Shane Wright was anticipated to be the primary draft choose of the evening. However in a shocking twist, the primary two picks went to Slovakian gamers.
Juraj Juraj Slafkovský (middle) stands arm in arm with the Canadiens normal supervisor, Kent Hughes (left) after his draft choose on Thursday evening. Slafkovsky was the primary general choose. (Picture: Bruce Bennett)
For the primary time in three years, followers have been allowed to attend the NHL Draft in Montreal’s Bell Centre. With the Montreal Canadiens holding the primary general choose, the evening has followers sitting on the fringe of their seat.
When draft day began, Shane Wright was the consensus #1 choose at -200 on Fanduel, with Juraj Slafkovský at +170 to go first. However by 6 pm, because the draft was simply an hour away, these odds modified, and Slafkovský turned the favourite, closing at -160 to be the primary general choose, whereas Wright was at +115.
Some info should have leaked someplace for Wright to go from -200 to +115 in a matter of hours. That’s as a result of when it got here time for the Canadiens to select, certain sufficient, Slafkovský was their man, as the massive Left Winger from Slovakia was picked first general, changing into the primary Slovakian to be picked primary.
So, relying on while you obtained a guess in on Slafkovský, you possibly can have gotten him anyplace from -160 to +170 on Thursday.
Greatest second of the #2022NHLDraft, and it’s not even shut 🇸🇰 pic.twitter.com/bgUtGFS6IT
— The Hockey Information (@TheHockeyNews) July 8, 2022
Slovakia Takes the Night time
The Slovakian theme continued as Šimon Nemec was picked second general.
Wright didn’t even go third general. In actual fact, that distinction went to Logan Cooley, who was +2600 to go first general. He was the primary middle taken off the board, and though he’s dedicated to taking part in for the College of Minnesota subsequent 12 months, the ceaselessly re-building Arizona Coyotes thought he was the precise man at this choose.
After sitting round for what should have felt like an eternity, Wright’s title was referred to as at choose quantity 4 to the Seattle Kraken. The Kingston Frontenacs middle needed to wait by 3 picks and two trades.
As for the Slovakian theme, The Montreal Canadiens additionally had a choose at quantity 26, they usually added Slafkovský’s teammate and good friend, Filip Mešár from Slovakia. That put a cap on the primary spherical for the Canadiens, marking the third Slovakian picked within the first spherical.
To place that in perspective, just one Slovakian had been drafted within the first spherical within the final 10 years, and the very best ever drafted Slovakian was Marian Gaborik, taken by the Minnesota Wild with the third general choose in 2000.
Picks and Trades
Following the third general choose, Commissioner Gary Bettman stepped to the microphone and introduced the primary trades of the evening, each involving the hometown Montreal Canadiens, to the gang’s delight.
Montreal traded away Defenseman Alexander Romanov and choose #98 (spherical 4, 1st choose – Isaiah George – D – OHL) to the New York Islanders for the #13 choose (Frank Nazar – C – USA NTDP) general. However as quick because the Habs acquired the choose, they shipped it off the Chicago Blackhawks together with choose #66 (spherical 3, 1st choose – Gavin Hayes – LW – OHL) for Middle Kirby Dach.
