Seattle, WA
What's new Seattle Kraken coach's insight on Shane Wright?
If anything jumps out about new Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma, it’s where he’s coming from.
After whirlwind stretch, new Kraken coach Bylsma settles in
Bylsma spent the past two seasons coaching the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s affiliate in the American Hockey League, and he had impressive success with the group of Kraken prospects, leading the Firebirds to back-to-back AHL Western Conference championships and trips to the Calder Cup Finals.
Perhaps the most talented player on those teams was Shane Wright, a center who the Kraken picked No. 4 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and is seen as a key piece of Seattle’s future. Naturally, Bylsma has a unique insight on Wright due to the experience he has already having coached him before being promoted to the organization’s top job.
Bylsma shared that insight when he joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Thursday, and he made sure to point out that while Wright came to the Kraken with high expectations, he was still only 18 years old when he made his NHL debut in October 2022.
“I think it gets lost a little bit, we’re drafting 18 year old kids, young men,” Bylsma told Michael Bumpus and guest host Curtis Rogers, “and there’s a lot of development and a lot of process that has to go through for the player to get to be where he’s at his best. I think the first year (for Wright) we saw a lot of signs of that. The expectations of the draft and going forth, and then coming to camp, you got to remember he (was) just 18 years old. You’ve got to look back to when you were 18 years old and see where you were at at that time, both physically and mentally.”
Bumpus, a former NFL wide receiver, could relate to Bylsma’s point.
“I thought about me at 18 and I laughed at myself, thinking if I were 18 trying to play in the NFL in that locker room, I would not last,” Bumpus replied. “How do they do it in hockey?”
Bylsma, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title in 2009 and played nine seasons in the NHL, mentioned that leadership not just during Wright’s stints in Seattle but also at Coachella Valley have been important.
“Well, I think that’s the the great thing about hockey – even though we’re doing it at 18 years old, you usually have a bunch of seasoned veterans to show you the way, to lead the way, and we certainly have that in Seattle,” Bylsma said. “But … it’s just a difficult thing to do. I was drafted too but certainly wasn’t at the level of Shane Wright, and to step into an NHL locker room when you’re 18 years old and all the eyes on you, all the expectations on you, it’s a difficult thing. I think the good thing for Shane is he just got a chance to turn pro, be a pro every day, work at being a pro. He got to do it under some great leadership we had in Coachella with Max McCormick, Andrew Poturalski (leading) the way in helping Shane realize what it what it takes to be a pro.”
So what stood out about Wright, who is now 20, to Bylsma with the Firebirds?
“The good thing the last year, I’ve just got to see Shane come to work every day and put in the time, put in the effort, and you can just continually see the growth in him as a person and him as a player,” he said. “I think you guys got to see a little bit of it when he came up (to rejoin the Kraken this April) in those six games and scored some goals. I thought that was great for him to see the maturation process in his game throughout the whole year and get some results when he came up and played.”
SHANE WRIGHT AGAIN 🤩
His second of the night and third since being called up! pic.twitter.com/NfGwSFfdfB
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2024
Listen to the full Bump and Stacy conversation with new Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post.
More on the Seattle Kraken
• Seattle Kraken, Eeli Tolvanen agree to two-year deal
• History made as Kraken hire Jessica Campbell as assistant coach
• Seattle Kraken make trade to follow up big first day in free agency
• 2024 NHL Draft Recap: Every pick the Seattle Kraken made
• Morosi: Why Bylsma is ‘best possible’ coach for Seattle Kraken
Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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