Montreal Canadiens: Why Shane Wright Fell To Fourth Overall In The NHL Draft

(Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)

It really just comes down to draft strategy

But it is all about what you think the draft strategy should be. I like the safer options early in the draft, and leave the attempter home run swings to the later rounds. And I believe that Shane Wright was the closest thing to a sure thing next year.

Wright is now going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. A great thing to hear if you are a Seattle Kraken fan. Slafkovsky also seems to like the attention that being a #1 pick to Montreal of all teams seems like a dream come true.

Ultimately, I think that all the teams that did pass on Shane Wright were looking at upside rather than safety. In drafts there are home run swings, or safety bunts. Wright is a safe pick, but fell due to the mentality of these teams taking big risks.

This isn’t a bad mentality when it comes to a draft like this, where there isn’t a clear cut 1st overall pick. A good middle-6 forward is a player that you can pick up in free agency or through a trade. But it is much harder to pick up a top line power forward, super offensively talented center or top pairing defender.

Wright does have a really high ceiling and floor, but his play this past year has put doubts into many scouts minds on whether he can reach his full potential. And if he does reach his potential, Wright will be a great 200-foot number 1 center. Something that, truth be told, there are other players in the NHL that fit that bill.

If Slafkovsky or Cooley hit their full potential, they will be something unique and special. The problem with them is that if they don’t, they won’t be near as effective as Wright if he doesn’t hit his ceiling.

Wright was the safe pick. Montreal, New Jersey and Arizona went for the big swings, and Shane Wright dropped into Seattle’s lap.

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