Shane Wright gets a promotion and a demotion at the same time

Shane Wright is an absolutely fascinating hockey player to me.

The 4th overall pick in this past summer's 2022 NHL Entry Draft was the presumptive #1 overall pick for literally years heading into his draft year. Then he slowly fell to the #2 position following the emergence of Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky. Then at the draft Wright didn't go 1st, 2nd or 3rd... he went 4th overall to the Seattle Kraken in a pretty shocking draft day development.

Cut to Wright's first training camp and it looked like he'd be a full-time member with the team given a strong early showing. As the early season unfolded though it was clear that head coach Dave Hakstol had no trust in the rookie and ended up using him very sparingly. Then he got sent to the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds and lit up the league with four goals in five games. Then he got called back up to Seattle where he did absolutely nothing...

Then he captained Team Canada to gold at the 2023 World Junior Championships. Then he officially got demoted back to the OHL for the rest of the season.

Up and down and up and down and up and down.

The OHL's Windsor Spitfires then traded two players and seven draft picks to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for Wright only to absolutely blow it in the first round of the playoffs to the #8 seed Kitchener Rangers.

Yikes...

Well, at least Wright can join the Kraken for the playoffs, right?

Think again, today the Kraken announced that Wright has been sent to the AHL once again.

Technically, this move is a promotion for Wright but with the Kraken right there and with the team's first ever playoff berth on the horizon, you have to imagine that Wright was hoping for a roster spot in Seattle. As it turns out though, the Firebirds have already locked up a playoff spot so Wright will join a team that IS ready for the playoffs, just not the Stanley Cup Playoffs.