Shane Wright's Agent Pushed For Trade Before Training Camp
Shane Wright's summer started with his own agent telling reporters a trade was already agreed upon.
It ended with Wright walking into training camp still wearing a Kraken jersey.
Agent Says Seattle Agreed To A Move
The situation became public in early July, when Wright's agent, Kurt Overhardt, told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that Kraken general manager Jason Botterill had signed off on moving his client.
"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.
That framing didn't sit well with people around the organization.
Multiple league sources pushed back on the idea that Seattle had simply committed to trading Wright, insisting the team was open to a deal only if it returned appropriate value, not obligated to move him on any terms.
Behind the scenes, Seattle had already tried and failed to find that value more than once. The Kraken reportedly included Wright in trade discussions for Artemi Panarin last season, then again this summer in separate attempted deals for Jordan Kyrou and Jason Robertson, none of which came together.
Vancouver also showed real interest, but insider Rick Dhaliwal reported Seattle's asking price, believed to include one of the Canucks' young defensemen in Zeev Buium or Tom Willander, was too steep for Vancouver to meet.
Pittsburgh briefly looked like a real possibility too, with The Athletic's Josh Yohe reporting the Penguins were intrigued given their lack of proven young center depth, though that momentum reportedly faded by August.
Wright Reports To Camp And Commits To Seattle
No trade ever materialized, and Wright showed up for the start of Kraken training camp still on the roster, addressing the speculation publicly for the first time since his agent's comments.
"I'm not really caring about that. Not really focused on that at all," Wright said. "I'm here, committed to the team, and I want to make sure I have a good camp and get ready for the season and do what I can to help the team win. Whatever media says or whatever outside noise, I'm not too worried about that right now."
Botterill offered a similarly response when asked about the situation. "I'm certainly going to keep my conversations with Shane private," he said, adding that the organization's focus remains on developing Wright and maximizing his abilities.
After a promising 44-point debut in 2024-25, Wright's production fell to just 27 points in 74 games last season under new head coach Lane Lambert, with his average ice time dropping to under 14 minutes a night as he settled into more of a checking-line role.
Now 22 and entering the final year of his entry-level contract before becoming a restricted free agent next summer, this season looks like a referendum on his future in Seattle.
