Marc Dumont
With the 2022 NHL Draft right around the corner, Montreal Hockey Now is releasing its final 2022 draft rankings.
Montreal Hockey Now’s Marco D’Amico spent the last two months watching additional footage of draft-eligible players for the 2022 NHL Draft and updated his previous Draft Rankings accordingly; thereby expanding the rankings to include a Top-64.
In addition to the 1st overall pick, the Canadiens also own the Calgary Flames‘ 1st round pick, which is now confirmed to be 26th overall and the coveted first pick in the second round, 33rd overall, due to finishing last in the NHL standings.
The top three players in this draft seem to be set in stone at this time, with Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley all vying to be selected 1st overall. Although Wright remains the odds on favourite to go 1st overall, there has been a lot of talk about Slafkovsky or even Cooley possibly edging him out as the 1st overall pick come July 7 in Montreal.
Some of the other notable risers are Swedish winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki, power forward Cutter Gauthier and center Marco Kasper. After their intriguing international performances in the month of May, some extra viewings during their season made the argument for moving them up the rankings rather easy. Lekkerimaki is perhaps the best pure shooter in this draft, while being able to play a well-rounded game. Gauthier, who is now slated to play at center moving forward, has the qualities of a top-6 center with a shoot-first mentality and a physical edge. Meanwhile, Kasper is an all-around center who is unbearable to play against, due to his tenacious and deceptively skilled game.
Take a look at the Montreal Hockey Now’s list below. We’ll be providing more draft content throughout the next month, including player interviews and mock draft simulations to keep you informed and up to date on what is sure to be a focal point going into the summer.
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