The Seattle Kraken have agreed to move young center Shane Wright, as both the player and team feel a change of scenery is best for both sides.
Wright was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Kraken, but he just hasn’t panned out as a top draft pick for Seattle.
In his NHL career so far, Wright has played 169 games with 36 goals and 78 points, numbers that the team hoped would be much better when they made him the fourth overall pick.
It’s become clear that a change of scenery is best for both sides here, and the team and player are working to make a move to help each other out.
Kraken Have Agreed to Trade Shane Wright
According to Kurt Overhardt, Wright’s player agent, Kraken GM Jason Botterill has agreed to trade the player to a team in need of a young center.
“I can confirm that we have had positive conversations with GM Jason Botterill, and he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young centre,” Overhardt told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Botterill would not comment if this is indeed the case, but other league executives believe that there is indeed an agreement between the player and team to find Wright a new home.
“Botterill would not comment. Other executives who’ve spoken to Seattle said there’s obviously an agreement between team and agent to work together, but the Kraken made it extremely clear they expect a fair price and won’t be pressured into anything they don’t want to do. In other words, they are making no guarantees,” Friedman wrote.
Where Could Shane Wright Go?
While Wright comes with a high-draft pedigree, he simply has not lived up to the hype so far during his NHL career, and thus, his trade value will be limited by his mediocre player in the big leagues.
The Kraken won’t get anything close to the fourth overall pick in a trade for Wright, so that high pick they used on him is a bit of a sunk cost. However, they will likely be able to get a couple of picks and/or prospects in return for Young, who is just 22 and could reach his potential with another team.
Speculatively, a young team like the Calgary Flames that could offer Wright playing time would be a good landing spot for him, but we’ll see.
Kraken Have Agreed to Move Shane Wright