Shane Wright is given a hat by Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis after being selected as the No. 4 overall pick to the Seattle Kraken in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Consensus top prospect Shane Wright falls to Kraken at No. 4

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Jul 7, 2022 9:08 PM ET

Entering the 2022 NHL Draft, Shane Wright was widely believed to be the first name off the board when the Montreal Canadians made the first pick on Thursday night.

However, as drafts in the past have told us, nothing is guaranteed.

Not only did Wright not go No. 1 overall to the Canadians, but the New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes passed on Wright with picks No. 2 and No. 3.

The Canadians chose Slovakian left-winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first pick in the draft. The Devils selected another Slovakian defenseman Simon Nemec at No. 2. And the Coyotes, at No. 3, went with American center Logan Cooley.

Although, Wright's slide down the draft order stopped there, as the Seattle Kraken selected him with the No. 4 overall pick.

WRIGHT. ON. THE. MONEY.

With the fourth-overall pick, the #SeaKraken select Shane Wright. pic.twitter.com/oxFlbKEB70
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 7, 2022

Wright, 18, played 63 games for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs, posting 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists).

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Wright was named Rookie of the Year in 2019-20, finishing with 66 points (39 goals, 27 assists) in 58 games.

Wright's game is often compared to Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins. Wright is described as an all-around player with a high hockey I.Q. who can score and set up goals.

"I'm an offensive player who's super defensively sound and can be trusted in a lot of different situations," Wright told Sportsnet. "I think I'm someone who's a smart player. I think the game at a high level, I understand situations on the ice and where the puck's going, and I understand where my teammates are. I think I can score goals as well. I have a pretty good shot. I can make plays with my passing and my skating."

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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