2. Shane Wright
The Seattle Kraken would love to see a great year from Shane Wright.
Shane Wright is hoping to be a difference-maker in the NHL soon. He was supposed to be the number one pick in the 2022 NHL Draft but he fell to the Seattle Kraken at pick number four. He has been inconsistent in his development
It is not a guarantee that he makes the Kraken roster out of camp but they still need him to dominate this season. It doesn’t matter if it is in the NHL or AHL, to be honest. If he dominates in the AHL, they will believe that he can become a good NHL player.
If he doesn’t dominate at either level, the faith that he will be a difference-maker ever is going to dwindle. There is nobody from his draft completely lighting it up yet but they are going to start soon and he can’t be the one that falls behind.
He doesn’t have the pressure of being the number one center on the Kraken right now with Beniers there but they would make a great 1-2 punch if Wright can reach his potential. Beniers can also help him as a former top-five pick himself.
Wright has all of the tools to be a great player. He might even have the tools to be an elite player. He just needs to go above and beyond in terms of work to reach those heights. If he has a great year, the Kraken organization will thrive.