Which player should the Mtl Canadiens pick with their 1 st choice?

[Kudo Shinichi]

I am off the Shane Wright bandwagon for now. He’s head and shoulders above everyone in skills but I don’t understand why there’s always 9 players on the ice that hustle more than him. He’s continually on 1st gear and shows no urgency in his game. Is it health, stamina, there needs to be a reason… I get Slafskovski so I’m with him in the meantime.

I'm gonna watch to continue watching Wright's playoffs games. If he doesn't start looking like a 1st overall pick, I'll be changing my vote to Cooley.

 

[dinodebino]

OK, haven’t seen both players play that much. Cooley or Wright? Stat-wise, one is playing against better opposition night in and night out. Has pressure galore, moreso than the other.
Has been ‘underwhelming’ in the playoffs by many’s accounts. The other guy played pretty decent at the U-18, with a team that should have won the tourney. We can’t compare both because they have seldom if not ever played one-on-one.
As for the winger, I loved what I saw at the Olympics. But his stats in the Finnish league were paltry. At best. And the Finnish league is weak.
I mean, I have no idea who should be picked. But reading you guys makes for some interesting back and forth.

 

[Mandala]

OK, haven’t seen both players play that much. Cooley or Wright? Stat-wise, one is playing against better opposition night in and night out. Has pressure galore, moreso than the other.
Has been ‘underwhelming’ in the playoffs by many’s accounts. The other guy played pretty decent at the U-18, with a team that should have won the tourney. We can’t compare both because they have seldom if not ever played one-on-one.
As for the winger, I loved what I saw at the Olympics. But his stats in the Finnish league were paltry. At best. And the Finnish league is weak.
I mean, I have no idea who should be picked. But reading you guys makes for some interesting back and forth.

No clear generational player means each player has limits. I have no idea who is a sure pick.

 

[Licou]

No clear generational player means each player has limits. I have no idea who is a sure pick.

Yeah that's the wright way to see it but we are a fickle bunch and f*** your rationality let me get the scaffold you nerd.

 

[Naslundforever]

I think this is the main reason so many armchair scouts are down on Wright. It takes hockey IQ to truly recognize hockey IQ........they only see the shiny things that make it to the highlight reels.

Asking fans if they feel the best player in the world should be exciting to watch feels a bit rhetorical. The ”best player in the world’ for any given sport usually look like they could be in the Avengers or something whether it’s ping pong or basketball. Thank goodness it’s scouts selecting, but it’s like being promised sex and getting an evening of pornhub. I mean sure, you can’t miss but you still feel a bit lonely. I am taking this way too far.

 

[le_sean]

OK, haven’t seen both players play that much. Cooley or Wright? Stat-wise, one is playing against better opposition night in and night out. Has pressure galore, moreso than the other.
Has been ‘underwhelming’ in the playoffs by many’s accounts. The other guy played pretty decent at the U-18, with a team that should have won the tourney. We can’t compare both because they have seldom if not ever played one-on-one.
As for the winger, I loved what I saw at the Olympics. But his stats in the Finnish league were paltry. At best. And the Finnish league is weak.
I mean, I have no idea who should be picked. But reading you guys makes for some interesting back and forth.

Weird for people to say he’s underwhelming. Look at the most recent top drafted CHLers and how they fared at 17/18 in the playoffs.

Lafreniere didn’t even make it. Neither did Byfield.

Dach under a PPG.

Svechnikov same PPG as Wright.

Hischier lower PPG. Patrick didn’t even make it.

Dubois lower PPG.

People overreacting.

 

[Rob Sense]

I'm gonna watch to continue watching Wright's playoffs games. If he doesn't start looking like a 1st overall pick, I'll be changing my vote to Cooley.

yes because Cooley is performing so well in the playoffs!

 

[Rob Sense]

OK, haven’t seen both players play that much. Cooley or Wright? Stat-wise, one is playing against better opposition night in and night out. Has pressure galore, moreso than the other.
Has been ‘underwhelming’ in the playoffs by many’s accounts. The other guy played pretty decent at the U-18, with a team that should have won the tourney. We can’t compare both because they have seldom if not ever played one-on-one.
As for the winger, I loved what I saw at the Olympics. But his stats in the Finnish league were paltry. At best. And the Finnish league is weak.
I mean, I have no idea who should be picked. But reading you guys makes for some interesting back and forth.

...by many's accounts.... ????? Why not watch the guy play and let the negative Nellys like Goldenwanker spin their troll narratives for whatever reason. If Mtl does not take the BPA...ie Wright...then they will regret if for the next decade!

 

[Hins77]

There are no concerns about his skating. In the prospects game his 30m time was 0.03 off Savoie who is considered the top skater in the draft and good enough for 4th amongst all the prospects. He is not an elite skate but he is above average. And that is the point with Wright, he is not elite in anything except his Hockey IQ and his leadership/character but above average on everything literally.

I would add his shot is letal. Just by his shot itself, he is gonna score over 25 goals. I mean, his release is crazy, remind me kind of stamkos shot. The guy gonna get bigger and will be able to create himself space too. I have juste no doubt about this guy. But yeah, he is not the guy wich skate at 110% from his own net to the other one like mcdavid does.

 

[yianik]

So the near unanimous belief is that the problem with Cole Caufield the first part of the season, when he looked awful, was Ducharme, who is nearly unanimously considered a terrible NHL coach. New coach, Calder candidate.

I am reading about how Wright has a horrible coach.

Any possibility that the coaching may have something to do with Wrights apparent lackluster play ?

 

[Hacketts]

I'm gonna watch to continue watching Wright's playoffs games. If he doesn't start looking like a 1st overall pick, I'll be changing my vote to Cooley.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

So the near unanimous belief is that the problem with Cole Caufield the first part of the season, when he looked awful, was Ducharme, who is nearly unanimously considered a terrible NHL coach. New coach, Calder candidate.

I am reading about how Wright has a horrible coach.

Any possibility that the coaching may have something to do with Wrights apparent lackluster play ?

Possibly, but I don't think we can use that argument when we're talking about someone of Wright's talent playing in juniors. He should be able to look like a difference-maker most nights regardless of his coach.

 

[Kimota]

Wright will be taken #1 for sure. So if the Habs feel someone else is higher on their charts, then trade down and take the other guy. I know that the Devils are thinking about trading their pick for roster players. So that sort of thing would not be in their plan cause they would have to give someone. Maybe the target could be Arizona but the Devils could take our player.

 

[yianik]

Possibly, but I don't think we can use that argument when we're talking about someone of Wright's talent playing in juniors. He should be able to look like a difference-maker most nights regardless of his coach.

Probably so.

 

[RationalExpectations]

World Championship starts today. Nemec Slaf Jiricek to watch. For me if they have a good championship, the two Ds could be serious top 3 contenders. Slaf's stock cannot raise higher than it is right now since some people already have him top 3. But honestly this is possibly the type of draft where you take the Dman.

Looks a lot like 2009 draft with Wright / Tavares, Hedman / Jiricek, Duchene / Cooley, Kane / Slaf, OEL / Nemec in terms of play styles.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Weird for people to say he’s underwhelming. Look at the most recent top drafted CHLers and how they fared at 17/18 in the playoffs.

Lafreniere didn’t even make it. Neither did Byfield.

Dach under a PPG.

Svechnikov same PPG as Wright.

Hischier lower PPG. Patrick didn’t even make it.

Dubois lower PPG.

People overreacting.

I mean that's fair but outside of Svechnikov, those aren't players who have exactly become game breakers or really anything yet.

yes because Cooley is performing so well in the playoffs!

At least in the gold medal game, Cooley drew penalties, created offensive chance after chance, nearly tied it late with a shot that caught the post.

It's just annoying that people will come up with ten thousand excuses as to why Wright doesn't have a pulse or desire to make a difference in his series. It's fine if he doesn't produce and they lose, that happens but at least go assert your will.

He's going to get torn to shreds here playing like that.

 

[Beer and Chips]

Laval will be stacked next year with Slafkovsky, Heineman, Ylonen, RHP, Guhle, Barron, Norlinder, Harris ect. The farm might be better than the main...

What a wit. It will be nice to have actual prospects at Laval for a change.

 

[Vachon23]

 

[Toene]

There's a 99% chance Habs take Shane Wright, but in the 1% they would not, I'd like them to take Jiricek. We need a game-breaker at the blue-line.

Wright
Jiricek
Cooley
Slafkovsky
Nemec
Nazar

 

[ahmedou]

 

[sampollock]

I hope they draft Wright. Bob M's list is always gold

if they don't, and this backfires, wow the fall out
more fall out if they don't then do

 

[Paddy17]

I agree with you on what he does really well. I'm just looking for a bit more urgency and a little bit more desire to make an impact here and when it's not there, it's naturally going to cause reservation with such a monumental pick for the franchise.

Even though I think he should be our pick and BPA, I understand the concerns you and a few others have regarding his involvement and urgency. Not comparing them on every aspect, but would you say that those were some of the same concerns people had about Getzlaf back in his draft year? Honest question because I don't remember exactly what was said about him then.

Anyhow, I think that his implication/intensity can change with time, experience and proper coaching. His hockey IQ can't, but the good thing is that he has that in spades...

If we had the old regime here, with their total ignorance/disregard for proper development, I'd be worried about picking him and playing him in the NHL right away.

With that being said, my opinion is that you pick Wright and make development the most important aspect of your organization. The rewards can be franchise-altering.

 

[Kaladin]

Wright just isn't exciting in these playoffs. It's not about points for those who start quoting points back at us - he doesn't look like a 1st overall pick. Invisible in some games.

Disclaimer: Haven't seen any regular season games.

 

[The Last Red]

I am off the Shane Wright bandwagon for now. He’s head and shoulders above everyone in skills but I don’t understand why there’s always 9 players on the ice that hustle more than him. He’s continually on 1st gear and shows no urgency in his game. Is it health, stamina, there needs to be a reason… I get Slafskovski so I’m with him in the meantime.

There's not a chance in Hell that a wing is being picked first overall this year with two potential no. 1 centers available (Wright and Cooley). And especially by the Canadiens, given that Gorton and Bobrov were the two dudes who drafted wings at no. 2 and no. 1 with the Rangers in consecutive drafts, when they should have drafted Bowem or Seider instead of Kakko, and Stutzle instead of Laffy. Is this hindsight on my part? Yes. Can you learn from hindsight? Yes, in fact, you must, or you're a fool.

 

[The Last Red]

I'm gonna watch to continue watching Wright's playoffs games. If he doesn't start looking like a 1st overall pick, I'll be changing my vote to Cooley.

You're going to change your vote based on a 3-5 game sample? That's very smart. Not really. Wright has been the consensus no. 1 for a long time. There must be valid reasons for that. I'll go with the experts here.