Montreal Canadiens win lottery for first pick at 2022 NHL draft
MONTREAL — All eyes might be on Montreal Canadiens normal supervisor Kent Hughes on July 7. The GM will stroll to the draft podium for the primary time and can get to make the first-overall choice.
The Canadiens received the 2022 NHL draft lottery on Tuesday evening and have the primary choose for the upcoming draft which might be held on July 7-8 at Montreal’s Bell Centre. For Hughes, successful the lottery and making the first-overall choose at house is “thrilling for us as a corporation.”
“I keep in mind the final time the draft was in Montreal [in 2009] and it was a packed home. That is not the case in each draft location,” Hughes stated. “So, particularly with us proudly owning the primary choose, I can solely think about the construct up of anticipation, pleasure and curiosity within the Montreal Canadiens.”
“You hope as a corporation that you do not choose No. 1 general too typically however while you’re in that state of affairs, it is fairly particular.”
The Canadiens had the very best odds to win the lottery at 18.5 per cent after posting an NHL-worst 22-49-11 report this season.
The consensus high participant forward of the draft is centreman Shane Wright from the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs. Wright recorded 94 factors (32 targets, 62 assists) in 63 video games within the 2021-22 season.
The Burlington, Ont., native was making ready for Sport 3 of the Frontenacs’ OHL playoff sequence towards the North Bay Battalion whereas discovering out the outcomes of the lottery.
Hughes did not need to say which participant he needed to pick straight away however added that the 2022 cohort might be “a proficient draft.”
“We expect we have now the chance to draft a participant that is going to have an vital position in the way forward for the Montreal Canadiens,” Hughes stated. “When? How? That is to be decided, like each different yr within the draft, however we’re excited. We’re excited concerning the potential on this draft.”
Among the many different high prospects are centremen Logan Cooley of america Growth Program and Matthew Savoie of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice in addition to left-winger Juraj Slafkovsky — a bronze medallist with Slovakia on the 2022 Olympics — of Finnish membership TPS.
Hughes added that the pathway to the Canadiens might be completely different relying on who they choose in July and that successful straight away is not going to be an element.
“The choices that we take by way of the place our gamers play will actually be primarily based on what we predict is finest for his or her growth,” Hughes stated. “We’re simply going to do what we predict is correct for the gamers and be sure that they transfer ahead.”
The New Jersey Devils moved up within the lottery and earned the second choose. The Arizona Coyotes maintain the third-overall choose.
For a second straight yr, the staff with the very best odds received the lottery. The Buffalo Sabres chosen defenceman Owen Energy with the highest choose in 2021.
The Habs haven’t had a first-overall choice since drafting Doug Wickenheiser on the 1980 draft, which was held on the Montreal Discussion board.
4 different gamers had been chosen first general by the Canadiens in membership historical past: Man Lafleur in 1971, Rejean Houle in 1969, Michel Plasse in 1968 and Garry Monahan on the very first draft in 1963. Each first-overall choose in Canadiens historical past was drafted in Montreal.
The Seattle Kraken, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets (by way of Chicago), Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Sabres and Anaheim Ducks spherical out the highest 10 of the draft order.
The Blackhawks despatched the sixth choose to the Blue Jackets as a part of the commerce that despatched defenceman Seth Jones to Chicago.
The Vegas Golden Knights will ship their Sixteenth-overall choose to Buffalo as a part of the Jack Eichel commerce.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Could 10, 2022.
Tristan D’Amours, The Canadian Press
