Go Fourth in July

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is no doubt being intelligently and enthusiastically discussed during the Kraken's amateur scouting meetings here in Seattle this week. On the night of July 7 in Montreal, the Kraken are scheduled to be on the clock after host Montreal selects first, New Jersey picks second and Arizona chooses third.
There are lots of media and fan draftniks projecting who that draft choice might be. Chances are strong, whatever decision GM Ron Francis and his hockey operations group makes, the result will be fruitful.
Looking back a full decade of players selected at fourth overall in NHL Drafts from 2011 to 2020, there are budding superstars and several standouts in the mix of 10. In fact, only one player would be considered a disappointing pick while one more No. 4 overall pick sparks fan debate. The remaining eight are all solid pros in early- to mid-career with sizeable upsides.

Before we examine the list of 10 a bit closer, let's discuss the 2021 No. 4 pick, Luke Hughes. He was selected by New Jersey to become a future teammate with budding superstar forward, and brother, Jack and join another budding superstar/brother who plays for Vancouver, Quinn, as a young and promising NHL defenseman someday soon. Hughes posted an impressive freshman year at the University of Michigan and was part of Team USA at the recent IIHF World Championships. So far, so good, but too early to deem a fruitful pick at No. 4 of the NHL draft.
As a rookie this season, 2020 No. 4 overall pick, Detroit forward Lucas Raymond provided handsome returns for the Red Wings front office, led by GM Steve Yzerman. Raymond debuted with 23 goals and 34 assists for 57 points in 82 games.

Raymond didn't miss a game all year and certainly proved out the prevailing sentiment among NHL GMs and scouts that European players who play against men five to 15-plus years older as 18- and 19-year-old are advanced in their progress toward being NHL-ready. Raymond played two such seasons in Sweden's top pro league and was a high producer in world championships play too.
No one in hockey would contend Raymond wasn't anything but a terrific choice. Fun fact: Yzerman, making that selection of the young Swedish left wing, was a No. 4 overall pick himself in 1983, also selected by Detroit.
Kraken fans likely know what's to be written next: Ron Francis himself was a No. 4 overall pick, chosen by the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) in 1981. He started his 18-year-old season back in juniors by Hartford's choice but soon earned a call-up after averaging more than two points per game in some 20 games with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Francis, of course, never looked back on his way to a Hockey Hall of Fame playing career.
One more fun fact: Francis is constructing a Kraken team to become a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup, an effort with potential to be significantly bolstered in years ahead with this July's No. 4 overall pick. One of his ongoing building blocks is stalwart defenseman Adam Larsson, who also posted a career-high in goals this past season. Larsson was picked, you got it, No. 4 overall in 2011 by New Jersey.
Anyone who watched any or all of the just-completed Western Conference Final sweep by Colorado knows 2017 No. 4 overall pick Cale Makar is a 23-year-old superstar defenseman drawing comparisons to all-time great Bobby Orr with nary a snicker from experts. Makar scored a goal and added four assists in Monday's Game 4 overtime win alone.

Another Avalanche defenseman, Bowen Bynam, was No. 4 overall in 2019. He has struggled with concussion issues, but has averaged 17-and-a-half minutes in the third D-pair during the postseason with seven assists. Also notable: He was on the ice during the last minute of regulation in a tie game Monday, making good plays at both ends of the ice.
Toronto forward Mitch Marner, 25, has scored 138 goals and 317 assists for 455 points in 427 NHL games since Toronto picked him fourth in 2015. Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk, a 2018 No. 4, is captain for the Senators. Defenseman Seth Jones (No. 4 in 2013) has played big minutes in Columbus, Nashville and now Chicago. Sam Bennett, drafted by Calgary at the four-spot in 2014, was a major contributor to the Florida Panthers generating the most standings points in the league this season.
Only former Western Hockey League star defenseman Griffin Reinhart, a 2012 No. 4 overall pick by the New York Islanders, might be considered a disappointing choice. He has appeared in only 37 NHL games and currently plays in Europe.
Forward Jesse Puljujarvi, selected fourth by Edmonton in 2016, has played in 259 regular-season games for the Oilers over five seasons. Local fans have debated his value but the 24-year-old Swede did score 14 goals and add 22 assists this past season, though some team supporters might be disappointed in his playoff production of two goals and an assist in 16 games. By any perspective, the hockey jury is still out on that specific fourth overall pick.