The 2022 NHL Draft is in the books. Months of hard work and tireless scouting have culminated in 225 players hearing their names called over the course of the last two days.

Draft picks weren't the only things happening on the draft floor in Montreal. A lot of big trades occurred as the 32 teams gear up for free agency on the 13th.

There are different ways a team can win or lose a draft. The picks themselves are the easiest way to win or lose a draft, but the trades also matter. A draft-day trade can completely change the course of a franchise. Especially if those deals involve NHL-caliber players.

Let's look at the three biggest winners of this draft. Who did they bring in, and how was their future outlook improved at the 2022 NHL Draft.

3 biggest winners from 2022 NHL Draft

1) Montreal Canadiens

Let's begin with the host team of the draft. Montreal shattered a lot of mock drafts, including our own, by selecting Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky first overall.

The Slafkovsky pick was surprising, but not at all unwarranted. The 18-year-old is one of the biggest players in the draft, and one of the most skilled. He's coming off an incredibly successful season and helped take Slovakian hockey to new heights.

The Habs followed this selection up by selecting two other players we had rated as first-round talents. Montreal selected winger Filip Mesar with their second first-round pick, before taking center Owen Beck in the second round.

The Canadiens were also aggressive on the trade front. They acquired the 13th overall pick from the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Alexander Romanov and a draft pick. The Habs then flipped the 13th pick in a package to acquire center Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The acquisition of Dach is interesting. He is just 21 years old. He looked to be a part of the future in Chicago. The Habs making this deal indicates they believe he'll be better than Shane Wright, who they passed on at the top of the draft. We'll see if they're right.

The Habs needed a massive injection of talent following their immensely disappointing season. And they accomplished that goal at this year's draft, in front of their own fans no less.

2) Slovakian Hockey

Speaking of Slovakian hockey, the country's hockey program made huge strides at the 2022 NHL Draft. Slafkovsky became the highest Slovakian player ever drafted Thursday night. And that was the first of three first-round picks for the nation.

The New Jersey Devils made defenseman Simon Nemec the second overall selection in the draft to the surprise of many. Nemec was one of the top defensive prospects in the draft, but with Shane Wright in their laps, that was expected to be the selection.

The Habs took Mesar later on in round one to round that out. After that, just three more Slovakian players were drafted. The New York Rangers took forward Adam Sykora in the second round. The Minnesota Wild selected forward Servac Petrovsky in the sixth round. And finally, the Arizona Coyotes drafted Adam Zlnka in the seventh round.

It was less than a year ago when Slafkovsky and Nemec led the Slovaks to the country's first Olympic hockey medal. Now, the country has the two top selections in the NHL Draft. It's amazing progress for a country who had been losing its hockey identity as of late.

“It’s just unbelievable moment for me, for my family and everyone who supports me and also for the whole Slovak country,” Slafkovsky told reporters after being drafted. “We needed something like this.”

3) Seattle Kraken

Possibly the biggest story following Slafkovsky's selection was Shane Wright's fall. Many expected him to be the pick at two and three when he was available, and yet he wasn't.

The Devils took an elite blueliner in Nemec, while the Arizona Coyotes chose fellow center iceman Logan Cooley over the Kingston Frontenacs star. Wright was eventually snapped up by the Seattle Kraken.

And that pick gives the NHL's youngest franchise two elite centers to build their future around. The team's first-ever draft pick was Michigan star Matty Beniers second overall last season.

The Kraken later added another player we had rated as a first-rounder in Jagger Firkus. And they got great value in some of their later-round picks as well.

They selected North Bay Battalion defenseman Ty Nelson 68th, while some viewed him as a potential top 40 player. And Peterborough Petes forward Tucker Robertson was seen by some as a potential top 75 player but was drafted 123rd overall.

The Kraken added a lot of intriguing talent to their prospect pool and landed potentially the best player in the draft. It was a home run night for the NHL's youngest franchise.