Who Goes No. 1? | DRAFT

There will always a debate over the order of any draft, particularly at the top end. And the 2022 NHL Draft is no different with three players having a possibility of going No. 1 overall.
The three biggest names expected to be called at Montreal's Bell Centre Thursday night for Day 1 of the draft are forwards Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley.
Sportsnet draft expert Sam Cosentino told the Speak of the Devils podcast that Wright, Slafkovsky and Cooley are in a dead heat with a paper-thin margin separating them. Any of trio have a chance to be the top pick.

All three, including other expected top selections in the draft, spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon ahead of the big day. They were each asked about the possibility of going No. 1 - which is currently held by Montreal. New Jersey holds the second pick.
"It doesn't matter," Slafkovsky said. "At the end I want to be the best player from the draft. Doesn't matter whether (I'm picked) one, two or three."
"Anything can happen on draft day. I'm just having fun with this," said Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley. "You want to go to a team that wants you and can see you jumping in right away. No one wants to be second so (going first) would be a special moment for me."
Wright had been the projected to be the No. 1-overall pick for the past few years.
"Obviously, you want to be one," he said. "You want to be the guy chosen first. If that weren't to happen, I'm still being drafted by an unbelievable organization, an NHL organization and franchise."
Being the expected top pick for two years has put a microscope on Wright's game. And while the critics and scouts may have been extra harsh in his past season assessment, he isn't letting that get to him.
"Anytime you have a player at the top, a player considered as that No. 1 guy, there will be people trying to bring you down, nitpicking your game and find little flaws in your game," he said. "I don't really care what those people think. It's just outside noise."