Montreal Canadiens Take Juraj Slafkovsky 1st-Overall In 2022 NHL Draft

There was a period of time when scouts thought he might jump to No. 1 and there were draft rankings boards that had him there and Juraj Slafkovsky did, in fact, jump up to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He goes to the Montreal Canadiens. While there was some surprise among the home fans there to watch the pick, most fans were pleased with the selection.

L'Élu! Les Canadiens ont choisi l'ailier gauche Juraj Slafkovsky du TPS de la Liiga comme premier choix au total du #RepêchageLNH 2022.

He's the 1️⃣! The Canadiens have selected left winger Juraj Slafkovsky from TPS in the Liiga first overall at the 2022 #NHLDraft.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/O9Soeptmgo

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 7, 2022

Slafkovsky was the top-ranked European player in the draft and he led all Slovak prospects as the best of this year’s crop. Considered a skilled and exciting power forward, he might be as close dynamic as any of the players in this year’s draft get. He said he didn’t care if he went No. 1 overall, only that he winds up being the best player out of this draft class when his career is over. He may wind up being both the top pick and the best player.

Slafkovsky brings a healthy combination of size and skill to the NHL and scouts really began to sing his praises as the draft drew closer. He comes in a 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, and he tallied 10 points in 31 games for TPS of Finland’s SM-Liiga. When he really caught the attention of scouts who wanted to know where to rank him was his performance at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. He scored seven goals in seven games, earned tournament MVP honors and helped team Slovakia earn a bronze medal.

One of the things that makes him so impressive is his strength and puck-protection skills. He’s more developed than any player in the draft in that area and with more time, could be a dangerous threat in the NHL.

According to EliteProspects 2022 NHL Draft Guide:

Slafkovský brings a lot more to the table than just brute force, though. What makes him a unique prospect is how he turns those extended possession sequences into legitimate scoring chances. Sometimes, it’s a drive to the net-front for a chance of his own; other times, he’ll handle his way into a passing opportunity and send the puck to his linemate to finish the job.

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