Canucks: Why Shane Wright intrigues as a potential reclamation project

Дата публикации: 13-07-2026 21:07:02

Those who know him are convinced the Seattle Kraken centre might be the most misunderstood and misused player in the NHL

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Like moths to a flame, NHL teams are drawn to first-round draft picks who haven’t been first rate.

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They believe that in the right place and at the right time, plus proper systems and deployments, they can coax the most out of reclamation projects.

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It’s why the Vancouver Canucks had past interest in winger Alexis Lafrenière when the 2020 first-overall draft pick by the New York Rangers struggled in the 2022-23 season with just 16 goals and 39 points. It heated up again in J.T. Miller trade discussions, and the departure of Artemi Panarin in a deal with the Los Angeles Kings last February allowed Lafrenière to eclipse the 20-goal plateau once again.

Which brings us to the intriguing and somewhat mercurial Shane Wright, who has asked the Seattle Kraken for a trade.

The centre is often remembered for what appeared to be a death-stare glare at the Montreal Canadiens’ table in the 2022 draft after the consensus top-rated prospect dropped to fourth place and was selected by the Kraken. It overshadowed what he accomplished on the ice, especially on the international stage.

The Canadiens stunned the pundits by reaching for Slovakian right winger Juraj Slafkovsky, which proved a prudent pick, and he struck for 30 goals this season. Wright denied the death-stare analogy, but admitted the draft snub put a chip on his shoulder.

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It’s still there. And that’s significant because he is an Alpha male who is assertive and confident.

Kraken centre Shane Wright hounds J.T. Miller during NHL preseason game Sept. 29, 2022 at Rogers Arena. Photo by Bob Frid /USA TODAY Sports

The Canucks are attempting to solve their “riddles in the middle” puzzle, and a motivated player at the right trade price could be a key piece.

Elias Pettersson trade rumours persist despite his no-movement clause. Concussion-prone Filip Chytil should probably play wing to reduce the possibility of colossal collisions. Face-off whiz Aatu Raty could move up after seven points (4-3) in 10 games to help his native Finland to the 2026 world championship title in May.

And prize prospect Braeden Cootes could be groomed in the NHL, or benefit from a new rule to play at age 19 in the AHL, and log mega minutes. Add it all up and it’s why Wright has piqued the Canucks’ interest.

The struggling 6-foot, 192-pound Burlington, Ont. native had just 12 goals this season in only 13:48 of average ice time — six minutes less than centres Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers. Wright did have 19 goals in 2024-25 in 14:04 minutes average ice time, and projects as a reliable second-line pivot.

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Seattle has already swung for the trade fences in hoping to pry away defenceman Zeev Buium or Tom Willander, but that’s not happening. And neither is parting with a high draft pick, which is imperative rebuild capital. The Canucks will move veterans with market value and could dangle winger Jake DeBrusk and a second- or third-round pick to land Wright.

DeBrusk, 29, is at a career point where winning is everything and the Kraken an afterthought in the Pacific Division. The vastly improved Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks have shifted the power rankings and the Kraken often looked like they were trying not to lose rather than pushing the envelope to win this season.

They need help everywhere.

Wright wasn’t on first unit of the 20th-ranked power-play unit this season, or deployed on the penalty kill where his reads, reactions and smart stick work would have propped up the league’s second-worst rating. He was also stuck in a conservative system at even strength, which led to low-event games that didn’t take advantage of Wright’s high-end skill.

Forwards were schooled in defence-first thinking and that curtailed the ability to quickly transition at pace. And Wright rarely had consistent linemates to develop chemistry, which obviously affected his production.

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Postmedia has learned Vancouver is Wright’s preferred destination because of what the club could become in a few years. Those who know him are convinced he might be the most misunderstood player in the NHL.

Wright has a year remaining on his entry-level deal at $886,666 US before becoming a restricted free agent. There is incentive to produce and contribute to the rebuild, and if he does, the Canucks can lock him up.

Wright’s book of work on road to the NHL is also a good read because there’s building-block history.

He was granted exceptional player status at age 15 for the 2019-20 OHL season — just the sixth to get the honour on a list that includes John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid — and he responded with 66 points (39-27) in 58 games.

He was also captain of Canada’s Under-18 world championship team in 2021, finished second in event scoring with 14 points (9-5) in five games, and scored twice in the final against Russia to claim gold.

Wright also captained Canada’s gold-medal team at the 2023 world junior championship and had seven points (4-3) in seven games.

Does Wright have the right NHL stuff? He’s young and hungry. Is that enough to get a trade done here?

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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