Prospect Info: Shane Wright (Round 1, Pick #4, 2022 draft)

brewski420

Registered User
Sep 29, 2009
5,780
897
Ohio
Question about sending him back to the OHL. If we send him before 10th game played can he be called back up anytime this season? Possibly a way to keep him under the 40 game total, losing one year off ELC but keeping an additional year of control. Not necessarily advocating this just curious.
 

majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
26,774
32,925
Question about sending him back to the OHL. If we send him before 10th game played can he be called back up anytime this season? Possibly a way to keep him under the 40 game total, losing one year off ELC but keeping an additional year of control. Not necessarily advocating this just curious.

There is a provision for callups from junior if there is an injury emergency. I've only seen it used once, and that was Liam Foudy for Columbus a couple years ago, and that was after half of their team went on IR. So it's very unlikely you can bring him back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brewski420

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
6,893
4,673
Washougal, WA
So 6:50 seems to be the sweetspot for him right now, I guess....

If you do that you might as well play a aman down....

That's how I feel about it as well. Unfortunately he didn't look so great out there last night in his limited time. It's going to happen to a young kid, but with him out there with Sprong and Geekie, I had zero confidence he'd have good shifts anyway.
 

Fistfullofbeer

Moderator
May 9, 2011
31,190
9,823
Whidbey Island, WA
That's how I feel about it as well. Unfortunately he didn't look so great out there last night in his limited time. It's going to happen to a young kid, but with him out there with Sprong and Geekie, I had zero confidence he'd have good shifts anyway.
It is hard for a player to establish himself with that little ice time. They are really not giving him a chance to make mistakes .. or make good plays. I genuinely could not give an assessment on Wright the way he has been used so far.
 

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
6,893
4,673
Washougal, WA
I’ve not been anti-Hakstol yet, but his comments lately and decision making are making it tougher. The way Wright is being handled so far isn’t great. I’m also a bit perplexed about what he is saying to the press. It’s not the type of stuff you want to hear from your head coach. Blah blah blah.
 

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
6,893
4,673
Washougal, WA
I am glad the media is asking about this and hope it continues to. Unless we are up or down by 3 goals, I doubt Hakstol feels comfortable enough to ice Wright.



I’ll say this about the first half of his comment… the Kraken were on the kill for a good chunk of the game, so that’s not incorrect.
 

Fistfullofbeer

Moderator
May 9, 2011
31,190
9,823
Whidbey Island, WA
I’ll say this about the first half of his comment… the Kraken were on the kill for a good chunk of the game, so that’s not incorrect.
Yeah but I mean situations like that will happen all the time. And this team, is likely to play from behind in most games. Just the way Wright has been deployed, I don't see that ice time going up unless Hakstol decides to trust that line and gives him a chance to show what he can do.
 

ottsabrefan

Registered User
May 19, 2011
1,406
417
Ottawa
I had a completely original thought about this on my commute today. What if he's trying to replicate an NCAA transition to NHL schedule? Get him 34 games in the time of the regular NCAA season, then a handful more to replicate the NCAA playoffs (during that time), then go all in over the last 10 games. In the end he'd end up playing like 50-55 games I figure, similarly to what Beniers played last year (54 games) between Michigan, the Olympics and the Kraken.

Seems like a pretty decent idea to mimic that schedule for a young kid, even though he's used to playing more in the OHL. I'd hope those remaining games would have him getting 12-14 minutes per game though, not 6.
IMO, not a great use of an ELC. I’d at least want to burn a year while having him play a full allotment of games and at least show he can handle the NHL.

Chasing a WJC gold and a Mem Cup would be great experiences that don’t burn an ELC year. Nor destroy an 18 year olds confidence level.
 

gstommylee

Registered User
Jan 31, 2012
14,786
2,989
again remember francis is on record saying (paraprashing) that they probably see him with the team for the entire year. Again He wouldn't say that if there's a 90% chance he gets sent back no matter what part of the season he gets his 9th game.
 

Irie

Registered User
Nov 14, 2010
4,684
4,635
Pacific Northwest
After last night's game I am absolutely convinced he should go back to junior.

He just is not physically ready for this league. He was trying to shield the puck in the corner in the second period and a Carolina player stepped in and with one hand physically moved him off the puck and took it away.

There is no shame in not being NHL ready at 18. Very few 18 y.o. prospects are capable of playing in the league. If a kid isn't ready, bottom line is they shouldn't be in the league.

We've all watched his play so far, and I am not really sure how this is even a debate at this point.

Kid has talent, but talent only gets you so far in the NHL. Prospects also have to work hard. No prospect should be gifted a roster spot solely on draft pedigree.

If Hakstol wants to give him a few more games to see if things change, do it quickly. Don't string this 9 game trial out over 20+ games.
 

Irie

Registered User
Nov 14, 2010
4,684
4,635
Pacific Northwest
Pretty crappy take comparing Wright to Borgen.

Borgen was a 3 year NCAA standout, and played 3 years in Rochester in the AHL.

Wright has played 63 OHL games in the past two and a half years.

These things are not the same.
 

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
6,893
4,673
Washougal, WA
After last night's game I am absolutely convinced he should go back to junior.

He just is not physically ready for this league. He was trying to shield the puck in the corner in the second period and a Carolina player stepped in and with one hand physically moved him off the puck and took it away.

There is no shame in not being NHL ready at 18. Very few 18 y.o. prospects are capable of playing in the league. If a kid isn't ready, bottom line is they shouldn't be in the league.

We've all watched his play so far, and I am not really sure how this is even a debate at this point.

Kid has talent, but talent only gets you so far in the NHL. Prospects also have to work hard. No prospect should be gifted a roster spot solely on draft pedigree.

If Hakstol wants to give him a few more games to see if things change, do it quickly. Don't string this 9 game trial out over 20+ games.

Yeah, I felt the same. There were a couple "oh no, he's clearly out of his depth" moments last night. Granted, it WAS against the best defensive team in the league, but still, he was out of his depth, period. Not in a "had a bad game" way, but in a "the team might need to make a hard decision" way. He got bullied without it even looking like he was getting bullied. It was like taking lunch money from the kid who expected it. He also found himself very out of position in relation to his linemates. Again though, context is important as he was linemates with Geekie and Sprong so it's entirely possible that they were out of position in relation to him. Simply put, there's a whole lot of blame to go around about just about everything that happened last night. Only a few are actually exempt from it.

Edit: I'm not saying he looked out of his depth the entire 6:50, but there were moments where it was pretty clear he was, which is something we hadn't seen up to that point. Again though, context.
 

gstommylee

Registered User
Jan 31, 2012
14,786
2,989
so sending him back just so he dominates against teenegers does exactly what to help his developed against NHLers...
 

Irie

Registered User
Nov 14, 2010
4,684
4,635
Pacific Northwest
so sending him back just so he dominates against teenegers does exactly what to help his developed against NHLers...
It gives him time to work on his game at both ends of the ice while he physically matures.

His offensive game is not far enough along today that he can't improve in junior.

Practicing with coaches is a far cry from game experience. They can talk up this current development path with as much propaganda BS as they want, but it is extremely unorthodox and is not getting him the experience that is likely to have the most benefit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RainyCityHockey

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
6,893
4,673
Washougal, WA
It gives him time to work on his game at both ends of the ice while he physically matures.

His offensive game is not far enough along today that he can't improve in junior.

Practicing with coaches is a far cry from game experience. They can talk up this current development path with as much propaganda BS as they want, but it is extremely unorthodox and is not getting him the experience that is likely to have the most benefit.

Couldn't have said it better myself and I agree.

HOWEVER, and I capitalize that on purpose... I think we need a bigger sample size than we've seen to really judge. We can base on this TINY sample size. David Ayers won a game as a goalie and saved some shots playing about as much time as Wright has so far in the NHL. Nobody is going to say David Ayers was NHL ready yet his sample size said he did alright in the NHL. Yes, I'm more than aware of the nuance of the David Ayers situation, so we don't need to discuss it. However, I'm not sure how one can take a guy from "going to be with us for the year" to "OHL" in a sample size of 12 minutes. I just wish that we could get a game of him playing on that 3rd line we all dreamt up. NONE of us had him playing on a 4th line with Geekie and Sprong, because we all goddamn know better.
 

gstommylee

Registered User
Jan 31, 2012
14,786
2,989
The team needs to do what is in the best interest for the team but also need to consider what is wright's own best interest not only as a player but as a person. I have heard that the OHL Kingston several times is not a great but bleh organization that doesn't have a great HC. So putting him back just so he gets more hockey ice time against nothing but teenagers with that kind of environment is the player's best interest?
 

DeadGhost

Ugistered Reger
Feb 15, 2010
3,943
1,166
Wright is going to be here all season. I think they'll let him leave for the WJC but until then it'll be ~8 minutes a night. Pretty evident to me that this is the plan for better or worse.

Could they loan him to a team in Europe?
 

gstommylee

Registered User
Jan 31, 2012
14,786
2,989
Wright is going to be here all season. I think they'll let him leave for the WJC but until then it'll be ~8 minutes a night. Pretty evident to me that this is the plan for better or worse.

Could they loan him to a team in Europe?

Europe wouldn't be good for wright. Having to change to a different evironment, language barrier and the team would have zero control on how the player would get used or developed.
 

ottsabrefan

Registered User
May 19, 2011
1,406
417
Ottawa
The team needs to do what is in the best interest for the team but also need to consider what is wright's own best interest not only as a player but as a person. I have heard that the OHL Kingston several times is not a great but bleh organization that doesn't have a great HC. So putting him back just so he gets more hockey ice time against nothing but teenagers with that kind of environment is the player's best interest?
Kingston will trade him. He didn’t dominate with the Fronts last year, so why not allow him to at least dominate the O before jumping to the NHL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: majormajor

Irie

Registered User
Nov 14, 2010
4,684
4,635
Pacific Northwest
The team needs to do what is in the best interest for the team but also need to consider what is wright's own best interest not only as a player but as a person. I have heard that the OHL Kingston several times is not a great but bleh organization that doesn't have a great HC. So putting him back just so he gets more hockey ice time against nothing but teenagers with that kind of environment is the player's best interest?
The best interest for the team is having the best version of Shane Wright as a top line center for a decade in the future.

We have all heard about Wright's friction in Kingston, which is likely the main reason he is still in the NHL now and hasn't been returned to juniors already.

Francis strikes me as a guy that does not like to get involved in other people's business. Working a trade at the OHL level for Wright to another team is absolutely other people's business, so I don't think he will do it

Unfortunately, using his power as an NHL GM to make things happen for his prospects is what he should be doing, regardless of how uncomfortable the process is.

No one said being an NHL GM was easy, and sometimes you have to do crap you don't want to if it is in the best long-term interest of the team.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad