NHL off-season kicks off at 2022 draft

The 2022 NHL Draft will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal on July 7-8.

The first round begins July 7 starting at 8 p.m., Atlantic Time, with Rounds 2 through 7 on July 8 starting at noon, Atlantic Time.

It's the first draft since 2019 to be held at an NHL arena with the management and scouting departments of all 32 teams along with fans in attendance. COVID-19 forced the previous two drafts to be held virtually.

For the first time since 1980, the Montreal Canadiens hold the first-overall pick. There's growing excitement and anticipation among their followers over which player the rebuilding club will choose.

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League was considered the top prospect throughout most of this season.

In recent weeks, however, a number of hockey pundits and bloggers have made the case for winger Juraj Slafkovsky of TPS in Finland to go first overall.

Some also consider centre Logan Cooley of the U.S. National Team Development Program as a better choice.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes hasn't tipped his hand, generating speculation there's uncertainty among the front office over which prospect to choose. Given the demands of their hockey-mad market, it's important for Habs’ management to get this right.

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald holds the second-overall selection. He's indicated a willingness to trade that pick for an impact player to skate alongside young Devils forwards such as Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. That should add an extra measure of intrigue to the days leading up to the first round.

The Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets each have at least two picks in the first round. Perhaps one of them will use one of their selections to move up or down in the draft order. Some could use their extra pick as trade bait to acquire an established NHL star.

Speaking of trades, the Wild kicked things off on June 29 by shipping 85-point winger Kevin Fiala to the Los Angeles Kings. They promptly signed the restricted free agent to a seven-year contract.

The Fiala deal signals what could be several days of player movement extending beyond the draft up to the start of free agency on July 13. Rebuilding clubs will shop players who no longer fit into their longterm plans.

Teams with limited salarycap space will attempt to make cost-cutting trades. The Tampa Bay Lightning did that on July 3, dealing defenceman Ryan Mcdonagh to the Nashville Predators.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Alex Debrincat is the most notable name in the trade market. A two-time 40goal scorer with a year left on his contract, he's reportedly generating plenty of interest around the league.

Other trade candidates include Jets captain Blake Wheeler, Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Vancouver Canucks centre J.T. Miller.