from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

It’s a photo finish for the No. 1 spot on TSN’s 2022 NHL Draft Final Ranking and, by the slimmest of margins, it’s Juraj Slafkovsky over Shane Wright.

Five of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN ranked the 6-foot-4 Slovak left winger at No. 1, while four scouts slotted the Kingston Frontenac centre in the top spot.

The headline will be that it’s the first time this season — that includes pre-season rankings in September; mid-season rankings in January; draft lottery edition rankings in April; and now the final rankings in June — that someone other than Wright is No. 1.

Slafkovsky was ranked No. 5 at mid-season but used two stellar international performances, at the Olympics and the men’s world championship, to vault to TSN’s No. 1 spot heading into the draft in Montreal on July 7-8.

There are, however, two points worth noting.

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