When is the 2022 NHL Draft?
Round 1 of the NHL Draft will take place Thursday, July 7 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 will be held Friday, July 8 beginning at 11 a.m. ET (NHLN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
The 2022 NHL Draft will take place at Bell Centre in Montreal, the first in-person draft since the 2019 event at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Who’s picking first?
The Montreal Canadiens won the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery and will make the No. 1 overall selection. Kingston Frontenacs center Shane Wright, Olympic breakout star Juraj Slafkovský (TPS, Liiga), and Logan Cooley (USNTDP) could be in the mix for the top pick.
Here is how Round 1 looks:
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Arizona Coyotes
4. Seattle Kraken
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (from CHI)
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 VGK)
17. Nashville Predators
18. Dallas Stars
19. Minnesota (from LAK)
20. Washington Capitals
21. Pittsburgh Penguins
22. Anaheim Ducks (from BOS)
23. St. Louis Blues
24. Minnesota Wild
25. Toronto Maple Leafs
26. Montreal Canadiens (from CGY)
27. Arizona Coyotes (from CAR via MTL)
28. Buffalo Sabres (from FLA)
29. Edmonton Oilers
30. Winnipeg Jets (from NYR)
31. Tampa Bay Lightning
32. Arizona Coyotes (from COL)
“The 12 teams that lost in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs have picks 17-28. Teams that did not win their division were placed in inverse order of regular-season standings points, followed by the three division winners who lost in inverse order of regular-season points.”
You can find the rest of the 2020 NHL Draft order here.
[NHL Mock Draft: Wright, Slafkovský, Cooley top 2022 class]
Who else is expected to go in the first round?
Šimon Nemec, D, HK Nitra (Slovakia); David Jiříček, D, HC Plzen (Czech Republic); Cutter Gauthier, LW, US U-18 (NTDP); Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg (WHL); Matthew Savoie, C, Winnipeg (WHL); Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, US U-18 (NTDP); Pavel Mintyukov, D, Saginaw (OHL); Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle (WHL); Marco Kasper, C, Rögle BK (SHL); Joakim Kemell, RW, JYP (Liiga); Rutger McGroarty, RW, US U-18 (NTDP); Jack Hughes, C, Northeastern (H-EAST); Seamus Casey, D, US U-18 (NTDP); Brad Lambert, C, JYP-Pelicans (Liiga); Liam Öhgren, LW, Djurgårdens (SWE J20); Isaac Howard, LW, USN U18 (USDP); Rutger McGroarty, LW, USN U18 (USNTDP); Ryan Chesley, D, USN U18 (USNTDP); Jagger Firkus, RW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
What are the scouts saying?
Will Scouch on Shane Wright: “Wright’s ability to anticipate pressure from opponents, adapt to it, move pucks and maintain possession is high end, and should be more than enough to cover for his lack of gamebreaking speed and offensive flair. He’s a wonderful shooter with a great sense of space in the offensive zone as well, but I’m unsure that Wright is a guy who saves a last place organization on his own.” [McKeen’s Hockey]
Chris Peters on Logan Cooley: “As I’ve watched the playoffs this year, my thinking shifted even more. The best teams have fast, dynamic forwards that are constantly keeping defenders on their heels. They don’t cede possession without trying all of their other options. Cooley processes the game as fast as anyone in this draft and his ability to spot plays in transition is a major separator from the field. He has vision, threads passes well and can get behind defenders to give himself better looks at the net. Cooley is headed to the University of Minnesota next year, which has been a solid training ground the last few years for players on the NHL track. I think he’s probably a one-and-done in college player and would be ready to make an NHL impact by 2023-24.” [Daily Faceoff]
Scott Wheeler on Juraj Slafkovský: “Slafkovsky is built like a power forward, with a 218-pound frame that makes him one of the draft’s heaviest players, but he plays the game with uncharacteristic finesse, regularly flashing hands you’d expect out of a smaller player one-on-one to pull pucks in tight to his feet. He’s also got a rangy, fluid stride, which makes him a surprisingly dangerous rush player — and impressive confidence with the puck on his stick, which enables him to hang onto it (sometimes to a fault) and attack off the wall into the slot (he loves taking the puck from the half wall to the home plate area to shoot from his forehand. The team that drafts him will be betting on his upside, which grades at or near the very top of this class.” [The Athletic]
Sam Cosentino on Šimon Nemec: “A coveted ‘Right Shot’ ‘D’ prospect who is a transitional defender that quarterbacks the power play. Sneaky strong. He has the strength and movement to angle opponents and finish his check along the boards. High end hockey ‘IQ’. Head on a swivel. He identifies very well in all three zone. Pinches down to keep pucks alive in the offensive zone. Jumps to pucks in the defensive zone. His most attractive element is his vision and playmaking. More of a distributor than a shooter. Elite playmaker who slides into the rush as an extra layer.” [Sportsnet]
Will Scouch on David Jiříček: “He’s quite skilled, able to juke off defenders and make space in the offensive zone, as well as find space offensively to make passes easier for himself. His crossovers allow him to generate speed down the wing and drive into the offensive zone, and his package of tools is highly unique. The issue is that there’s a bit of “2021 Ben Chiarot Syndrome” with Jiříček. A player who is portrayed as effective defensively when he actually has significant issues and relies on borderline penalty plays to gain possession of the puck. I’ve seen it all out of him, and he’s had his fair share of penalties, while also getting left behind on more defensive rushes than you’d like. In a couple years, Jiříček could be a monster at both ends, but there’s work to be done, just like many of the names in this range.” [McKeen’s Hockey]
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.