The 2022 NHL draft will take place in Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. On Thursday July 7, the first round will take place and on Friday, July 8, rounds two through seven will take place. The first round draft order picks are as follows:
Montreal Canadiens
New Jersey Devils
Arizona Coyotes
Seattle Kraken
Philadelphia Flyers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings
Buffalo Sabres
Anaheim Ducks
The 2022 draft class is strong, however, there are no defined tiers among the class. Some top European skaters include: left wing, Juraj Slafkovsky; right wing, Joakim Kemell; defenseman, Simon Nemec; defenseman, David Jiricek; and center, Marco Kasper. North American Skaters include: center, Cooley Logan; left Wing, Cutter Gauthier; center, Matthew Savoie; center, Conor Geekie; and center, Shane Wright.
Shane Wright, a strong skater from Canada, is considered one of the top prospects for this year's draft. Wright played last season in the OHL and had a slow start to the 2021-22 season. However, during the season, his presence and strength became more noticeable as he is in the top 15 among 2022 prospects with a point per game average of 1.05. What makes him stand out among the prospects is his ability to make decisions in a quick, high pace game. He plays with confidence and control allowing him to make great moves and control the game.
Although Shane Wright is a strong contender to be the 1st overall pick, Juraj Slafkovsky, a top European skater, provides him with some tough competition. At 6-foot-4, Slafkovsky can skate and handle the puck better than most. He is able to create chances on most of his shifts leading to exceptional game play. Logan Cooley is also a dynamic and talented prospect. Similar to Wright, he has a great offensive IQ and is able to read the game. Cooley is an excellent skater with skill and can keep up with the growing and quick pace game. Though he is on the smaller side and his numbers are not as strong as the others, his dynamic game makes up for it. These three are considered the top prospects for the upcoming draft with no clear first overall pick.
Goalies are important to every team and there are some strong goalie prospects in this draft class. Tyler Brennan is considered one of the best goalies in the class. Brennan played in the WHL and has shown his athleticism and great saves. Another top goaltending prospect is Topias Leinonen. He uses his size to his advantage to offer net coverage with a quick glove.
The 2022 draft class has great potential in all areas of game play. There is no clear first overall pick which will make this draft exciting and entertaining. Viewers can watch the draft live on ESPN or stream it on ESPN+. Those in Canada can watch it on Sportsnet or TVA Sports, or they can stream it on SN NOW.