On the Rise: Shane Wright
The Emerald City's silver living
Seattle’s disappointing third season ended on a bright note: the introduction of a whole new Shane Wright.
Over a handful of outings in early April, the 2022 fourth overall pick didn’t merely indicate that he can hang in The Show. He was a standout performer. With his AHL bench boss and Stanley Cup winner Dan Bylsma now running the Kraken, the young pivot could be in line for a major leap next year.
Here’s why.
The first ~10 contests of Wright’s career revealed an indecisive forward who appeared petrified of committing the slightest mistake. As such, he was continually one step behind the action.
Following a solid campaign (47 points in 59 games) and even better postseason (13 points in 12 games) in Coachella, his confidence has skyrocketed. He’s trusting his reads and is thus able to leave his mark on proceedings rather than just tagging along for the ride. This is most visible on offense, which will be our primary zone of interest.
In lieu of leaning on…decent puck skills, it’s actually his OZ spacing that shines. The 20-year-old (SEA 51) works himself free on a regular basis:
Although talk of his speed is overblown (below the 50th percentile), he does possess a powerful short-area burst. More importantly, he’s becoming increasingly aware of how to manipulate tempo, shifting gears to create separation and receive plus touches on time. His comfort level on the throttle is generating a wealth of scoring chances.
Watch how he fools San Jose’s defense on this rush:
As he bats down Jaden Schwartz’s (SEA 17) NZ chip, Wright carries a tailwind that would suggest an imminent attack. San Jose scrambles accordingly. But instead of screaming to the left post, which would tighten Jordan Eberle’s (SEA 7) passing window and limit his winger’s options, Wright eases off the gas to exploit Mario Ferraro’s (SJ 38) depth.
San Jose’s last man back is already bracing for impact in the goalmouth, yet the center’s change-up has prolonged his lane’s viability.
Wright’s processing has improved since his two previous NHL stints. Especially in transition, he’s beginning to see one move ahead and sniff out the pockets he can slip into. From that same game vs. the Sharks:
With Will Borgen (SEA 3) leading the charge on a partial 4-on-3, Wright swings behind the blueliner for an easy potential exchange. No sense in requesting the biscuit from a defensive D-man in congestion. Once Borgen tries to hit Eberle across the royal road, Wright’s trail also puts him in prime position for a weak-side tap-in.
His clever off-puck progression sows DZ confusion. If that first feed connects, it produces a backdoor goal too.
Service remains a long-term concern in Seattle. Without a top-flight setup man on the roster, we may never witness Wright’s ceiling. Fortunately, the clip above reveals one of his best habits: As long as the numbers allow it (and they do here on account of Borgen stopping at the circle), he’ll flow toward the crease with his stick on the ice. This isn’t a player who pulls up or peels away. All roads lead to home plate.
In spite of the small dataset, Seattle must like the look of his shot chart:
Moreover, they have to love the year-over-year spike in his shot attempt and scoring chance rates. Whether or not Wright can maintain that exact volume over a full season, he’s asserting himself as a net-front presence who’s willing to absorb contact and compete in the deep slot.
That can offset some of the Kraken’s on-puck deficiencies.
Granted, a 6’0”, 192-pound build is nothing special. His features quite broad shoulders, though. Rather than dusting opponents with his feet, he uses his upper-body range to claw inside their frame in close quarters:
Ducks rearguard Jackson LaCombe (ANA 60) knows his assignment, but once Wright extends his arms and bends around his counterpart (almost in pass-rushing fashion), the Kraken forward is able to cut a direct path to the net and deflect Oliver Bjorkstrand’s (SEA 22) wrister. He can knock on the door with a suddenness the defense isn’t ready for.
Here’s another example of Wright’s refusal to settle for the perimeter. In anticipation of a point shot—and with Eberle near the left post—he adjusts his course at the hashes to shake Luke Kunin’s (SJ 11) coverage.
Many forwards would be content with that sliver of breathing room. A high tip sounds alright, I guess. Kunin consequently believes he’s in position to contain his mark and perhaps block Jamie Oleksiak’s (SEA 24) bid. To his dismay, the Kraken center remains hungry, so he gains an additional measure of depth before opening his stance and sliding back inside to obtain a couple of unimpeded whacks at the puck.
More than his pure finishing ability, his north-south mentality and deceptive wingspan helped him pot four goals in his final five appearances of the season. While his 33.3 SH% was a flash in the pan, his output nevertheless offers serious promise because his expected goals lapped the field in 15+ minutes per game too:
Piling up opportunities on the doorstep is repeatable behavior. Not the sign of a ridiculous heater. If he eventually packs on an additional ~10 pounds of mass, he’ll bless Seattle with a proper tank in the trenches.
Beyond the attack, there are traces of a puck hound in his game. He boasts an active and heavy stick, and the very same length and low-and-wide posture that troubles defenses around the crease enables him to win leverage in 1-on-1 engagements along the wall. Again, wait until he fills out and starts hanging on to pucks under pressure:
He’ll be spinning off defenders and into better ice in a hurry.
Elsewhere, he’s gotten noticeably better at the dot (32.3 to 50.6 FO%). His defensive acumen, albeit not elite, is also impressive for such an inexperienced center. He tracks back, doesn’t cheat for offense and digs in at the point of attack.
One year ago, online commenters were chomping at the bit to dunk on Wright and the Kraken. Yep, a 19-year-old was apparently destined for bust-dom. Now it seems Seattle has a well-rounded, top-six building block to pair with Matty Beniers down the middle for the next decade.
Bylsma thinks Sam Reinhart is an apt comparable. Considering Seattle’s blue-line quarterbacks (Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour, Ryker Evans), its dearth of high-end playmaking up front and Wright’s own below-average passing, Joel Eriksson Ek springs to mind as an offensive template worth following. A high-motor pivot whose net-front disruption benefits everyone around him.
Or maybe, as is often the case, his outlook lies somewhere in between. It’s tough to envision Seattle being too upset about that.