The Penguins don’t have the luxury of pretending the future is far off, even with Sidney Crosby still in the building. If Kyle Dubas is already poking around for answers at center, Shane Wright looks like the kind of name that makes sense on paper.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported Monday that two sources inside the Penguins organization described Dubas as “ intrigued ” by the Seattle Kraken center. Seattle, according to the report, would want a significant return - possibly more than Pittsburgh is willing to give up. Nothing is close, but the idea is worth watching because of where the Penguins are headed.
Crosby is in the final season of his contract and will turn 39 in August. Evgeni Malkin is on a one-year deal that runs through the 2026-27 season.
Pittsburgh could lose both stars next summer, though Crosby has not given any sign that retirement is around the corner. That’s exactly why the Penguins can’t afford to wait for a farewell announcement before they start lining up what comes next.
Wright, the fourth overall pick in 2022, has not yet found a stable home in Seattle. He finished last season with 12 goals and 15 assists in 74 games, averaged fewer than 14 minutes per night and spent much of the year in the Kraken’s bottom six.
For a player once talked about as a possible No. 1 pick, that’s underwhelming. For a 22-year-old center, it’s also not a dead end.
That’s where Pittsburgh’s interest starts to make sense. The Penguins wouldn’t be asking Wright to step in and replace Crosby right away.
He could start lower in the lineup, learn behind Crosby and Malkin, and earn a bigger role over time. That kind of runway has been rare in Pittsburgh, where Crosby and Malkin have owned the top two center spots for nearly 20 years.
Young centers in that organization usually knew their place. That setup is finally running out of road.
If Wright develops, he could become the kind of player who helps smooth the transition instead of forcing Pittsburgh to chase multiple centers all at once after its longtime stars move on. He might settle in as a reliable second-line piece.
He might produce more once he gets more ice time and better linemates. At 22, there’s still room for that story to change.
The catch is the cost. Seattle would be selling potential, and Pittsburgh would be buying it.
Wright’s draft slot should not carry the same value now that he’s four years removed from being selected and coming off a 27-point season. The Penguins have spent years trying to rebuild a prospect pool that was thinned out by repeated efforts to keep the championship window open.
Using part of that pool to chase another team’s unfinished project would be a strange way to prepare for life after Crosby and Malkin.
Dubas can stay interested. He also has every reason to be careful.
Nobody is going to become Pittsburgh’s next Crosby, and trying to find one would be a fool’s errand. The Penguins just need centers who can help them bridge the gap. Wright could fit that description if Seattle’s asking price comes down to something reasonable.
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