Kraken reassign three young forwards to Coachella Valley

The Kraken reassigned forwards Shane Wright, Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton to AHL Coachella Valley this afternoon, per a team announcement. No corresponding transactions are anticipated for Seattle, which has been eliminated from playoff contention and has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule. The three youngsters will now gear up for the Calder Cup playoffs with one of the top teams in the minors after getting NHL trials down the stretch.

Wright’s two-week showing was easily his best so far in the NHL. The 2022 fourth overall pick skated in five games, exploding for four goals and an assist while averaging 15:47 per game, the longest leash head coach Dave Hakstol has given him thus far. All four goals came at even strength, too — his assist was his only power-play point. It was his first stint in the majors since a three-game showing in November, during which he averaged less than 10 minutes per game and was held without a point.

It was surely a confidence booster for the 20-year-old, who was viewed as the consensus first overall selection in 2022 for a number of years but has had a somewhat rocky development path since the COVID-19 pandemic. After doing well in Coachella Valley with 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season, he’ll throw his hat in the ring for a spot on the opening night roster next season.

Morrison and Winterton were on the Kraken roster for a tad longer, recalled together six days before Wright on March 25. It was Morrison’s first NHL recall and Winterton’s second. Morrison played more sparingly than his counterpart but was given a larger role when in the lineup, averaging 13:08 in four appearances. He was a healthy scratch in four of the Kraken’s last five games, though, and failed to record a point, posting a -1 rating and winning 14 of his 31 draws (45.2%).

The 21-year-old undrafted free-agent signing has done quite well in Coachella Valley in his first professional season, ranking seventh on the team in scoring with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) in 60 games with a +12 rating. Both he and Winterton will likely report back to the minors to begin 2024-25 but should be in line for more call-ups throughout the year.

Winterton has totaled nine appearances across both of his recalls this season but has yet to record his first NHL point. He logged a -1 rating, four blocks and 10 hits while averaging 9:20 per game. His 21 goals in 55 games for Coachella Valley are third on the team. All three players will see their entry-level contracts expire simultaneously in 2026.