In a year that was expected to be a major step forward for Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, the 22-year-old took a noticeable step back, at least statistically.
Once touted as one of the next faces of hockey during his junior days in the Ontario Hockey League, Wright’s name came up throughout this season in trade rumors, while he’s seen reduced responsibilities and has been stuck in bottom-six roles.
Given it was his second full season, you could chalk it up to a sophomore slump. But there are underlying concerns with his contributions.
Correlation isn’t always causation, but with the Kraken missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, there is speculation that a change of scenery could happen as soon as this offseason.
So let’s take a look at Wright’s tenure in Seattle so far and consider whether Wright is a player the Kraken should keep.
Development and early returns
It was consensus for months that Wright would be the No. 1 pick to Montreal in the 2022 NHL Draft. He himself, in interviews, believed he “deserved to be taken first overall.”
But then, one thing led to another, and Montreal came to the podium and selected… Juraj Slafkovsky. Whoa.
No one could have guessed Wright would be available at all, let alone at No. 4. Seattle took him, and quickly had to come up with a plan for such a highly touted prospect.
Ineligible for the American Hockey League because of his age, Wright tried to quickly make the jump to the NHL but looked out of place initially and only got eight games in each of 2022-23 and 2023-24. And for as ceremonious as his entrance into the NHL was, his early career since has lacked the same luster.
The first few years in the organization were adventurous to say the least. In that 2022-23 season, he split time between the Kraken, a conditioning stint in Coachella Valley, Team Canada at the World Juniors, and eventually joined the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.
In 2023–24, he joined the Firebirds full time, beginning to adjust to the pro level before brief call-ups to Seattle. By 2024–25, Wright became a regular in the Kraken lineup. His first full season is when he began to show glimpses of the player he could be.
With 19 goals and 25 assists in 78 games, he spent most of the season centering knowledgeable and consistent veterans. For the majority of the season, he was with Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had 16 goals in 61 games in 2024-25 before being traded, as well as Eeli Tolvanen who had 23 goals.
This past season, Wright’s totals dipped to 12 goals and 15 assists in 74 games. The team around him didn’t do him as many favors. Ranking 28th in team goals for, Wright spent a good chunk of the year on a youthful line with Berkly Catton and Kaapo Kakko, who each had their share of inconsistencies.
Wright’s utilization
Taking a closer look at Wright’s offensive production, he was more focused on attacking near the front of the net this season compared with 2024-25, when his production was more sprawled out in the zone and unpredictable.
While his shot production and offensive heat maps remained largely similar to his output in 2024-25, his shooting percentage dropped from 20.9 percent to 12.4 percent.
In 2024-25, he was a little more sporadic with his shot attempts. He had five goals from beyond the hash marks and spread his production throughout the offensive zone. To his credit, although he didn’t score as much, Wright was focused on getting to the high-danger areas of the ice this season.
The situations Wright was utilized in shifted. He was used 4.5 percent more in the offensive zone by the Kraken this year compared to 2024-25. He wasn’t relied upon as much in the defensive zone, taking 107, or 5.2 percent, fewer defensive-zone draws.
Despite the lessened role in defensive situations, Kraken head coach Lane Lambert still has hope for Wright and his future, whether it be for Seattle or elsewhere. He liked the improvements that he’s shown throughout the year as a 200-foot player, even if the offensive results haven’t been there.
But still, incremental improvement isn’t exactly what’s envisioned from a top-five talent. It’s becoming increasingly evident Wright doesn’t have the same draw like he once did.
During Jason Botterill’s postseason press conference, Wright was referred to only once, and that was in passing when talking about all of the young players on the team.
Trade value and comparable cases
It’s tough to gauge Wright’s value, given the uniqueness of his situation. Again, he’s still only 22 years old.
There’s the obvious worry that if Seattle were to trade him, he would land elsewhere and immediately find the offensive dynamic the Kraken had been hoping to unlock. Sometimes though, it’s just best for a player and an organization to go their separate ways. Are we at that point with Wright and the Kraken?
While the majority of the players drafted in the top five between 2011 and 2021 have stayed with their original teams, 36 percent of them were moved within the first five seasons.
One comparable situation is when the former Arizona Coyotes traded Dylan Strome. Like Wright, Strome was a former top-five pick who wasn’t living up to his lofty expectations right away, regardless of whether they were fair or not. Still, people were impatient with him.
The Coyotes dealt Strome to the Chicago Blackhawks after only 48 games in the NHL. Since being dealt, Strome has become a consistent player in the NHL for the Blackhawks and now the Washington Capitals. While the Coyotes—now the Utah Mammoth—would have loved if Strome panned out for them, they still received a valuable and consistent player in Nick Schmaltz, who has been a core player for the Arizona/Utah organization since.
It’s a difficult conversation to avoid. There are many factors to consider when moving on from a player as young as Wright. There’s lots of risk and lots of potential reward.
Do you think the Kraken should trade Wright? And if so, what could they potentially get in a return for him?