The 2022 NHL draft class has long considered Shane Wright its valedictorian. It's not just that he was the consensus, or even unanimous, choice for top player available, but that the gulf between him and others was so massive as to eliminate any debate about alternatives.
The pedestal he has stood on is starting to show visible cracks, though. TSN's Bob McKenzie released midterm rankings in late January in which 10 NHL scouts revealed varying degrees of hesitancy about how solid Wright's status remained, while one even elevated Russian winger Ivan Miroshnichenko to first overall.