What’s best for Shane Wright after slow start?

Only two 2022 NHL Draft prospects started the season on their respective club’s opening night rosters: Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky and Seattle’s Shane Wright.

But both have struggled out of the gate: Slafkovsky has just one goal through five points and had a rather disappointing pre-season, too. He’s been out for a few games, but the Canadiens will still need to act soon as to what his future will be. And, as a European prospect, they have a few more options, including AHL Laval.

In Wright’s case, it isn’t that simple.

Wright has one assist, averaging just 6:51 of ice time a night, and centering the team’s fourth line. Seattle isn’t giving Wright a chance to succeed, and the whole situation wastes everyone’s time.

Either play him or send him down. The Kraken aren’t going to be a playoff team. You can afford to be patient with a top prospect.

The issue with players coming out of the CHL is that they have to return to their junior team if they don’t stick with the big club due to transfer agreements. He can’t get sent down to the AHL like European draft prospects. It’s big leagues or bust.

The NHL-CHL transfer agreement – which you can read about here – hurts high-end prospects who have nothing to gain in junior, but can’t get a quality spot with their NHL roster. Cases like Wright’s are a case for changing that agreement, but that’s a topic for another day.

Last season with Kingston, Wright scored 32 goals and 94 points, with another 14 points in 11 playoff games. Had he not missed time due to the World Junior Championship that was ultimately cancelled, he’d be closer to 100, and that’s considering a big part of his development last year was advancing his two-way game.

Now that he’s a year older, and with NHL experience at his side, it’s clear he’s too good to go back to Kingston. But that’s the only other option, really. Wright was taken fourth overall by Seattle, but many in scouting circles still considered him the best player available. And now the club is at a crossroads with how to handle one of their top young prospects.

The last player to win the Calder Trophy after getting selected in the previous draft was Auston Matthews back in 2017. A bit of seasoning, whether at the pro level or in junior, never hurts. Owen Power, the 2021 first overall pick, elected to stay in college, marking the first time since Erik Johnson in 2006 that the top player chosen in the previous draft didn’t play in the NHL that coming season.

Wright hasn’t excelled by any means. But it’s not like he’s been given fair opportunities, either.

The second line center spot was open for business in training camp, but Wright ultimately didn’t snag it. Going back to his ice time, he has only surpassed the 6:51 ATOI once through fives games – 8:42 against Colorado – so his number is misleading, too. Wright has been scratched on two occasions already, too.

There’s no sense in shuffling your recent star prospect to the fourth line, or even sitting him. Wright – granted exceptional status into the OHL in 2019 – has the makings of a high-impact NHLer. But that time isn’t now. But the NHL’s connection with the CHL makes the decision of what to do with Wright’s future much more difficult.

The Kraken have nine games to decide what to do with Wright before the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t been a daily lineup fixture. Scoring two points per game in the OHL would be more effective than sheltered shifts with the Kraken.

If the current trend of barely using Wright continues, then the team needs to send him down to Kingston. They’re currently third in the Eastern Conference and are capable of competing with Ottawa and Mississauga for the conference title. Adding Wright would only further those odds.

So, let’s say they send him down around the nine-game mark. Ideally, Seattle will also loan Wright out to Canada for the World Junior Championship for a chance at gold. It would be an opportunity to regain that confidence while playing with elite talent like Connor Bedard. A winning environment can go a long way for a young player, and Seattle can take advantage of that.

Heck, he should have been on the summer team, too. It’s understandable not wanting your young talent to get hurt. But he could have benefited from getting back in the swing of things after considerable time off.

The Kraken are at a point where they must decide soon. Wright needs reps, whether that’s in Seattle or Kingston. There are pros and cons of both, and not having the AHL flexibility stings. The Kraken needs to do what’s best for Wright, and that’s getting him playing time.

Right now, that’s not happening in Seattle.