![]() And he's likely closer to being NHL-ready than most No. No doubt his slide down the draft board will motivate Wright when he does reach the NHL. Add to that excellent hockey sense, outstanding playmaking ability and finish around the net. At 6-0 and 191 pounds, Wright possesses good size and is a strong skater who's impressively elusive with quickness to beat defenders to pucks. While not a generational talent, Wright has the potential to develop into a No. The Kraken finally pulled Wright off the board. 2 and didn't need another center Arizona went with a different center at No. He finished strong with 94 points in 63 games but many scouts (rightly) began predicting Wright had opened the door for others to unseat him as the consensus No. Trade grades: Flyers overpay in trade for Tony DeAngeloĪfter the COVID-19 pandemic cost him all of the 2020-21 season, he returned in 2021-22 with an underwhelming start that produced only 22 points in 19 games.He was just the sixth player to ever be granted exceptional status in the OHL and put up 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games as a 15-year-old freshman en route to winning rookie of the year. For years, the Kingston Frontenacs center was projected to be this draft's top prospect. He had 75 points in 51 games this season. In Cooley, they get a player who has more offensive upside than Wright, according to many scouts. The strong two-way center cites Patrick Kane as an inspiration for his play, but admits he needs some work on his long-range shooting to hit that level of goal-scorer. In the past, Cooley's 5-10 frame might have been a hindrance. They opted for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program product in Cooley, as Wright's plummet continued. How he fits: The Coyotes had their pick of Wright and Cooley. With Nemec joining those young defensemen and star Dougie Hamilton, they're solidifying the back end. With Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, the Devils may have believed they were set at center. This is the fourth time in the past five years the Devils have drafted a defenseman in the first round after Luke Hughes (2021), Shakir Mukhamadullin (2020) and Ty Smith (2018). He had six points in eight games at the world championship, and played three seasons as a pro in Slovakia. Nemec is a right-handed defenseman who was considered one of the "plug-and-play" options in the top 10 for his NHL-readiness. That's back-to-back Slovaks in the top two picks, and they were 2022 Olympic teammates. ![]() How he fits: With Slafkovsky off the board, the Devils passed over centers Wright and Logan Cooley to select puck-moving defenseman Nemec. But his ceiling is high - high enough, it seems, for the Canadiens to opt not to do the Wright thing. As one draft observer told me recently, he has "all the tools without the toolbox" at the moment. This is a pick about what Slafkovsky can become, not for what he is. He's not going to run over anybody despite his size it's his speed that makes him exceptional. The 6-3 winger made a spectacular impression in international play at the Beijing Winter Olympics and the world championships. But in the end, it's the Slovakian winger who goes first overall. Fans of teams looking to tank tweeted #PainForShane. 1 pick for years leading up to this draft. How he fits: Shane Wright was the de facto No. It was an historic night for Slovakia, as players from that country went first and second overall, with Juraj Slafkovsky being selected by the Montreal Canadiens, and Simon Nemec going to the New Jersey Devils. The first night of the draft got off to an exciting start, as the Ottawa Senators acquired winger Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks for the No. 225, this page will be your home for tracking every selection, including notes on team fit for the 32 players taken in the first round from Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski. From the first round all the way to pick No.
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