Montreal Canadiens Three Options With the First Overall Pick

The Montreal Canadiens entered the NHL Draft Lottery with the best chance of winning the first overall pick. Though it was far more likely that they drop to third overall, they were fortunate to come out with the top selection.

Even as the team with the worst record in the regular season, the Canadiens had just a 25.5% chance of ending up with the first overall pick and a more than 50% chance of landing at number three.

When Bill Daly flipped that card with the #1 on the back and it had the Canadiens logo on the front, it was terrific therapy for all Habs fans who suffered through an awful season that included just eight wins in the first 45 games and a late season nine game losing streak after some hope was breathed into the lineup by Martin St. Louis.

By the end of the season, they had clinched the worst record in hockey. But the greatest possible silver lining to a bad season is a top draft pick. The Canadiens secured the first overall pick by virtue of the correct ping pong balls bouncing around.

Now, they have to decide what to do with it. Not only, should they keep the pick and draft someone, but who should they take?

There are several different options the Canadiens could take here, so let’s break down the there most likely.

Trade for a recent 1st overall pick

Admittedly, this is the least likely scenario of the three laid out here, but it is far from an impossibility. Teams rarely trade the first overall pick. The last time it happened was back in 2003 when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded up from third to first with the Florida Panthers.

So, it is unlikely, and if it were to happen it would probably be the Arizona Coyotes offering the third overall pick and another prized pick or prospect. Or, maybe another team could step up with a prized prospect that opens the Habs eyes.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is part of a management group that includes Jeff Gorton at the top. Gorton was previously the general manager of the New York Rangers who recently had a first overall pick of his own. He selected Alexis Lafreniere with that pick.

Lafreniere was the first overall pick in 2020 but hasn’t broken out at the NHL level just yet. He has plenty of skill and speed and offensive instincts, but scored just 19 goals and 31 points in 79 games this season, his second in the league. He had 12 goals and 21 points in 56 games as a rookie.

But, the Canadiens could use a young, skilled left winger to form a tremendous trio with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The Rangers could use a centre like Shane Wright if they are going to lose Ryan Strome this offseason. There is a fit, but that’s a lot of risk taken by the Canadiens. The Rangers would have to offer something else significant with Lafreniere to get the Habs to bite.

It becomes hard to work something out that makes sense for both teams. The Habs would want another top prospect thrown in, but that would likely make it too rich for the Rangers. Again, it is admittedly unlikely, especially since the first overall pick hasn’t been moved in 19 years, but a Lafreniere for Wright deal could possibly get done.

Go “Off the Board”

More likely than trading the pick is the Canadiens keep the pick. But there is not a slam dunk choice at first overall this season. There was at the beginning of the year, and it was pretty much unanimous at midseason, but it’s not quiet anymore.

Shane Wright was the consensus top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft since about 2017, but he now has some competition. And the Canadiens could be intrigued by that competition if they think it fits better within their organization.

Juraj Slafkovsky starred at the Winter Olympics for Slovakia and is charging up the draft boards to contend for the first overall pick. He scored seven goals in seven games at the Olympics, though they didn’t feature NHL players. Still, he is a left wing, power forward in the making at 6’4″ and 218 pounds. He scored ten points in 31 games in Liiga this season, and had 18 points in 11 games in Finland’s Junior Circuit.

Logan Cooley is putting up a fight to take the top spot as well. The super skilled centre has posted 75 points in 51 games for the United States Development Program. While Wright is a terrific all-around player, with great offensive skills, Cooley’s game is more speed and skill that jumps outa t you.

Simon Nemec is another possibility. While not many have him ranked as high as number one, he is the consensus top defenceman available. He is a big, right shot defender that is polished at both ends of the ice. He had 26 points in 39 games in the Slovakian pro league and put up 17 points in 19 playoff games.

Taking Slafkovsky, Cooley or Nemec are not going to be the consensus choices, but any one of them could become the best player taken in the 2022 NHL Draft.