As the season goes on, we’re seeing that the Seattle Kraken’s prospect pool could be setting them up to be successful for a long time. It’s interesting because it can be hard to judge some of these older prospects playing in junior leagues, as a lot of them are having strong seasons. In this edition of the Seattle Kraken Prospect Report, we’re going to be looking at Kraken prospects that range in age from 18 to 20 years old.
All of these prospects were selected during the 2022 NHL Draft, and feature four forwards and a lone defenseman. The Kraken have done a good job of finding potential value deeper in the draft, as we’ll even be discussing a seventh-round selection along with the recurring report on fourth-overall pick Shane Wright. Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Shane Wright Showing Promise
Since we last checked in on Wright, he’s continued to put up points for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires. In seven games, he’s scored six goals and 14 points with a plus-2 rating. He’s played seven games, and the Spitfires are on a seven-game winning streak; coincidence?
This was the best thing that could’ve happened for Wright. He’s now had experience in three different leagues this season and captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship. While I might not have kept him in the NHL for as long as the Kraken did, I think that his experience at the World Juniors and strong five-game stint with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Coachella Valley Firebirds could prove to be invaluable for him down the line.
Related: 4 Kraken Players Who Are Key to a Playoff Push
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I feel like as a hockey society, we’ve grown accustomed to the “Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews Effect.” That’s what I call the expectation that blue-chip prospects can step right into the NHL and perform following their draft year. Those are unfair expectations, and I feel like that was thrust upon Wright to a degree. I’m guilty of it too. He’ll presumably remain a point-per-game player, and if he can go on a deep OHL playoff run, I think we’ll be seeing a different Shane Wright for the 2023-24 season than we did in his eight NHL games this season. Time, opportunity, and patience are the key.
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