Calling Shane Wright's start to life in the NHL «tumultuous» would be putting things lightly. Between going from a can't-miss first overall talent to falling to fourth in the 2022 draft, to going from the Seattle Kraken back to the OHL with a brief emergency stint in the AHL thrown in for good measure, Wright hasn't seen much stability so far in his pro career.
As the 2023-24 season gets underway next month, the Kraken will have much to ponder with regards to how they want Wright to continue developing. This is especially since, as NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika points out, the NHL-CHL agreement would likely rule him out of playing in the AHL next season.
Obviously, much of this depends on how Wright does at camp. If GM Ron Francis doesn't see a spot for him in the lineup when all's said and done, he'll either have to send him back to the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, or, as Cotsonika also mentions, he'll seek an exemption to allow Wright to go to the AHL early.
In any case, Wright showed up to the Kraken's development camp earlier this summer without needing to, so it's clear he's determined to set his NHL career on the right track during the upcoming season. With any luck, the AHL will be an afterthought.
