Not Drafting Shane Wright Discussion - So the Slafkovsky thread can be about Slafkovsky

[JoelWarlord]

Did we make the Wright choice by passing on the Kingston star? Will the front office have to bow their heads in Shane when Seattle's #4 pick outshines ours? Have at er.

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[Kennerback]

I thought he was a Pick’em with JS depending on need. Quite surprised most NHL teams didn’t have him first on their list as a Center is more valuable than a Winger. Was dumbfounded 3 teams passed on him.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Going into the draft I was pretty heavily in favour of Wright but after the draft I think we've done the right thing in passing on him (although I still wonder if Nemec might have been the better choice).

It's not that my opinion on Slafkovsky has changed for the better (other than the "hey he's our guy and he's proud to wear our jersey, he seems like a fun guy" sense) but I was pretty dismissive of the Wright critiques and I am much less dismissive of them now after we saw two other teams pass on him. Maybe the scouts are right and the concerns about him not being assertive on the ice or making things happen are legit, I still think there's a great player there but I'm far less convinced in my positive read on Wright than I was earlier.

Maybe that's irrational and just me trying to feel better about this pick, but I think it's hard to watch him go #4 and not wonder if there were some real issues there. I dunno, it's just hard to reconcile that if Wright is actually as good as I thought pre-draft, I wouldn't think teams would pass on him for positional need and simply because Cooley was their guy. I think I'm comfortable admitting there's some red flags I'm underrating in his game now.

 

[Miller Time]

I would've picked Wright...

but, as an annecdote... a guy I know with a very good knowledge of athletic development who comes from Wright's hometown and is a big habs fan was really pissed at the likelihood that we were going to draft him. So much so that he was rooting for us NOT winning the lottery so that we didn't pick him. Why? because according to him, Wright falls into the "man-child" category... a kid that physically matured well ahead of his peers, and that he had largely rode that through his youth/junior hockey career vs progressing as a result of elite competitiveness and commitment to improvement. I didn't see much from the scouting and draft reports to suggest the work ethic was in question, so i found that assessment dubious, but maybe there was something to it that the habs identified

in any case, will be interesting to see if he proves the habs wrong, or, if the warts they saw turn out to be predictive of a far lower NHL ceiling than most of us thought he has...

 

[Deebs]

The team made a decision and we went in a different direction. Seems straight forward and now we move on

 

[Sterling Archer]

Seems like Dach becoming available changed everything. If Dach doesn’t pan out, it could be incredibly detrimental to the franchise. It’s a home run swing so let’s hope they make contact.

 

[Gravity]

Passed on Wright and Cooley. Still naked down the middle. No bonfide star 1C in over 20 years.

I'm bloody pissed that their plan to resolve the C position is Dach.

 

[Habricot]

Passed on Wright and Cooley. Still naked down the middle. No bonfide star 1C in over 20 years.

I'm bloody pissed that their plan to resolve the C position is Dach.

You will get your number one Center next year. For now consider we have number 2 in Suzuki which could really be number 1 if he continues to progress and Number 3 in Dach if he progresses as well.

I do believe Wright will have the better career (in Seattle) vs Slaf (in Mtl) but I expect Slaf to have a better impact in Mtl then Wrigth would have had here. I think the pressure would have been too much. I do which him to play with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career.

 

[Nevins]

I really can't wait to see him play because his statistics at international level are impressive but those in the Finnish elite league are scary. Who is the real Juraj Slafkovský?

 

[Gravity]

You will get your number one Center next year. For now consider we have number 2 in Suzuki which could really be number 1 if he continues to progress and Number 3 in Dach if he progresses as well.

I do believe Wright will have the better career (in Seattle) vs Slaf (in Mtl) but I expect Slaf to have a better impact in Mtl then Wrigth would have had here. I think the pressure would have been too much. I do which him to play with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his career.

I/We better. Tired of not seeing an elite player down the middle. Haven't seen one my entire life in the CH.

 

[Habricot]

I really can't wait to see him play because his statistics at international level are impressive but those in the Finnish elite league are scary. Who is the real Juraj Slafkovský?

You know everyone where saying to look at the stats of Wright in the second half but then to exclude the playoff which were not that great. Not sure what it looks like for Slaf but if I recall the second half was also much better for him. Listen is a rarity to have a 2 way center that is as mature as Wright but I believe it is just as rare if not more to have the package that Slaf brings to the table. Would really like to see a line with Slaf, Dach and Anderson at a certain point.

 

[habsfan92]

In a scooby doo twist, Slaf starts as a center!

 

[Naslundforever]

I don’t know that Dach has to pan out or all is doomed. I wish Wright the best, he seemed to really want to play here. I was in the 5-10 % hoping for Slaf so I’m biased… Next year‘s draft has good centers, Dubois might end up a hab, and hey maybe that Beck kid will pan out… A ufa eventually once they clean up this financial mess… Future is brighter today than before the draft In my opinion.

 

[Nedved]

You know everyone where saying to look at the stats of Wright in the second half but then to exclude the playoff which were not that great. Not sure what it looks like for Slaf but if I recall the second half was also much better for him. Listen is a rarity to have a 2 way center that is as mature as Wright but I believe it is just as rare if not more to have the package that Slaf brings to the table. Would really like to see a line with Slaf, Dach and Anderson at a certain point.

thats if he reaches that potential. We’ve watched a lot of players with all the tools not put it together. he dominated against some bad hockey teams. Training camp and development camp will be fun to watch against some better competition.

 

[Milhouse40]

Did we make the Wright choice by passing on the Kingston star? Will the front office have to bow their heads in Shane when Seattle's #4 pick outshines ours? Have at er.

Only time will tell....but I think Wright will have an easier time in Seattle and should have a huge chip on his shoulder, he'll be motivated as hell that's for sure. As for Slafkovsky, Montreal is a much tougher market, the expectation are rocket high too.....

 

[KevSkillz4]

Adding Slafkovsky and a potential solid top 6 C with Dach... it's a big W by Hughes.

People say that Habs have a chance to draft Lekkerimaki, Nazar or Kemell with their 13th selection, but they are not big 6"4 two-way C like Dach. Dach have pretty great talent too... 3rd overall in 2019. Great hands, great passing ability, great skater (much better skater than KK) need to be a better shooter but Habs have now a great department of development.

If Slafkovsky and Dach reach their potential... nobody we talk about Wright and Lekkerimaki/Nazar/Kemell.

Romanov for a potential solid big top 6 C... it's a great value.

 

[David Suzuki]

Wright is unlikely to really be that much better than Suzuki so even if we drafted him, if you don't think Suzuki is a 1C than I doubt Wright is going to fit your definition either.

I had Wright and Cooley (and maybe Nemec lol) ahead of him but hope I'm wrong and think maybe I am.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

Passed on Wright and Cooley. Still naked down the middle. No bonfide star 1C in over 20 years.

I'm bloody pissed that their plan to resolve the C position is Dach.

you don't think Suzuki is 1C material? i do

 

[KFlint]

In the end, I’m fine with the decision. Trading for Dach is a pretty good gamble and explains the pick. Even if Dach busts, that will probably mean we will have a good shot at an elite center in 2023. Don’t think Romanov is irreplaceable without offensive acumen. If everything clicks this year and we miraculously are not a bottom 10 team, I will be of those who thinks a successful rebuild might actually be on the rails already and we go from there. Unless of course it’s because Price is back and is playing like a god, then we are still a bubble team and we will miss out again.

 

[Habricot]

you don't think Suzuki is 1C material? i do

I do not think he was for a full season. I am expecting him to become one and the most important thing for that is to develop a secondary scoring threat to relieve some pressure off him. Hope Dach works out. He is really young and still has not fully expended in his body; It could be a few years before he fully develops like it did for Couturier as an example.

 

[peate]

I think we actually dodged a bullet. Shane Wright is no elite centre, there were none this year. He's surely a pretty good player, but his attitude and demeaner reminds me too much of Jonathan Drouin.

 

[Championdumonde]

Owen Beck is a pick they made just to be like "hey we had a plan in case Dach doesn't work out". He will probably never play in the NHL.

Hutson is the only great pick they made, the rest is very mediocre considering players available to draft.

I look at Buffalos draft and compare it to ours.. Ouch. Woke up more optistic than last night and now I just can't get over how bad we drafted.

I mean unless the plan was to suck even more to tank next year and maybe draft Bedard.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Can’t miss franchise players don’t drop to 4th on draft day. Arizona even took a different Center over Wright at #3!! NJ let the world know their pick could be had in a trade if Slaf isn’t available at #2 and nobody bit.

I’ve never seen so many excuses for a draft eligible player after a disappointing season. I hope he this wakes him up.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Did we make the Wright choice by passing on the Kingston star? Will the front office have to bow their heads in Shane when Seattle's #4 pick outshines ours? Have at er.

If the Dach deal works out it could be genius. He’s not the horse I would have bet on, but he’s still a young pup.

We made the wrong pick at 1 though. Everyone wants to hyper scrutinize Wright while ignoring the flaws and lack of production from Slaf. I’ve never seen anything like it tbh.

 

[Nevins]

Owen Beck is a pick they made just to be like "hey we had a plan in case Dach doesn't work out". He will probably never play in the NHL.

Hutson is the only great pick they made, the rest is very mediocre considering players available to draft.

I look at Buffalos draft and compare it to ours.. Ouch. Woke up more optistic than last night and now I just can't get over how bad we drafted.

I mean unless the plan was to suck even more to tank next year and maybe draft Bedard.

Mesar looks impressive.