Don’t look now, well, actually, look now: Not only has the Kraken’s Shane Wright scored four goals and added five elite-quality assists in the last eight games, but he has notched 29 points in his last 37 appearances. That leads the team in scoring during a significant chunk of games and he is tied for fifth-best among the Kraken on the season. In a stat that might not apply (by playing more) in the remaining schedule, Wright is the scoring leader among NHLers averaging 14 minutes or less this season. That shows an efficiency any coach or fan can love.
Wright now has 12 goals, busting into double-digits during the recent pre-break homestand with a two-goal game against Detroit and then, dramatically, opening up the Kraken scoring with just seven minutes on the regulation clock in the final game before the 4 Nations break in Calgary. Two minutes later, he earned the lone assist on Andre Burakovsky’s game-tying goal, then viewed fellow young center Matty Beniers circling the slot in overtime to beat Calgary goalie Dustin Wolf (yes, the WHL Everett star) for a decidedly uplifting win.
On the bench, a grinning Wright celebrated the OT victory with a playful face wash of linemate Burakovsky as they sat side-by-side, just another indicator of Wright feeling like he belongs as an NHL regular and then some. The road win supplied hope for Seattle to make a run at a Western Conference wild-card bid when the Kraken return to the competitive ice on Saturday on a three-game road trip that starts with a matchup against defending Stanley Cup champion Florida. The Kraken flew to Ft. Lauderdale Wednesday with three days of practice scheduled to prepare for the remainder of the NHL slate.
Coach Dan Bylsma has routinely commended Wright’s performances since the 21-year-old returned from his three-game reset as a healthy scratch in November. That view from up-top at Climate Pledge Arena included one home game in the GM booth alongside Ron Francis for two periods of play. When a Hall of Famer with the second-most NHL assists all-time talks, aspiring stars like Wright listen and, apparently, actualize Francis’ succinct calls to action.
Two Reasons for Hope
Bylsma is heartened by the rising trend of Wright and Beniers (13 goals on the year). It’s a challenge for both young centers to reach a 20-goal benchmark this season, but Bylsma, and for that matter, teammates, are taking notice of the upgraded production from both players, who consistently prove themselves as two-way centers with defensive prowess beyond their years. Wright has been particularly adept of late with forechecking prowess to win back pucks and generate scoring chances.
“It builds hope with those two main young guys down the middle of the rink going forward,” said Bylsma, post-game after the win in Calgary. “We've seen Matty's face for a couple of years, but he's still a young guy growing into his game – which we've seen more and more. And Shane, you know, is Shane. I feel like we've seen him for a long time too [Bylsma was his coach last season at AHL affiliate Coachella Valley] ... at just 21 years old, he’s continuing to grow and get better and we see more of his game. It does provide a lot of hope.”
‘Doing the Things I Know I’m Good At’
For his part, Wright acknowledges he heard his general manager loud and clear, same for the coaching staff in recent weeks: “I think I'm just being myself. I'm going out there and playing my game, playing the way I know I can, doing the things I know I'm good at and what brings me success. I’m learning and competing and skating. Those are the biggest messages from the coaches as well as shoot more. And just enjoy it as well, have fun.”
Speaking of fun, that Calgary road win was broadcast nationally in his home country, on the traditional and hallowed Saturday “Hockey Night in Canada.” Wright was selected for the post-game winning player interview, which was a treat for Wright, who was handed a network sweat towel to drape around his neck while doing the interview. When he was finished, he asked if he could keep the towel; the answer was an enthusiastic “yes.” His next chore was to meet with a sizeable media scrum of Kraken, Flames, and national NHL writers.
First question: “What are you going to do with the towel?” Answer: “I think I’m gonna have to frame it.”
Wright likely conjured such a future while growing up in Burlington, ON, close enough to Toronto that he now trains in the summer with Kraken sports performance consultant Gary Roberts. But by age 14, Wright was phenom and closely monitored for the last seven-plus years. Naturally enough, one Canadian reporter queried the Kraken franchise cornerstone about his recent success and an NHL regular on the rise.
“It's obviously a dream come true,” said Wright, always earnest and not once during his development anything but upbeat. “Just to be here full-time, to be able to contribute to this team offensively and be a big factor on this team ... I’m enjoying everything.”
