Wednesday Habs Headlines: Down to the wire?

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• Shane Wright poised to take the next step on a long road at Thursday’s NHL draft. [CBC]
• Does the debate between Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky put Montreal in a “potential lose” situation? [Yahoo!]
• “Built to play hockey”: how Slafkovsky has rocketed up draft boards this year. [Sportsnet]
• Slafkovsky and countryman Simon Nemec form part of a potentially historic draft class for Slovakia. [The Score]
• It is the Slovak forward who heads Corey Pronman’s final draft rankings. [The Athletic]
• The Canadiens annouced a partnership with Team 33, a new scouting service, ahead of the draft and upcoming free agency. [The Athletic]

Around the league and elsewhere

• Mike Grier has been named the general manager of the San Jose Sharks, the first Black GM in NHL history. [TSN]
• What is the task that lies ahead of Grier? [The Hockey News]
• Jessica Campbell is the new assistant coach for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, the first female assistant coach in AHL history. [TSN]
• The Toronto Maple Leafs have promoted Hayley Wickenheiser to assistant general manager. [TSN]
• Research about men’s ice hockey has consistently revealed that the culture is saturated in sexism, misogyny, homophobia and hypermasculinity. Is it time for a reckoning? [The Conversation]
• The 2021-22 NHL season and what Dom Luszczyszyn got right and wrong. [The Athletic]
• Are small players undervalued in the NHL Entry Draft? [Action Network]
• Trading for and signing Kevin Fiala puts the Los Angeles Kings at risk of a “double offer sheet” strategy. [TSN]
• What is the offseason outlook for the Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche? [The Hockey News]
• Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov is now reportedly serving at a Russian naval base in Severodvinsk, over 1,000 kilometres north of Moscow. [ESPN]