2022 NHL Draft: Canadiens select Juraj Slafkovský with No. 1 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
With the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens select … Juraj Slafkovský.
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Slafkovský came into the draft as one of the top prospects available, which included players like Shane Wright, Logan Cooley, Joakim Kemell and more.
Montreal is hoping the 18-year-old left winger can reignite the offense a year after the team finished last in the Eastern Conference. Just the postseason prior, the Canadiens were battling in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning before falling four games to one.
With the pick, Slafkovský also made history as the first Slovakian to ever go first overall in the NHL draft. The 6-foot-4 forward started his professional hockey career with the Slovakia Selects U12 team in 2015 and worked his way up to the senior national squad. He played for the team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and scored seven goals en route to helping his nation win a bronze medal.
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He recently played for TPS of the Finnish Liiga in Finland.
You can find the full first-round order of the 2022 NHL Draft here.
