Imagine If Canadiens Could Pick 1st And 2nd Overall At NHL Draft?

Imagine if the Montreal Canadiens could pick first and second overall to begin the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at the Bell Centre on July 7?

That may not be as much of a pipe dream that many Montreal Canadiens fans or any fans would see it as. It appears that the New Jersey Devils are still open to possibly moving the 2nd overall pick in order to improve their roster in the present term, and the Montreal Canadiens would be wise to inquire.

In the most recent 32 Thoughts on Hockey Night In Canada this past Saturday, Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman reminded the panel and the viewers that New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald went on the record prior to the NHL Draft Lottery on May 11 and said he would be willing to trade his first round pick. That pick ultimately became the second overall pick before the Canadiens were awarded the No. 1 pick overall at the NHL Draft on July 7 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. So is Fitzgerald still willing to entertain trade offers for the second overall pick?

“Well since then, the Devils finished second and the No. 2 overall pick in the lottery,” Friedman pointed out. “Well, does it stay or do the Devils pull it back? Well, the information we have is that the Devils will still consider the possibility of moving the No. 2 overall pick, and are in the process of sometimes over the next couple of weeks, firming up a list of players that they would consider moving that pick for. So, it could be interesting, right near the top of the draft; Ottawa has also indicated, it will consider moving No. 7 as well.”

The Montreal Canadiens have some pieces that they would be able to dangle in order to entice a team like the Devils to make a move, as they hold some veteran players that could be of interest to a club looking to take the next step in their rebuild. With the Canadiens looking to get younger and free up contracts like those of potentially forwards Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman and defenceman Jeff Petry, could they offer one or more of them and an assortment of the wealth of picks they have?

Imagine if the Montreal Canadiens could end up drafting Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky back-to-back to kick off the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at the Bell Centre?