Shane Wright file: the Kraken has a clever plan to get around NHL rules and it was revealed by an insider

Over the weekend, the Seattle Kraken announced that they had sent Shane Wright to their AHL club-school, even though the young forward is technically ineligible for the AHL, according to the collective agreement.

As Marco Normandin of HabsolumentFan.com reports, technically Wright should be sent back to the OHL.

However, according to sources, the Kraken would not want to see him return to the Kingston Frontenacs, as it is believed that it could hurt his development, as they are not a particularly competitive team. However, according to the league rules, he cannot be traded before January.

So, to get around this situation, Seattle GM Ron Francis took advantage of an NHL rule that says if a player is left out for five consecutive games, his team has the right to give him up for a two-week period in the AHL for conditioning purposes.


This rule even works for Wright, who is not technically eligible to play in the AHL, under an agreement between the NHL and the Canadian Hockey League.

Also, according to Sportsnet reporter and tipster Jeff Marek, Seattle's plan is very clear with its 18-year-old rookie.

1. During the two-week AHL conditioning period, Wright will play five games with the Firebirds.

2. After that, he'll be back in the NHL on Dec. 5 and can be loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship a few days later.

3. Just before his departure, however, they would like to play him a 9th and final game in the NHL this season.

4. As luck would have it, that game will be against the Montreal Canadiens on December 6. He is expected to be in uniform to face the team that preferred him to Juraj Slafkovsky at the very top of the lineup.

5. When he returns from the U20 Championship in January, he may be sent to the OHL, where he will be traded to a team with big-time aspirations and competing for the Memorial Cup.

This way, Wright will only have played 9 games in the NHL this season, saving the Kraken from burning the first year of his entry-level contract.

It is true that the management of the fourth overall pick has been completely chaotic and controversial since the beginning of the season. On the other hand, from here on out, if all goes as Marek revealed, Francis' plan seems very clever to get around several NHL rules.

I should point out that this absolutely would not have been the plan I would have wanted for such a high draft pick, but you have to applaud the Kraken's boldness, if it all comes together as Marek believes it will.


Credit: HabsolutelyFan