While hockey is a winter sport, two of the biggest events on the NHL calendar occur in midsummer. First, the annual Entry Draft gives teams a chance to stock their closets with new talent. Then, shortly after, free agency opens up, giving general managers another chance to improve their roster.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 2022 NHL draft and recap everything you need to know about the event.
Where and when will the 2022 NHL Draft be held?
team #CBJ has arrived in Montreal for the NHL Draft. A bit rainy today but it’s supposed to be nice here as things take place on Thursday and Friday pic.twitter.com/JJksva59Fn
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) July 5, 2022
While Canada has had no luck in the Stanley Cup playoffs for quite some time, the country will host the 2022 NHL draft. This year’s edition of the event will be held at the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens.
The celebrations begin on Thursday, July 7 when Round 1 begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The remainder of the draft, rounds 2 through 7, will take place on Friday, July 8th. The promotion begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time and runs throughout the day.
Where can I watch this year’s draft?
In recent years, NHL action has been largely confined to the NBC Sports network. However, ahead of the 2021-22 season, the league struck a major deal with ESPN and Turner. That paid off in terms of viewership, and it will carry over into this year’s draft as well.
In the United States, the 2022 NHL first round draft will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+. The second day of action moves to the NHL Network. In Canada, you can follow everything on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and SportsNet Now.
Who are the top prospects in the 2022 NHL Draft?
▶” src=” frameborder=”0″ allow=”Accelerometer; Autoplay; Clipboard-Write; Encrypted-Media; Gyroscope; Picture-in-Picture” allowfullscreen>
In most designs, there tend to be a few prospects that stand out from the crowd. This year’s NHL draft class, while considered an average group, is no exception.
Almost everyone’s big board is highlighted by Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky. As pointed out by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, the former is a center with a game comparable to Mika Zibanejad; He might not be exciting, but he plays in the middle and does everything well.
Slafkovsky, a great Slovakian winger, is profiling like Rick Nash. He has the potential to become an elite NHL-level scorer, but in theory, finding a talented winger is a little easier than a jack-of-all-trades center.
After that, Logan Cooley, David Jiricek and Simon Nemec all have legitimate potential.
Which team will have the first pick in this year’s NHL draft and what is the overall draft order?
For better or worse, the NHL team with the worst record doesn’t always end up as a top pick in the draft. The league uses a lottery system which, despite weighting, can cause some surprises. But this year it worked.
The Montreal Canadiens, who finished 32nd, have first pick overall. They are followed by the New Jersey Devils, who have won the lottery, and the Arizona Coyotes. The full order of the first round is as follows:
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 2 | New Jersey Devil |
| 3 | Arizona coyotes |
| 4 | Seattle Kraken |
| 5 | Philadelphia Flyer |
| 6 | Columbus Blue Jackets (via Chicago) |
| 7 | Ottawa Senators |
| 8th | Detroit Red Wings |
| 9 | buffalo saber |
| 10 | Anaheim ducks |
| 11 | Sharks of San Jose |
| 12 | Columbus blue jackets |
| 13 | New York Islanders |
| 14 | Winnipeg Jets |
| fifteen | Vancouver Canucks |
| 16 | Buffalo Sabers (via Las Vegas) |
| 17 | Nashville predators |
| 18 | Dallas Stars |
| 19 | Kings of Los Angeles |
| 20 | Washington Capitals |
| 21 | Pittsburgh penguins |
| 22 | Anaheim Ducks (via Boston) |
| 23 | St. Louis Blues |
| 24 | Minnesota Wild |
| 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 26 | Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary) |
| 27 | Arizona Coyotes (via Carolina) |
| 28 | Buffalo Saber (via Florida) |
| 29 | Edmonton oiler |
| 30 | Winnipeg Jets (via New York Rangers) |
| 31 | Tampa Bay Blitz |
| 32 | Arizona Coyotes (via Colorado) |
After the first round, draft order reverts to reverse ranking. New Jersey, for example, will be the fifth pick of the remaining rounds (excluding trade) since they moved up via the lottery.
When will the drafted players make it to the NHL?
This is when things get a little tricky. In the NFL and NBA, drafted players are usually drafted directly into the professional roster. Even if you’re not a star, chances are you’ve got a chance to sit on the bench and earn a few minutes on occasion. However, hockey doesn’t roll that way.
More often than not, only the best players have a chance to make their team’s roster as a rookie. Even then, they won’t directly slip into a lead role. The NHL pretty much sticks to the old school, which means young players have to earn their minutes, prove they can play with men, and all those other clichés.
Drafted players may be assigned to minor league rosters (either the AHL or ECHL) or returned to their previous team, whether in the major juniors, NCAA, or Europe. There are also some situations where players don’t sign with the team that drafted them – think Adam Fox as a recent example – but let’s not get bogged down in that for now.
Why is Gary Bettman booed in the NHL Draft?
▶” src=” frameborder=”0″ allow=”Accelerometer; Autoplay; Clipboard-Write; Encrypted-Media; Gyroscope; Picture-in-Picture” allowfullscreen>
While this topic may seem a bit silly, booing Gary Bettman is as much a part of NHL fandom as anything else. Every time the commissioner takes the stage, you can expect some fans to give him a hard time.
Without re-legitimizing Bettman’s entire career, he is widely viewed as a businessman who never really took an interest in hockey. When you combine that reputation with some of his decisions — like expanding the league into the Sunbelt, chairing multiple work stints, and leaving ESPN for the Outdoor Life Network — that perception makes perfect sense.
It’s also worth noting that Quebec’s reception could be even more pronounced. Bettman allowed the Nordiques to leave the province in 1995 and has not brought a team back to La Belle province since, despite the league’s expansion.
Bettman also seems to welcome the booing and has become something of a pro-wrestling heel in recent years, which only encourages the crowd to let him hear it.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportcasting19 and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
RELATED: The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, but their enduring legacy could be something even bigger