Seattle’s ask on Shane Wright was so steep it didn’t just slow things down - it shut the door.
The Kraken center has requested a trade, but when Vancouver called with interest in the former fourth overall pick, Seattle came back with a price that sent the Canucks packing. According to the reporting, the ask was centered on one of Vancouver’s two top defenseman prospects, both of them highly regarded.
That’s the kind of demand that makes a deal feel dead on arrival, and it’s hard to imagine the Pittsburgh Penguins stepping into that kind of bidding. They’d be wise not to.
The same chatter also cooled off the Elias Pettersson noise. Rick Dhaliwal reported that, despite all the talk, Pettersson has not been asked to waive his no-move clause for any destination. The rumor mill can spin fast in July, but the message here was clear: there’s plenty of chatter, but nothing close.
Elsewhere around the NHL, Sportsnet took a team-by-team look at the lingering questions left hanging across all 32 clubs, Penguins included. It’s the kind of offseason exercise that reminds you how much uncertainty still lingers even after the big moves are done.
There was also a Penguins angle on the player side of things. Ryan Shea spoke with NHL.com about his decision to go to Edmonton, and the quotes centered on playoff hockey and the opportunity with the Oilers. That one still stings a little from a Penguins perspective, especially after Kyle Dubas spoke so highly of Shea without making a push to keep him.
Back in Pittsburgh, the focus is narrowing on the defense. With the free-agent market mostly picked clean, Pittsburgh Hockey Now looked at what’s left on the left side of the blue line and what internal options exist to help balance the group. It’s not a glamorous answer, but it is the one in front of them.
There was also a Pirates trade to sort through, plus the MLB Draft arriving today. Danny Demilio laid out the big board of prospects and offered ideas on who the Pirates should take with their pick.
And in Philadelphia, the Flyers are back to searching for center help after getting so close to what looked like a future star and ending up back at square one. Will James broke down what comes next for a team that knows it needs to pay up if it wants to solve that problem.
In Other News...
Penguins Fans May Not Like Dubas Next Step Forward
Kyle Dubas has spent much of this stretch trying to build the Penguins from within, leaning on internal development and a steady stream of low-cost moves rather than swinging for a headline-grabbing trade. That approach has already produced some encouraging signs, with players such as Kaedan Korczak and Declan Carlile fitting the kind of value hunting Pittsburgh has leaned into, while the organization also continues to point to a stronger recent draft haul as part of the long-term plan.
For fans hoping the next step is a return to the kind of blockbuster chase that once defined Dubas summer, this is where the patience test begins. The Penguins are still getting linked to bigger names in rumor season, but the current reality is a team that is not in Stanley Cup favorite territory and appears more likely to keep building carefully than to chase a splash for its own sake. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Verbeek May Be Eyeing A Painful Ducks Cap Move
The summer market for restricted free agents has already taken a few twists, and agent Allan Walsh noted that other Group 2 RFAs have seen offer sheets this offseason, with some eventually settling back in with their original clubs. For the Penguins, the bigger ripple effect may come from Anaheim, where Jaff Marek and David Pagnotta have floated the idea that the Ducks could look to move money off the books and use Pittsburgh as a landing spot to help create cap room.
The names being discussed around that possibility include Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider, with the concept stretching beyond a simple player swap. Anaheim could also need to sweeten the return with draft-pick incentives, including a second-rounder, if it wants a deal to move. For now, though, it remains only chatter around a potential cap maneuver, not a confirmed transaction, which leaves the Penguins watching a situation that could still develop quickly if the Ducks decide they need to act. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Robertson Situation Is Starting To Feel Very Real For Stars Fans
Jason Robertsons status in Dallas has become one of the more intriguing offseason watch points, especially for a Penguins team that is always looking to stay in the conversation when a top-end talent might be available. The Stars winger remains a restricted free agent, and the longer this drags on, the more the situation starts to feel like it could spill beyond a simple contract negotiation.
For Pittsburgh, the appeal is obvious: a player of Robertsons age and production would fit a team trying to balance the present with whatever comes next. The Stars still have room to work through this, but the uncertainty has opened the door to speculation about trade possibilities and outside interest, with other clubs around the league also keeping an eye on how Dallas handles one of its biggest decisions of the summer. [Read more 🡒]