Montreal Canadiens‘ 2022 Draft Decision Under Scrutiny as Expert Re-Ranks Prospects
Three years after the Montreal Canadiens selected juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, a respected hockey analyst has revisited the draft class, suggesting a different order that places Logan Cooley at the top and slafkovsky at third.
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic recently re-evaluated the 2022 NHL Draft, and his revised top-10 highlights significant shifts in prospect rankings. Wheeler’s updated list sees Logan Cooley, originally drafted third overall by Arizona, now projected as the first pick. Lane Hutson, a second-round selection by Montreal (62nd overall), makes a considerable leap too second overall in Wheeler’s re-ranking.
Wheeler’s analysis points to Cooley’s current performance as a first-line centre, leading his draft class in categories such as goals (45) and points per game (0.69), as key factors in his elevated ranking. Slafkovsky, the Canadiens’ actual first overall pick, is placed third in Wheeler’s revised ranking.
The re-ranking also notes the impressive rise of Lane Hutson, who has had a “impressive season,” earning him the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. His significant jump from the 62nd pick to the second overall selection underscores his growth.
despite the revised rankings,the article emphasizes that Montreal’s initial draft under General Manager Kent Hughes has yielded two “very crucial pieces” for the team’s present and future core.
For reference, the original 2022 NHL Draft first-round selections relevant to this discussion were:
- Montreal – Juraj Slafkovsky
- New Jersey – Simon Nemec
- Arizona – Logan Cooley
- Seattle – Shane Wright
- Philadelphia – Cutter Gauthier
- Columbus – David Jiricek
- Chicago – Kevin Korchinski
- Detroit – Marco Kasper
- Buffalo – Matt Savoie
- Anaheim – Pavel Mintyukov
Wheeler’s revisited top-10 is as follows:
- Montreal – Logan cooley
- New Jersey – Lane hutson
- Arizona – Juraj Slafkovsky
- Seattle – Shane Wright
- Philadelphia – Cutter Gauthier
- Columbus – Frank Nazar
- chicago – Simon Nemec
- Detroit – Denton Mateychuk
- Buffalo – sam Rinzel
- Anaheim – Marco Kasper