Shane Wright’s offseason did not unfold the way either side seemed to expect.
The Seattle Kraken and Wright’s camp had spent time exploring a possible split, with agent Kurt Overhardt confirming that he and general manager Jason Botterill had been working toward finding the young center a new home. For a player once considered one of hockey’s premier prospects, a fresh start looked like a real possibility.
Instead, the trade market never came through.
Seattle was reportedly unwilling to simply move Wright for pennies on the dollar, holding firm on the value it believed the former fourth-overall pick still carried. Interested teams, meanwhile, apparently never met the asking price. So Wright stays put, at least for now, after an offseason that was supposed to bring change.
The tone around his situation has also shifted. Overhardt told the Emerald City Spectrum that Wright is now “fully committed” to the Kraken.
“There is nothing we can discuss right now, we will see how things develop over the next few weeks,” Overhardt said. “Until that time, Shane is fully committed to the Kraken and that is all he is focused on now.”
That is a noticeable change from July, when NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Wright’s camp was working with Botterill to get a trade done. Overhardt later confirmed the two sides had positive conversations and that Seattle had agreed to look into moving Wright to a team that needed a young top-line center.
For now, though, Wright remains in Seattle, even if the fit does not appear especially comfortable. And if he wants to change that, the clearest path is through production.
Last season, the 22-year-old put up 27 points in 74 games, with 12 goals and 15 assists. Another year at that level would make it harder for Seattle to get the kind of return it would want for a player with his draft pedigree, while also making him less attractive to teams that might have been interested before.
If Wright is going to force the issue down the line, he needs to give clubs a reason to call. And posting more than 27 points in 74 games would be a strong place to start.
In Other News...
Brandon Montour Is Already Setting The Tone For The Kraken
The Kraken wrapped up their four-game preseason slate against the Vancouver Canucks, but the attention from their exhibition run had already drifted to Brandon Montour. In a recent game against Calgary, the defenseman flashed the kind of urgency Seattle hoped to add when it brought him in, making a notable stop in front of a scrambling crease and then speaking in the plain, no-frills way that has already started to define his place in the room.
Montours role carries extra weight because he is wearing an assistant captains letter, and the early read is that he is settling into the leadership group quickly. Around the same time, the organization also marked a notable sendoff for Bob Condor, who covered his final game as Kraken editor-in-chief and was honored with a personalized jersey, a reminder that this stretch of preseason has been about more than just line combinations and final roster decisions. For Seattle, the interesting part is how much of the tone-setting is already coming from a player still learning the contours of his new team. [Read more 🡒]
Former Panthers First Round Pick Hits Early Setback In Seattle
Mackie Samoskevichs first days in Seattle have already hit a small snag. The Kraken forward, who arrived from Florida and has been settling in after a recent move, is dealing with an upper-body injury and will not suit up for Saturdays preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It is an early interruption for a player Seattle brought in with more than just camp depth in mind, especially after handing him a three-year contract to join a group that expects him to be part of the mix. Samoskevichs path has already taken him from the University of Michigan to the Panthers and now to the Kraken, and the next question is simply when he can get back on the ice and start building toward his first season in Seattle. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Face One Trap That Could Ruin Their Preseason Momentum
The early returns have been encouraging for Seattle, which has opened preseason with a perfect start and looked like a group already finding its rhythm. The Kraken have gotten useful contributions from familiar names such as Jared McCann and Bobby McMann, while the goaltending mix has also given the club a steady foundation as it builds toward opening night.
Vancouver, though, arrives in a rougher place after dropping three straight preseason games and having trouble controlling play. Seattle should still like its chances in this matchup, but the kind of game that looks manageable on paper can turn slippery quickly if the Kraken ease off or assume the pace will take care of itself. [Read more 🡒]