The Seattle Kraken And Shane Wright Have Failed To Meet Expectations So Far
In some fundamental ways, the Seattle Kraken and center Shane Wright are very similar.
Much has been expected of the Kraken as an organization and of Wright as an individual. And after five years of operation, the Kraken have failed to live up to those expectations – and the same goes for the 22-year-old Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft.
Wright produced only 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games this past season – a major step backward from his first full NHL season, when he posted 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games in 2024-25. And the Kraken once again disappointed in the Pacific Division standings, finishing sixth.
REPORT: Kraken "Agree To Move" Shane Wright
According to an article by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman in Canada, Shane Wright's agent, Kurt Overhardt, said Kraken general manager Jason Botterill has "agreed to move" Wright to a new team this summer.
Certainly, no one would say Seattle is an elite team right now. Signings of mid-tier players, such as right winger Bobby McMann, won't deliver the Kraken into the second and third rounds of the post-season or anywhere near a championship. The Kraken need dynamic young players to compete against superstars, such as Edmonton Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, elsewhere in the Pacific Division.
The best way to get those kinds of needle-movers is by drafting at the very top of the draft, having the development team unlock their potential and ensuring the coaching staff uses them in the right situations.
So Botterill can't settle for mediocrity. If Seattle is serious about Cup contention, acquiring nothing short of a face of the franchise will suffice.
It's fair to say the Wright situation hasn't worked out. Despite the dearth of high-quality young centers, Seattle isn't likely to get the sun and the moon in any Wright trade. It's now time for the Kraken to cut their losses with a draft pick they whiffed on, and that means demanding a trade package for Wright that helps Seattle in the long term.
"Everyone's Been Super Welcoming": Chase Reid Finding His Feet In Seattle
Fresh off being drafted seventh overall, the Michigan-bound defenseman swaps baseball diamonds for Kraken ice, breaking in new gear and embracing the whirlwind transition to professional hockey life.
Wright isn't the first top-tier draft pick to struggle early on at the NHL level, and he won't be the last. But a change of employer may be exactly what Wright needs to elevate his game. And if the Kraken play their cards right, they could salvage assets and start again knowing they're essentially looking at a rebuilding season in 2026-27.
Seattle won't be picked by pundits to do serious damage next year, and while it must kill Kraken fans to know their team isn't elite, there's now an opportunity that allows for a full organizational reset. The longer Seattle pretends to be an above-average team, the longer they'll continue to have mediocre results.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 3:13 PM.