draft in the top 10? | ||
| Slafkovsky at 1 | 60 | 16.8 % |
| Nemec at 2 | 38 | 10.6 % |
| Wright at 4 | 236 | 65.9 % |
| Korchinski at 7 | 24 | 6.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
