OT: Kraken Hockey Talk...

[Judge Fudge]

4

 

[Judge Fudge]

@WizardHawk and ????, forgot who it was

Check yourselves for horseshoes

Wright is Damn good. Keep last year out of your mind

 

[Judge Fudge]

Bleacherreport.com scouting report

Wright is an unusual type of top prospect. Typically, these players are dominant on an individual level at lower levels of hockey and need to adjust to the unforgiving structural play of five-on-five at the NHL level. It took recent former first overall picks Jack Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin a few years to catch their bearings, while Alexis Lafreniere is in that process.

Wright is in a different category. The center could have stepped into an NHL playoff game and not miss a beat. His hockey IQ is through the roof, and it shows at even strength. His decision-making with the puck is beyond his 18 years. He anticipates the flow of play off the puck, keeping his feet moving and always reading the ice to find where he needs to be either to support the puck in the offensive zone or cut off lanes defensively. He has a gravity to him, bringing defenders into his orbit and making space for his teammates, whom he often is able to find even under pressure. He's a strong forechecker not by blasting players through the glass, but instead by getting up the ice and constricting spaces quickly. Similarly, he's a major asset as a neutral-zone forechecker, cutting off rush attempts.

Where the 6'0", 199-pound Wright falls short compared to most first overall picks in recent memory is a lack of any signature physical tools. When it comes to skating, physical play, passing finesse, stickhandling, and shooting, he rates as a 7 or 8 out of 10 across the board. His shot is the closest thing to a standout skill. The right-hander gets off quick releases even from awkward weight transfers and beats goaltenders from the top of the circle. But on the power play, he's more of a dual threat who gets lots of touches and dictates play rather than a team's primary shooting threat.

A lot of scouts want to see Wright complement that superb group play with more of a willingness to take on defenders and beat them with more individual efforts. Even if none of his tools are elite, he still has the skating, stickhandling and vision to put defenders on their heels and beat them in isolation.

After entering the season as the runaway favorite to go first overall, Wright struggled during the first half of the OHL season, registering "only" 1.36 points per game prior to the 2022 World Junior Championship for Canada. Some scouts began to question whether first overall was inevitable. He somewhat rebounded afterward, improving to a 1.56 point-per-game pace the rest of the season, playoffs included.

There is still some talk that the Montreal Canadiens could take a different player first overall, but that would be a major miscalculation. The Ontario native may lack the "wow" factor of some other prospects, but in a cost-benefit analysis, nobody comes close to matching him. A "200-foot center" with leadership qualities is incredibly hard to come by, and what Wright may lack in upside, he makes up for in maturity and security. In some ways, his game will translate better in the NHL than it does in juniors. His game relies on collaboration from his teammates, and NHL players will be able to read and react to his movements and decision-making far better.

It's hard to imagine him as any worse than a first-line center and team leader in the mold of a Jonathan Toews. Wright will not routinely challenge for individual awards, but he's the type of organizational linchpin a head coach dreams of and who could anchor his team to a Stanley Cup

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Bleacherreport.com scouting report

Wright is an unusual type of top prospect. Typically, these players are dominant on an individual level at lower levels of hockey and need to adjust to the unforgiving structural play of five-on-five at the NHL level. It took recent former first overall picks Jack Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin a few years to catch their bearings, while Alexis Lafreniere is in that process.

Wright is in a different category. The center could have stepped into an NHL playoff game and not miss a beat. His hockey IQ is through the roof, and it shows at even strength. His decision-making with the puck is beyond his 18 years. He anticipates the flow of play off the puck, keeping his feet moving and always reading the ice to find where he needs to be either to support the puck in the offensive zone or cut off lanes defensively. He has a gravity to him, bringing defenders into his orbit and making space for his teammates, whom he often is able to find even under pressure. He's a strong forechecker not by blasting players through the glass, but instead by getting up the ice and constricting spaces quickly. Similarly, he's a major asset as a neutral-zone forechecker, cutting off rush attempts.

Where the 6'0", 199-pound Wright falls short compared to most first overall picks in recent memory is a lack of any signature physical tools. When it comes to skating, physical play, passing finesse, stickhandling, and shooting, he rates as a 7 or 8 out of 10 across the board. His shot is the closest thing to a standout skill. The right-hander gets off quick releases even from awkward weight transfers and beats goaltenders from the top of the circle. But on the power play, he's more of a dual threat who gets lots of touches and dictates play rather than a team's primary shooting threat.

A lot of scouts want to see Wright complement that superb group play with more of a willingness to take on defenders and beat them with more individual efforts. Even if none of his tools are elite, he still has the skating, stickhandling and vision to put defenders on their heels and beat them in isolation.

After entering the season as the runaway favorite to go first overall, Wright struggled during the first half of the OHL season, registering "only" 1.36 points per game prior to the 2022 World Junior Championship for Canada. Some scouts began to question whether first overall was inevitable. He somewhat rebounded afterward, improving to a 1.56 point-per-game pace the rest of the season, playoffs included.

There is still some talk that the Montreal Canadiens could take a different player first overall, but that would be a major miscalculation. The Ontario native may lack the "wow" factor of some other prospects, but in a cost-benefit analysis, nobody comes close to matching him. A "200-foot center" with leadership qualities is incredibly hard to come by, and what Wright may lack in upside, he makes up for in maturity and security. In some ways, his game will translate better in the NHL than it does in juniors. His game relies on collaboration from his teammates, and NHL players will be able to read and react to his movements and decision-making far better.

It's hard to imagine him as any worse than a first-line center and team leader in the mold of a Jonathan Toews. Wright will not routinely challenge for individual awards, but he's the type of organizational linchpin a head coach dreams of and who could anchor his team to a Stanley Cup

Nice write up Judge. However maybe you could help the Kraken forum with a write up like this one.

2022 Season (what little left there is)

Matty Beniers with his first game at home scores the go ahead goal and his first in the NHL!!!!

sportshoop.la

 

[Screamin12th]

Bleacherreport.com scouting report

Wright is an unusual type of top prospect. Typically, these players are dominant on an individual level at lower levels of hockey and need to adjust to the unforgiving structural play of five-on-five at the NHL level. It took recent former first overall picks Jack Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin a few years to catch their bearings, while Alexis Lafreniere is in that process.

Wright is in a different category. The center could have stepped into an NHL playoff game and not miss a beat. His hockey IQ is through the roof, and it shows at even strength. His decision-making with the puck is beyond his 18 years. He anticipates the flow of play off the puck, keeping his feet moving and always reading the ice to find where he needs to be either to support the puck in the offensive zone or cut off lanes defensively. He has a gravity to him, bringing defenders into his orbit and making space for his teammates, whom he often is able to find even under pressure. He's a strong forechecker not by blasting players through the glass, but instead by getting up the ice and constricting spaces quickly. Similarly, he's a major asset as a neutral-zone forechecker, cutting off rush attempts.

Where the 6'0", 199-pound Wright falls short compared to most first overall picks in recent memory is a lack of any signature physical tools. When it comes to skating, physical play, passing finesse, stickhandling, and shooting, he rates as a 7 or 8 out of 10 across the board. His shot is the closest thing to a standout skill. The right-hander gets off quick releases even from awkward weight transfers and beats goaltenders from the top of the circle. But on the power play, he's more of a dual threat who gets lots of touches and dictates play rather than a team's primary shooting threat.

A lot of scouts want to see Wright complement that superb group play with more of a willingness to take on defenders and beat them with more individual efforts. Even if none of his tools are elite, he still has the skating, stickhandling and vision to put defenders on their heels and beat them in isolation.

After entering the season as the runaway favorite to go first overall, Wright struggled during the first half of the OHL season, registering "only" 1.36 points per game prior to the 2022 World Junior Championship for Canada. Some scouts began to question whether first overall was inevitable. He somewhat rebounded afterward, improving to a 1.56 point-per-game pace the rest of the season, playoffs included.

There is still some talk that the Montreal Canadiens could take a different player first overall, but that would be a major miscalculation. The Ontario native may lack the "wow" factor of some other prospects, but in a cost-benefit analysis, nobody comes close to matching him. A "200-foot center" with leadership qualities is incredibly hard to come by, and what Wright may lack in upside, he makes up for in maturity and security. In some ways, his game will translate better in the NHL than it does in juniors. His game relies on collaboration from his teammates, and NHL players will be able to read and react to his movements and decision-making far better.

It's hard to imagine him as any worse than a first-line center and team leader in the mold of a Jonathan Toews. Wright will not routinely challenge for individual awards, but he's the type of organizational linchpin a head coach dreams of and who could anchor his team to a Stanley Cup

When I read this I got Aaron Curry vibes not going to lie.

 

[Judge Fudge]

When I read this I got Aaron Curry vibes not going to lie.

IMO. Don't.

If so.....

Consider this. EVERY EXCEPTIONAL TALENT PLAYER TAKEN IN THE PAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN A STAR

 

[Screamin12th]

IMO. Don't.

If so.....

Consider this. EVERY EXCEPTIONAL TALENT PLAYER TAKEN IN THE PAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN A STAR

I was meaning by how they talk about him. How he isn't flashy but doesn't need to be because he is just so good. Solid Steady type thing you know. Perfect pro type, most ready type lol thats just the feeling I got reading it. It reminded me of the Aaron Curry hype.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I was meaning by how they talk about him. How he isn't flashy but doesn't need to be because he is just so good. Solid Steady type thing you know. Perfect pro type, most ready type lol thats just the feeling I got reading it. It reminded me of the Aaron Curry hype.

Curry certainly showed flashes... I think he was just SO athletic in College it made up for everything. He played with almost zero football IQ or intuition... there was tons of times he had WIDE open sack or tackle for loss opportunities and just ran in at FULL speed like a complete tool and RBs/QBs would just literally move a foot out of the line to juke him...

It also didn't help he was given a BUTT load of cash that was of course fully guaranteed. Hell I would've quit day 1.

 

[Screamin12th]

Curry certainly showed flashes... I think he was just SO athletic in College it made up for everything. He played with almost zero football IQ or intuition... there was tons of times he had WIDE open sack or tackle for loss opportunities and just ran in at FULL speed like a complete tool and RBs/QBs would just literally move a foot out of the line to juke him...

It also didn't help he was given a BUTT load of cash that was of course fully guaranteed. Hell I would've quit day 1.

lol oh yes he ran passed so many Run Stuffs it wasn't even funny! Dudes Football instinct was the WORST! But that didn't show up in college as he was making those plays more often than not. Just in the NFL he was so very lost.

Makes me cringe when I think about him training the Hawks Linebackers! I hope Norton was able to really coach him up, If anyone one could have turned him into a "good Linebackers coach" it would have been Norton. What Norton did for our Linebackers was off the charts, Just wish it would have translated to the full defense.

 

[Screamin12th]

I should have put "For MOST of our Linebackers".