Who has More Pressure to Succeed, Wright or Beniers?
The Seattle Kraken have gotten a bit of Draft luck over the past few seasons. It kind of makes sense, considering their less-than-stellar start as a franchise with a 107-112-27 record in their first three seasons.
The first two first-round picks in Kraken history, Matty Beniers and Shane Wright, have been expected to be the guys to lead this franchise for the next decade, or longer. But, that hasn't been the case so far.
Who has more pressure to succeed, Wright or Beniers?
Matty Beniers
The second overall selection of the 2021 NHL entry draft, Matty Beniers has been a roller coaster for the Kraken thus far in his short career. Many believe that he is the future of this organization.
After appearing in 10 games of his first season of 2021-22, his fantastic rookie campaign was in 2022-23. Beniers walked away with an all-rookie nomination and then was voted the top rookie in the NHL awarding him the Calder Trophy. He set and has since maintained career-highs in goals, assists, and points that year with 24 goals, 33 assists, and 57 points.
Last season, however, painted a completely different picture. Beniers, like most of the Kraken offense, was invisible for 2023-24. In 77 games, he could only muster a measly 15 goals and 22 assists to aid the near-bottom offensive numbers for the Kraken.
Shane Wright
The fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft, Shane Wright had just about as much, if not more, hype than Beniers. He was a superstar in the Canadian Hockey League, as he was one of only six players ever to get exceptional player status in the Ontario Hockey League. Other names are Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad and Connor Bedard. What company to be in.
He excelled at the junior level with the Kingston Frontenacs, and his expectations when being selected by the Kraken were extremely high. In 16 career games, he has only amassed a contribution of five goals and two assists. Certainly not a ton of time of effort to determine what he can be in the future.
The Kraken certainly have high hopes for him and this fan base. Many believe he can be the next big thing, and he alongside Beniers, could potentially be a devastating 1-2 punch for years to come.
Who Has Higher expectations?
It all comes down to this, who has higher expectations at the moment. Beniers, who has a Calder Trophy in his back-pocket but seems to be on a bit of a decline in his early career. Or Wright, who has yet to really make any kind of an impact in a very, very short time at the NHL level.
It is tough to say now, but I believe that next season will tell the tale. Both should be regulars on the roster come opening night and throughout the rest of the season. We will revisit this next June, and see who did the better job of handling the pressure.