It remains a general consensus that the first overall pick of the 2022 NHL entry draft will be Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs. A somewhat underwhelming year in terms of production has cooled the hype around him, but it will be a shocker if the team first up to the podium doesn’t call his name on July 7.
A standout with the Don Mills Flyers program in minor hockey, Wright’s name has been on NHL radars well before he was granted exceptional player status to enter the Ontario Hockey League as a 16-year-old in 2019-20. With 66 points (39G, 27A) in 58 games at that age, he solidified the already widespread opinion that he’d be a top pick in the NHL draft when the time came.