The Vancouver Canucks are juggling more than one major storyline right now, and Shane Wright has become part of the mix.
According to Ben Kuzma of The Province, the Seattle Kraken center is being shopped, and Vancouver has surfaced as a possible landing spot. The interest appears to go both ways. Wright is said to be intrigued by the Canucks’ long-term outlook and the chance to grow alongside a rebuilding core.
The price tag, though, is steep. Reports say Seattle has asked for either Zeev Buium or Tom Willander, and Vancouver has already turned that down.
The Canucks are also being linked to another forward on the market. Anaheim has reportedly approached Vancouver about Frank Vatrano, a move that would likely need incentives from the Ducks, who are dealing with the consequences of matching Leo Carlsson’s $18 million offer sheet.
Carlsson’s agent said four teams made offers, and the center was shocked by the size of Philadelphia’s front-loaded pitch. The Ducks had tried multiple times earlier in the season to sign him, but told him to wait because they believed the market would bring in more.
At the same time, the Elias Pettersson chatter in Vancouver has not gone away. The Canucks are believed to be open to moving the 27-year-old center, but there’s no sign a deal is close. His declining production and long-term contract have made teams hesitant, leaving him in more of a buy-low category than a headline-grabbing trade target.
Pittsburgh has shown some interest, though the Penguins are also looking at Jason Robertson. Pittsburgh recently signed Jason’s brother Nick to a two-year extension.
Elsewhere, Montreal is still hunting for help in its top six, and Anthony Mantha has come up as a possible fit. The 31-year-old is coming off a career-best season and has drawn attention from multiple teams, but his asking price has become a sticking point. He’s reportedly seeking a long-term deal worth $5-6 million per year over several seasons, and that has made teams pause.
The Canadiens, in particular, are reluctant to overcommit to a player with an inconsistent track record. Their plan appears to be waiting to see whether Mantha lowers his demand. His size and scoring touch would fit with Montreal’s young core, but some analysts believe his recent numbers were helped by elite linemates, which only adds to the hesitation.
A shorter deal could work for both sides. If Mantha doesn’t adjust his ask, Montreal may simply move on.
In Columbus, the focus is much clearer. The Blue Jackets are working to lock up Adam Fantilli, and general manager Don Waddell has sounded confident that it will get done. He has said publicly that the team is committed to keeping the 22-year-old.
Columbus is also prepared to match any offer sheet that comes Fantilli’s way, a sign of how central he is to the organization’s plans. Negotiations are still ongoing, but the Blue Jackets seem optimistic an agreement will come together before other teams can really get involved.
Waddell also said the club is taking care of its restricted free agents before turning to other roster moves. With no major cap issues expected, Fantilli and the rest of the RFAs appear likely to be signed without much trouble.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets 2026-27 Schedule Is Out And Fans Will Notice One Thing
The NHL has finally put the 2026-27 slate on the board, and for Columbus it comes with the sort of shape fans usually scan for first: a balanced 84-game schedule, a home opener against Buffalo on Oct. 1, 2026, and an early run that should keep the Blue Jackets around Nationwide Arena often enough to settle in quickly. The leagues calendar also folds in the usual showcase dates and international stops, but for Columbus the more practical takeaway is a season built with a steady mix of divisional, conference and inter-conference games.
There are still plenty of details that will matter once the roster is set, because the schedule is not exactly forgiving in spots. Columbus drew 13 back-to-backs, a season-high five-game homestand in February and March, and a handful of other quirks that will test depth over the long haul, all while Don Waddell still has work to do on the roster and the farm system before opening night arrives. For a team trying to take the next step, the calendar is out now, but the real questions are still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face One Huge Question About Whether This Core Is Enough
The late-season collapse that sent Columbus home early has left a familiar question hanging over the Blue Jackets: is this core actually ready to take the next step, or was the improvement under Rick Bowness just a promising stretch that still needs more proof? There were real signs of progress after the coaching change, with the team playing better and getting more from its lineup depth, while Jet Greaves emerged in goal and gave the club a different kind of stability.
Even so, the uncertainty around key pieces only sharpens the pressure on what comes next. With offensive support from players like Adam Fantilli and other young contributors, the Jackets have enough reason to believe they can push back into the playoff mix, but belief only goes so far if the roster cannot hold together and the confidence that carried them late in the year starts to fade. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Prospect Jordan Dumais Is Suddenly At A Dangerous Crossroads
Jordan Dumais arrived in the Blue Jackets system with plenty of intrigue after Columbus took him in the 2022 draft, and for a while his offensive touch looked like it would translate quickly. He was a high-end CHL scorer, the kind of prospect who could force his way onto the radar with skill and pace, but the move to the AHL has been far less smooth as injuries and other issues have chipped away at his momentum.
The concern now is less about what Dumais once was and more about how much runway he has left to reestablish himself. His production has been limited at the pro level, and he was out of the lineup at the end of the AHL season and again during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, a reminder that his path has become far more complicated than anyone expected when he was drafted. [Read more 🡒]