Trade chatter grows around Shane Wright with Seattle Kraken seeking top-six scorer

That's the kind of name that makes you sit up, because Seattle doesn't float a 22-year-old center by accident.

Wright was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, taken in Round 1 by the Seattle Kraken, and he's still on a bargain cap hit through 2026-27.

His 2025-26 line is 11-12-23 in 58 games, mostly in middle-six minutes.

Seattle's record sits at 27-22-9, so you can see the tension, chase the playoffs or chase the future.

Here's the clip that kicked this back into the bloodstream.

The "why" is simple, Seattle wants a true top-six driver, not another nice piece.

Wright is the cleanest trade chip they have that could actually bring back a big fish without stripping the blue line.

Pens fans are tired of living shift to shift, and this would feel like a real bet instead of a patch.

Pittsburgh is 30-15-12, but Sidney Crosby's injury cloud makes every depth issue louder.

Wright would slide in as a third-line center right now, with room to grow into more when the lineup squeezes.

His shot is already NHL-caliber, and a cheap deal matters when you're trying to keep the man advantage stocked.

The Penguins can also sell Seattle a "win-now" forward who helps immediately, which matches the whole splashy-add idea.

Other teams that could sniff around, even if nothing is confirmed, include the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Carolina Hurricanes, clubs that could use a young center who is already producing.

If Seattle truly dangles him, the return won't be small, but the upside is the rare part, a center you can keep, not just rent.

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