The Seattle Kraken traded center Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators for winger Matthew Wood on Sunday, swapping a former fourth-overall pick for a first-year NHL scorer still on his entry-level deal. Both players were struggling to produce before the deal, according to Newsday.
Wright, 22, has four points in 14 games this season after posting 27 points a year ago. Wood, 21, has three points in 14 games this season after scoring 17 goals last season as a rookie. Both players are in the final year of three-year entry-level contracts and will become restricted free agents at the end of the season, according to Daily Faceoff.
The Terms Of The Shane Wright Trade To Predators
The deal is a straight one-for-one swap of forwards. Wright carries an $886,666 cap hit, a number shaped by the sliding scale that stretched his entry-level contract to five seasons. Wood carries a $950,000 cap hit. No draft picks or additional players were included.
Why The Kraken Moved On From Wright
Seattle selected Wright fourth overall in the 2022 draft, but he had not lived up to that billing and had been the subject of persistent trade rumors, according to Daily Faceoff. Kraken general manager Jason Botterill framed the move as a fresh start for the center.
“We thank Shane for his contributions to our organization and the city of Seattle, and we wish him all the best in Nashville,” Botterill said.
Botterill also outlined what Wood brings to Seattle’s forward group. “Matthew is a young forward who adds size and an elite shot to our group. He’s a skilled player, with high hockey sense, who demonstrated his offensive potential last season as a rookie in the National Hockey League,” Botterill said. “We’re thrilled to welcome Matthew to Seattle and excited to see his impact on our team.”
Wright’s Opportunity In Nashville
The Predators were seeking a long-term answer at center depth, according to Daily Faceoff, and general manager Chris MacFarland said the team views Wright as a player who can still develop into that role.
“We are excited to add Shane to our mix of forwards. We feel he will bring a strong, two-way game to our team and will add to the pace of our lineup,” MacFarland said. “We believe Shane will continue to grow as a player, and we look forward to working with him.”
Wright scored a career-best 19 goals and 44 points in the 2024-25 season. Nashville is betting that environment and opportunity, not talent, are the gap between that season and his slow start this year.
Wood’s Path And Forward Depth In Seattle
Wood stands 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds, and Daily Faceoff described him as one of the more intriguing young power forwards in the league. His rookie season produced 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 71 games, numbers that put him on NHL radars as a developing scorer with size.
Daily Faceoff noted one point of caution for Seattle: Wood’s early career arc could mirror that of Tanner Jeannot, who scored 24 goals as a rookie but managed just 27 goals over the five seasons that followed. How Wood’s development compares will be one of the clearer measures of whether this trade favors the Kraken.
What’s Next
Both players are entering restricted free agency at season’s end, meaning their performance over the rest of 2026 could shape contract negotiations for their next teams. Wright joins a Nashville lineup looking for center stability, while Wood steps into a Seattle forward group that gave up a former top-five pick to add his size and shot.
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