Confirmed with Link: Wpg claim James Wright off waivers (FLA)

[HannuJ]

posted on twitter via Dreger

his profile:

http://panthers.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474674

his Hockey's Future profile:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/james_wright/

Talent Analysis

Wright is a gritty, two-way player with the prototypical size to play that type of style. Wright has a nice blend of skills but has not yet scored on the consistent basis that his talent suggests. He is very well-schooled in defensive positioning and puck support and can be used in all situations. Wright was a power play threat at the junior level. He is still developing and will improve as he adds strength and improves his technical skills.
Future

Wright has been dealt to the Florida Panthers by the Lightning. In the long-term, Wright projects as a solid two-way forward, either on the second or third line, who is also capable of supplying some offense.

So Jim Slater v2.0?

Click to read more...

 

[Winnipeg Jets]

Height: 6' 4"
weight: 200

 

[Gump Hasek]

posted on twitter

his profile:

http://panthers.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474674

James Wright was one hell of a junior player, though he has at times struggled to adjust to the pro game. I'm pretty sure he once may have even played on Kane's line in Vancouver, if memory serves.

A low risk pickup it appears.

 

[Guerzy]

How many forwards do we need?

 

[Lynk]

headscratch.gif

 

[Archtype]

This makes much less sense than the Peluso pick up...

 

[Winnipeg Jets]

This makes much less sense than the Peluso pick up...

Yeah, I'm not sure I get it either. I'm sure we'll warm up to him just like Peluso

 

[PaperRockChamp]

If a team needs bodies, they will acquire them.. How are some so confused/worried by these minor moves?

 

[HannuJ]

maybe someone can explain, in case i'm missing it:

if the Jets send him to St John's, he passes through waivers again, right?

so he basically needs to stick with the Jets' club?

so which forwards are injured that he'd be replacing?

 

[wpgsilver]

Hmm...
I'm at a loss, I'm assuming this doesn't bode well for Peluso.
Hopefully this kid can play.

 

[Grind]

so macaneur without the faceoffs?

I don't mind the pickup, but if anything, i'm really starting to get the feeling management has very little faith in our depth/ahl players.

Sounds like he could still be a player though, and two way player generally take a little longer to blossom.

Again, free player so who really cares until we see what he can do?

 

[Gump Hasek]

The difference between Peluso and Wright is that Wright actually offers quite a bit of project-able upside as a player if he can eventually figure the game out at this level. He was once a fairly highly valued power forward prospect. I'm actually encouraged that they are looking to add players like this.

 

[garret9]

Have till 3pm today to reduce roster to 23 players... So obviously they plan to make this guy one of the 23.

 

[Winnipeg Jets]

circa 2008:

 

[garret9]

Here's a hockey prospectus write up on James Wright last season:

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning exchanged parts of lesser significance in a 4 player swap. The Lighting acquired AHL defensemen Mike Kostka and Evan Oberg, with Florida picking up defender Michael Vernace and forward James Wright.

Kostka, Oberg and Vernace I don’t think ever play more than 50 NHL games combined over the course of their professional careers from now on, but James Wright I think does have some potential value. Now I don’t think the man who has 5 points through 21 AHL games this year has any notable offensive skills (although he did score at a decent rate in the AHL as a 20 year old), but he certainly has defensive value with the ability to check scoring forwards at a solid level and could play PK minutes in the NHL.

He needs skating work and has pretty limited puck skills, but I think he at least has a shot to be a fringe NHL regular, which is more than what I could say about the others in the deal.

 

[Romang67]

Have till 3pm today to reduce roster to 23 players... So obviously they plan to make this guy one of the 23.

How many do we have right now?

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

Have till 3pm today to reduce roster to 23 players... So obviously they plan to make this guy one of the 23.

How many does the team have at the moment?

Seems like more than 23.

 

[Guerzy]

Have till 3pm today to reduce roster to 23 players... So obviously they plan to make this guy one of the 23.

That's what I was just thinking.

Forwards: Ladd, Little, Wheeler, Kane, Jokinen, Burmistrov, Wellwood, Antropov, Ponikarovsky, Slater, Thorburn, Peluso, Wright, Machacek, Scheifele.

Defence: Enstrom, Byfuglien, Hainsey, Stuart, Clitsome, Postma and one of Redmond/Meech.

Goalies: Pavelec, Montoya.

IR: Miettinen, Bogosian.

That is 24. Is Machacek being sent down? Is Scheifele not getting 5 games?

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

Not sure I get this one. Oh well, it's not like we gave anything up for him.

 

[Lynk]

I hope Spencer isn't the odd man out, after all the work he has put in it would be a shame to see him put down for 2 waiver pickups.

 

[Guerzy]

I hope Spencer isn't the odd man out, after all the work he has put in it would be a shame to see him put down for 2 waiver pickups.

Agree. I'd like to give our own guys a shot first, especially someone like Machacek who's shown he could play here in a checking role. Can Wright? Can Peluso? Who knows. But we know Machacek can at least. Obviously Wright has 48 NHL games under his belt from 2009-2010 as a rookie with Tampa, but I still think he's a big unknown at this point if we were to choose him over Machacek.

This is interesting. Many Jets fans will be pissed if Machacek is sent down and we keep Peluso and Wright, two absolute unknowns at this point in time. Perhaps management and the coaching staff have seen things they don't like or feel comfortable with in some of these guys. Who knows.

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

Got to feel for Machacek and Macenauer. Both guys proved they could play in the NHL last year (Macenauer in Anaheim). No offense to Wright or Peluso (well, maybe a bit to Peluso ), but they have yet to prove that.

I have a bad feeling Machacek or Macenauer are about to get Cormier-ed

 

[Thrashers94]

Feel like we are the Islanders with all these waiver claims.

 

[DEANYOUNGBLOOD17]

That's what I was just thinking.

Forwards: Ladd, Little, Wheeler, Kane, Jokinen, Burmistrov, Wellwood, Antropov, Ponikarovsky, Slater, Thorburn, Peluso, Wright, Machacek, Scheifele.

Defence: Enstrom, Byfuglien, Hainsey, Stuart, Clitsome, Postma and one of Redmond/Meech.

Goalies: Pavelec, Montoya.

IR: Miettinen, Bogosian.

That is 24. Is Machacek being sent down? Is Scheifele not getting 5 games?

you forgot maceneur........with these additions i see us cutting 1)maceneur 2)schiefele before his 5 games........... i was hoping he would get his 5 games and 3)rednond only because he is not waiver elligible.........the jets would probably not send him dirctly to st johns

 

[garret9]

Name | RelQoC | OZS | RelCorsi | Corsi | G/60 | A1/60 | P/60
Thorburn| 0.631| 38.8| -21.8|-17.70| 0.35| 0.52| 0.95
Wright| 0.921| 42.0| -12.4|-13.45| 0.26| 0.39| 0.65
Slater| 0.900| 28.5| -27.9|-20.11| 0.75| 0.37| 1.25
Glass| 0.892| 34.1| -24.0|-17.16| 0.34| 0.40| 1.07

Wrights numbers are from 2009-2010 season as that is the only one where he has large enough sample size to compare (48 gp). GST from 2011.

Here are Slater and Glass's from 2009 since they are similar usage than Wright:

Name | RelQoC | OZS | RelCorsi | Corsi | G/60 | A1/60 | P/60
Wright| 0.921| 42.0| -12.4|-13.45| 0.26| 0.39| 0.65
Slater| 0.542| 44.0| -06.6|-20.11| 0.95| 0.48| 1.62
Glass| 0.432| 42.1| -21.1|-13.30| 0.37| 0.47| 1.03

From a purely statistical view he looks like he is on par if not better from Glass defensively but much lower offensively. My guess is TNSE is thinking that at a young age the offense in pro will eventually come like it did in junior and defense usually improves with age irregardless.


Here are Machacek's and Macenauer's 2011 stats compared to Wright:

Name | RelQoC | OZS | RelCorsi | Corsi | G/60 | A1/60 | P/60
Wright | 0.921| 42.0| -12.4|-13.45| 0.26| 0.39| 0.65
Machacek | -0.058| 59.1| -10.1|-4.33| 1.24| 2.47| 5.57
Macenauer| -0.713| 47.9| -11.6|-15.91| 0.27| 0.53| 1.06

When you keep in mind that Machacek and Macenauer were being very sheltered and that Machacek had an on-ice team sh% of 26.32 (highest in NHL and VERY unsustainable)... This guy is 100% looking like a defensive upgrade on these guys but not an offensive upgrade.