The order of the NHL 2022 Draft is now known. With the Stanley Cup Final having concluded on Sunday, we now know who will be picking in which position throughout the seven rounds.
Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, Logan Cooley, and Simon Nemec are predicted to go in the top four in the draught. Wright is the likely first-round choice, but Slafkovsky is also expected to be a valuable NHL player for many years to come.
The NHL 2022 Draft will take place in Montreal in ten days, with the Montreal Canadiens picking first overall. Let’s take a look at the opening round.
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Arizona Coyotes
4. Seattle Kraken
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Chicago Blackhawks)
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Detroit Red Wings
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. San Jose Sharks
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. New York Islanders
14. Winnipeg Jets
15. Vancouver Canucks
16. Buffalo Sabres (from Vegas Golden Knights)
17. Nashville Predators
18. Dallas Stars
19. Los Angeles Kings
20. Washington Capitals
21. Pittsburgh Penguins
22. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston Bruins)
23. St. Louis Blues
24. Minnesota Wild
25. Toronto Maple Leafs
26. Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Flames)
27. Arizona Coyotes (from Carolina Hurricanes via Montreal Canadiens)
28. Buffalo Sabres (from Florida Panthers)
29. Edmonton Oilers
30. Winnipeg Jets (from New York Rangers)
31. Tampa Bay Lightning
32. Arizona Coyotes (from Colorado Avalanche)
In previous years, the draught has also seen some significant transactions. We might see the Devils deal their second overall pick if they believe the return is worth the cost, or we could see some other teams make salary budget adjustments, similar to how the Vegas Golden Knights moved Evgenii Dadonov to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Shea Weber’s contract.
There are a lot of teams with multiple picks in the first round at the upcoming draught, but I think the most interesting players to keep an eye on will be the Canadiens with the top pick in front of their home crowd, the Devils deciding whether to make a move or keep their second overall pick and the Buffalo Sabres, a team with three picks at the draught that could potentially make some moves to help build their roster for next season.
The draught is almost finished. Fans won’t have to wait long for some more thrilling NHL 2022 Draft news.