Surprises Shake NHL Draft
07/08/2022
By: Jeff Yoder
Canadiens Make Surprise Pick With Juraj Slafkovsky No. 1 Overall; Shane Wright Falls to No. 4
The 2022 NHL Draft started with a surprise on Thursday night as the Montreal Canadiens went with left-winger Juraj Slafkovsky from Slovakia. The No. 1 pick was the first of many surprises on draft night. Shane Wright — the projected No. 1 pick — fell all the way to the Kraken at No. 4. Meanwhile, the Canadiens also added Kirby Dach in a trade with the Blackhawks, and it wasn’t the only Round 1 trade splash that was made. Here’s the Round 1 recap:
NHL Draft (Round 1)
1. Canadiens: LW Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia)
2. Devils: D Simon Nemec (Slovakia)
3. Coyotes: C Logan Cooley (USA)
4. Kraken: C Shane Wright (Canada)
5. Flyers: LW Cutter Gauthier (USA)
6. Blue Jackets: D David Jiricek (Czech Republic)
7. Blackhawks: D Kevin Korchinski (USA)
8. Red Wings: C Marco Kasper (Sweden)
9. Sabres: C Matthew Savoie (Canada)
10. Ducks: D Pavel Mintyukov (Canada)
Watch: Every Pick From Round 1 (Video)
Additional Storylines
NHL: Senators Trade No. 7 Pick to Blackhawks for Alex DeBrincat
ESPN: NHL Draft Tracker, Analysis & Picks for All 32 Teams
Photo: Dave Sandford / Getty Images