NHL 2022 Draft

[H_T_L]

13 minutes ago, Regis22 said:

That article is a reflection of how Montreal has been treating young prospects forever 

Can you imagine if we still had Therrien as coach??

He'd be saying to himself,,,, "Finally,,,, they draft a 3rd line winger i can use" 

[BigTed3]

First, regarding the Habs' pick, I think it's going to be Wright if you read between Hughes' lines. He said they want skill and speed but they also feel they need to get a bit bigger up front. Hughes also reiterated today that with their draft picks, they want to build a culture of winning and leadership. You look at the draft and there are really only 5 guys who have any shot whatsoever at being #1 overall (Wright, Cooley, Jiricek, Slafkovsky, Nemec) and probably only two with a realistic chance (Cooley or Wright). Cooley may well be the more skilled guy and he has some ties to Hughes' kids, but he's also smaller and hasn't shown the maturity that Wright has yet. I think Wright ticks a lot of the boxes that Hughes wants.

The other possibility that's been tossed around is a trade. Hughes said today he'll always listen but that the plan is to keep the pick. You do have to wonder how much Gorton likes Lafreniere and if he would swap Wright for Lafreniere if the Rangers came calling about his former 1st overall choice. IMO, there's no deal to be had there unless the Rangers are throwing in a sweetener of significance. Wright is a center (more valuable) and he has two extra years of cost control. Yes, if the Habs were contenders now, you might want the player who is two years more developed, but the Habs are building for 3-5 years from now, so Wright fits the plan better. The other possibility would be looking at Columbus and swapping #1 for #6 and #12 or looking at Arizona for #3 overall and another late 1st, or something to that effect. Now would that be fair? Well the 1st overall pick hasn't been dealt all that often in recent years. The last time it happened was actually 2003, when Florida dealt the 1st overall choice to Pittsburgh, who went on to choose MA Fleury. Pittsburgh gave up the 3rd overall, a 2nd rounder, and a prospect and got back #1 and a 3rd rounder. With more teams in today's NHL, that 2nd rounder they gave up would be equivalent to a late 1st now, though. So looking at the two possible trade options, Arizona's 3rd overall (along with maybe the Carolina 1st we sent them) would be more equivalent as a package coming back. As it stands, I see NJ looking long and hard at Nemec at 2, so it comes down to trading Wright to Arizona for Cooley and a late 1st.

In 2002, the Panthers gave up #1 overall to Columbus for the 3rd overall and the right to switch 1st rounders in the next year's draft, something they didn't end up doing. So they basically gave up Rick Nash at #1 for no return. That said, that type of deal could be very interesting for the Habs if they were to swing it with Arizona. Arizona is a perennial loser. They have no hope, no fans, no one who wants to sign there, and their best player wants to be traded. And next year's draft features some big guns at the top. Even if you finish worse than Zona next year, you've got two fish in the pond for a lottery win, and I'm almost certain Zona will be in that lottery. So it's an interesting thought to me. Give up Wright for Cooley, say, AND get more shots at Bedard. There are a few other complicated trades that have involved the 1st overall pick, but the other one of most interest was probably the Lindros deal, which legitimately set Quebec/Colorado up as multi-Cup winners down the line. The haul included two future 1st's, Ricci, and a young prospect named Peter Forsberg. Quite the return. Now we're not getting that for Wright, but would I swap Wright for a team's top 6 pick this year AND their 1st next year? Absolutely. Seattle or Arizona would be great teams to try to convince to do that, not that they would if they were smart.

[habsisme]

9 minutes ago, BigTed3 said:

First, regarding the Habs' pick, I think it's going to be Wright if you read between Hughes' lines. He said they want skill and speed but they also feel they need to get a bit bigger up front. Hughes also reiterated today that with their draft picks, they want to build a culture of winning and leadership. You look at the draft and there are really only 5 guys who have any shot whatsoever at being #1 overall (Wright, Cooley, Jiricek, Slafkovsky, Nemec) and probably only two with a realistic chance (Cooley or Wright). Cooley may well be the more skilled guy and he has some ties to Hughes' kids, but he's also smaller and hasn't shown the maturity that Wright has yet. I think Wright ticks a lot of the boxes that Hughes wants.

The other possibility that's been tossed around is a trade. Hughes said today he'll always listen but that the plan is to keep the pick. You do have to wonder how much Gorton likes Lafreniere and if he would swap Wright for Lafreniere if the Rangers came calling about his former 1st overall choice. IMO, there's no deal to be had there unless the Rangers are throwing in a sweetener of significance. Wright is a center (more valuable) and he has two extra years of cost control. Yes, if the Habs were contenders now, you might want the player who is two years more developed, but the Habs are building for 3-5 years from now, so Wright fits the plan better. The other possibility would be looking at Columbus and swapping #1 for #6 and #12 or looking at Arizona for #3 overall and another late 1st, or something to that effect. Now would that be fair? Well the 1st overall pick hasn't been dealt all that often in recent years. The last time it happened was actually 2003, when Florida dealt the 1st overall choice to Pittsburgh, who went on to choose MA Fleury. Pittsburgh gave up the 3rd overall, a 2nd rounder, and a prospect and got back #1 and a 3rd rounder. With more teams in today's NHL, that 2nd rounder they gave up would be equivalent to a late 1st now, though. So looking at the two possible trade options, Arizona's 3rd overall (along with maybe the Carolina 1st we sent them) would be more equivalent as a package coming back. As it stands, I see NJ looking long and hard at Nemec at 2, so it comes down to trading Wright to Arizona for Cooley and a late 1st.

In 2002, the Panthers gave up #1 overall to Columbus for the 3rd overall and the right to switch 1st rounders in the next year's draft, something they didn't end up doing. So they basically gave up Rick Nash at #1 for no return. That said, that type of deal could be very interesting for the Habs if they were to swing it with Arizona. Arizona is a perennial loser. They have no hope, no fans, no one who wants to sign there, and their best player wants to be traded. And next year's draft features some big guns at the top. Even if you finish worse than Zona next year, you've got two fish in the pond for a lottery win, and I'm almost certain Zona will be in that lottery. So it's an interesting thought to me. Give up Wright for Cooley, say, AND get more shots at Bedard. There are a few other complicated trades that have involved the 1st overall pick, but the other one of most interest was probably the Lindros deal, which legitimately set Quebec/Colorado up as multi-Cup winners down the line. The haul included two future 1st's, Ricci, and a young prospect named Peter Forsberg. Quite the return. Now we're not getting that for Wright, but would I swap Wright for a team's top 6 pick this year AND their 1st next year? Absolutely. Seattle or Arizona would be great teams to try to convince to do that, not that they would if they were smart.

The return has to include a first next year + and still be a top 10 pick this year. If a package can be built around that I would consider it. It really depends what they think of Wright at the end of the day

[BigTed3]

So now assuming everyone keeps their picks, this is my version 1 mock draft for the top 17 (known draft order picks for now):

1. Mtl - Wright

2. NJ - Nemec

3. Ari - Cooley

4. Sea - Jiricek

5. Phi - Slafkovsky

6. Clb - Kemell

7. Ott  - Savoie

8. Det - Nazar

9. Buf - Geekie

10. Ana - Lekkerimaki

11. SJ - Howard

12. Clb - Lambert

13. NYI - Korchinski

14. Wpg - Mateychuk

15. Van - Mintyukov

16. Buf - Ohgren

17. Nas - McGroarty

... looking ahead at the Habs next pick (between 25-32), the next 15 guys I have in the rankings to complete the 1st round would be in some order Gauthier, Yurov, Trikozov, Mesar, Kulich, Miroshnichenko, Luneau, Ostlund, Odelius, Snuggerud, Casey, Salomonsson, Chesley, Kasper, and Pickering. So a least one of those guys is going to be there to look at. Right now, a dream draft for me would be to come away with Wright (or Cooley) at the top and then have our 25-32 and 33rd picks give us one of Luneau, Odelius, Salomonsson, Hutson, Casey, or Nelson and one of Trikozov, Ostlund, or Miroschnichenko.

 

 

[BigTed3]

4 minutes ago, habsisme said:

The return has to include a first next year + and still be a top 10 pick this year. If a package can be built around that I would consider it. It really depends what they think of Wright at the end of the day

Here's the thing based on NJ moving up to 2 though... most people assume NJ doesn't need a center, so it means they can sit there on Nemec at 2 and Arizona can still grab Cooley at 3. Ultimately, I wonder if Cooley isn't Arizona's guy to begin with. We know they've been desperate for a center and here's a guy with tremendous skill and who is American to boot. I have a hard time seeing them pass on him. Seattle also reportedly is high on drafting a #1 D man. So while I think they would have liked Nemec, they'd be happy to take Jiricek IMO. So I'm not sure anyone in the 2-4 range is really that intent on moving up, unless someone else is trying to move into the top 4 and throw a wrench in the order. I don't see NJ moving up when they don't need a center that badly. I don't see Seattle paying assets to move up when they need everything. Ditto Arizona, especially sitting on a possible 1C at pick 3. So the first team to me that might want to consider paying to move up is Philly. But if we make that trade, it means we're sitting at 5 and drafting either Slafkovsky, Savoie, or Kemell in all likelihood. To me, that's a bit of a drop-off from Wright/Cooley/Nemec/Jiricek. I just don't love the idea of getting a winger for all our troubles. Now Nazar is also sitting there and could be had at 5, but then are you reaching for position to do that, which is also not a great take... all that to say that I think you'd need a 2023 1st to make it worth it, and even then, I don't think Philly is guaranteed to have a lottery pick the same way I feel Arizona or Seattle are likely headed there.

[xxdocxx]

With all the pieces our Habs have now.  I wonder what it would cost to get that second pick from NJ?

[maas_art]

1 hour ago, BigTed3 said:

First, regarding the Habs' pick, I think it's going to be Wright if you read between Hughes' lines. He said they want skill and speed but they also feel they need to get a bit bigger up front. Hughes also reiterated today that with their draft picks, they want to build a culture of winning and leadership. You look at the draft and there are really only 5 guys who have any shot whatsoever at being #1 overall (Wright, Cooley, Jiricek, Slafkovsky, Nemec) and probably only two with a realistic chance (Cooley or Wright). Cooley may well be the more skilled guy and he has some ties to Hughes' kids, but he's also smaller and hasn't shown the maturity that Wright has yet. I think Wright ticks a lot of the boxes that Hughes wants.

The other possibility that's been tossed around is a trade. Hughes said today he'll always listen but that the plan is to keep the pick. You do have to wonder how much Gorton likes Lafreniere and if he would swap Wright for Lafreniere if the Rangers came calling about his former 1st overall choice. IMO, there's no deal to be had there unless the Rangers are throwing in a sweetener of significance. Wright is a center (more valuable) and he has two extra years of cost control. Yes, if the Habs were contenders now, you might want the player who is two years more developed, but the Habs are building for 3-5 years from now, so Wright fits the plan better. The other possibility would be looking at Columbus and swapping #1 for #6 and #12 or looking at Arizona for #3 overall and another late 1st, or something to that effect. Now would that be fair? Well the 1st overall pick hasn't been dealt all that often in recent years. The last time it happened was actually 2003, when Florida dealt the 1st overall choice to Pittsburgh, who went on to choose MA Fleury. Pittsburgh gave up the 3rd overall, a 2nd rounder, and a prospect and got back #1 and a 3rd rounder. With more teams in today's NHL, that 2nd rounder they gave up would be equivalent to a late 1st now, though. So looking at the two possible trade options, Arizona's 3rd overall (along with maybe the Carolina 1st we sent them) would be more equivalent as a package coming back. As it stands, I see NJ looking long and hard at Nemec at 2, so it comes down to trading Wright to Arizona for Cooley and a late 1st.

In 2002, the Panthers gave up #1 overall to Columbus for the 3rd overall and the right to switch 1st rounders in the next year's draft, something they didn't end up doing. So they basically gave up Rick Nash at #1 for no return. That said, that type of deal could be very interesting for the Habs if they were to swing it with Arizona. Arizona is a perennial loser. They have no hope, no fans, no one who wants to sign there, and their best player wants to be traded. And next year's draft features some big guns at the top. Even if you finish worse than Zona next year, you've got two fish in the pond for a lottery win, and I'm almost certain Zona will be in that lottery. So it's an interesting thought to me. Give up Wright for Cooley, say, AND get more shots at Bedard. There are a few other complicated trades that have involved the 1st overall pick, but the other one of most interest was probably the Lindros deal, which legitimately set Quebec/Colorado up as multi-Cup winners down the line. The haul included two future 1st's, Ricci, and a young prospect named Peter Forsberg. Quite the return. Now we're not getting that for Wright, but would I swap Wright for a team's top 6 pick this year AND their 1st next year? Absolutely. Seattle or Arizona would be great teams to try to convince to do that, not that they would if they were smart.

Some good sound reasoning and some interesting ideas. I think, at the end of the day, Hughes will still with 1st and draft Wright but i suspect he's going to be fielding a lot of calls in the meantime. 

34 minutes ago, xxdocxx said:

With all the pieces our Habs have now.  I wonder what it would cost to get that second pick from NJ?

Their biggest needs are Defense and Wing.  I think you could offer something like Guhle + Ylonen, both a little more developed than anyone they are likely to get this year.  It wouldnt be a bad offer but at the same time, I dont think HuGo wants us to be bad for another year, I think they want us to be competitive by next training camp and i think they see Guhle as a possible roster player as early as next year. 

[campabee82]

59 minutes ago, BigTed3 said:

Here's the thing based on NJ moving up to 2 though... most people assume NJ doesn't need a center, so it means they can sit there on Nemec at 2 and Arizona can still grab Cooley at 3. Ultimately, I wonder if Cooley isn't Arizona's guy to begin with. We know they've been desperate for a center and here's a guy with tremendous skill and who is American to boot. I have a hard time seeing them pass on him. Seattle also reportedly is high on drafting a #1 D man. So while I think they would have liked Nemec, they'd be happy to take Jiricek IMO. So I'm not sure anyone in the 2-4 range is really that intent on moving up, unless someone else is trying to move into the top 4 and throw a wrench in the order. I don't see NJ moving up when they don't need a center that badly. I don't see Seattle paying assets to move up when they need everything. Ditto Arizona, especially sitting on a possible 1C at pick 3. So the first team to me that might want to consider paying to move up is Philly. But if we make that trade, it means we're sitting at 5 and drafting either Slafkovsky, Savoie, or Kemell in all likelihood. To me, that's a bit of a drop-off from Wright/Cooley/Nemec/Jiricek. I just don't love the idea of getting a winger for all our troubles. Now Nazar is also sitting there and could be had at 5, but then are you reaching for position to do that, which is also not a great take... all that to say that I think you'd need a 2023 1st to make it worth it, and even then, I don't think Philly is guaranteed to have a lottery pick the same way I feel Arizona or Seattle are likely headed there.

I have no interest in trading 1st OVA, we always hear how you can't trade for elite talent that you have to draft it. Now that we have a true shot at drafting it everyone wants to piss it away. How does that make any sense?!

[AH64]

fingers crossed for Wright!

[claremont]

21 minutes ago, campabee82 said:

I have no interest in trading 1st OVA, we always hear how you can't trade for elite talent that you have to draft it. Now that we have a true shot at drafting it everyone wants to piss it away. How does that make any sense?!

I absolutely agree 100% and here's why

1) Since 2010 there has only been one #1 overall pick that turned out to be a dud (infamous aptly named Yakupov) - so you're over 90% certain, you are getting at minimum a solid roster player - granted perhaps not elite or generational 

2) I first floated the idea of moving down in our pick if we had #3 overall for Columbus #6 and 13 and the time - now pick #12 (It wasn't that other guy) on May 2nd. As players drop in draft levels, your percentages of having a roster player drop progressively. I doubt a team tries a 2 for 1 at that level and even then picks in the 6-32 range have a probability of success at 70% so even if you have 2 picks your odds of success of 1 of them being a winner is around 85% and the other pick may be insignificant. I doubt it's even a 2 for 1 and another prospect based on precedent.

[BigTed3]

46 minutes ago, maas_art said:

Some good sound reasoning and some interesting ideas. I think, at the end of the day, Hughes will still with 1st and draft Wright but i suspect he's going to be fielding a lot of calls in the meantime. 

Their biggest needs are Defense and Wing.  I think you could offer something like Guhle + Ylonen, both a little more developed than anyone they are likely to get this year.  It wouldnt be a bad offer but at the same time, I dont think HuGo wants us to be bad for another year, I think they want us to be competitive by next training camp and i think they see Guhle as a possible roster player as early as next year. 

Can't really see NJ trading that pick. As confident as we are that Guhle wil be an NHLer, he projects as a #3 guy whereas Nemec projects as a #1. The more I've seen and read about the prospects, the more I actually like Nemec and the more he would really help us with something we're missing (a strong puck mover and skater who can help to organize the counter-attack and win puck control). I would easily deal Guhle + Ylonen for Nemec (or Cooley if you will), and I really do love Ylonen as an under-valued asset. A more realistic ask from NJ might be something along the lines of Josh Anderson + Guhle + Calgary 1st rounder + Ylonen for 2nd overall.

That said, Brian Burke did some wheeling and dealing to draft the Sedins 2nd and 3rd overall and in the process he at one point held the 1st overall pick. So if the Habs somehow found a way to maneuver into getting 2nd and 3rd overall without giving up their 2023 1st, I'd be interested. If NJ were interested in that deal I posted here and Ari would do that 1st overall for 3rd overall and a late 1st that I mentioned above, then essentially, we would have given up Anderson, Guhle, Ylonen, and 1st overall for 2nd and 3rd overall. In that situation, assuming Arizona drafts Wright 1st, we end up with Cooley and Nemec, and those would probably be two more exciting picks than Wright. In reality, the more likely scenario is that we just draft Wright, but there are some possibilities for what HuGo wants to do with its power position here.

[claremont]

1 hour ago, BigTed3 said:

So now assuming everyone keeps their picks, this is my version 1 mock draft for the top 17 (known draft order picks for now):

1. Mtl - Wright

2. NJ - Nemec

3. Ari - Cooley

4. Sea - Jiricek

5. Phi - Slafkovsky

6. Clb - Kemell

7. Ott  - Savoie

8. Det - Nazar

9. Buf - Geekie

10. Ana - Lekkerimaki

11. SJ - Howard

12. Clb - Lambert

13. NYI - Korchinski

14. Wpg - Mateychuk

15. Van - Mintyukov

16. Buf - Ohgren

17. Nas - McGroarty

... looking ahead at the Habs next pick (between 25-32), the next 15 guys I have in the rankings to complete the 1st round would be in some order Gauthier, Yurov, Trikozov, Mesar, Kulich, Miroshnichenko, Luneau, Ostlund, Odelius, Snuggerud, Casey, Salomonsson, Chesley, Kasper, and Pickering. So a least one of those guys is going to be there to look at. Right now, a dream draft for me would be to come away with Wright (or Cooley) at the top and then have our 25-32 and 33rd picks give us one of Luneau, Odelius, Salomonsson, Hutson, Casey, or Nelson and one of Trikozov, Ostlund, or Miroschnichenko.

That's a very good board. I could see NJ taking Slafkovsky too, to line up with Alexander Holtz another nice winger in their prospect pool

I am absolutely a hard pass on Lane Hutson - a 5 ft 8 LHD - He may have some offensive skills that I saw at the U18 championships but why we need a Victor Mete type player at this round level, to me he's not even the BPA. Not saying NHL central scouting gets it correct but he's ranked 25th best North American player so there's at least 12 Euros ahead of him. Offensive Defensemen have to be able to play defense and he looks like another Ryan Murphy (12th overall - 2011 dud). We are stacked at LHD and waiting for one to emerge with 1/2 pairing upside, but I don't see Hutson breaking this bubble.  

I have said this before - with Calgary's pick you swing for a high ceiling player so if I got Trikozov or even Perevalov - I would say solid. Don't ignore Luca DBB either as I see him going in the first round (he's a quiet scoring Centre with size that some don't talk about).  You can play safe with pick #33 especially since after this Calgary pick you have Arizona and Buffalo drafting after you and since they have multiple picks, they could swing for the fences at a high ceiling player that may not drop to you at pick #33 if you play safe with the Calgary pick.

One of the most intriguing late 2nd round picks - we are around #49 so he may hit that range is RHD 6ft 7 Mavric Lamoureaux - Shades of Gilles Lupien (grin) - I am not saying we should take him, I just find it interesting that a huge guy like that is rated top 20 North Amercians by NHL Central scouting - big guys like that are usually clumsy skaters but even Chara lumbered along and had a top career

[electron58]

3 hours ago, campabee82 said:

I have no interest in trading 1st OVA, we always hear how you can't trade for elite talent that you have to draft it. Now that we have a true shot at drafting it everyone wants to piss it away. How does that make any sense?!

Shane Wright.

Granted exceptional status at the age of 15 and allowed to enter the OHL a year early, Shane Wright has long been the top prospect in the 2022 Draft Class. He also was named to Team Canada for the World Junior Tournament.  COVID wreaked havoc on Wright’s 2020-21 season. He didn’t play a single OHL game, but still dominated the Under-18 World Championships, leading Canada to a gold medal. Wright scored nine goals and five assists for 14 points in just five games in the tournament. He also battled through a foot injury. In 2019-20 Wright was the OHL and CHL Rookie of the year, with 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games.

Wright’s skating has seemed to get better as the OHL season has gone on. In testing at the CHL Top Prospects Game, Wright was amongst the top five prospects in most of the skating tests. He has a very good first step and his acceleration is top-notch. He also has very good top-end speed. Wright can change speeds to push the pace on the rush, or he can control the puck and slow things down. His ability to change speeds allows him to fool defenders in one-on-one situations. He also has the lateral agility to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Wright shows good balance and has been able to fight through hooks, holds and other extra attention that he receives at the junior level. 

Wright can do it all offensively. He is a pure goal scorer with an excellent array of shots and a lightning-quick release. His wrist and snapshots are very heavy and the quick release can fool goaltenders. He also has a good one-timer. Wright has a knack for getting open and finding space to get his shot off. He also has the quick stickhandling to toe-drag the puck and opens up shooting lanes. Wright can use those quick hands to score goals in tight to the net as well. He can pounce on a rebound and put it in a tight spot. He also has the hand-eye coordination to get tip-ins on teammates’ shots or to bury a quick one-timer on a pass. Wright can also deke a goalie in tight.

He also can play the role of playmaker. Wright controls the puck and speeds up the game or slows it down as necessary. His soft hands combined with his skating make him an excellent playmaker. He can make plays with the puck while moving at top speed. He also has the ability to control the puck on the cycle, giving his line mates time to get open. When they do, he can throw a tape-to-tape pass through tight passing lanes. Wright seems to see the play developing quicker than his opponents and his hockey IQ and vision are elite. He even does well to win battles on the boards and in front of the net.

Wright is also an excellent defensive player. He understands spacing and cutting down passing and shooting lanes. Wright anticipates what his opponent will do and keeps himself between his man and the front of the net. He forces opponents to the outside and into bad shooting lanes. He also uses a quick stick to steal the puck from opponents with a poke check or to intercept a pass and turn things the other. He is committed on the back check, supporting the defense down low and providing back pressure against the rush. His positioning is extremely advanced for a draft prospect. He is also good in the faceoff circle and can help to kill penalties.

Wright does it all and can be a franchise-leading center in the NHL. He may not ever win a scoring title, but he provides more than enough offence to lead a first-line in time. His two-way game and the fact that he will be able to put up those points while also shutting down the opponent’s top line is invaluable. Wright can be used in all situations, from the penalty kill to the power-play. He can both score goals and set them up. Wright should have a long and distinguished career and he’s worth the hype. In terms of style, Wright compares favourably to Patrice Bergeron. This is a style comparison though and not one that should be based on talent and ability. Expect him to be in the NHL next year, and he could compete for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

certainly like to hear these traits!

[electron58]

Well this was unexpected. Thought Buttman would do his worst, and give it to Seattle. Anyway, having the first overall pick changes everything. I'm convinced that we keep it, and draft Shane Wright. The player has exceeded at every level. Physically mature, with room to grow & get stronger. Chances are pretty good, that he starts with the Habs. I think, that because it is the 1st OA, it takes away any trade options that may have been considered. Plug him in on the second line, maybe with Josh Anderson & ?????  We have to see, who we can get rid of, and how Joshua Roy does in training camp. The key to this off season, will be, who can we get rid of.

[CaptWelly]

33 minutes ago, electron58 said:

Shane Wright.

Granted exceptional status at the age of 15 and allowed to enter the OHL a year early, Shane Wright has long been the top prospect in the 2022 Draft Class. He also was named to Team Canada for the World Junior Tournament.  COVID wreaked havoc on Wright’s 2020-21 season. He didn’t play a single OHL game, but still dominated the Under-18 World Championships, leading Canada to a gold medal. Wright scored nine goals and five assists for 14 points in just five games in the tournament. He also battled through a foot injury. In 2019-20 Wright was the OHL and CHL Rookie of the year, with 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games.

Wright’s skating has seemed to get better as the OHL season has gone on. In testing at the CHL Top Prospects Game, Wright was amongst the top five prospects in most of the skating tests. He has a very good first step and his acceleration is top-notch. He also has very good top-end speed. Wright can change speeds to push the pace on the rush, or he can control the puck and slow things down. His ability to change speeds allows him to fool defenders in one-on-one situations. He also has the lateral agility to get around defenders, both with and without the puck. Wright shows good balance and has been able to fight through hooks, holds and other extra attention that he receives at the junior level. 

Wright can do it all offensively. He is a pure goal scorer with an excellent array of shots and a lightning-quick release. His wrist and snapshots are very heavy and the quick release can fool goaltenders. He also has a good one-timer. Wright has a knack for getting open and finding space to get his shot off. He also has the quick stickhandling to toe-drag the puck and opens up shooting lanes. Wright can use those quick hands to score goals in tight to the net as well. He can pounce on a rebound and put it in a tight spot. He also has the hand-eye coordination to get tip-ins on teammates’ shots or to bury a quick one-timer on a pass. Wright can also deke a goalie in tight.

He also can play the role of playmaker. Wright controls the puck and speeds up the game or slows it down as necessary. His soft hands combined with his skating make him an excellent playmaker. He can make plays with the puck while moving at top speed. He also has the ability to control the puck on the cycle, giving his line mates time to get open. When they do, he can throw a tape-to-tape pass through tight passing lanes. Wright seems to see the play developing quicker than his opponents and his hockey IQ and vision are elite. He even does well to win battles on the boards and in front of the net.

Wright is also an excellent defensive player. He understands spacing and cutting down passing and shooting lanes. Wright anticipates what his opponent will do and keeps himself between his man and the front of the net. He forces opponents to the outside and into bad shooting lanes. He also uses a quick stick to steal the puck from opponents with a poke check or to intercept a pass and turn things the other. He is committed on the back check, supporting the defense down low and providing back pressure against the rush. His positioning is extremely advanced for a draft prospect. He is also good in the faceoff circle and can help to kill penalties.

Wright does it all and can be a franchise-leading center in the NHL. He may not ever win a scoring title, but he provides more than enough offence to lead a first-line in time. His two-way game and the fact that he will be able to put up those points while also shutting down the opponent’s top line is invaluable. Wright can be used in all situations, from the penalty kill to the power-play. He can both score goals and set them up. Wright should have a long and distinguished career and he’s worth the hype. In terms of style, Wright compares favourably to Patrice Bergeron. This is a style comparison though and not one that should be based on talent and ability. Expect him to be in the NHL next year, and he could compete for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

certainly like to hear these traits!

I know everyone always wants that pure flashy talent. That said a solid two way center with skill that is willing to play a strong game both ways is always very valuable. I always want a center that plays the PP & PK. A player that can play all situations. Suzuki has developed this. Having two strong two way centers that you can utilize as needed and in all situations is a coaches dream. He is also supposed to be a good face off man. Winning critical face offs can be worth a lot. Wright sure sounds like the player to draft.

[BigTed3]

8 hours ago, claremont said:

That's a very good board. I could see NJ taking Slafkovsky too, to line up with Alexander Holtz another nice winger in their prospect pool

I am absolutely a hard pass on Lane Hutson - a 5 ft 8 LHD - He may have some offensive skills that I saw at the U18 championships but why we need a Victor Mete type player at this round level, to me he's not even the BPA. Not saying NHL central scouting gets it correct but he's ranked 25th best North American player so there's at least 12 Euros ahead of him. Offensive Defensemen have to be able to play defense and he looks like another Ryan Murphy (12th overall - 2011 dud). We are stacked at LHD and waiting for one to emerge with 1/2 pairing upside, but I don't see Hutson breaking this bubble.  

I have said this before - with Calgary's pick you swing for a high ceiling player so if I got Trikozov or even Perevalov - I would say solid. Don't ignore Luca DBB either as I see him going in the first round (he's a quiet scoring Centre with size that some don't talk about).  You can play safe with pick #33 especially since after this Calgary pick you have Arizona and Buffalo drafting after you and since they have multiple picks, they could swing for the fences at a high ceiling player that may not drop to you at pick #33 if you play safe with the Calgary pick.

One of the most intriguing late 2nd round picks - we are around #49 so he may hit that range is RHD 6ft 7 Mavric Lamoureaux - Shades of Gilles Lupien (grin) - I am not saying we should take him, I just find it interesting that a huge guy like that is rated top 20 North Amercians by NHL Central scouting - big guys like that are usually clumsy skaters but even Chara lumbered along and had a top career

There are undoubtedly size concerns with Hutson, both for his height (5'8" to 5'9") and weight (he last checked in at 150lbs). Can he play in the NHL without being bodied off the puck? That said, I expect his weight will increase 10-15lbs by the time he plays in the NHL, and that lands him at a similar profile to 5'9" 166lb Jared Spurgeon, who has done just fine carving out a career for himself in the NHL. Quinn Hughes is another lighter guy who has done well coming out of the first round. So yes, I agree with you that the size is a concern. I think he'd have to be matched up well at ES, but he could also be a boon for your PP and the bottom line is that despite his size, he's done well as a junior and he's in the conversation as a fringe 1st or 2nd round pick. So if he's in the conversation there, it's because scouts see enough talent to compensate for his size. I don't think he's necessarily a 1st rounder, but if you're sitting there at 33 and your choices are guys like Hutson with elite talent but no size or players like Gaucher who look kind of slow but have some skill or Noah Warren or Lamoureux who have size but less skill, then it's still an open debate for me. Players you pick int he 30-40 range have maybe a 40-50% chance of ever becoming an NHL regular, so it's a crapshoot to begin with. Hutson has a chance to carve out a career as a PP quarterback and 3rd pairing D man, and at the end of the day, while he's not my first choice, he also isn't the worst pick. I'd personally love to grab Tristan Luneau or Calle Odelius at 33 if they're there, but we'll see.

As for Lamoureux, I haven't seen a lot of him, but to me he actually does look a bit clumsy with his size. He does skate reasonably well, but personally, I get a bit of the Ryan O'Byrne or Peter Popovic feel from him. His mechanics are a bit awkward given his size and he needs some work with both his passing and defensive work. The games I've seen of his, he wasn't overly quick with his decision-making when he recovered a loose puck and that bothered me a bit, because if he's not processing fast enough at junior, I have a hard time projecting that to the NHL and I think he'd be a very developmental player to bring through the ranks.

Agreed with going after a high-ceiling player at 25-32 and Trikozov has been a favorite of mine throughout the draft process. Ostlund and Ohgren are other guys who might slip to the 20s, and there's always Miroshnichenko as well. Elite scorer but with health issues and the whole Russian/visa angle to figure out. But he was a top 5 projected pick until all of that happened in the past few months, so the skill is there. I wouldn't take him top 10, but if this guy falls down the draft, he's a brilliant pick for a team with multiple first rounders, and you could well end up with another star. Obviously, we'd all love to get a 30-40 goal scorer, but a more realistic projection might be a player like Andrei Kostitsyn, and for all the hate he took here, he did have a decent career and could score goals as a 2nd line player. Among the other Russians, there's also Yurov, who like Miroshnichenko projected as a top 10 pick before the Russian politics became more complicated. Many scouts think he will be one guy who falls, albeit I'm not sure he'll make it past 20. But if he's there, he's also a skill guy you're getting at a bargain.

[RCAF48]

Most of the time the obvious choice is the Wright choice.

[maas_art]

8 hours ago, electron58 said:

Wright’s skating has seemed to get better as the OHL season has gone on. In testing at the CHL Top Prospects Game, Wright was amongst the top five prospects in most of the skating tests.

Its stuff like this that i think is crucial on assessing a player's junior seasons.  Going into the year the one tiny knock on wright was his skating. If he took that to heart and really worked on it during games, its not surprising he had slightly lower than expected point totals.  Whenever you evaluate a player in juniors or the minors (or any development league really) I think its always important to ask yourself: are they working on anything?  Cause sometimes that skill or issue they are trying to fix/improve is more important to the coaches than the actual outcome of that game. 

7 hours ago, CaptWelly said:

I know everyone always wants that pure flashy talent. That said a solid two way center with skill that is willing to play a strong game both ways is always very valuable. I always want a center that plays the PP & PK. A player that can play all situations. Suzuki has developed this. Having two strong two way centers that you can utilize as needed and in all situations is a coaches dream. He is also supposed to be a good face off man. Winning critical face offs can be worth a lot. Wright sure sounds like the player to draft.

Agree. And we're not talking about a Crosby type generational talent in this draft.  While a guy like Cooley could turn into a Barzal or Nemec could be a josi like player, Im not sure id take either of those guys than someone who might end up being Bergeron or Tavares 2.0. 

If you end up with 2 high end, two way centres both playing upwards of 18-20 minutes a night, that give you a lot of flexibility on your bottom 2 lines in terms of pure exploitation / sheltering minutes etc. 

Very exciting prospect.

43 minutes ago, RCAF48 said:

Most of the time the obvious choice is the Wright choice.

Truth.   I honestly think the chances of Wright being our pick is upwards of 95% right now. Unless there's something our scouts dont like about him or they are just absolutely, positively sure a guy like Cooley will be better, I think Wright is our guy. 

[Regis22]

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/canadiens-land-no-1-pick-in-nhl-draft

Canadiens land No. 1 pick, but no guarantee they select Shane Wright

"If there's a player we feel is the best player available in the draft, then that's the player we're going to with," GM Kent Hughes said.

Scouts have ranked the Kingston Frontenacs centre as the top prospect for the past year, but general manager Kent Hughes said Tuesday there’s a lot of work to be done before the Canadiens finalize their decision.

 

The Canadiens will abide by the tried-and-true rule that says a team will select the best player available.

 

“You always go with your evaluation first and if there’s a player we feel is the best player available in the draft, then that’s the player we’re going to with. If there are different shades of the same colour in our opinion, could we value one because of a positional need, yeah certainly. But we’re not at that point yet so I can’t really tell you that’s the case where we can see multiple players in the same ballpark.”

 

Speaking on TV after the results of the draft lottery were announced, Hughes said the Canadiens will place a large emphasis on character. That means we won’t see a public relations disaster like last year when the team drafted Logan Mailloux.

 

While Wright is the clubhouse leader, he may not be the lock he was earlier this year. In a flash poll of NHL scouts conducted by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Wright was the first choice of six of the nine scouts, while two liked Slovakian right-winger Juraj Slafkovsky and one picked Logan Cooley, who incidentally played with Hughes’s son Jack on the U.S. team at the IIHF U18 world championships.

 

There are concerns about the quality and quantity of players available in this draft. There are no Sidney Crosbys, no Connor McDavids, no Auston Matthews. And there isn’t a player projected to be a generational talent like Connor Bedard, who is the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2023 draft.

[maas_art]

33 minutes ago, Regis22 said:

While Wright is the clubhouse leader, he may not be the lock he was earlier this year. In a flash poll of NHL scouts conducted by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Wright was the first choice of six of the nine scouts, while two liked Slovakian right-winger Juraj Slafkovsky and one picked Logan Cooley, who incidentally played with Hughes’s son Jack on the U.S. team at the IIHF U18 world championships.

Its interesting that Slafkovsky would go first in the eyes of 2 scouts.  I can see Cooley or even Nemec but Slav, while maybe the most NHL ready, seems like a surprising pick. I guess with wingers sometimes its easier to project than defensmen (notoriously hard) and centres (no obvious "elite" choices this year) 

[AH64]

I think people are being really tough on Shane and not understanding what it means to miss an entire season of development. I think Wright will be pretty close to generational talent. Has anyone been watching the kid for the past year? he has gotten better and better as the season played out. No doubt in my mind he is the 1st overall pick and will be one of the greatest Habs we have ever had. Our future has not been this bright in a long time!

[maas_art]

29 minutes ago, AH64 said:

I think people are being really tough on Shane and not understanding what it means to miss an entire season of development. I think Wright will be pretty close to generational talent. Has anyone been watching the kid for the past year? he has gotten better and better as the season played out. No doubt in my mind he is the 1st overall pick and will be one of the greatest Habs we have ever had. Our future has not been this bright in a long time!

I like Shane. I agree that he (and a lot of his draft class) are probably better than we think because of the games lost due to covid but "one of the greatest habs ever" might be a tough one.  lol.   I like your enthusiasm though!

In reality, Wright was granted exceptional status & played one year early in the OHL so he should have had upwards of 200 OHL games by this point.  Covid shut down the entire 20-21 season so those 68 games were gone, and he missed about 15 other games so instead his OHL career is a little over half of what he could have played.   

He also has a January birthday so its tough to know what his true potential is but Im hopeful we find out,with him as a Hab, 

[CaptWelly]

8 minutes ago, maas_art said:

I like Shane. I agree that he (and a lot of his draft class) are probably better than we think because of the games lost due to covid but "one of the greatest habs ever" might be a tough one.  lol.   I like your enthusiasm though!

In reality, Wright was granted exceptional status & played one year early in the OHL so he should have had upwards of 200 OHL games by this point.  Covid shut down the entire 20-21 season so those 68 games were gone, and he missed about 15 other games so instead his OHL career is a little over half of what he could have played.   

He also has a January birthday so its tough to know what his true potential is but Im hopeful we find out,with him as a Hab, 

I agree and as others have said the center position is usually more valuable. It's easier to turn a center into a winger if needed than the other way.

[BigTed3]

1 hour ago, maas_art said:

Its interesting that Slafkovsky would go first in the eyes of 2 scouts.  I can see Cooley or even Nemec but Slav, while maybe the most NHL ready, seems like a surprising pick. I guess with wingers sometimes its easier to project than defensmen (notoriously hard) and centres (no obvious "elite" choices this year) 

Yeah, I'm also surprised by Slafkovsky being there and I wonder how much of this has to do with

1. As you said, his being perhaps the most NHL-ready of the prospects.

2. Scouts perhaps not being as obsessed about positional value as GMs.

If you're a scout and you want to keep your job, you're simply intent on finding players who are good at their jobs. But you might not be thinking about 5 or 10 years down the line and you might not be thinking about what makes other players better. If a guy like Wright or Cooley comes in and puts up 50 points and gives the team 3 extra wins a year than the average replacement player but is only viewed as the 20th or 40th best center in the league, maybe that's not as coveted by a scout as a winger scoring 25-30 goals in their first season, perhaps not adding as much value to the team's success but being viewed as a top 10-15 winger in the game. Case in point, look at how much revisionist love Brady Tkachuk has received since his draft year. While there's no question he's been a strong player for Ottawa and produced offensively, his defensive game is weak and the team hasn't had success yet. But he came out of the gate fast for his draft year and has had as much opportunity to get big minutes, quality linemates, and PP time as any player in his cohort. But would Dahlin be getting more love if he weren't stuck in Buffalo? And when all is said and done in 10 years, are we sure that Tkachuk will have been more valuable than Kotkaniemi if the latter gets more opportunity eventually? Are we sure some of the top D men like Bouchard, Dobson, Hughes, Smith, and Miller won't end up being better picks knowing that D men usually take a bit more time to develop? I think if we look at the 2022 draft in 3-4 years, we'll quite possibly see that Slafkovsky looks like one of the top picks because of the early impact he's likely to have, but I'm not sure he's going to end up being one of the top 5 players from this draft when we look back in 15 years. The problem is that the variance in how these players end up doing is huge right now, but my predictions on how some of these players' careers end up going for what it's worth:

- Nemec IMO might end up being the best player chosen in this draft. The more I've seen of him, the more I like him, and I think we could be looking at a player who has a career like an Andrei Markov, Roman Josi, or Cale Makar. I wouldn't be surprised if this kid is in the Norris running in his career.

- Jiricek likewise is a guy I see as being a strong pick, assuming his injury woes don't hold him back. I see him as being a player like Kevin Bieksa and I don't know that he'll be a true #1 D man, but I think he can be a highly-coveted D man with offensive upside and a guy who will have a strong career.

- Cooley is a player who I think will put up strong stats, but if he goes to Arizona as I have him in my mock, he may be a guy who doesn't draw that much attention for his stats, like an Eichel or a Barzal or so on. In other words, a guy who has great personal success but doesn't get to experience team success playing in the wrong city.

- Wright is a guy who looks like he'll have a long career, but maybe settles in as a middle 6 center more than anything. If he's well-surrounded on a good roster, he could be a key cog on a championship team, and I think he'll in many ways be the opposite of Cooley, not putting up flashy stats but getting credit that mirrors how well his team does for taking on tough minutes and playing smart hockey, along the lines of what we've seen happen with players like Danault and Ryan O'Reilly. If he comes to Montreal, the question I have is how Montreal grows the roster around him then. I don't see him as being a star player who leads the franchise, but he can be your Jordan Staal or ROR or so on. Ultimately, I think if he's a guy you would have gotten at #3 overall in next year's draft, you'd be laughing about how good a player you got there, but for a weak draft year where he lacks the pzazz of a traditional 1st overall pick, he's always going to be carrying around expectations that he should be better offensively than he is.

- Nazar is a guy who I think will surprise. I can see him flying under the radar and becoming another Mika Zabinejad or Nazem Kadri type (without the dirty stuff)... maybe a later bloomer but a guy who produces well.

- Mateychuk is a D man who looks like a future captain to me. I can see him being a strong D man along the lines of Charlie McAvoy.

- Mintyukov has a lot of skill but reminds me quite a bit of Sergachev. He's really going to need to be in the right coaching situation. The right coach accepts his lack of positional discipline, the wrong one has him in the doghouse all the time.

- Kemell is a guy I've liked less as the draft process has gone along. I think he'll be an NHLer and a guy who can score 20-30 goals a year but who doesn't necessarily bring a whole lot else to the table and is more of a supporting-cast player, like a Zuccarello or a Parenteau or so on. Not that this doesn't have value, but again, it's about the positional value here trumping the statistical output.

- Savoie is a player I love, IMO the most skilled player in the draft. There are just a lot of questions for me as to what opportunity he gets and what position he ends up playing, when his own junior coach sees him as a winger at the NHL level. In the right circumstances, I think he's a 70-point player in the NHL.

- Trikozov is one my draft sleepers and guy we might be talking about as the next Kaprizov.

- Ohgren is a player with the potential to be another Jesse Ylonen type choice. He won't be a star, but he's got an under-the-radar knack for the net and could be a useful supporting-cast goal scorer.

[maas_art]

25 minutes ago, BigTed3 said:

Yeah, I'm also surprised by Slafkovsky being there and I wonder how much of this has to do with

1. As you said, his being perhaps the most NHL-ready of the prospects.

2. Scouts perhaps not being as obsessed about positional value as GMs.

If you're a scout and you want to keep your job, you're simply intent on finding players who are good at their jobs. But you might not be thinking about 5 or 10 years down the line and you might not be thinking about what makes other players better. If a guy like Wright or Cooley comes in and puts up 50 points and gives the team 3 extra wins a year than the average replacement player but is only viewed as the 20th or 40th best center in the league, maybe that's not as coveted by a scout as a winger scoring 25-30 goals in their first season, perhaps not adding as much value to the team's success but being viewed as a top 10-15 winger in the game. Case in point, look at how much revisionist love Brady Tkachuk has received since his draft year. While there's no question he's been a strong player for Ottawa and produced offensively, his defensive game is weak and the team hasn't had success yet. But he came out of the gate fast for his draft year and has had as much opportunity to get big minutes, quality linemates, and PP time as any player in his cohort. But would Dahlin be getting more love if he weren't stuck in Buffalo? And when all is said and done in 10 years, are we sure that Tkachuk will have been more valuable than Kotkaniemi if the latter gets more opportunity eventually? Are we sure some of the top D men like Bouchard, Dobson, Hughes, Smith, and Miller won't end up being better picks knowing that D men usually take a bit more time to develop? I think if we look at the 2022 draft in 3-4 years, we'll quite possibly see that Slafkovsky looks like one of the top picks because of the early impact he's likely to have, but I'm not sure he's going to end up being one of the top 5 players from this draft when we look back in 15 years. The problem is that the variance in how these players end up doing is huge right now, but my predictions on how some of these players' careers end up going for what it's worth:

- Nemec IMO might end up being the best player chosen in this draft. The more I've seen of him, the more I like him, and I think we could be looking at a player who has a career like an Andrei Markov, Roman Josi, or Cale Makar. I wouldn't be surprised if this kid is in the Norris running in his career.

- Jiricek likewise is a guy I see as being a strong pick, assuming his injury woes don't hold him back. I see him as being a player like Kevin Bieksa and I don't know that he'll be a true #1 D man, but I think he can be a highly-coveted D man with offensive upside and a guy who will have a strong career.

- Cooley is a player who I think will put up strong stats, but if he goes to Arizona as I have him in my mock, he may be a guy who doesn't draw that much attention for his stats, like an Eichel or a Barzal or so on. In other words, a guy who has great personal success but doesn't get to experience team success playing in the wrong city.

- Wright is a guy who looks like he'll have a long career, but maybe settles in as a middle 6 center more than anything. If he's well-surrounded on a good roster, he could be a key cog on a championship team, and I think he'll in many ways be the opposite of Cooley, not putting up flashy stats but getting credit that mirrors how well his team does for taking on tough minutes and playing smart hockey, along the lines of what we've seen happen with players like Danault and Ryan O'Reilly. If he comes to Montreal, the question I have is how Montreal grows the roster around him then. I don't see him as being a star player who leads the franchise, but he can be your Jordan Staal or ROR or so on. Ultimately, I think if he's a guy you would have gotten at #3 overall in next year's draft, you'd be laughing about how good a player you got there, but for a weak draft year where he lacks the pzazz of a traditional 1st overall pick, he's always going to be carrying around expectations that he should be better offensively than he is.

- Nazar is a guy who I think will surprise. I can see him flying under the radar and becoming another Mika Zabinejad or Nazem Kadri type (without the dirty stuff)... maybe a later bloomer but a guy who produces well.

- Mateychuk is a D man who looks like a future captain to me. I can see him being a strong D man along the lines of Charlie McAvoy.

- Mintyukov has a lot of skill but reminds me quite a bit of Sergachev. He's really going to need to be in the right coaching situation. The right coach accepts his lack of positional discipline, the wrong one has him in the doghouse all the time.

- Kemell is a guy I've liked less as the draft process has gone along. I think he'll be an NHLer and a guy who can score 20-30 goals a year but who doesn't necessarily bring a whole lot else to the table and is more of a supporting-cast player, like a Zuccarello or a Parenteau or so on. Not that this doesn't have value, but again, it's about the positional value here trumping the statistical output.

- Savoie is a player I love, IMO the most skilled player in the draft. There are just a lot of questions for me as to what opportunity he gets and what position he ends up playing, when his own junior coach sees him as a winger at the NHL level. In the right circumstances, I think he's a 70-point player in the NHL.

- Trikozov is one my draft sleepers and guy we might be talking about as the next Kaprizov.

- Ohgren is a player with the potential to be another Jesse Ylonen type choice. He won't be a star, but he's got an under-the-radar knack for the net and could be a useful supporting-cast goal scorer.

Good analysis. Makes you wonder if any of these guys fall far enough for us to nab them with a late 1st rounder or early 2nd.