Opinion: Will Detroit Move Up to Select Shane Wright on Thursday?

The Detroit Red Wings have the 8th pick in the NHL Entry Draft on Thursday night. Will the Red Wings move up in the draft in an attempt to secure Shane Wright? We will have to wait until the draft begins at 7:00 PM ET to see how the first round of the draft unfolds.

Here is a look at how the draft will need to go if Detroit has any chance of drafting the top prospect in the 2022 draft.

Montreal Drafts Juraj Slafkovsky 1st Overall

The Montreal Canadiens have the first pick on Thursday. Some rumors have the Canadiens opting for top winger Juraj Slavkovsky (TPS, Liiga) with the first pick. Slafkovsky played for TPS in Liiga last year. The NHL has Slafkovsky as the #1 European skater for the draft. Slafkovsky is big (6’4) and has terrific hands. Playing for TPS (U20), he scored 18 points in only 11 games. In Liiga, Slafkovsky scored 10 points in 31 regular-season games and seven points in 18 playoff games. Slafkovsky also played in the Olympics and World Championships, representing Slovakia. Slafkovsky was the top scorer in the Olympics, scoring seven goals in seven games. In the World Championships, Slafkovsky had nine points in eight contests.

If Montreal selects Slafkovsky with the 1st pick, there is a chance that Detroit trades up with New Jersey and selects Shane Wright with the #2 pick in the draft. Recently, the Devils selected forwards Jack Hughes with the #1 pick (2019), Alexander Holtz with the #7 pick (2020), and Dawson Mercer with pick #18 (2020). Last year, New Jersey selected defenseman Luke Hughes with the #4 pick overall.

What does Detroit have to offer?

The trade with New Jersey will start with a swap of first-round picks. The Red Wings will obtain the 2nd pick and trade the 8th overall pick to the Devils. The Devils will also get the rights to restricted free agent (RFA) forward Filip Zadina. Detroit will also trade one of the Red Wings top defense prospects. In my opinion, the Devils would want Simon Edvinsson, but Detroit General Manager Steve Yzerman would never trade Edvinsson. So the Devils will ask for either Albert Johansson, William Wallinder, Jared McIsaac, or Donovan Sebrango. Each of these players are top defensive prospects in the Detroit organization. Only Wallinder remains unsigned by the Red Wings.

How Good is Shane Wright?

Shane Wright has been a top NHL prospect for several years. Wright was granted exceptional player status to begin his junior career at age 15. He has been not only a top player, but Wright has been a captain on most of the teams he has played on. A true leader, Wright, started playing for Kingston (OHL) in 2019. During his rookie campaign, Wright scored 39 goals in 58 games. For his efforts, Wright won the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year awards. Representing Canada at the WJC-17, Wright was the captain of Canada Black. In five games, Wright scored four goals and seven points.

The pandemic forced Wright to the sidelines in 2020-2021. Without playing any OHL games, Wright was named captain of Canada at the WJC-18 tournament. Wright scored an incredible nine goals and 14 points in only five games.

In his draft year this past season, Wright was captain of Kingston (OHL). In 63 games, he scored 32 goals and 94 points in the regular season. In 11 playoff games, he scored 14 points before the Frontenacs were eliminated in round two of the playoffs against North Bay. Wright was on Team Canada at the WJC after Christmas. The tournament was canceled because of a Covid outbreak at the tournament. He is expected to participate for Canada when the tournament is played again in August.

Final Thoughts

As a Red Wings fan, it is hopeful that everything plays out so that Detroit can draft a future star in Shane Wright. If the first eight selections go as they are currently slated, the Red Wings will select 8th overall. With this pick, Detroit will obtain a top prospect and someone that Steve Yzerman believes will add to the prospect depth of the Red Wings organization.

The return of the Lyon King – The Production Line Podcast

In this episode, we break down the Red Wings' first six games of the season, going 3-3. We discuss the impressive start from Alex Lyon, Marco Kasper's recall, the team's problems generating offense, and more!

1. The return of the Lyon King 52:06
2. The 23-Man Roster Set and Kasper Sent Down 01:10:00
3. Preseason Storylines and Red Wings' Roster Predictions 01:05:12
4. Red Wings' Training Camp Opens 55:46
5. The Three RFAs 51:54