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Montreal Canadiens Win Lottery; Will Pick First Overall At 2022 Draft!

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2 years ago

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Montreal Canadiens draft odds

The Montreal Canadiens are now confirmed to be picking first overall after the results of the NHL Draft Lottery were confirmed on Tuesday evening.

The Montreal Canadiens were assured of a top-3 pick going into the NHL Draft Lottery, a selection that is bound to provide them with an elite young talent when July 7 comes around. The Montreal Canadiens went into the Lottery with the best odds of winning the first overall pick.

The New Jersey Devils will draft second overall and the Arizona Coyotes will draft third.

To give Montreal Canadiens fans an idea of who they can expect to be selected with the No. 1 pick, Montreal Hockey Now will present you with a few names below. If you would like to learn more about all the prospects available in the 2022 NHL Draft, be sure to check out Montreal Hockey Now’s NHL Draft Rankings.

 

Shane Wright

The probable 1st overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Shane Wright has been talked about for years now as a potential No.1 Center in the NHL. Wright is sound in all three zones, can be used in all situations and has great vision with a devastating wrist shot (that he should use far more often than he currently is). He already plays an NHL game and his qualities will translate without much worry to the NHL level.

There has been a little doubt cast in regards to Wright’s potential due to a slow start to his draft year this season, but Wright was able to turn the tables in the second half of the season; posting some of the best offensive numbers in all of Major Junior. Having missed out on 18 months of hockey due to covid pauses and season cancellations, Wright had to quickly catch up on lost time and now looks like the prime center many projected him to be leading up to the NHL Draft.

Logan Cooley

Logan Cooley has been soaring up the rankings so far this year playing on another interesting iteration of the United States National Development Team. Cooley plays a very responsible game, but possesses great hands, good speed and some of the best vision in this draft. He plays a game that reminds many a lot of Sebastian Aho at the same age (speed, hands and great hockey IQ). To me, he’s probably the most complete player in the draft, but that’s not a knock on his offensive ability, it’s a complement to it.

Cooley has the puck carrying ability that most teams salivate over; meaning he can break up plays, initiate zone breakouts himself, he can execute zone entries to perfection and, even more relevant, he’s extremely patient with the puck under pressure in the offensive zone. He, along with Wright, are the most likely candidates to top out as No. 1 centers in the NHL from the 2022 NHL Draft.

Juraj Slafkovsky

 

Slafkovsky is a big boy standing at 6’4 and 225 lbs, but also possesses the skill, speed and hockey IQ necessary to be a prime power forward in the NHL. He plays an extremely fun possession game, using his large frame to protect the puck and allows him to be effective in any cycle-game a coach wants to impose.

However, he can also turn on the jets and be extremely dangerous on the rush, due to his power strides and long reach. It allows him to create separation rather easily, with opponents often bumping off of him in the Finnish Liiga, where he plays for TPS. He is able to take advantage of any amount of open ice that is given to him, and he possesses the Hockey-IQ and hands to make space for his teammates by causing havoc in all three zones.

Although the points haven’t been as plentiful this season, Slafkovsky’s attributes and sky-high potential cannot be denied.

 

 

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