The Montreal Canadiens win the 2022 NHL draft lottery and will pick first overall at home on July 7 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This is the first time since 1985 that the team hosting the draft picks first. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Wendel Clark in 1985. The New Jersey Devils won the lottery for the second pick.
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— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 10, 2022
The Montreal Canadiens Win the NHL Draft Lottery
This is the first time since 1980 that the Montreal Canadiens will pick first overall.
Sports Events Guide’s prospect expert, Ben Kerr, has Kingston Frontenacs centre Shane Wright ranked first and USNTDP centre Logan Cooley ranked second.
Wright was granted exceptional status to play in the OHL at 15-years-old. This season, Wright scored 32 goals, and 62 assists for 94 points in 63 games. Kerr writes that Wright is a complete centreman that can play in all situations and stylistically compares to Patrice Bergeron. Kerr calls him, “a franchise leading centre.”
Cooley has scored 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points in 51 games for the USNTDP. Kerr writes that he has the potential to be a first-line complete centre. Stylistically, he compares to Brayden Point.
Here is the draft order among the non-playoff teams
- Montreal Canadiens
- New Jersey Devils
- Arizona Coyotes
- Seattle Kraken
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from the Chicago Blackhawks)
- Ottawa Senators
- Detroit Red Wings
- Buffalo Sabres
- Anaheim Ducks
- San Jose Sharks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- New York Islanders
- Winnipeg Jets
- Vancouver Canucks
- Buffalo Sabres (from the Vegas Golden Knights)
What This Means for the Future
Montreal has the potential to add a complete top centre to complement Nick Suzuki down the middle for years to come. The New Jersey Devils have two young top two centremen in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. There is a strong possibility they will take a winger or a defenceman instead of a centre.
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