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

[Fixxer]

Habs fan here can't believe we passed on Wright

I heard a Montreal media guy (Martin Lemay) and he was pretty mad Montreal passed on Wright. He does wish Wright best of luck with Seattle though. We'll see how this turns out

To Seattle fans, I think Beniers and Wright will be a very good "starting point" at center and I hope things work out for them. The way Francis went, slow and steady to develop this team, although a lot of hockey fans thought they didn't have a great expansion draft, etc.

Anyway, the way the Kraken is moving forward seems like a great way to build a solid foundation!

 

[RainyCityHockey]

CBJ Fan here - just wanted to drop by and say congrats. This is huge for your organization- look how many Teams don‘t have a true 1C and yet you have 2!!

I have to be envious - CBJ has been 21 years and still no true 1C. Great start!!

Also don’t listen to this crap about Shane Wright bust - he will be very good.

Yeah, most teams are searching for possible #1 centers and we now got two of them.

Though, I do like Jiricek a lot and think he could become your first pairing RHD.

I heard a Montreal media guy (Martin Lemay) and he was pretty mad Montreal passed on Wright. He does wish Wright best of luck with Seattle though. We'll see how this turns out

To Seattle fans, I think Beniers and Wright will be a very good "starting point" at center and I hope things work out for them. The way Francis went, slow and steady to develop this team, although a lot of hockey fans thought they didn't have a great expansion draft, etc.

Anyway, the way the Kraken is moving forward seems like a great way to build a solid foundation!

Thanks a lot and best of luck with Slafkovsky.

Let's hope both work out and we'll have good matchups(not the worst penalty shootout in history like this past season) going forward.

 

[sigma six]

I heard a Montreal media guy (Martin Lemay) and he was pretty mad Montreal passed on Wright. He does wish Wright best of luck with Seattle though. We'll see how this turns out

To Seattle fans, I think Beniers and Wright will be a very good "starting point" at center and I hope things work out for them. The way Francis went, slow and steady to develop this team, although a lot of hockey fans thought they didn't have a great expansion draft, etc.

Anyway, the way the Kraken is moving forward seems like a great way to build a solid foundation!

Yeah, am a skeptic but Francis did very well in both entry drafts. Most around here would rather keep talking about the ED.
Personally I don't think his plan was ever to be good the first couple of years.

 

[RC51]

congrats on getting Wright and I hope he works out good for you. Now I do wish to put up a red flag. When Wright got picked he did something that you might have trouble with later.
he gave the Habs table the dagger eyes for not picking him first. Now that shows me a bit of a vindictive aspect to him I never saw before. Leads me to start thinking he thinks a lot of himself. Later on you might find him less into the team and more into his numbers. Time will tell on this. Keep an eye out for that going forward.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

congrats on getting Wright and I hope he works out good for you. Now I do wish to put up a red flag. When Wright got picked he did something that you might have trouble with later.
he gave the Habs table the dagger eyes for not picking him first. Now that shows me a bit of a vindictive aspect to him I never saw before. Leads me to start thinking he thinks a lot of himself. Later on you might find him less into the team and more into his numbers. Time will tell on this. Keep an eye out for that going forward.

Personally, I think that incident is overblown. If I were to have a concern it would be more to do with him saying he deserved to go 1 OA.

It really comes down to how Wright responds after this. He could be like Aaron Rodgers who plays with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career and become one of the best players in the league. Or he could pout and get upset continuing to half-ass his way through the NHL career.

I get the feeling that Wright is going to end up being the former and not latter.

 

[Price is Wright]

congrats on getting Wright and I hope he works out good for you. Now I do wish to put up a red flag. When Wright got picked he did something that you might have trouble with later.
he gave the Habs table the dagger eyes for not picking him first. Now that shows me a bit of a vindictive aspect to him I never saw before. Leads me to start thinking he thinks a lot of himself. Later on you might find him less into the team and more into his numbers. Time will tell on this. Keep an eye out for that going forward.

I loved it.

I also loved it when Slaf doubled down and said he'd be the best player of this draft when we look back at it 20 years down the road.

Players should believe in themselves.

 

[GrungeHockey]

Junior is the worst place for him. I watched a lot of him thinking he'd be picked by the Canadiens. He often looked bored. He needs a challenge. I think he makes the team and contributes day one.

I'm not sure he's ready to jump right in. Maybe, but see how it goes.

I agree on the "looked bored" aspect. I think this is perhaps what is being confused by some for a lack of work ethic. In previous years a strong work ethic was considered a big part of his game. I have absolutely no worries about him becoming great in time, whether some like my Bergeron comparison or not.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Honestly never thought he'd drop to us but I'm excited to see what Wright and Beniers can do plus winterton. Let's see what else happens this off-season.

And add D Goyette too

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Behind a paywall but good read here: Kraken's addition of Shane Wright brings the club's future into focus

Part of the relevant info:

Shane Wright had barely been a Seattle Kraken prospect for all of five minutes when Troy Bodie felt his iPhone buzzing.

He checked his phone and saw he had a text message. The message itself was a request from someone asking Bodie, the Kraken’s director of hockey and business operations, if he could possibly pass along Wright’s number when he got the chance.
That someone who made the request? It was Kraken center Matty Beniers, and all he wanted was to be among the first in the organization to start building a relationship with Wright.

 

[Irie]

Behind a paywall but good read here: Kraken's addition of Shane Wright brings the club's future into focus

Part of the relevant info:

I think Wright dropping to Seattle is maybe the best thing that could happen to Beniers.

This will allow Beniers and Wright to share the pressure of being "the franchise guy" on a building expansion team. That is a ton of pressure for young kids.

Having two premier prospects shouldering the load instead of just one will make it easier for both, imo.

 

[coastal_nuck]

Personally, I think that incident is overblown. If I were to have a concern it would be more to do with him saying he deserved to go 1 OA.

It really comes down to how Wright responds after this. He could be like Aaron Rodgers who plays with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career and become one of the best players in the league. Or he could pout and get upset continuing to half-ass his way through the NHL career.

I get the feeling that Wright is going to end up being the former and not latter.

I agree - having a chip on your shoulder is not a bad thing. Too much is being made of that. Now, if he plays like an entitled brat and doesn't give it his all then that's a whole other story. This is a game of passion. Only the passionate who play their heart out can be truly great in this league (unless your talent is that heads and shoulders above everyone else - which Wright's is not).

 

[coastal_nuck]

The question is, what happens next year? I know we just finished this draft but I don't see us being great next year yet either. It is still a development year and we could very well be in a lottery spot in the bottom 3 next year. If Bedard is available, do you even hesitate? I would say go BPA every time but that would create an interesting lineup scenario.

 

[nergish]

While we can all agree that Beniers and Wright is an exceptional haul to come out of your first two drafts with, how would you rank them internally?

Wright 1C, Beniers 2C
or the other way around?

They both seem kind of 2Cish, with upside obviously well beyond that.

 

[Price is Wright]

The question is, what happens next year? I know we just finished this draft but I don't see us being great next year yet either. It is still a development year and we could very well be in a lottery spot in the bottom 3 next year. If Bedard is available, do you even hesitate? I would say go BPA every time but that would create an interesting lineup scenario.

Quebec Nordiques in the summer of 1992 had Joe Sakic (15th overall, 1987), Mats Sundin (1st overall, 1989), Mike Ricci (4th overall, 1990), and a yet to arrive Peter Forsberg (6th overall, 1992) all at centre. They got Forsberg and Ricci from trading Eric Lindros (1st overall, 1991)

In other words, you draft the best player available and find out which players give you the right combination to win a Stanley Cup. But try to avoid trading a guy as good as Mats Sundin for Wendel Clark. What a dumb trade.

 

[coastal_nuck]

Quebec Nordiques in the summer of 1992 had Joe Sakic (15th overall, 1987), Mats Sundin (1st overall, 1989), Mike Ricci (4th overall, 1990), and a yet to arrive Peter Forsberg (6th overall, 1992) all at centre. They got Forsberg and Ricci from trading Eric Lindros (1st overall, 1991)

In other words, you draft the best player available and find out which players give you the right combination to win a Stanley Cup. But try to avoid trading a guy as good as Mats Sundin for Wendel Clark. What a dumb trade.

Having those resources available allows you to make bad moves and still get out of it with a close-to-dynasty. Agree - you have to take Bedard if you get the chance. Wouldn't be a bad thing to roll 3 amazing lines or shift Wright/Beniers to the wing if needed.

 

[NiagaraKraken]

The question is, what happens next year? I know we just finished this draft but I don't see us being great next year yet either. It is still a development year and we could very well be in a lottery spot in the bottom 3 next year. If Bedard is available, do you even hesitate? I would say go BPA every time but that would create an interesting lineup scenario.

You take Bedard, you don’t Jersey this pick and overthink it, especially with Bedard. Someone can always move to wing.

 

[Price is Wright]

Having those resources available allows you to make bad moves and still get out of it with a close-to-dynasty. Agree - you have to take Bedard if you get the chance. Wouldn't be a bad thing to roll 3 amazing lines or shift Wright/Beniers to the wing if needed.

If you get Bedard hey jackpot but Matvei Michkov on Wright or Beniers wing would be incredible as well. Eduard Sale and Kasper Halttunen are two other forwards I'm keeping my eyes on.

 

[Irie]

The question is, what happens next year? I know we just finished this draft but I don't see us being great next year yet either. It is still a development year and we could very well be in a lottery spot in the bottom 3 next year. If Bedard is available, do you even hesitate? I would say go BPA every time but that would create an interesting lineup scenario.

I don't think this team is a playoff team, but that is really ok in my mind.

They don't even have to be a bottom 3 feeder again either. The early part of next years draft is likely to be really strong. If they get a top ten pick, they should get a great player.

 

[Irie]

Quebec Nordiques in the summer of 1992 had Joe Sakic (15th overall, 1987), Mats Sundin (1st overall, 1989), Mike Ricci (4th overall, 1990), and a yet to arrive Peter Forsberg (6th overall, 1992) all at centre. They got Forsberg and Ricci from trading Eric Lindros (1st overall, 1991)

In other words, you draft the best player available and find out which players give you the right combination to win a Stanley Cup. But try to avoid trading a guy as good as Mats Sundin for Wendel Clark. What a dumb trade.

To further expand on this and the notion that at the top of the draft you draft for talent, not position - Quebec also took Nolan first in 1990, and then used him to bring in Ozolinsh to fill a huge hole that put them over the top on their cup winning team.

A huge proportion of players selected in the NHL are traded before they play a game with the team that drafted them. Having the most value in your farm opens up opportunities to strengthen your club through trades that concentrate on team weaknesses much better than promoting prospects typically does.

 

[Price is Wright]

To further expand on this and the notion that at the top of the draft you draft for talent, not position - Quebec also took Nolan first in 1990, and then used him to bring in Ozolinsh to fill a huge hole that put them over the top on their cup winning team.

A huge proportion of players selected in the NHL are traded before they play a game with the team that drafted them. Having the most value in your farm opens up opportunities to strengthen your club through trades that concentrate on team weaknesses much better than promoting prospects typically does.

Yup. And while Sundin turned into Wendel Clark, Clark turned into Claude Lemieux who was extremely important for their Cup run.

 

[gstommylee]

Yeah, am a skeptic but Francis did very well in both entry drafts. Most around here would rather keep talking about the ED.
Personally I don't think his plan was ever to be good the first couple of years.

People just won't move on and just continue to trash the team in regards to the expansion draft. Its out right bloody annoying.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

People just won't move on and just continue to trash the team in regards to the expansion draft. Its out right bloody annoying.

Not only that. There is no reasoning with folks like that because all they want to do is crap on Francis when we try to explain why certain choices were made.

 

[Irie]

Not only that. There is no reasoning with folks like that because all they want to do is crap on Francis when we try to explain why certain choices were made.

I understand some of the arguments around the expansion draft, but it does annoy me when presented with facts, posters just double down on the argument that "Francis screwed up".

There is a legitimate argument that Francis could have drafted a playoff team.

It would have been short sighted in my opinion, because it would not have been a contender and there is no way it would have gotten out of the west, and now that team would likely be in cap hell with a much worse future outlook and no Shane Wright, but people have different priorities.

 

[Price is Wright]

According to Friedman, when Shane Wright was waiting to be picked he received a call from Wayne Gretzky with words of encouragement.

 

[coastal_nuck]

I don't think this team is a playoff team, but that is really ok in my mind.

They don't even have to be a bottom 3 feeder again either. The early part of next years draft is likely to be really strong. If they get a top ten pick, they should get a great player.

I am totally ok with this team just letting their young players develop. Winning culture is a thing but in the early years of an expansion team, you don't have that expectation - I think the Kraken need to capitalize on that. If they finish bottom 5 next year, I'm fine with that. As long as our players develop and progress.