The Hockey World Turns To The NHL Draft

Article By Chris Wassel

Last Updated: 2022 Jul 5

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This year’s NHL Draft begins at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday in Montreal with the first round. Friday’s Day 2 covers rounds two through seven.

Canadian teams have a keen interest, and each has a variety of needs that can help their squads during the draft. Picks, trades, and more are a part of the menu.

Ontario sports betting players know that Montreal possesses the No. 1 pick. What will the Canadians do with that choice? There are other draft props that a bettor can wager on, like the Over/Under on selections, etc.

Let us take a closer look at what happened with a bit of betting analysis.

The Numbers On The No. 1 Pick

The first overall pick of the NHL Draft consistently garners the spotlight, with the hometown Montreal Canadiens on the clock first year. The lesson from the NBA Draft is that numbers can shift quickly. Ontario sports bettors discovered Paolo Banchero spiked, went off the books, and Banchero went first overall.

Shane Wright remains the favorite for just two days until the NHL Draft, around 1.35 to 1.45. That has lengthened his odds. Juraj Slafkovsky has seen his odds shorten under 3. His numbers shortened from 2.70 to 2.80. Logan Cooley is off the radar.

There are many debates about whether Montreal needs a franchise center or a franchise goal-scorer. Now, the honest answer is they need both. Centers are the hardest to find, along with a puck-moving defenseman. The decision for Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and the Canadiens is actual. That pivot could set the team up for the next decade. A wrong pick could set them back.

Montreal has no pressure on them. Right? Exactly!

Winnipeg Jets Find Its Coach

The Winnipeg Jets did not get their man. That was Barry Trotz, who decided to take more time off before making any coaching decision. With Trotz off the Winnipeg radar, Kevin Cheveldayoff and company hired Rick Bowness instead on Sunday. His press conference on Monday featured many of what one would expect from Bowness.

Winnipeg had many issues last season, but a perennial one has been their defense – particularly team defense and their penalty kill. For those wondering, the Jets ranked tied for 28th at just 75%. They allowed 3.08 goals per game (20th) and 33.18 shots per contest (25th). Those are some numbers Bowness thinks he could change.

His last stop in Dallas featured a Stars team that played much better defense. Even last year, the Stars (a down year) allowed just 244 goals, featured a penalty kill that went 79%, and managed to make the playoffs behind the emergence of Jake Oettinger. Dallas just could not score enough goals. That usually is not a problem for Winnipeg.

Winnipeg still has many questions. Is Mark Scheifele happy? Can Rick Bowness get this team to the playoffs?

With the draft upon us, next week starts free agency. Expect a quick look at what the Canadian teams need and maybe a few numbers to chew on.