Funny how Wright takes all the doom and gloom while there’s not a single peep about Beniers’ pathetic production in absurdly favourable usage while being considerably older.
This comment has aged well.
Since this post, Beniers leads the Kraken in scoring with 3 goals 8 points in 8 games, with all of them coming at even strength.
Beniers:
8gp 3g 8p +3
13 SOG
Wright
8gp 0g 0p -4
5 SOG
Wright needs to find ways get shots on net. He's got a deadly release but 11 shots in 14 games isn't gonna cut it. He'd have to shoot 20% just to score 12 goals in an 82 game season if he keeps that pace.
It is near-unbelievable that anybody could deserve those OZ and PP1 minutes and produce so little in today’s NHL. If he’s given the chance, there’s a decent chance that by the end of the season Wright is Seattle’s top C going forward. Kid is 20 years old - maybe everyone should wait to see what he can do with 18+ minutes of premium OZ and PP1 usage in a couple years before drawing conclusions on what he can ultimately become.
There's a reason Seattle gives Beniers so much ice time. He's already a responsible defensive center and very clearly has the skills to produce.
I think and hope that Wright will be a good player, but even if he can find a way to match Beniers offensively, he'd still be at least 1-2 tiers behind him. They aren't comparable IMO. Beniers is tracking to become a stud 60-70+ point selke caliber center ala Nico Hischier. Wright
could become a 30+30 scoring center if he can find a way to start getting more pucks to the net, but he's never gonna have Beniers all around ability.