Top 2022 draft picks Juraj Slafkovsky, Shane Wright sign entry-level contracts

Juraj Slafkovsky and Shane Wright, two of the top selections in the 2022 NHL Draft, have signed entry-level contracts with their respective teams.

The Montreal Canadiens selected Slafkovsky with the No. 1 pick in the draft; the Seattle Kraken drafted Wright with the No. 4 pick.

Both players’ deals will be able to kick in with the 2022–23 season, although they also have the potential to begin in subsequent years, per the NHL’s entry-level contract slide rules.

Canadiens Montréal

@CanadiensMTL

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The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract (2022-23 to 2024-25) with forward Juraj Slafkovsky. #GoHabsGo nhl.com/canadiens/news…

6:43 PM · Jul 13, 2022

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Seattle Kraken

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WRIGHT 👏 ON 👏 SCHEDULE. We've signed 2022 first-round draft pick @shane_wright51 to an entry-level deal!

7:00 PM · Jul 13, 2022

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Slafkovsky, 18, scored five goals and 10 points in 31 Liiga games with TPS Turku in 2021–22. He was also named MVP of the 2022 Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament after scoring seven goals in seven games.

Wright, 18, was expected by many to be the first-overall pick in the draft but ended up falling to the Kraken at pick No. 4. He racked up 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs in 2021–22.

Slafkovsky and Wright are two of the first members of the 2022 NHL Draft class to sign entry-level contracts. David Jiricek (Columbus), Marco Kasper (Detroit), Denton Mateychuk (Columbus), and Dennis Hildeby (Toronto) have also signed with their draft clubs in the days since July 7–8.