Is The Time Wright for Shane Wright?
- One Team at a Time
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Shane Wright remains a compelling case study for fantasy hockey managers. Selected fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2022, Wright was once the projected top pick, a two-way center with elite junior production. As the 2025-26 season begins, he has secured a second-line role, a significant step for a 21-year-old previously limited by modest ice time on a center-heavy roster. In redraft leagues, he represents a late-round speculative pick with moderate upside. In dynasty formats, his OHL scoring profile, projecting a potential 20, 25-goal NHL career, makes him a high-value stash, contingent on sustained opportunity.
Prior to the 2022 NHL Draft, Wright was lauded for his 6-foot, 198-pound frame, hockey IQ, and playmaking ability, positioning him as a potential franchise cornerstone for the Kingston Frontenacs. However, concerns about consistency and compete level saw him drop to fourth, behind Juraj Slafkovsky, (Montreal), Simon Nemec (New Jersey) , and Logan Cooley (Arizona/Utah ). Seattle’s patient development model has allowed Wright to progress without the intense scrutiny of a No. 1 pick.
Wright’s OHL performance underscores his potential. In 2019-20, he posted 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games as a 15-year-old, earning CHL Rookie of the Year. His draft year yielded 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games, ranking eighth league-wide and first among CHL draft-eligible players. Such production, approximately 1.50 points per game, correlates with NHL second-line output, typically 0.60, 0.70 points per game or 50, 60 points per season. Limited to 13, 14 minutes per night on Seattle’s third or fourth line last season, Wright recorded 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 79 games, a respectable but constrained output. Wright was still able to post some decent numbers without the greatest linemates.
Preseason deployment raised concerns, with Wright skating on the fourth line at times, producing one assist and no goals in two exhibition games. Projections reflect caution: NHL.com estimates 51 points, The Hockey News projects 63, and ESPN ranks him as the 74th center in redraft formats, a peripheral asset. For dynasty managers, his depressed ADP, approximately 250 overall, presents a buy-low opportunity against flashier alternatives.
A shift in Seattle’s lineup offers optimism. Chandler Stephenson, the 30-year-old former second-line center, posted 51 points (13 goals, 38 assists) in 78 games last season, but advanced metrics expose vulnerabilities. His minus 9 plus/minus, 3.7 point shares, 48% Corsi, and below-average high-danger chance creation signal regression risk. With only 73 shots, Stephenson’s offensive impact waned, and his declining speed on a mid-tier Kraken roster suggests a potential slide to the third line. Wright’s promotion to the second line, likely alongside Brandon Tanev or Jaden Schwartz, could yield 16, 18 minutes per night, a critical threshold for increased production.
Seattle’s center depth complicates Wright’s path. Since 2021, the Kraken have drafted Matty Beniers (No. 2, 2021), Wright (No. 4, 2022), Berkly Catton (No. 8, 2024), and Jake O’Brien (No. 8, 2025). This strategy prioritizes center strength but limits immediate opportunities behind Beniers, an established top-line player. While Catton and O’Brien are years from NHL contributions, roster moves or trades could alleviate congestion, but it could mean in the future Wright, with his defensive skill-set, could be relied on in a more defensive shutdown position.
(Nice wrist shot top shelf by Shane Wright)
For 2025-26, redraft projections estimate 50, 60 points with second-line and PP2 deployment, elevating Wright to a mid-to-late-round target. In dynasty leagues, his ADP makes him a priority stash, with a ceiling of 60, 70 points (20 goals, 40, 50 assists) as a second-liner by year three. NHL.com’s projection of 30 goals is ambitious but plausible, given his OHL efficiency (1.49 points per game in 2021-22) and Seattle’s developmental timeline.
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