Blockbuster first round pick trade brewing ahead of 2022 Draft

“We have a trade to announce” could be one of the first thing NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has to say in Montreal after of the first round of the 2022 Draft.

According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is reportedly tempted to trade his first-round pick, the 7th overall selection, for a player able to have an immediate impact on the team.

The Senators have ten picks in the bank for the draft, which takes place on July 7 and 8. Five of them are in the first three rounds, two picks in both the second and third rounds, which says a lot about moves that can be made and potential pieces coming in to a build a strong future in Ottawa.

Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley are the consensus top three prospects that will hear their names first at the Draft. That means the Senators will not be the ones calling out their names. Especially if they find a perfect trade in which they’ll send back their seventh overall selection.

In 2021, the Sens used the 10th overall pick to draft forward Tyler Boucher. The winger recorded seven goals and 14 points in 24 games with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL.

The Senators have depth at centre with Josh Norris, Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, but still seek a powerful addition.

We will be on the lookout until the draft: the Sens could pull the trigger on a monster trade to get their hands on a player who can turn them into a postseason contender.