Shane Wright’s first words as a member of the Nashville Predators made the message pretty clear: he wanted a bigger slice of the pie than Seattle was giving him.
The 22-year-old forward was dealt by the Kraken to Nashville on Sunday in a one-for-one swap for Matthew Wood, and on Monday he addressed the move with reporters. Wright stopped short of saying he formally asked out, but he didn’t hide the reason he was ready for a change.
“I wouldn’t say, like, we requested a trade,” Wright said speaking to Predators beat reporter Alex Daugherty. “I think for me, I just always wanted a little more opportunity, I wanted to have more minutes, wanted to play a bigger role.
Whether that was in Seattle or somewhere else, I was happy to do that. But now (I’m) moving on from that situation, and I’m happy to be here.”
That’s the key line. Wright didn’t confirm a trade demand, but he also made it plain that his role with the Kraken wasn’t enough. He wanted more ice time and more responsibility, and he was open to getting it either in Seattle or elsewhere.
The possibility of a split had been hanging around for a while. In July, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Wright’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, said the sides had reached an understanding about finding him a new team. Overhardt said Kraken general manager Jason Botterill had agreed to move Wright during the offseason, with the idea of sending him to a club looking for a young center.
“I can confirm that we have had positive conversations with GM Jason Botterill, and he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young center,” Overhardt said at the time, per Friedman.
Botterill did not comment when Friedman asked about the situation.
For Seattle, the deal closes the book on a player once seen as a franchise centerpiece. Wright was projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft before sliding to the Kraken at No.
- He debuted in the NHL at 18 in 2022, but never fully became the top-line force Seattle was hoping for.
His production dipped last season. Wright finished the 2025-26 campaign with 27 points, including 12 goals and 15 assists, in 74 games.
That was well below the 44 points he posted in 79 games the year before. He also had four points, including three goals, in 14 games this season before the trade.
Wood gives Seattle a different kind of bet. The 6-foot-4 forward was taken 15th overall by Nashville in 2023 after playing college hockey at Minnesota and UConn. Born in Alberta and raised in Nanaimo, British Columbia, he has 34 points, with 18 goals and 16 assists, in 91 NHL games.
Wood is expected to make his Kraken debut Wednesday against Calgary. Wright could get his first chance with Nashville on Tuesday against Carolina.
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Shane Wrights First Post-Kraken Comments Say Plenty About His Seattle Role
Shane Wrights first public comments since leaving Seattle offered a glimpse at how he sees the next step in his career. Speaking with Nashville media, the young center said he was surprised by the move but also excited about what comes next, framing the change as a chance to keep growing while chasing a bigger stage. He also touched on the way he has been used this season, along with the decision behind his jersey number, giving the first real sense of how he is settling in with his new club.
For the Kraken, Wrights comments land with a familiar subtext: this was never just about a transaction, but about fit, opportunity and where a player believes his path can open up. He made clear that joining Nashville comes with real ambition, including a desire to win a Stanley Cup, and his tone suggested relief as much as anticipation. The details of how the trade unfolded are still part of the larger story, but Wrights first remarks already say plenty about why the change mattered to him. [Read more 🡒]