A surprising and historic decision is expected to occur shortly for Shane Wright

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David St-Jean
September 4, 2023 (10:22)

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Since the 2022 draft, young Shane Wright's life seems to have become a real rollercoaster.

After being touted as the consensus first overall pick throughout his junior career, even up to the draft day itself, he eventually slipped to 4th overall.

He was then limited to eight games in the NHL, along with a few appearances in the AHL, before being loaned to the World Junior Championship, which is a highly unconventional approach by the Seattle Kraken. He then continued his year in the OHL. As a result, his post-draft campaign only includes 36 regular-season games, instead of nearly 70 in an ideal world.

While the Kraken's roster is quite well-equipped this year, with limited room for their young prospect, it seems unlikely that Wright will secure a regular role in Seattle.

However, due to the fact that he is only 19 years old, if he doesn't stick in the NHL, he would technically have to return to junior hockey.

Let's say that would be a very uninteresting situation for the young man, and the Kraken organization wants to find a way around this rule. According to Nicholas J. Cotsonika, a columnist for NHL.com, the team's GM, Ron Francis, intends to request an exemption for Wright to continue his development in the AHL rather than the OHL.

A decision could be announced soon regarding his eligibility to play in the American Hockey League.

However, even if his organization wants to obtain a historic exception for their young player, Wright himself wants to earn his spot with the Kraken for the upcoming season.

"I have to earn my spot. I have to earn my ice time and show the coaches that I belong in the NHL, and I want it." - Shane Wright

It will be very interesting to see how this situation unfolds, as it seems quite clear that the best scenario for him would be to play a full campaign in the AHL, with the potential for call-ups in case of injuries, rather than having to technically play his fourth junior season.

Credit: GoNordiques.com