NHL Lessons Learned, Week 9: The Wright Stuff

A young player emerged for a fantastic stretch in this week's edition of NHL Lessons Learned.

Dec 8, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright (51) skates against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The ninth week of the NHL regular season completed and brought it with it a new outlook on the season. The top spots in the league are suddenly a three team race between the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild. After another exciting week of action, let's take a look at this week's lessons learned.

1. The Price is Wright

The Seattle Kraken drafted center Shane Wright with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft and at the time it was a slam-dunk selection. Now age 20, Wright is still establishing himself as the top of the lineup player he was projected to be.

This past week was a coming out party for the 20-year-old center. Over the team's four games in the past week, he scored three goals and added an assist while playing in at least 12 minutes of ice-time. It's a small step, as the forward now has seven goals and 11 points in 26 games this season.

2. Shesterkin Calls New York Home For Good

It was anticipated that the New York Rangers would re-sign goaltender Igor Shesterkin to a long-term contract before he hit free agency. After the team made the massive move to trade defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, the salary cap space needed to facilitate the deal was suddenly available and a deal was finalized in record quickness.

Shesterkin is now the richest goalie in NHL history after signing an eight-year contract that will pay him an average salary of $11.5 million. It keeps the 28-year-old in New York for likely the remainder of his prime playing career, and the pressure on Shesty and the Rangers continues to rise.

3. Blackhawks Make Early Claim for 2025 #1 Pick

The Chicago Blackhawks are losers of five straight, just fired their head coach, and their second-year superstar is under fire for not taking as large a step forward as many hoped. It's a tough time for Chicago hockey, and they sit dead last in the NHL standings.

At this rate, the Blackhawks will snag the best odds to land the 2025 first overall draft pick and likely have another top-3 pick for the third straight draft. And as the season nears its halfway mark, the Blackhawks continue plummeting.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Kraken Sign Emergency Goalie for Rangers Game
• Senators Confident Captain Will Stay Despite Trade Rumors
• Capitals' Tom Wilson Plays Hero After Scary Incident
• Oilers Fans Boo Returning Players
• Flyers HC Bashes Bruins, Accuses Team of Diving