The Seattle Kraken are reportedly ready to move on from Shane Wright, and the timing has already turned a familiar name back into a fresh talking point around the NHL.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said, "the Seattle Kraken have agreed to trade Shane Wright this summer and move on from this situation." Friedman also indicated the decision has already been made inside the organization, meaning Wright will be dealt.
Where he ends up is the next question. The Montreal Canadiens are once again being mentioned because they did extensive work evaluating him in 2022, which means they know his game as well as just about anyone outside Seattle. Still, the team most often listed as the current favorite in the rumor mill is the Vancouver Canucks.
Wright is only 22, and the appeal is obvious even with the uneven results. He has been carrying big expectations since the start of his career, but he has not fully matched them yet. His latest season showed that clearly: 27 points in 74 games, a total that fell short of what was expected from a player with his profile.
For Montreal, the idea of landing Wright keeps circling back into view. It would be the kind of move that would force real conversations, especially if the price involved a prospect such as David Reinbacher. At the same time, there is nothing right now that points to the Canadiens being in the mix.
What is clear is that Seattle is not going to part with a player like this cheaply. Any team interested in Wright is going to have to pay a serious price, and that alone could make general managers hesitate.
So the Kraken chapter appears to be closing, but Wright’s next stop is still very much up in the air. The Seattle era may be ending, yet the rest of his NHL story is still waiting to be written.
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