Could the Red Wings Land Shane Wright in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft?

What Type of Player Would the Red Wings Be Getting With Shane Wright?

Shane Wright has had a lot of hype on him for a couple years now, and has been compared to top players like Patrice Bergeron, Auston Matthews, and even Connor McDavid, repeatedly. Which, quite frankly is a ridiculous comparison. Wright doesn’t skate with the same speed of McDavid nor does he really play the same style of hockey.

Nonetheless, being mentioned as a player with the same level of talent as those three puts a pretty big target on your back. I mean, Wright has been known since he was 15. More so than that, has been scouted by NHL teams since his first season in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs in which he played in 58 games and had 66 total points.

Wright is a player who has a terrific shot, but doesn’t neccessairly take shots in front of the net. No. Instead, he shoot’s like Auston Matthews does. He is willing to take them from the inside, from the dot, shoot on wrap-around chances, he is just a great player offensively. It’s for that reason that I actually see a lot of Matthews in his game.

In an interview with The Athletic, he was asked about who he compared his game too and this was his answer:

“I really like comparing myself to is Patrice Bergeron. He’s been one of the top players in the league for a number of years now. He’s such a great leader and he makes his teammates better. His line goes by the name “Perfection line” and that’s not for just no reason. He’s a complete player, 200-foot game, he’s won Selke Trophies, he’s won different awards like that, and he’s just a guy that I like watching. I feel like I like playing the 200-foot game as well. I feel like I can be trusted in my own end as well as create offense and score some goals as well. So he’s a guy that I love watching and I really compare myself to.” – Shane Wright

Seeing a lot of Patrice Bergeron in himself is a good stature to have. I mean Patrice Bergeron has been an elite two-way player for years, and is still a top tier player in this league on both ends of the ice. However, I don’t quite see that in him.

No, as I stated earlier I see a lot of Auston Matthews in his game. However, I feel there are better comparisions out there. But it is hard to find one that fits his style perfectly.

There are some key points that you look at when scouting a player: Speed, Strength, Shot, Versatility, Playmaking, IQ, and Compete. Now, I know that there may be some other things certain people look for, but those are the things that I personally look for when watching someone.

Speed

Wright, although he does have very good skating ability, isn’t exactly a speed demon out on the ice. He doesn’t have the speed of guys like Nathan Mackinnon, Jordan Kyrou, Connor McDavid, and many more. Now, that’s not to critize his speed, but it’s more that you can’t compare him to players like that because it’s unrealistic.

Strength

Shane Wright was once said to be a 15 year old man. That’s not neccessarily because of his height or weight or anything, but because he trains, plays and carries himself with so much maturity and is always putting in the work to better himself on and off the ice. And it shows.

When you see him power move to the inside, or play in front of the net, you can visually see that he can give it just as good as he takes it. He isn’t afraid of the contact, and is willing to play just as strong as the next guy.

Shot

Shane Wright has one of the more unqiue shot forms I’ve ever seen. However, to my surprise, it works. He has an elite shoot and is able to score from all areas of the ice.

Recently, it seems as though he has prefered to take a higher majority of his shots from the dot, but that’s not said to be misleading. He does drive to the net occassionally, but that’s an area I’d like to see him improve on.

As I said with his strength, he is able to really hold his own on the puck around the net and play physical, but he doesn’t use that to his advantage much. If he can find a way to start getting around defenders and create high-danger chances for himself, he could likely become a 30-40 goal scorer at the next level.

Playmaking

Wright, when he first got into the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs, was a passing center. However, as time grew and he grew and developed that altered. But, he still has every tool and shows it consistently that if he see’s a open pass, he can hit it.

That’s all you can ask for.

So, now that we covered a better part of his game, let’s talk about the chances the Red Wings could end up with Wright and how he would fit with their team.

What are the Chances the Red Wings Land Shane Wright?

So, I’d say there is a 99.9% chance of Shane Wright going to whoever has the first overall pick in this years NHL entry draft. So, in order for the Red Wings to get Shane Wright, they’d need to have the first pick. That much is pretty easy to understand.

So, with that being said, what are the chances of Shane Wright actually landing with the Red Wings? Well, most of the time I’d just say something like “Not great” or “Unlikely”- but this time I can actually give you guys a percentage.

When looking at Tankathon.com, you can actually see a visual of where each teams stands for a certain pick. But, in case you just want to read about it- here is the odds for the first overall pick:

Odds for the First Overall Pick

Arizona Coyotes: 25.7%

Montreal Canadiens: 12.1%

Seattle Kraken: 10.9%

Philadelphia Flyers: 9.7%

New Jersey Devils: 8.5%

Chicago Blackhawks: 7.6%

Ottawa Senators: 6.7%

Buffalo Sabres: 5.8%

Detroit Red Wings: 5.4%

San Jose Sharks: 4.5%

Anaheim Ducks: 3.1%

So, it’s clear that the odds are not really in the Red Wings favor, but it is in fact possible and if they happen to get the pick, then the question that needs to be asked is where do you go from there?

How Should the Red Wings Utilize Shane Wright?

So, if the Red Wings get the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft, and if they select Shane Wright with said pick, where do they go from there? Well, that’s a pretty opinated statement.

For a player of Shane Wright’s caliber, and given the hype he has had around him, the easy choice is to have him with their team in year one. However, I don’t think that’s their best course of action. Personally, I think the Red Wings should let Shane Wright play in the AHL for a year or maybe even two before getting a chance in the NHL. Why you may ask- well, let me tell you.

When you look at some of the former first-round picks with hype on them, look at how they progressed in year one. Not many did. Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, Dylan Strome, Hico Hischier, Tage Thompson, and I can keep going if you’d like.

Not many first-round players can come into the league in year one and play well. It’s just so uncommon, but it’s also not the right move. It takes a players a little bit to adjust to the speed of the game here, but it takes players even more time figuring out what their role will be with the team and how they need to approach the game. At the end of the day, it’s not their choice. It’s the organizations.

So, even though Shane Wright is an elite offensive talent and a very good two-way player that would make it easy on a team to give him first-line minutes, a team could decide that his talents would be best utilized on the fourth-line for a couple years which isn’t doing much to help his game. Especially if he’s having to learn how the team want’s him to play.

Instead, I think that you send Shane Wright to the AHL for a year and let him develop and get his mind and body right for the AHL and then call him up once he’s ready.

Forcing players into situations like that makes it incredibly difficult on the player and then when they don’t perform up-to-par then it makes it tough on the coaching staff to keep him up there. I mean, for example- look at a team like the Flyers with Nolan Patrick.

So, that’s what I think the Red Wings should do. Then after a year in the AHL, if he performs well, you give him a nine-game trial in the NHL and see how he does. If he does well, keep him up. If not, then send him down for another year to work out the kinks.

A player of Shane Wright’s value isn’t worth forcing the situation upon him.