Shane Wright's Draft Day Snub and Why the NHL Isn't Ready For His Kraken Revenge Tour

Alright, Seattle, let's talk about our boys, the Kraken! You know we bleed deep sea blue, and seeing our guys grind is what it's all about. What a journey it's been for some of our earliest picks to finally establish themselves as NHL regulars. We're talking Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Berkly Catton, and Ryan Winterton. Each one of them clawed their way here with serious perseverance, and their paths to the Emerald City have been wild, especially for our first-ever picks!

Matty Beniers Kicking Off Kraken History with a Wild Ride

Remember July 2021? The world was still upside down, and the Kraken was making history with its first-ever NHL Draft pick. Matty Beniers, our future alternate captain, was chilling in Massachusetts, watching on TV with like, 40 or 50 family and friends, when General Manager Ron Francis tried to call him. Picture this: Matty, at 23 years old now, laughs about it, but he let the call go to voicemail! Didn't recognize the number, classic. The Kraken had to text him to actually answer the phone! He missed the big stage and lights, but he got to share that insane moment with everyone who watched him grow up. What a unique start to what's become an incredible journey. That draft day "celebration" was just the beginning. The Kraken Community Iceplex wasn't even done, so Beniers skipped a development camp. He went back to the University of Michigan for a second season, then jumped into the NHL for a 10-game audition in April 2022. Kid put up 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points, just like that! Things seemed easy his next season, where he racked up 57 points and snagged the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. But it hasn't been all smooth sailing. He just said a couple weeks ago, after a three-hour offseason weight training session, "I think there’s definitely more of a mental side to this game than people see. That’s the first thing you learn throughout the first couple of years. You go through ups and downs. And you learn how to navigate that.” Our guy, arguably the most developed of our 42 picks across five drafts, keeps learning on the fly!

Shane Wright's Chip on the Shoulder is Fueling the Kraken

Then there’s Shane Wright, our 22-year-old centerman, whose draft day experience was a whole different kind of drama back in June 2022. For days, everyone in Montreal was buzzing: would it be Wright or Juraj Slafkovsky going No. 1 to the hometown Canadiens? Wright was touted as the consensus top pick, but missing the entire 2020-21 OHL season due to the pandemic really messed things up. His 2021-22 season was a solid 94 points, but some felt it didn't quite hit the same as his 66-point debut at 16 years old. Slafkovsky kept playing, overseas, professionally. So, draft day rolls around, Slafkovsky gets called No. 1, and the crowd in the Bell Centre goes wild! Then, the Devils pick Simon Nemec at No. 2, and Arizona grabs Logan Cooley at No. 3. The Kraken, thrilled with how things turned out, snagged Wright at fourth overall. Our 18-year-old had a mix of emotions on his face, but his dad, Simon, dropped some legendary wisdom: "It's not when you go. It's what you do." You know our guy took that to heart. Wright admitted he’s carried a chip on his shoulder ever since, using it to fuel physical and mental changes. His timeline to the NHL has been totally different from Beniers, but that fire? That's what makes him a Kraken. What these guys have gone through, the ups and downs, the perseverance, it's what makes them *our* Kraken. These aren't just draft picks, they're the foundation of our future in the NHL. Every shift, every game, they're proving what it means to bleed deep sea blue. Keep your eyes peeled for the Sixth Upper Deck 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo on June 26-27, because our Kraken are building something special, brick by brick, from those early lessons. Let's go Kraken!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.