Shane Wright: “I can really make a difference in this league”

Aside from Logan Cooley, if there’s another player whose career and achievements will constantly be compared to what Juraj Slafkovsky will be able to accomplish with the Montreal Canadiens, it’s Shane Wright.

The Seattle Kraken forward was ranked first overall by almost every analyst and prospect expert in 2022, but ultimately fell all the way to 4ᵉ.

This really frustrated a lot of Habs fans, who really would have preferred to get their hands on Wright rather than Slafkovsky.

Here we are two years later, and not a single Tricolore fan would trade Slafkovsky for Wright.

But that doesn’t take anything away from Wright, who remains one of the best prospects in the entire NHL.

After all, he’s only 20.

But let’s just say that next season will be a real turning point for Wright, especially when he attends the Seattle Kraken’s training camp for the 2024-2025 season.

Wright will have to find a way to perform at his best in order to make his mark in the NHL.

In any case, if we’re to believe the man himself, he’ll fit right in with the Kraken.

Indeed, Wright says he’s confident going into next season, and he’ll arrive with the attitude that he belongs in the NHL.

“Enjoying that experience of having had some success [in the NHL] and obviously contributing offensively is always nice for me. I’m going to bring that to camp, that confidence and that feeling of: “You know what? I belong here. I can really make a difference in this league and have an important role too’” – Shane Wright

That’s what Wright explained in an interview with the NHL’s official website.

Wright poised for full-time role with Kraken after whirlwind experiencehttps://t.co/GbaMrC6jv8

– NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 4, 2024

The young center believes he can make a difference in the NHL, which is still possible, but to do so, he’ll need to land a role in the Kraken’s top-9 or even top-6, and that won’t be easy.

Indeed, many other young players will be at training camp trying to take their place in the line-up.

Add to that the fact that the Kraken is already counting on several NHL centers like Jared McCann, Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beniers (who’s still not under contract, though), and Yanni Gourde.

In short, if Wright wants a top-9 job, he’ll have to work hard.

Otherwise, I don’t think the Kraken will keep Wright on their fourth line, preferring to play Wright in the AHL where he’d still get big minutes.

All this remains to be seen, and it will be interesting to see if the 20-year-old forward makes his way to the NHL.

Meanwhile, Juraj Slafkovsky has already racked up 20 goals and 50 points last season in the NHL, and has an eight-year contract extension in his pocket worth $7.6 million a year.