Seattle Kraken send Shane Wright to AHL on conditioning stint

The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Shane Wright has been sent down to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds on a conditioning stint.

Wright, 18, typically would not be able to go to the AHL under normal circumstances due to the NHL/CHL agreement that requires junior-aged prospects with ties to Canadian major junior teams to return instead of going down to the CHL. But Wright is able to join the Firebirds after being scratched for five consecutive games, allowing him to stay with Coachella Valley for a maximum of 14 days, or five games.

The Firebirds next play against Calgary on Tuesday, with a meeting against Henderson on Dec. 3 being the fifth game if he was to suit up in every contest. That means his potential NHL return could come Dec. 6 against the Montreal Canadiens, the team most expected him to get selected by at the 2022 NHL Draft.

Wright has just one assist in seven games this year while being a consistent healthy scratch after getting taken fourth overall. Wright struggled in his limited ice time, but also struggled to generate many opportunities when dressed. A trip to the World Junior Championship with Team Canada seems like the next move forward for Wright, joining the likes of Connor Bedard, Logan Stankoven and others looking to repeat as champions.

Wright was expected to be an essential part of Seattle’s sophomore effort in 2022-23 alongside fellow rookie Matty Beniers. The Kraken sit third in the Pacific Division with a 7-2-1 record over the past 10 games, making them one of the most dangerous teams in the west. Wright ultimately fell out of favor with the Kraken, but the club must have believed that getting to practice with NHLers and training alongside the team’s development staff was a better use of his time than sending him back to Kingston of the OHL.