With the Stanley Cup Final between the Avalanche and Lightning in the books, it's time to turn the page to the 2022 NHL Draft later this week. The Canadiens have the first overall pick and will be looking to find that next franchise player. Shane Wright was considered the obvious choice by fans and bettors alike, but some recent reports have shaken up the odds boards ahead of the first round on Thursday.
The Canadiens are reportedly undecided on who they will take with the top overall pick in this week’s draft. However, they confirmed Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Logan Cooley are being considered. Wright remains the current betting favorite to go No. 1, but Slafkovsky has been picking up steam over the past week.
Below, we'll break down the value in betting on Wright, Slafkovsky, and Cooley to be drafted first in the 2022 NHL draft.
All odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
NHL Draft 2022 odds: Who's the favorite to go No. 1?
Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs, OHL (-278). Wright is still the odds-on favorite to be selected with the first overall pick on Thursday night. Wright has seen his odds to go No. 1 drop from -5000 to -278 after hockey insider Bob McKenzie released his final draft rankings on June 28.
McKenzie had Slafkovsky ranked as the top prospect over Wright based on speaking with 10 scouts. However, one NHL team's head scout told McKenzie that neither Slafkovsky nor Wright are guaranteed to be first-line players in the NHL.
Nevertheless, it would be shocking to see the Canadiens pass on Wright, who had played well this season for Kingston in the OHL. The young forward scored 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) and played some center too. Sporting News’ Bryan Murphy said in his final mock draft that Wright is an excellent playmaker, which is something that the Canadiens could use after this past season. Wright still doesn't offer a ton of value for the top spot, but with the way his odds have dropped, it certainly feels like he does. If they continue to dip -- barring a report that he specially won't be the top selection -- consider a small wager.
NHL Draft 2022 odds: Who's a sleeper to go No. 1?
Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS, Liiga (+175). If Montreal doesn’t take Wright at No. 1, it will likely select Slafkovsky. The left winger played last season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional hockey league. Slafkovsky did not do much in the regular season, scoring just 10 points.
However, he became one of the stars of the 2022 Winter Olympics, producing seven goals and helping Slovakia take home the bronze medal. Slafkovsky finished draft season as the No. 1 ranked European skater, surpassing Joakim Kemell. While the plus odds might be temping given the uncertainty around Wright at the top spot, Slafkovsky might be a better bet to be selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Devils (-195).
NHL Draft 2022 odds: Who's a long shot to go No. 1?
Logan Cooley, USA U18, NTDP (+2009). Montreal GM Kent Hughes threw a significant curveball on Monday when he said that Cooley is being considered for the No. 1 overall pick.
The 5-10 center is committed to playing at the University of Minnesota next season, but SN’s Bryan Murphy said Cooley is the best two-way center in the draft class. Cooley played outstanding with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, netting 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 51 games. He also performed well at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. If the Canadiens were to take Cooley, they wouldn’t see him for a few years, which they might be OK with. He’s the odds-on favorite to be selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Coyotes (-229) and the third-best odds to go No. 2 (+510).
If you're not going to bet on Wright to go first, Cooley offers much more value than Slafkovsky and was at least name-checked by Hughes. He doesn't seem to fit a need for the Devils, so if they stay at No. 2, it's unlikely Cooley would go there.
