Projected No. 1 pick Wright to interview with 12 teams at Combine

The 2022 NHL Scouting Combine is taking place this week at KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo. The combine will allow NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which will take place at Bell Centre in Montreal on July 7-8. NHL.com will bring you all the sights and sounds.

BUFFALO -- Shane Wright conducted his first of 12 team interviews this week when he met with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Scouting Combine at Keybank Center on Monday.
"It's an opportunity to get to know the general managers, get to know the teams a little better, and have them get to know you more as an individual," Wright said. "Obviously they've seen you play on the ice a lot so it's more of an opportunity for them to get to know you personally, the type person you are."
He said Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper and his staff did the questioning in the first of four team interviews Monday.
Wright, No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal, July 7-8. The Montreal Canadiens have the No. 1 pick, the New Jersey Devils have the No. 2 pick and the Arizona Coyotes have the No. 3 pick.

The 18-year-old right-shot center said he will have dinner with Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes and executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton on Monday.
"I think they have a lot of really good pieces there," Wright said. "I think they have a really good coach in Martin St. Louis. I feel like the guys really trust and want to play for him. They elevated their play in the second half and I think there are a lot of good young players. They just made to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago as well. I think they definitely have a solid team and solid structure to be a really strong team in the future."
Wright hasn't concerned himself too much with who could go No. 1 in the draft. Left wing Juraj Slafkovsky of TPS in Finland is No. 1 in Central Scouting's ranking of International skaters, and center Logan Cooley of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 Team is No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.
"I try to just focus on myself; I can't really control what they're doing on ice," Wright said. "I'm just controlling what I can control and do what I can to make sure that I can be the first pick and, hopefully, teams see that as well."

Cale advises Cooley

Cooley learned what to expect at the combine this week in a chat with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.
"I had a chance to talk to Cale for about a half-hour earlier this month; it was arranged through our agency," Cooley said. "He told me to just enjoy it. You only get to do this once so have fun with the process and he told me there might be some crazy questions being asked here and there but other than that, enjoy it and have some fun."
Makar, a finalist for the Norris Trophy voted as the top defenseman in the NHL, was chosen No. 4 by the Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Cooley is a projected top-three pick in the 2022 draft. He was second on the NTDP with 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) and first with 1.47 points-per game in 51 games.
He will attend the University of Minnesota in 2022-23. His Canadian Hockey League rights are held by Hamilton of the Ontario Hockey League. Though playing in the OHL would provide him an NHL-like schedule, the chance to develop his off-ice habits and work on his 5-foot-10, 174-pound frame in college was more appealing.
"I talked to Hamilton a little bit but deep down, I knew I wanted to stay college," he said.

NTDP well represented

There are 11 players from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 Team attending the combine.
Four NTDP players, including Cooley, at the combine are ranked among the top 11 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters: left wing Cutter Gauthier (No. 3), who was fifth on the NTDP with 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) in 54 games; left wing Isaac Howard (No. 9), who led the team with 82 points (33 goals, 49 assists) in 60 games; and forward Jimmy Snuggerud (No. 11), who scored 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games.
"Cutter Gauthier is a player that several teams have said to me, 'This guy could play pro next year,'" NHL senior manager David Gregory told the 'NHL Draft Class' podcast. "He's ready. He has so many aspects of his game that translate well to the pro game and even the pro game in the playoffs."
Nine players are ranked among the top 30, including defensemen Ryan Chesley (No. 18), Lane Hutson (No. 25) and Seamus Casey (No. 29).
"A guy like Ryan Chesley, just a tremendous skater, got all this skill and he's going to be hard to figure out because I think some teams will have him lower and some teams will have him higher," Gregory said, "but he's a player I think's going to play a long time in the NHL."

Arnsby hopes to impress

Liam Arnsby, a right-shot center with North Bay, was listed in four different categories of the 2022 Ontario Hockey League Coaches Poll, including being named the hardest worker in the Eastern Conference.
Arnsby (5-10, 181), No 115 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, was also second as best defensive forward and best penalty killer in the East and third as best body checker. He had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 46 regular-season games and six assists in 13 OHL playoff games.
"He's a character guy that's reliable late in game," said Joey Tenute of Central Scouting. "He brings energy, intensity and can play both the power play and penalty kill."