In a summer of eyebrow-raising moments for the Seattle Kraken, another such instance occurred last week when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned in an article that Shane Wright’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, had gone on record to confirm that he had requested a trade for the 22-year-old center.

This wasn’t the most shocking news—Wright’s name had been percolating in trade rumors since the middle of the 2025-26 season, and there had been a growing sense that he wanted out of Seattle. Overhardt’s comments effectively confirmed what many already suspected.

The way the quote was worded, though, with Overhardt stating that Seattle had “agreed” to move Wright, has since been questioned. After all, there’s little reason Kraken general manager Jason Botterill would let it be known to his competitors that he is committed to moving the player, taking away any leverage he might have in trying to get a fair return for the former No. 4 overall pick, who famously dropped from consensus top-pick status just before the 2022 NHL Draft.

Do we believe Botterill has tried to work out a trade to give Wright a new home while also getting a decent return? Yes. Do we believe he’s willing to hold onto a player whose representation has gone public in indicating that he wants out? Also yes.

That said, we have asked around, and we get the sense that Shane Wright’s camp remains optimistic the Kraken will be able to move the center this offseason.

How did we get here?

It is a shame the Kraken have gotten to this position with their once-prized forward prospect. There’s no question Wright fell short of the lofty expectations the organization had for him this past season, especially after his 19-goal rookie campaign in 2024-25 under then-head coach Dan Bylsma, who also oversaw Wright’s successful AHL stint when he scored 22 goals and 25 assists in just 59 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2023-24.

But something changed this past season under new head coach Lane Lambert. It was clear coming into Training Camp that the Kraken hoped to see Wright take hold of the No. 2 center spot and slide Chandler Stephenson into a bottom-six role.

It is our belief that this was always the plan: Wright would continue to progress and push his way higher up the lineup, while Stephenson would gradually move into a more suitable role after serving as a bridge top-six center and giving Wright time to develop into that position.

That didn’t happen, at least not this past season.

Although Lambert never admitted it publicly, it did seem there were trust issues preventing him from simply handing Wright the bigger role many fans thought he deserved. Wright’s protected minutes and carefully managed face-off deployment offer clues as to what Lambert wanted to see improved, and the coach’s end-of-season presser also implied there was an emphasis on Wright continuing to develop away from the puck.

“Everybody’s going to look at Shane Wright’s season and go, ‘Oh, gee, he had this many points [this year], and he had that many points last year,’” Lambert said. “Ask Shane if he feels like he’s a better player now than he was at the beginning of the year, and the answer would be yes, he does. Sometimes the points can fool you a little bit. I thought Shane got stronger defensively, I thought he got stronger on face-offs, and I thought he improved his 200-foot game. And what I see about that is that that’s a better formula for the future with him than in the past.”

Lambert was making a case that this past season was good for Wright because it helped him form more of a foundation for becoming a complete NHL player. If he can build on that foundation and layer the offensive production back on, then he is on a path toward a successful career.

But Wright apparently does not view it that way and instead believes he is more likely to find that success faster with another organization.

The Kraken have taken a few knocks over the past year, with players like Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson rejecting trades to Seattle, and now Wright asking to be moved. For what it’s worth, our understanding is that Wright’s trade request does not have anything to do with the city or its fanbase, but rather with finding a place where he believes he has a better opportunity to flourish.

Where do the Kraken go from here?

Again, Botterill does not have to move Wright. If he trades him now, he could be selling low on a player who took a step backward offensively in his sophomore season.

There’s no question, though, that having the trade request become public puts unwanted pressure on the organization to make a deal and likely costs it some leverage, as opposing teams know there’s a desire to get something done. Plus, there’s the lingering potential for serious awkwardness if, come Training Camp, Wright is still a member of the Kraken.

What Botterill and the front office have to remember is that Wright should still be a hot commodity. After all, he is a 22-year-old center who is just one season removed from scoring 19 goals, and he still possesses considerable upside. If the Kraken do move him, it feels likely that he will break out with his new team. That means Seattle has to be careful and patient. They can’t just ship Wright out because he wants to be moved; it has to be a deal that also helps the Kraken.

We’d love to see the kind of trade that brings back a player in a similar situation: a young, skilled forward in need of a change of scenery and fresh start. Somebody who, like Wright, has upside but can also contribute to the Kraken’s roster immediately.

And if Botterill can’t find that? Well, then things could get a little awkward in September.