SEATTLE | That's not to say Shane Wright's arrival in the NHL has been smooth sailing, but he's finding his rhythm.
Wright was expected to be the first pick in the 2022 draft, but the Canadian preferred Juraj Slafkowski and had to wait at No. 4 before hearing the Kraken say his name.
He played eight games in Seattle and another eight games with the American League's Coachella Valley Firebirds in the 2022-23 season before returning to the minors. The following year, he again played just eight games in Seattle and appeared in 59 games for the Firebirds.
Finally, last year he played his first full season in the NHL. He scored 44 points in 79 games. He has five starts in nine starts this season.
“It's all about finding your role and knowing what kind of player you want to be. You also have to understand what will allow you to succeed,” Wright explains in great detail.
Progress
“To become a better player, you have to study. You have to develop good habits, and the best players are the ones who manage to do that consistently every night.”
Wright admits his two stints in the American League were good for him, although they undoubtedly hurt his ego at the time.
“It definitely helped me, it’s a really good league and those performances helped me get to the level I was at in my development.
“The almost full year I spent there allowed me to really develop and learn to understand what it means to be a professional hockey player and what it takes to develop at that level.”
Beat the best
Shane Wright averages 38.7% of his points in the faceoff circle. It's not healthy and he knows it.
However, he notes that this is a problem that most young NHL centers face.
“Linemen are less kind to young people, that's for sure,” he says, backing up his theory with Chandler Stevenson, who appears to have doubts. Veterans cheat a little more, but mostly experience comes into play and strength plays a big role.
“The older guys are very strong with their bottom hand and it becomes very difficult for them to move around. They also have a mentality of wanting to beat you before the puck drops, it becomes a mental battle. It's a match within a match.”
Wright also mentions that he spends a lot of time watching videos of his opponents to learn their habits and tendencies.
