Shane Wright is proving that NHL development isn’t linear

Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images

There was a time when Shane Wright was the undisputed top 2004-born hockey player in the world.

Wright was the scoring leader of one of the most dominant minor hockey teams in Canadian history: the 2018-19 Don Mills Flyers U-16 AAA team. Between Wright, Brandt Clarke (Los Angeles Kings) and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers), the team didn’t lose a single game in regulation. They capped it off by winning the famed OHL Cup, beating out the Adam Fantilli-led Toronto Red Wings.

Wright earned exceptional status to join the OHL a year early, something nobody disagreed with at the time. Suddenly, hockey’s spotlight was situated on the Burlington, Ontario native.

But between the lost 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 and some wonky development decisions, Wright’s star status has dropped significantly in recent years. His name never seems to get mentioned among the league’s top young talents.

Like any prospects chasing their NHL dreams during the shutdown, he felt its negative effects. Wright had an exceptional showing at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, leading the team with 14 points en route to a gold medal. But that’s all the hockey he – and most players on that team – played that season.

So when Wright went from a favorite to go first overall in 2022 to falling all the way to fourth to the Seattle Kraken, people noticed. When he had just two points in eight NHL games in 2022-23 – and a few trips to the press box – people kept talking.

His first taste of pro hockey was a bit of a mess. He had some solid numbers overall, especially in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, but bouncing between three leagues and the World Juniors meant finding consistency was difficult. He had an excellent rookie season with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds last year, helping them to a second consecutive Calder Cup Final.

Now a full-time NHLer, Wright registered two points on Oct. 17 and then went dry for more than a month. But he has four points in his past three games and nine in his past eight, so things are looking better.

It’s easy to forget that Wright is just 20 years old. He’s been a household name in hockey circles since he was about 13. However, no prospect from the 2022 draft class has been as heavily followed or scrutinized as Wright. Expectations were amplified – and it took him a bit to deliver.

Wright was a prime victim of the NHL CHL agreement – he was too good for full-time OHL duty in 2022-23. The deal prevents major junior players from going straight to the AHL after getting drafted. Wright didn’t have much to prove in the OHL as an 18-year-old and scouts said he looked bored way too often. So when he got a special exception to play with Coachella Valley at 19 – and just missed out on 50 points – it was a promising sign.

Wright’s recent success isn’t a large sample size, especially compared to those of the three others drafted ahead of him in 2022. But it shows you how there’s no linear path for NHL development. Juraj Slafkovsky was thrown into the fire right away and struggled as a rookie in Montreal. He bounced back a year ago with 50 points, but he has taken a step back as a third-year NHL winger. Simon Nemec, meanwhile, is back in the AHL after spending most of last year with New Jersey. Logan Cooley is on pace for more than 60 points this year in a leading role with Utah, but he had plenty of growing pains last season.

The moral of the story? No two prospects develop the same.

Of the 225 NHL players selected back in 2022, only eight players have skated in at least 30 NHL games. Most of the players ahead of him in GP totals play for bottom-feeders, besides Boston’s Matthew Poitras and Nemec (both of whom have spent time back in the AHL this year). So if Wright goes through some more turbulent times in the NHL, that’s fine. The Kraken are being patient, just like every team should be with their top young players. There’s so much mental and physical growth required to be a full-time NHLer at his age. Wright’s still just learning to adapt, and that’s OK.

Scouts have applauded his improved commitment to two-way play. He’s significantly more versatile than he was heading into his draft season, opening more doors along the way. And that’s important because Seattle has remained a playoff threat for most of Wright’s short career. There was no point in shoehorning Wright into the lineup to play a checking role.

Wright isn’t a flashy forward that’s going to blow you away with mind-blowing passes. Instead, he keeps things simple, always looking for the right tape-to-tape pass. Evaluators are mostly drawn to his off-puck game, and that’s vital for a young player. Sure, goals are important, but you spend most of the game without the puck. So what you do to take space away or outthink your opponents is just as important, if not more so. That’s where Wright shines.

His recent play alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen has given the Kraken a truly dangerous third line. Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson are holding the top two center spots down for now. But as a third-line pivot, Wright is proving difficult for opponents to win matchups against. The more confident Wright becomes, the more dangerous he is.

Wright is a solid hockey player who just needed an opportunity to prove himself in the right situation. Everything is finally starting to come together in a big way. He’s not going to be a superstar like Connor McDavid or Connor Bedard, but Wright could become a legit second-line center – and a really good one at that.

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Shane Wright is proving that NHL development isn’t linear

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