For years, NHL analysts had center Shane Wright as the best available prospect in the 2022 class and the favorite to go first overall. However, once the 2022 NHL Entry Draft actually came about, it was left wing Juraj Slafkovsky that had his name called first.
While Slafkovsky was somewhat unknown until recently, the Montreal Canadiens obviously liked what they saw from him at the international tournaments. The 18-year-old had a modest 2021–22 season with TPS, contributing just 10 points in 31 games, but impressed at the World Championship by scoring three goals and adding six assists for the Slovakia national team. It appears that the Canadiens went with potential here, and time will tell whether their gamble paid off.
The New Jersey Devils also took a Slovakia-born player when they got on the clock with the No. 2 pick, opting for defenseman Simon Nemec. In 39 games with HK Nitra, Nemec had one goal and 25 assists. With the third overall pick, the Arizona Coyotes took Logan Cooley of the U.S. National U18 Team. Cooley is coming off a 75-point season.
Wright, who had an impressive 94 points in 2021-22 with Kingston Frontenacs in OHL, had to wait until the Seattle Kraken got on the clock to hear his name called. The feeling here is that the Kraken got a steal of the draft and will be set on the center position for the foreseeable future. The Ontario native is also considered more NHL-ready than most other players in the class and could contribute pretty soon.
Check out the full 2022 NHL Entry Draft selections below.
