Should the Canadiens Trade Up At The 2022 NHL Entry Draft?

The Montreal Canadiens hold the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, where they are expected to select Kingston forward Shane Wright. It will be the first time the Canadiens have selected first overall since 1980, when they selected Doug Wickenheiser. But picking first isn’t the only thing the Canadiens will be doing in the first round on July 7th. For the first time since 2007, the Habs will have two first-round picks.

In 2007 the Canadiens used those picks to select future captain Max Pacioretty and defenseman Ryan McDonough who the Canadiens later traded away in the infamous Scott Gomez deal. Both turned into solid NHL players and are a great example of how one draft can alter a franchise for years to come. There is perhaps no better example of this right now than the Dallas Stars draft in 2017, where they selected Miro Heiskanen 3rd overall, Jake Oettinger 26th overall and, Jason Robertson 39th overall. A similar opportunity awaits the Canadiens.

Currently, the Canadiens don’t know exactly where that second first-round pick will fall, as it originally belonged to Calgary, who is still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the Flames lose to Edmonton in the second round, the pick will most likely be around 25th or 26th overall. If the Flames win, the pick will be towards the very end of the first round. This could be notable, depending on how Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton view this draft. Perhaps they don’t want to wait that long between picks, especially with Montreal’s second-rounder already being 33rd overall, which is the first pick of round two.

The Canadiens have not traded up in the first round of the draft in quite some time, including the entirety of the Marc Bergevin era. The last time they traded up was in 2010, when they traded up five spots to take Jarred Tinordi. It’s not out of the question we see the Canadiens finally do that again in 2022, but it depends on what the braintrust of the Habs is thinking. Fortunately, Habs  Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton is no stranger to this.

in 2018, as General Manager of the New York Rangers, Gorton traded up just four spots to select defenseman K’Andre Miller. That decision has proven to be a homerun, as Miller is currently playing 26 minutes a night in the second round of the playoffs and is making plays like this at 22 years of age.

Obviously, the player matters when considering trading up, but that’s what makes the gap between the Habs first round picks notable. A lot of good players will be available, but less and less with each pick. The Habs have 13 picks in this years draft, with the opportunity to add another second round pick if the Oilers fail to reach the Cup finals, that might provide management the comfort level to trade up in this draft if they feel like there’s a player they really like.

This draft class is unlikely to go down as one of the best ever, but there are still plenty of good players to be had in it. The Canadiens need more than just Shane Wright which is why trading up should become an option for them. Ultimately, it will come down to how the draft board falls. There may be a player the Habs just love that becomes available in the late teens that they thought would be long gone. A player like Frank Nazar comes to mind. There may be a scenario where the player the Habs want is already projected to go around 25-30th and they feel comfortable staying put.

Regardless of what happens, the Canadiens already have the crown jewel in pick number one, and with the draft being held in Montreal, there is guaranteed to be plenty of fireworks. Trading up would only add more, and it might be the motivation needed for this group. Only time will tell.

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