On October 26, I wrote about Shane Wright’s lack of playing time in Seattle.
That was 26 days ago. Since then, the Kraken have played 10 games. Wright has suited up in two of them with just 22 minutes of total ice time.
So, really, not much has changed, other than they’re finally able to send him to the AHL. After being a healthy scratch in five consecutive games, he became eligible to get sent down to Coachella Valley, something the team promptly elected to do late Sunday night ahead of the team’s trip to Calgary.
Perfect. The best solution. He isn’t eligible to play full-time in the AHL due to the NHL/CHL agreement preventing major junior players from playing in the AHL. But he doesn’t have a ton to gain from playing in the NHL, either. Something had to give.
But that’s for five games maximum. Then what?
Not much has changed since Oct. 26, and now Wright’s stuck in the shadow realm waiting for the best path forward. Unlike most prospects his age, he hasn’t had any consistency – other than a lack of consistency – from the get-go. For a kid his age, this is a terrible development path, but it’s hard to argue for anything better right now. He nearly had 100 points last year as a draft-eligible prospect – could he truly gain anything against junior players?
That’s why the AHL is a nice little stopgap. But like any stopgap, it’s temporary, allowing him to play up to five games during a maximum of 14 days. Fourteen days from Sunday is Dec. 5, two days after the fifth possible game he could play with the Firebirds. On Dec. 6, the Kraken play Montreal – the team most people expected to pick him – which wouldn’t be an awkward return or anything.
Except, it seems unlikely he’d go back to Seattle. At least, right away.
The most likely scenario would see Wright attending Canada’s World Junior Championship training camp in Dec. 9-12. That isn’t ideal, especially after Wright and the Kraken agreed focusing on an NHL training camp was more important than pursuing gold over the summer at the rescheduled tournament. Canada won gold and didn’t really need Wright, but imagine what he’d do for a team that will likely have Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Logan Stankoven down the middle – after Wright has tasted the NHL.
The last thing you need is for your young star prospect to lose confidence. One of the best ways for a young prospect with so much potential to lose confidence is sitting games out while watching your teammates thrive. Winning gold on home ice with Canada could do wonders for him.
It’s what happens next that’s the biggest question. Do they bring him back to Seattle? Would he even have a spot left for him? Would he head back to Kingston, or another OHL team via trade? Wright’s situation is complicated because he’s probably still too good to go back to junior, but the agreement with the CHL prevents him from going to the AHL full-time. But it wasn’t working in Seattle, and barring injuries, he’d likely end up back on the sidelines again.
Kingston is fifth in the Eastern Conference and should have no problem making the playoffs. But a team going all in this year, like North Bay or Peterborough, for example, could look to make a major splash. I’m not sure going back to the OHL is best for his development, but ice time is better than watching with popcorn in your hands anyway.
If Wright was European, this would have been so much easier. Take Juraj Slafkovsky on Montreal, for example. If they felt his time was better spent outside the NHL, they could send him to AHL Laval. They could also send him back to Europe, too. Wright’s options are limited, and there are drawbacks wherever he ends up. But those are the rules.
We can only speculate about what Kraken GM Ron Francis will decide here. The conditioning stint, plus the potential World Junior Championship run, should buy them a bit of time. Perhaps they like what they see in Coachella Valley and a roster spot opens up. If the Kraken were near the bottom of the standings, they’d likely be more patient with Wright’s development. The Kraken are still fresh, and they saw how quickly the game grew in Vegas. That’s tantalizing for Seattle, and they could potentially eke out a playoff spot with the way they’re playing. If it’s working, don’t touch it, and that’s why we haven’t seen Wright much this season.
The first season after getting drafted is crucial for a player’s development, especially when it includes a direct transition to the NHL. Wright missed all of 2020-21 after the OHL was shut down due to COVID-19, resulting in him playing catchup last year. He didn’t dominate the league by any means, but he showed promising signs away from the scoresheet, especially in his two-way game. He became a more well-rounded player, but it was reasonable to think he needed more preparation.
How Wright’s development has been handled this year has been highly questionable. Consider this a new lifeline. Time is of the essence here, so don’t waste it.
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