One: Wright Trending Up
SAN JOSE – Young center Shane Wright has experienced some highs and lows in his first full NHL season, following two years of appearing in nine NHL games per season and being a force in two straight American Hockey League deep playoff runs. These days, Wright is building strong upward mobility and within reach of scoring 20 or more goals this season. His elite-shot goal Wednesday marked his 18th in 2024-25, salting an eventual 5-0 shutout of Vancouver to finish a season series in which the Kraken posted a 3-0-1 record. Before Thursday's games, the Canucks were eight points short of a wild-card playoff. Seattle wrestled seven of a potential eight standings points from the Pacific Division rival.
“Shane's proved a lot this year,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma post-game Wednesday. “Not only just going by the raw numbers [goals and assists]. It’s more the reaction and the comeback in the year from a great training camp to a not-so-great start of the season to not playing in three games [consecutive healthy scratch decisions in mid-November]. Then, coming back from that, just the mental growth of going through the ups and downs of a National Hockey League and becoming a pro. You know, he's shown he can respond ... his point production has been a highlight. It shows a lot of hope for what’s next.”
For his part, Wright’s do-the-work mentality is firmly in place. There’s no better authority than captain Jordan Eberle, who recently praised Wright as “such a hard worker,” always looking to be better at all details of his game.
“I mean, obviously, it'd be nice [to reach 20 goals, repeating a benchmark he reached at Coachella Valley last season],” said Wright. “I just kind of take it one game at a time, not trying to worry or think about that too much. Just to do the right things and let the result take care of itself.”
Two: Updates on Schwartz, Tolvanen
Bylsma said Friday before the team departed for San Jose that veteran forwards Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen – who happen to be the Kraken’s top two goal scorers – will be game-time decisions Saturday night. He allowed that one of the wingers was a little ahead of the other in returning to the lineup. Both players missed the Vancouver win and the day’s morning skate. Tolvanen skated with his teammates at Friday’s practice, while Schwartz worked alone with skill development consultant Matt Larke before the group skated. Check back on the Kraken app and website for any decisions.
Three: Know the Foe: Sharks Play Four Forwards 22-and-Under on Top Lines
The Kraken will possibly face three teams on this four-game road trip with playoff spots in their sights. San Jose is not one of them, and the Utah Hockey Club might be eliminated before the Kraken arrive in Salt Lake City early Tuesday morning to face Utah that night. Games with Los Angeles (Monday) and Vegas (Thursday) could be critical for which of those teams, one, get to face a wild-card team (right now Minnesota) while the other squares off with Edmonton in the opening round, or two, which team gets home-ice advantage over the other in a divisional postseason matchup if the Oilers streak past both squads.
That’s coming up, but first, San Jose and a young lineup getting younger this past couple of weeks. Forward and 2021 first-rounder (No. 7 overall) William Eklund is the Sharks' leading scorer (17 goals, 38 assists, 55 points in 70 games) and, at age 22, is sort of the “veteran” among nascent SJS skaters with two full NHL seasons about to be completed. That gaggle of prospects includes Macklin Celebrini, the 18-year No. 1 pick in last summer’s 2024 NHL Draft. Celebrini (21G, 33 A, 54 points in 63 games) is just one point behind Eklund. Celebrini’s linemate, 20-year-old winger Will Smith (13 G, 24 A, 37 points in 67 games), was picked 4th overall in the 2022 draft. Veteran winger Tyler Toffoli, 14 years older than Celenbrini, is the third linemate, leading SJS with 28 goals.
Eklund is playing wing to former Kraken center Alex Wennberg, and their new linemate is 20-year-old forward Cam Lund. Lund was a second-round pick in 2022, and he signed in late March after finishing his season with NCAA Northeastern, where he notched 40 points (18 G, 22 A) in 37 games. Lund has scored twice in his first five NHL games.
