Montreal Canadiens fans will have quite the night at the 2022 NHL Draft. The Canadiens have drawn the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery this year, becoming the first city hosting the draft to pick atop the order since the Maple Leafs in 1985. The Canadiens are coming off a dismal season in 2021-22 but have reasons for optimism heading into 2022, now owners of the No. 1 pick.

The Canadiens had the best chance at getting the first overall pick in the history of the NHL Draft Lottery, thanks to new rules enacted this year.

The rest of the NHL Draft Lottery rounded up like this:

  1. Montreal Canadiens
  2. New Jersey Devils
  3. Arizona Coyotes
  4. Seattle Kraken
  5. Philadelphia Flyers
  6. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Chicago Blackhawks)
  7. Ottawa Senators
  8. Detroit Red Wings
  9. Buffalo Sabres
  10. Anaheim Ducks
  11. San Jose Sharks
  12. Columbus Blue Jackts
  13. New Jersey Islanders
  14. Winnipeg Jets
  15. Vancouver Canucks
  16. Buffalo Sabres (via Vegas Golden Knights)

Two teams, the Jets and Sabres, will have two selections in the top-16 picks, but the Canadiens are the overall winners of the evening, able to pick atop the board.

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There are various players who could go first overall, but most mock drafts seem to think Shane Wright is the best player available in this year's draft class. Other top candidates include Juraj Slafkovsky, Logan Cooley, David Jiricek, Simon Nemec, and Cutter Gauthier, among others.

After finishing the season with a league-worst 55 points, the Canadiens will have their pick of the litter on draft day, and have the chance to add a gamechanger to help expedite their rebuild.