Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright won gold at the 2023 IIHF World Juniors on his 19th birthday. On Friday, the Kraken put an end to his time in the NHL for the remainder of this season.

Seattle assigned Wright to his junior team, the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs, as confirmed by the team. Wright has had a weird go of it since being drafted. Now, he can find his game again in the OHL.

Wright played just eight games in the NHL, scoring just one goal and averaging 8:29 in ice time. Because he didn't play a ninth game, the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in next season.

There is a catch to all of this. While the Kraken did assign Wright to Kingston, he likely won't stay. The Frontenacs are expected to trade the 19-year-old star, as reported by NHL insider Chris Johnston.

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The Frontenacs currently sit in fifth place in the OHL's Eastern Conference. However, both the Hamilton Bulldogs and Mississauga Steelheads trail them by just two points.

The Kraken, meanwhile, sit in third place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. This is good enough for a playoff spot. Given Wright's lack of playing time, assigning him to juniors is the best move for all involved.

The move is certainly not indicative of the Kraken giving up on the fourth overall pick from this past summer. Wright will have the eyes of the organization on him for the rest of the season.

“We're very proud of Shane's performance at the World Juniors, helping captain Team Canada to a gold medal,” said Seattle general manager Ron Francis. “He has a bright NHL career ahead of him with the Kraken and now has an opportunity to lead his junior team as they compete for a Memorial Cup. We look forward to watching him the rest of this season and wish him well.”