Shane Wright looks like the kind of buy-low center Martin St-Louis should be pushing Montreal to check on right now.
This idea is not about chasing a fading veteran or forcing an overpriced free-agent fix. It is about whether Kent Hughes can spot a younger center before the rest of the market catches up.
Wright is 22, shoots right, and still carries the profile teams chase down the middle. Last season with Seattle, he had 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games.
That stat line does not scream breakout. It does keep the door open for a smart trade, because players drafted this high do not lose their upside after one uneven NHL year. Wright was the 4th pick in 2022 for a reason.
Montreal also is not calling from a weak spot. The Canadiens just finished 48-24-10 for 106 points, which gives Hughes room to make a hockey trade instead of a panic move.
That matters because the fit with Ivan Demidov is easy to picture. Demidov just posted 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in 82 games, and Montreal still needs another center option who can grow with that kind of skill.
" If Hughes doesn't want to overpay on an older UFA to fill the gap, trade market is thin for top end guys, I would absolutely buy low and acquire Shane Wright. See what he can do centering Ivan Demidov. No idea what a realistic price would be, though. #GoHabsGo "
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The Kraken may have handed Montreal the perfect trade target in Shane Wright
That is exactly why this idea works. St-Louis would not be getting a polished No. 2 center on day one. He would be getting a young one with size, pedigree, and room to take off in a better role.
Seattle's side is where it gets interesting. The Kraken finished with 79 points, and Wright's 27-point season left enough room for real questions about where he fits in their next step.
That is when smart teams strike. Montreal has already seen Demidov jump fast, and the club now has enough talent around Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield that it does not need Wright to carry anything right away.
Put him beside Demidov and let the pace do some work. If it clicks, the Canadiens suddenly would have a 22-year-old right-shot center whose value could move in a hurry.
The risk is obvious. Wright may simply be a slower build, and Seattle would not move him for nothing. Hughes would have to be sharp on price and avoid turning a smart buy-low move into an overpay.
Still, this is the kind of swing Montreal should be exploring. Shane Wright is young enough, talented enough, and unsettled enough that the Canadiens would be foolish not to at least see what Seattle wants.
Should Kent Hughes try to buy low on Shane Wright?
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