NHL Mock Draft: Wright, Slafkovský, Cooley top 2022 class

With 2022 NHL Draft this week, the team at McKeen’s Hockey has prepared a mock draft to give you an idea of how the first day could unfold. Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, Director of Video Scouting, Will Scouch, Video Scout, Sam McGilligan and Publisher Robert Howard got together and made our picks for whom we thought best matched the team on the clock. It was a fun and interesting process. They certainly do not mirror our McKeen’s rankings, which are not trying to predict the draft, but which prospects will develop into NHL players and at what level in five years’ time. ]

Every NHL team has its own list, its own goals, and surprises are expected, so, enjoy our best guess on who your teams next great hope is going to be. 

The McKeen’s team has published our annual NHL Draft Guide which includes profiles on over 300 players, feature articles plus much more. It is available as a direct download with a subscription, or on its own. You can learn more here.

The decision to select Shane Wright is an easy one. There’s a reason he was deemed the potential first overall for the years leading up to this draft and it’s because of his impeccable understanding of the game, killer release and the most pro-ready playstyle of the entire draft. There’s a level of safety and projectability in every one of his strengths and while weaknesses do exist, they aren’t anything significant enough to reasonably predict Wright struggling in the NHL. The floor here is a low level second line center, and some may wince reading that knowing this is a first overall pick who is supposed to alter a franchise. 

Make no mistake, Wright has that potential on the same level that guys like Juraj Slafkovský and Logan Cooley do as well, it just doesn’t show