1 player Kraken must trade before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

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The Seattle Kraken are making the most out of a weak Pacific Division this season. Entering the Olympic break, Lane Lambert’s squad had taken the third overall spot in the division, one point behind the Edmonton Oilers with two games in hand. The Kraken are in a prime position to steal a playoff spot, which makes their trade deadline strategy an intriguing one.

One of the Kraken’s most significant problems has been their goalscoring. Seattle currently sits 17th in the NHL in points, but it is in the bottom 10 in goals and has a negative goal differential. Their offense lacks elite scorers like those of some other playoff contenders, and it’s a problem that could resurface in a seven-game series. Elite players usually persevere in a postseason talent battle.

There is an argument that the move they are currently considering is just taking two steps back to move one step forward. The Kraken need a future, and trading their fourth-overall pick from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft seems counterproductive. However, sometimes a general manager like Jason Botterill has to realize when things aren’t working out, and it’s getting to that point with Shane Wright.

Shane Wright might like a fresh start via trade

© Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

It has been a tumultuous career for Wright. The Ontario Hockey League granted him exceptional player status, allowing him to play as an underage player. It was baptism by fire in one of the world’s top junior leagues, but Wright showed no reason why he couldn’t pay off his potential. He seemed like a surefire first-overall pick, but some poor performances in big draft-year moments led him to fall to the Kraken at five.

The following season saw him play all over the map, spending time in the NHL, the AHL, the World Juniors, and finally on a brand-new team in the OHL. He stuck it out with the Coachella Valley Firebirds for most of the next year, and finally made the full-time jump to the Kraken in the 2024-25 season.

The belief was that Wright’s development path would serve him well in the future. He hasn’t been a complete bust in Seattle, but the fact is that he hasn’t been able to lock down a role higher than a third-line center on a roster desperate for more offensive talent.

Teams around the league will be very interested in Wright if the Kraken make him available. The 22-year-old still has plenty of growth to come in his game, and there is no reason to believe he can’t become the top-six center that the Kraken thought they drafted.

The Kraken acquiring an already established top-six forward from a team looking to get younger would make sense. Some rumors about Alexis Lafreniere possibly being available from the New York Rangers made a swap feel like a proper fit. The Kraken could acquire a top-six winger for their playoff push, while the Rangers could acquire a center to take another trade candidate in Vincent Trocheck’s spot, potentially.

While that deal might not work for the Rangers, it’s the type of framework the Kraken should be looking for leaguewide in a Shane Wright trade.

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