During the final game of a long homestand in mid-November, Kraken center Shane Wright was not in the lineup, categorized as a healthy scratch for the first time this season. But the Seattle rookie still put in an intense night’s work. He spent the second and third periods of the Kraken’s 3-0 win watching the game with Kraken general manager Ron Francis and director of player development Jeff Tambellini.
That confab marked three first-round draft choices dissecting Wright’s performances in the first 20 games of the season. Wright was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Francis was picked at No. 4 overall by the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) in 1981. Tambellini, a star at the University of Michigan two decades before Matty Beniers excelled for the Wolverines, went at No. 27 to Los Angeles.
Tambellini played 242 NHL games, and Francis, of course, built out a Hall of Fame career, winning two Stanley Cups, playing 23 seasons and notching the second-most assists (legend Wayne Gretzky is tops) in league history. Impeccable credentials among two Kraken executives highly invested in Wright’s success and who understand the expectations of being an NHL first-rounder.
“We had a conversation about how whenever Shane has met resistance at a level, he's made changes and come back better,” said Tambellini. “He’s always found a way to perform on the biggest stage. He did it as a 15-year-old playing in the OHL, as captain of the U18 Team Canada and at World Juniors, both teams winning gold medals. He did last year [returning from injury] to be our best player for Coachella Valley in the [AHL] Calder Cup Final.”
The game afforded a chance for Wright to reset and, as it happens, watch a Cup-winning center on the ice for Nashville, Ryan O’Reilly. Tambellini and Francis were also pointing out “what 10 [Matty Beniers] is doing with the puck in the defensive zone and neutral zone.”
At one point, Francis said, “Shoot the puck,” about a Kraken scoring chance developing in the offensive zone. Tambellini turned to Wright, saying, “Listen to what your general manager is saying. We are looking for guys who want to shoot the puck.”
Francis and Tambellini had a specific checklist in mind for the game-viewing, informing Wright how his game could improve and help the Kraken win.
“The three main things for Shane were get the puck on his stick more, use your feet in the neutral zone to transport it, and find more opportunities to shoot,” said Tambellini. “Shane has an elite NHL shot and can be a game-changer when he uses it.”
Wright: ‘Getting Back to the Way I Know I Can Play’
For his part, Wright met with the media a couple of days after his scratch.
“There are a lot of things I can do better,” said Wright, who would sit out two more games before returning to the lineup. “I am learning every day what it’s like to be a consistent player throughout the year. I see it as a mental reset to get back to the way I know I can play. I will use it to push myself to be in the best position when I am back in the lineup and make sure nothing like this happens again.”
The trio up in the GM booth also discussed power play formations, especially which teammates were positioned where. Since returning to the lineup whiteboard, Wright has notched a pair of power play goals.
Tambellini said “November can be tough” on many NHL rookies (and the same can be said about first-time AHL players) when the wear and tear of the season begins to set in. Giving those rookies a breather some nights “allows for a re-focus,” said the player development director.
Message from the GM
Francis was equally positive with the Kraken’s 2022 first-round pick and concurs with coaches and players who liked Wright’s play in training camp and early season. He was direct with Wright, asking the rookie if he could “get back” to that form. Wright assured his GM that he could do that.
The results are impressive to date. He has contributed three goals and two assists while continuing his hard-nosed defensive play, which had not dropped off (“Shane creates turnovers with his stick work and his speed"). His forechecking has been among the most consistent and most effective among teammates all season. His new linemates, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, have noticed the jump in the rookie center’s game since the reset.
His new linemates, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, have noticed the jump in the rookie center’s game since the reset.
“He is looking good right now,” said Bjorkstrand. “He's playing with confidence, and he's competing hard. He's making simple plays, but they mean a lot. He's doing that part and he's able to make a lot of good, smart plays out there, so Tolvy and I are enjoying it, and we would like to keep that going as a line.”
