Prospect Info: Devils HFBoards 2022 Draft Resource, Indexed Profiles A Thru Z

[PKs Broken Stick]

2022 Draft Profile:

C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL (STI Ranking #1, McKenzie #2)
It's probably important to write about the de facto first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft before the the, ah... less adept draft writers start inventing criticisms about him in order to make a name for themselves. Because, first of all, this unfortunately happens virtually every NHL Draft cycle. And second of all? Shane Wright is pretty much a perfect hockey player with no flaws whatsoever.

Breaking down a player as good as Shane Wright is actually quite boring. You run out of positive adjectives. He's a center with ideal size (6'1-185) and tremendous athleticism. His intangibles are off-the-charts -- his hockey IQ is absolutely elite and his motor rarely slows. He is the rare amateur hockey prospect whose defensive game is as flawless and consistently impressive as his offensive game. He's a shut-down defender when he does not have the puck, and whenever he's on the ice his team dominates possession, pretty much because he is so good.

Wright possesses every physical tool in the book at an elite or near-elite level. He is a tremendous skater. He is a tremendous puck-handler. His agility and elusiveness are phenomenal. He is physically powerful and strong on the puck, and should be in a hearty 6'1-200 range by the time he reaches his prime. He can dazzle you with his finesse game then bowl you over in the power game, often on the very same shift.

Shane Wright's finest tool, in my opinion, is his shot. It's an absolute laser beam with a lightning quick release and marksman's accuracy -- he can beat a goaltender clean with it anytime, from anywhere in the offensive zone. I'd say he has the finest shot for a center to come out of the NHL Draft since Auston Matthews in 2016.

Unlike most snipers, you can't play Wright strictly by strategizing to stop his shot, because he's also a true dual threat; Wright is a sublime passer with absolutely elite vision and precision. His high-end thinking gives him the quick-read ability to adjust to defenses on the fly and immediately process how to beat them. Shane Wright, in his professional prime, will be virtually unstoppable. It's that simple, and it's difficult to find anything non-superlative to say about it.

Shane Wright is a truly great hockey player. And he's only going to get better.

Who's your player comparable for Shane Wright? I'll go ahead and say who I'm reminded of so you can blast me First player I thought of is Stamkos.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Who's your player comparable for Shane Wright? I'll go ahead and say who I'm reminded of so you can blast me First player I thought of is Stamkos.

I'm going to go with "Mark Scheifele in the offensive zone, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the defensive zone and Anze Kopitar in transition". He's really not reminiscent of any one player, so this is the best I can do.

 

[My3Sons]

I'm going to go with "Mark Scheifele in the offensive zone, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the defensive zone and Anze Kopitar in transition". He's really not reminiscent of any one player, so this is the best I can do.

or, Nicholas Cage in Face/Off, Nicholas Cage in Con Air, and Nicholas Cage in The Color Out of Space. To be fair, I could also see a bit of Nicholas Cage from Ghost Rider in Wright as well.

 

[StevenToddIves]

or, Nicholas Cage in Face/Off, Nicholas Cage in Con Air, and Nicholas Cage in The Color Out of Space. To be fair, I could also see a bit of Nicholas Cage from Ghost Rider in Wright as well.

Personally, I prefer Nick Cage in Mandy. Great flick.

 

[My3Sons]

Personally, I prefer Nick Cage in Mandy. Great flick.

His most recent one was really great. Funny and endearing.

 

[forceten]

Just outstanding work. I agree with the way you review players; the way you look deeper at HOW they play not just statistics or analytics metrics. You consider the leagues (and some leagues that aren't seen as much by other scouts). I don't get with all the love for New Jersey how you aren't on their staff. I really think this is absurd.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Just outstanding work. I agree with the way you review players; the way you look deeper at HOW they play not just statistics or analytics metrics. You consider the leagues (and some leagues that aren't seen as much by other scouts). I don't get with all the love for New Jersey how you aren't on their staff. I really think this is absurd.

Thanks, this means a lot to me. If anyone knows Tom Fitzgerald, send him this message by @forceten and let him know I'm glad to help the Devils with the draft strategy in between bartending shifts.

 

[forceten]

I mean, they don't have to make you director of scouting (today!) but depth works in the front office as well as it does on the ice... by the way... bourbon negroni or boulevardier and if you like either what's your latest draft picks of amari LOL

 

[Nubmer6]

Thanks, this means a lot to me. If anyone knows Tom Fitzgerald, send him this message by @forceten and let him know I'm glad to help the Devils with the draft strategy in between bartending shifts.

Speaking of which, are you tending during the draft, and if so, where? I'd like to know before the draft is over and you turn into a pumpkin again.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I mean, they don't have to make you director of scouting (today!) but depth works in the front office as well as it does on the ice... by the way... bourbon negroni or boulevardier and if you like either what's your latest draft picks of amari LOL

"Boulevardier" is the actual name.

I love Amaro. There are just so many different varietals, the range is huge. Best Amaro I've ever had is Rucolino -- it's hard to find but really unique and delicious, made from arugula if you can believe that. It's great neat and it actually changes chemically and in color and consistency if you add an ice cube.

Also, all Manhattans and Negronis and Boulevardiers are improved exponentially if you substitute sweet vermouth with Amaro. Montenegro is a really easy to find brand which works with all three.

That being said, my bar is owned by rock musicians and not really a cocktail place so much as beer-and-shot and great music and a sexy atmosphere which tends to attract an inordinate amount of bohemian people and attractive women. It's a great bar if you're ever in Greenpoint -- Lake Street on Manhattan Avenue.

 

[Eggtimer]

Noah Warren - pick I hope somehow falls to our second rounder …. How doubtful would it be ?

Personally, I prefer Nick Cage in Mandy. Great flick.

Leaving LasVegas

 

[StevenToddIves]

Speaking of which, are you tending during the draft, and if so, where? I'd like to know before the draft is over and you turn into a pumpkin again.

I'm probably heading up to Westchester to watch with my Buffalo fan buddies. If that falls through, I'm going to a Detroit draft party in Williamsburg.

So, Day One I'll probably be off HFBoards and enjoying myself, although I might post a bit on Twitter -- @StIves72 is my handle.

Day Two I'll be watching at home with a computer, so if this site doesn't crash I'll be posting a ton. Then, as always, I'll grade the draft for the Devils and write a few other post-draft columns, re-ranking the Devils prospects and whatnot.

After all that is done, I'm going to disappear for awhile so I can work more on other things in my life. I'm not sure if this is my last year draft-writing or not, we'll see what the future holds. I enjoy doing this, but it's a ton of work. This year I put more work in than ever, and I still feel there's 25 prospects I should've written up but didn't. It's like you're constantly working and never done. But we'll see what happens.

As always, even if I'm off the HFBoards I can always be reached through my Twitter or email: [email protected].

 

[My3Sons]

I'm probably heading up to Westchester to watch with my Buffalo fan buddies. If that falls through, I'm going to a Detroit draft party in Williamsburg.

So, Day One I'll probably be off HFBoards and enjoying myself, although I might post a bit on Twitter -- @StIves72 is my handle.

Day Two I'll be watching at home with a computer, so if this site doesn't crash I'll be posting a ton. Then, as always, I'll grade the draft for the Devils and write a few other post-draft columns, re-ranking the Devils prospects and whatnot.

After all that is done, I'm going to disappear for awhile so I can work more on other things in my life. I'm not sure if this is my last year draft-writing or not, we'll see what the future holds. I enjoy doing this, but it's a ton of work. This year I put more work in than ever, and I still feel there's 25 prospects I should've written up but didn't. It's like you're constantly working and never done. But we'll see what happens.

As always, even if I'm off the HFBoards I can always be reached through my Twitter or email: [email protected].

You can probably watch with my brother if you want in Brooklyn Heights. Then again I'm not sure if his wife and daughter will allow him to watch the whole first round. As always, thanks for the work you put into these draft write ups. Your hard work leads to other great folks adding their thoughts and really provides good analysis and context for those of us whose wives would break a chair over our heads if they saw us watching prospect hockey on top of the Devis and the playoffs and the college games and the World Juniors and the WU-18s and the World Championships.

 

[Xirik]

Hey Steven, Ive been wondering about this for awhile. How long do you think you will be up to doing this every year? It seems like you definitely enjoy it as a hobby but it DEFINITELY is a lot of work. if the Devils get better and don't have as many high end draft picks will that situation make you less likely to do all this work?

I love your content and would like you to do this forever but as I stated above, Its a lot of work that you do.

-Edit-

I did not read your last post which clearly answers my question, I think I speak for all of us that we'd all be fine if you decided to cut down your draft content. Perhaps only doing players who are only 1st round picks for profiles and only ranking players up to the end of the 2nd round? Just want to keep you around as long as possible!

 

[My3Sons]

Hey Steven, Ive been wondering about this for awhile. How long do you think you will be up to doing this every year? It seems like you definitely enjoy it as a hobby but it DEFINITELY is a lot of work. if the Devils get better and don't have as many high end draft picks will that situation make you less likely to do all this work?

I love your content and would like you to do this forever but as I stated above, Its a lot of work that you do.

-Edit-

I did not read your last post which clearly answers my question, I think I speak for all of us that we'd all be fine if you decided to cut down your draft content. Perhaps only doing players who are only 1st round picks for profiles and only ranking players up to the end of the 2nd round? Just want to keep you around as long as possible!

What are you high? No way I want him cutting down on his draft content. You think I want to have to watch hours of video to decide whether Jiricek's skating is an issue? Good gravy, some of you are so shortsighted.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hey Steven, Ive been wondering about this for awhile. How long do you think you will be up to doing this every year? It seems like you definitely enjoy it as a hobby but it DEFINITELY is a lot of work. if the Devils get better and don't have as many high end draft picks will that situation make you less likely to do all this work?

I love your content and would like you to do this forever but as I stated above, Its a lot of work that you do.

-Edit-

I did not read your last post which clearly answers my question, I think I speak for all of us that we'd all be fine if you decided to cut down your draft content. Perhaps only doing players who are only 1st round picks for profiles and only ranking players up to the end of the 2nd round? Just want to keep you around as long as possible!

Like I said, I'll always answer questions if people seek me out, I'm just not sure about the work-load of watching 100s of hours of film and writing literally 100s of pages of content. We'll see how I feel in November and December. But thanks for the support!

 

[Nubmer6]

Like I said, I'll always answer questions if people seek me out, I'm just not sure about the work-load of watching 100s of hours of film and writing literally 100s of pages of content. We'll see how I feel in November and December. But thanks for the support!

Bah. You're going to do it anyway. Admit it. It's in your nature.

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

 

[Xirik]

What are you high? No way I want him cutting down on his draft content. You think I want to have to watch hours of video to decide whether Jiricek's skating is an issue? Good gravy, some of you are so shortsighted.

Ah so were doing the Scrooge scenario,

Stevens: please sir, I would like to be able to celebrate Christmas with my family..

My3sons: Bah! Nonsense! Holidays are just a way to placate the poor! Now no more talking about time off anymore! I want that Scouting report on Bedard as soon as possible!

 

[StevenToddIves]

Bah. You're going to do it anyway. Admit it. It's in your nature.

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

I have a problem haha.

But also, I have to say the negativity is starting to tire me a bit. I remember writing my first profile of the year in Shane Wright, and specifically having to mention "before everyone starts inventing flaws in his game", which of course they all did.

Next year, we have Conor Bedard -- who is simply beautiful to watch play hockey and the best draft prospect since Auston Matthews. I'm already getting a stomachache thinking ahead to the scores of idiots who are going to start ripping him apart and saying what a bust he will be. I'm not kidding, this crap really gets to me.

The reason I love the draft is it's a day filled with hope and possibility -- when we can assume the best and look forward to a bright future. But I think it gets spoiled for me. It's almost like people hope players will bust so they can prove their knee-jerk, blind and uneducated hot-takes as correct.

We'll see what happens. Maybe if I get some help writing up the prospects, I'll stick on with a smaller work-load. Some of our posters are extremely talented and would be excellent.

 

[My3Sons]

I have a problem haha.

But also, I have to say the negativity is starting to tire me a bit. I remember writing my first profile of the year in Shane Wright, and specifically having to mention "before everyone starts inventing flaws in his game", which of course they all did.

Next year, we have Conor Bedard -- who is simply beautiful to watch play hockey and the best draft prospect since Auston Matthews. I'm already getting a stomachache thinking ahead to the scores of idiots who are going to start ripping him apart and saying what a bust he will be. I'm not kidding, this crap really gets to me.

The reason I love the draft is it's a day filled with hope and possibility -- when we can assume the best and look forward to a bright future. But I think it gets spoiled for me. It's almost like people hope players will bust so they can prove their knee-jerk, blind and uneducated hot-takes as correct.

We'll see what happens. Maybe if I get some help writing up the prospects, I'll stick on with a smaller work-load. Some of our posters are extremely talented and would be excellent.

I think the podcast idea makes sense. Less work and you can express prospect opinions more stream of consciousness which is much easier for a writer in my experience.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I think the podcast idea makes sense. Less work and you can express prospect opinions more stream of consciousness which is much easier for a writer in my experience.

Well, I can't do the podcast without the research. But maybe we can get a Devils HFBoards all-star team together and come up with some podcast ideas.

 

[Nubmer6]

Well, I can't do the podcast without the research. But maybe we can get a Devils HFBoards all-star team together and come up with some podcast ideas.

@Bleedred can do the goalies.

Wait... on second thought, I could just imagine... "THEY ALL SUCK! DON'T DRAFT ANY OF THEM! TOO MANY SAVEABLE GOALS!"

 

[Bleedred]

@Bleedred can do the goalies.

Wait... on second thought, I could just imagine... "THEY ALL SUCK! DON'T DRAFT ANY OF THEM! TOO MANY SAVEABLE GOALS!"

This is why I couldn’t cut it as a journalist or a podcaster or you tuber. I’d love to be able to have my own channel like the hockey guy, but I’m just way un-politically correct when it comes to goalies, coaches or just players in general.

I’m not gonna sit there and blow smoke up people’s asses talking about how good Mike Condon is or how “Darcy Kuemper was good when he had to be” or how this guy is such a good coach or that shitty 4th liner or terrible bottom pairing defenseman are actually good players.

No

I wanna be able to say this guy sucks and that guy is not good. And this coach isn’t worth a f***in shit.

 

[StevenToddIves]

This is why I couldn’t cut it as a journalist or a podcaster or you tuber. I’d love to be able to have my own channel like the hockey guy, but I’m just way un-politically correct when it comes to goalies, coaches or just players in general.

I’m not gonna sit there and blow smoke up people’s asses talking about how good Mike Condon is or how “Darcy Kuemper was good when he had to be” or how this guy is such a good coach or that shitty 4th liner or terrible bottom pairing defenseman are actually good players.

No

I wanna be able to say this guy sucks and that guy is not good. And this coach isn’t worth a f***in shit.

I was on a fantasy hockey podcast awhile for a few years, and I tried to keep things pretty funny over there. But the guy who ran it -- who is the best fantasy hockey writer around (Ian Gooding, now at Dobber) -- wanted to keep the swearing down because he was worried kids would listen. I'm a NYC bartender and swear like a sailor, so it was probably toughest on me.

 

[My3Sons]

I'm a NYC bartender and swear like a sailor

Wait, so you’ve been @Guttersniped all along? How did we not see that coming after the events of season 2? It all makes sense now.