MHN Pre-Lottery 2022 NHL Draft Rankings

With the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery set to take place on May 10, Montreal Hockey Now has prepared its Pre-Lottery NHL Draft Rankings.

Montreal Hockey Now’s Marco D’Amico was hard at work this season to follow the youngsters available for the 2022 NHL Draft and has dressed the list you see below. With the Montreal Canadiens having the top odds going into the NHL Draft Lottery and a guarantee of picking in the top-3, this list will help give you an idea of who the Habs could be picking in the first three selections on July 7.

On top of their own 1st round pick, the Canadiens also own Calgary’s 1st round pick, which they acquired in the Tyler Toffoli trade earlier this year. That selection is projected to land between 25th and 32nd overall depending on the Flames’ playoff performance, making the players ranked between 20 and 32very relevant for Canadiens fans. Lastly, the Montreal Canadiens also own the coveted first pick in the second round, 33rd overall, due to finishing last in the NHL Standings. Any player that could fall out of the first round, for whatever reason, could also be a target for the Canadiens as they pick first on Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft.

At the top of the rankings, we see Kingston Frontenacs center, Shane Wright, who has been at the top of every major draft ranking since the start of the year. The two-way center started off the year a little slower than predicted, after not having played consistent hockey for 18 months due to the pandemic. However, since January, he really began to take off offensively and restored his draft ranking amid other contenders rising up the rankings. He is directly followed by center Logan Cooley of the USNDT, who also projects as a top-line player with elite skills.

The biggest headache was the No.3 slot. As of this junction, I have power forward Juraj Slafkovsky in that slot, as he has the size, speed and shooting mechanics to be a dangerous player at the next level. However, David Jiricek can easily overtake him if he shows a strong return to form during the World Championships, something much of the scouting world is looking forward to after the defenceman’s four-month road to recovery. By the time Montreal Hockey Now’s final rankings are released, those two could very well swap places.

Take a look at the Montreal Hockey Now’s list below. We’ll be providing more draft content throughout the next two months, including player interviews and mock draft simulations to keep you informed and up to date on what is sure to be a focal point of the Montreal Canadiens over the next two months.

*NB: Ivan Miroshnichenko was not ranked in the top-32, despite being a Top-32 talent, due to his ongoing health issues. Without all the facts, an assessment could not be made on his projection. Hoping for a swift recovery for the young man and to see him on the ice very soon.