With the first selection in the SB Nation NHL Mock Draft for 2022, Eyes On The Prize chooses Kingston Frontenax center Shane Wright on behalf of the Montreal Canadiens.
This is the first time we make the initial selection in the model draft in the history of SB Nation, which dates back to 2009. The previous peak was third overall in 2012 (we chose Mikhail Grigorenko; the actual choice was Alex Galchenyuk) and 2018 ( Philip Zadina, as Jesuits Kotkaniemi as Canadiens).
All SB Nation NHL sites will participate in this exercise, making the selection in the first round of the respective team (provided that they still hold the selection originally assigned to them).
Next to the NHL Draft Lottery, we surveyed our community to see which player they wanted to take among a group of the best available leads. With over 1000 responses, the choice was huge at the time, as it was among the EOTP staff when we made that choice.
There were several board quality options, as you would expect when you have a choice of each eligible draft player in the entire class. Logan Cooley has the potential to be an exciting high-end center in the NHL. Juraj Slafkovski was perhaps the most remarkable player eligible for a draft this season for what he managed to achieve in international competitions. And there are two very good defenders at the top in David Irichek and Simon Nemek. In the end, however, Shane Wright was just too full a package to miss the starting lineup for a team trying to build a rival list.
Place of birth: Burlington, Ontario Date of birth: January 5, 2004 Photos: Right Position: Central Height: 6’0 ”Weight: 199 lbs. Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
There are no weaknesses in Wright’s game. Many analysts consider it the best two-way forward in the class. There are teams that would spend a relatively high selection to choose a guaranteed third-line player; Wright’s floor is a second-line center with defensive skills and offensive abilities that will serve him well in the NHL.
As he is ranked right at the top of the list, his game is under the most attention throughout the season. While other players could improve their stocks with stellar achievements, Wright’s could not go anywhere but with bad ones.
The negative reviews started with a slow start to his season in the OHL, after which they really triggered at the World Junior Championships. He had only one point and was overtaken by the supposed first overall pick for 2023 Conor Bedard in the Canadian team. Perhaps as a Canadiens site, we were less affected by such a performance in a short tournament – exclusively in this case, as the event was canceled after only two games – because Nick Suzuki had experienced something similar in his WJC appearance and still turned 60. -the-NHL Score Center, with the promise of more.
With this criticism, attention was focused on his performance during the season and many believe that he had to collect more than 94 points, which put him in second place in his team and eighth in the OHL. If he was declared a mere attacking player, these numbers would call his position into question, but his point production is only part of his game. Less worrying is that he doesn’t score more points when his basic stats such as stroke creation and transition play are top of the class.
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Wright is an intelligent ice player who keeps the puck away from his net. He can do this thanks to his incredible awareness, monitoring the entire course of the game. There is still work to be done and he has really focused most of his energy on defense this season. He has a great job base and will have time and coach in the NHL in Martin St. Louis with the patience to work with him to improve his game further.
Ranking (pre-lottery → final)
Elite Prospects: # 1 → # 1FCHockey: # 1 → N / AHockeyProspect: # 1 → # 2McKeen: # 1 → # 1Bob McKenzie (TSN): # 1 → N / ACraig Button (TSN): # 1 → # 1NHL Central Scouting : # 1 → # 1 (NA Skaters) Corey Pronman (The Athletic): # 1 → # 2 Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): # 1 → # 1
Wright was the unanimous choice among various sources of potential customers during the NHL Draft Lottery, when we profiled the best prospects and conducted the survey above. He played three more games in his 2021-22 season after that, all losses in the OHL playoffs in which Kingston was eliminated. He scored four points in those three games, finishing the playoffs with 14 points in 11 games. Again, this was not the highest score on his team, as two previously selected players finished above him and the list makers wondered if these were the types of rankings that the first overall selection should complete.
We’ll get a good estimate of how things changed when Bob Mackenzie published his final rankings the next day, or so that the survey of NHL scouts who report directly to the general managers making the final decision. We will see if this slight fluctuation from other sources will be reflected in this ranking. As for us, we are quite happy to consider him the best player in the draft class and the one we will choose first. One or two blows by Suzuki and Wright in the middle of the ice is an excellent basis for recovery.
Not only is this the first time we have chosen first overall, it is also the first year that we will make two selections in the fake draft, keeping another choice (from Calgary Flames) in 26th place. This decision will certainly be more of a debate to be held after the Toronto Maple Leafs make their choice at 25.
The story of the Eyes On The Prize selections for the SB Nation NHL Mock Draft
2022: Shane Wright (first) 2021: Xavier Burgo (31) 2020: Maurice Burke (16) 2019: Thomas Harley (15) 2018: Philip Zadina (third) 2017: Urho Waakanainen (25) 2016: Tyne (2016): Thomas Saturday (26) 2014: David Pastrnak (26) 2013: Josh Morrissey (25) 2012: Mikhail Grigorenko (third) 2011: Mark Schaefele (17) 2010: Ryan Spooner (27) 2009: Scott Glenny (1)
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