Shane Wright Clearly Wanted Out Of Seattle

Shane Wright may not be willing to say he asked the Seattle Kraken for a trade, but his first comments as a member of the Nashville Predators suggest he was ready for a change.

The 22-year-old forward met with reporters Monday after Seattle dealt him to Nashville in exchange for Matthew Wood. When asked whether he and his representatives had requested a move, Wright gave an answer that left a little room for interpretation.

“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.”

There's a distinction worth pointing out. Wright didn't come out and say he demanded a trade, nor did he flat-out deny that a request was made. What he did acknowledge was that his situation in Seattle wasn't giving him the opportunity he wanted. Whether that meant a bigger role with the Kraken or a fresh start somewhere else, he was ready for something different.

And it's not as if the possibility of Wright leaving Seattle came out of nowhere.

Back in July, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Wright's agent, Kurt Overhardt, had indicated the two sides had reached an understanding about finding the young forward a new home. Overhardt specifically said Kraken general manager Jason Botterill had agreed to move Wright during the offseason, with the goal of finding him a team in need of 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 declined to comment on the situation when asked by Friedman.

The trade eventually came Sunday, with Seattle and Nashville swapping two former first-round picks in a one-for-one deal. Wright heads to the Predators, while Wood gets a fresh opportunity with the Kraken.

For Wright, the move comes after a difficult stretch in Seattle. Once projected to go No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he fell to the Kraken at No. 4. He made his NHL debut as an 18-year-old in 2022, but never quite developed into the top-line centerpiece Seattle had hoped he could become.

He finished the 2025-26 season with 27 points (including 12 goals and 15 assists) in 74 games, down considerably from the 44 points he recorded in 79 appearances the previous season. He also had four points, including three goals, through 14 games this season before the trade.

Wood, meanwhile, arrives in Seattle with a different profile. The 6-foot-4 forward was selected 15th overall by Nashville in 2023 after playing college hockey at Minnesota and UConn. A native of Alberta who grew up in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Wood has collected 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 91 career NHL games.

Wood is expected to make his Kraken debut Wednesday against Calgary. Wright could get his first opportunity with Nashville on Tuesday against Carolina.

Wright might not be putting a formal trade request on the record, but it's hard to miss the message in his comments: he wanted more, and Seattle was no longer where he was going to find it.