As soon as the Montreal Canadiens emerged victorious from the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, many were quick to crown Shane Wright as the next Habs star, but is the first overall selection really a preliminary conclusion? Wright is the best consensus player in the draft, but not quite the homerun prospect who leads some draft classes. Athletic’s Corey Pronman and Max Bultman sat down with Montreal Batsman writers Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin on The Athletic Hockey Show and the group did not reach the same consensus that Wright will be absolutely selected first overall. Of course, Wright is definitely the favorite; the Kingston Frontenacs captain does everything right and plays a mature, two-way, first-team game that is always appealing to a young player. Wright recorded 94 points in 63 games in the OHL this season, even after not playing last season during the closing of the league. Wright’s development and ability are not in question, and while all teams want a franchise center, Montreal has an immediate need for a center of the top six and Wright could be ready to go. That said, the group argued that Wright did not exactly break goal expectations this season and his inconsistent effort has sometimes provoked criticism. The question arises that if Wright is not an elite offensive talent and does not possess an elite work ethic, are there more advantages elsewhere in the board?
Another central option could be USNTDP standout Logan Cooley, and while he won’t be playing in the NHL next season when he heads to the University of Minnesota, there is also some belief that Wright could also return to junior l next year due to his lost season. the 2020-21 academic year. Cooley is also a two-way pivot with a full game and a minority of experts believe he has more offensive potential than Wright. The group also mentioned that a future advocate for the best partner is a must for Canadians and Simon Nemec or David Jiricek could fulfill that description. However, neither seems to be in the mix for first place overall and it is almost certain that the Habs will not change from No. 1 in an organized draft in Montreal. As such, the group lands at the far end Juraj Slafkovsky as the most likely alternative to Wright as the best option for Canadians. While the ends are considered to be far less valuable than the centers, Slafkovsky’s project has skyrocketed this season to the point where it would not be such a shock to see him beat Wright. The great Slovakian striker is without a doubt the most dynamic offensive player and he has proved it even more on several levels this year. Slafkovsky scored 10 points in 31 games plus seven points in 18 playoff games with TPS in Liiga, Finland’s best professional league. He scored 18 points in 11 games with his under-20 team. However, it is internationally where it really shone; Slafkovsky was named MVP of the Olympic tournament with seven goals in seven games for Slovakia and then scored nine points in eight games at the World Cup (where it has been reported that Habs GM Kent Hughes was looking for him).
Hughes and company also have an interesting twist on the decision at No. 1. Hughes and hockey operations director Jeff Gorton are new to Montreal, as is head coach Martin St. Louis and valued advisor Vincent Lecavalier. Not only are they playing catch-up with draft analysis, but they are also bringing in new and potentially opposing views from current Canadians ’analysis and analysis teams. The group opined that the odds of all these key decision makers agreeing on the choice are unlikely, and if Wright isn’t the best choice for Hughes or Gorton, that certainly opens the conversation. It is worth noting that Hughes, Gorton and St. Louis all have close ties to American hockey, which could be a boost for Cooley, while his Scouting department is majority European, which could benefit Slafkovsky.
At the end of the day, Wright remains the big favorite to be selected first in the overall as he has all season. However, it is not the guarantee that it is in some seasons or that many expected it to be this year, and it is worth knowing that there are other options. With the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, the drama surrounding the best selection of Canadians will be at least entertaining and the reaction in the event of taking Slafkovsky or Cooley instead of Wright will be fascinating. Montreal is in a difficult shape with an expensive and veteran lineup that has not produced this season and certainly can not afford to miss this selection.