As the Detroit Red Wings prepare for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, they must weigh all of their options. There will be many potential options on the board when the Red Wings pick eighth overall. While the team has chosen a defenseman in the last two drafts and added a goalie in last year’s first round after trading up, this year seems to be time for a forward.
If the Detroit Red Wings are wise, they will go out and get an impact forward to help bolster the team’s top-six moving forward. With plenty of options in terms of forwards to select, the Red Wings will have their work cut out for them, figuring out the best option, either trading up/down or selecting someone at eight.
The team picks eighth and has plenty of draft capital to work with, so it will be interesting to see what General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman opts to do. One of the more underrated options that the Red Wings have is to broker a trade to move up the draft board.
With extra picks in the draft in 2022, the eighth overall pick, and possibly digging into the 2023 draft capital, there’s room to move. This would mean the Red Wings feel really strongly about a player and want to move up to ensure that they do not have to wait on other teams to possibly get their guy.
Shane Wright is that guy. He’s the player the Red Wings should be weighing out the options of trading up for.
Detroit Red Wings should consider trading up for Shane Wright.
While Shane Wright is the consensus first overall pick and will likely wind up being off the board first, the Red Wings need to consider it. Wright has the tools to immediately benefit the Red Wings’ top-six. Trading up for the first overall pick is going to take a lot, but if Wright does fall to second, I think there’s a chance the Red Wings could move up the board.
The New Jersey Devils have the second overall pick, following up the Montreal Canadiens, who pick first and are the favorites to land Wright. The Red Wings have to make an effort to try and get the youngster. Wright is the Connor McDavid, Alexis LafrenÃere, or Jack Hughes of this draft class.
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He’s the top-of-class dynamic forward who everyone has to have. Wright logged 63 games in the OHL this year for the Kingston Frontenacs, where he managed 32 goals and 62 assists for 94 total points. The kid can move; he makes things happen with the puck on his stick and will excel at the next level.
He has the tools to be successful, excelling in all areas of the game, blowing by players with speed or using his stickhandling and edges to go through defenders. His shooting is a plus, and the scoring shows. He’s got the upside to be a legitimate scorer and a scoring threat in the NHL in 2022-23.
The Red Wings really need to consider trading up to select Wright in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Yzerman should call up the Canadiens and just see what a trade might take. But more realistically, if Wright falls to the Devils at two, Yzerman needs to be on the phone as soon as possible to ensure the Red Wings get a shot at trading up.
It’s unlikely that he’s there at two and unlikely that the Red Wings trade for the first overall pick. But making an effort for Wright is something the team should certainly try and do, especially in a draft when they need that dynamic forward.
