When the Montreal Canadiens won the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, the prevailing assumption in many NHL circles was that they were going to select forward Shane Wright with the first overall pick.
However, they selected Juraj Slafkovsky instead, who has gone on to become one of their core pieces; Wright eventually was taken by the Seattle Kraken, and has largely underwhelmed so far in his NHL career.
But now, he’ll have a new opportunity to succeed elsewhere, as he was traded on Sunday to the Nashville Predators.
Former Montreal Canadiens Draft Target Shane Wright Traded To The Predators From The Kraken
On Sunday, the Kraken traded Wright to the Predators in return for Matthew Wood.
So far this season, Wright has scored three goals with one assist in 14 games played, a pace of 18 goals and six assists over a full 84-game season.
In the 183 games he’s skated in during his NHL career, which has been spent exclusively with the Kraken, Wright has scored 39 goals with 43 assists for 82 points with 34 penalty minutes, a plus-15 rating, and has averaged 13:42 of ice time per game.
Wright, who is signed through the end of the 2026-27 NHL season, carries a salary cap hit of $886,666.
Shane Wright Was Linked To The Canadiens Before They Went In A Different Direction
Wright was one of the top prospects heading into the 2022 NHL Draft, and many expected the Canadiens to take him with the first overall selection; it was also the first time since the Habs selected Doug Wickenheiser in 1980 that they held the first overall pick.
Instead, Montreal selected Juraj Slafkovsky, while Wright fell to No. 4, where the Seattle Kraken chose him. Wright’s reaction while walking past the Canadiens’ draft table became one of the biggest moments of the night, as cameras caught him giving the team’s management a memorable glare.
Since then, Wright’s NHL numbers haven’t lived up to the expectations that came with being viewed as a potential first-overall pick.
Former Canadiens Draft Target Flipped to Western Rival