Is Kraken’s Shane Wright a legit top-six NHL forward?

Is Shane Wright finally beginning to show his full potential?

The one-time favorite to headline the 2022 NHL Draft who was ultimately selected fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken, it has been slow growth since draft day for Wright, where through his first two seasons at the NHL level he was limited to 16 appearances, in which he picked up seven points, while spending the bulk of his playing time with the AHL affiliated Coachella Valley Firebirds.

With the minor league club last season, Wright impressed, putting up 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points through 59 appearances. Wright’s progression has now carried over to the current campaign, where through 56 outings with the Kraken he has tallied 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points.

On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed whether Wright can now be categorized as a top-six talent with the Kraken.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Shane Wright has three multi-point games in his last five with the Kraken. He is now up to 34 points on the year. Is Wright blossoming into a legitimate top-six forward or is this just a little heater?

Frank Seravalli: That’s a good question. Legitimate top-six forward relative to the whole NHL? I’d say no, but based on where he was, and what the Kraken have in their system, I’d say yes. He has certainly taken a big step forward this season. I would say that I am surprised that he has caught Matty Beniers in scoring.

Tyler Yaremchuk: That’s a really good point, and maybe that says more about the state of that Kraken team than anything else. But, Wright is turning into one of the better stories this season.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here: