DENVER — Shane Wright needs to be the primary total decide taken by the Montreal Canadiens in subsequent month’s NHL draft. He additionally is aware of it isn’t his name.
“I’ve my very own opinion on the place I consider I ought to go, however on the finish of the day, it is out of my management now. What my opinion is, what I say, what I believe, it would not matter now. It is within the arms of Montreal and their administration,” Wright mentioned in a gathering with media earlier than Sport 2 of the Stanley Cup Remaining on Saturday. “Clearly, I would prefer to be the primary total decide. However on the finish of the day, it isn’t my choice.”
The Canadiens maintain the primary total decide, having received final month’s draft lottery. Whoever goes first total, it will be a rare second in Montreal, because the draft is scheduled on July 7 at Bell Centre — the primary time since 1985 that the host metropolis additionally holds the highest decide.
Wright has been thought of the highest prospect on this draft class for a number of years. He was granted distinctive participant standing for the 2019-20 Ontario Hockey League season as a 15-year-old, turning into simply the sixth participant allowed early entry into the league. Among the many others have been NHL stars Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However because the draft attracts nearer, there was some doubt about Wright going first total. He is not thought of to be a franchise-level expertise the way in which McDavid or Auston Matthews have been. There are different intriguing gamers on the prime of the draft, akin to Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky and middle Logan Cooley of the U.S. Nationwide Improvement Program.
What was as soon as a positive factor is rather less so for Wright, with the New Jersey Devils at No. 2 and the Arizona Coyotes at No. 3.
“I will embrace no matter market I get drafted into. It is the NHL. I am proud of no matter state of affairs I find yourself in, no matter crew drafts me,” Wright mentioned.
One factor Wright mentioned he is not doing: studying the various mock drafts being revealed main as much as draft.
“I do not put an excessive amount of thought into these. They do not actually … It is laborious saying they do not matter, as a result of folks spend a whole lot of time on them and there is a whole lot of thought course of that go into these. However personally, for me, I really feel like they do not matter an excessive amount of to what I am doing,” he mentioned.
Prospect Matthew Savoie has performed towards Wright because the two have been 12 years previous. Whereas Wright performs it cool, Savoie mentioned going first total issues to him.
“I believe he actually needs to be the highest decide,” he mentioned. “There’s been a whole lot of speak, a whole lot of hypothesis. However he is an excellent participant throughout. He works laborious, performs the fitting approach. Whichever approach Montreal goes, it will be an excellent decide.”
