The Vancouver Canucks were the NHL’s worst team in 2025/26, and after landing the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and selecting Caleb Malhotra, there’s going to be some very, very rough years ahead for them. Sure, they landed Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium in the trade of captain Quinn Hughes, but beyond that, there’s very little to speak of, and as a result, they’ll be hoping for some lottery luck in the next 24 months.
However, there’s nothing to stop them from going out and using some of that draft capital to add young, NHL ready talent, and that’s reportedly what they’ve done, but unfortunately for new GM Ryan Johnson, that interest was shut down.
Seattle Shut Down Vancouver Canucks Interest in Shane Wright
GettyShane Wright of the Seattle Kraken.
Recently, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Seattle Kraken are preparing to move on from Shane Wright this summer, and given the talent of the former No. 4 overall pick, it’s no surprise that there’s been plenty of interest.
One of the teams that have been interested are the Kraken’s biggest rival, the Vancouver Canucks, but according to Rick Dhaliwal on the Oilers Now show, the team were refuted, with Seattle’s asking price seemingly being way too high for Vancouver’s front office.
“Canucks like Shane Wright. They approached Seattle about him but the ask was very high. You know Seattle wants either Buium or Willander,” said Dhaliwal.
In his comments, Dhaliwal mentions that Seattle would want either Buium or Tom Willander in the deal, but given how key both are to the future of the Canucks blue line, it makes sense for them to pass on Wright at this point in time.
Should the Canucks Continue Their Pursuit of Wright?
That’s not to say that the deal is completely dead however, as the Kraken have made it no secret that they want to deal Wright this off-season, and if there can be negotiations between the two sides, the former lottery pick could find a home in Vancouver.
However, it’s wise of the Canucks to stick to their price on Wright, who has struggled to dominate in the NHL the way that many expected, as he now has just 36 goals and 78 points across 169 games in his NHL career with the Kraken thus far. That lack of production isn’t all on Wright, as there’s a distinct lack of elite level talent around him in Seattle, but considering the hype coming into the draft year of 2022, he’s underwhelmed in the NHL to say the least.
If the Canucks are to move on from Elias Pettersson this off-season as is rumored with interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins, they would be wise to try and find a young replacement, meaning that Wright is a great fit for a young, rebuilding team that can offer him great ice time, but unless the price comes down, the move doesn’t make too much sense for the Canucks.
Canucks Pursuit of Young Star Turned Down by Division Rival