- Shane Wright would welcome a trade to Vancouver, and the Canucks feel the same way
- Seattle agreed to move the 22-year-old center this summer, but a steep asking price has stalled talks
- Read below for what Wright brings and why the Canucks fit
Shane Wright knows where he wants to go.
The Seattle center prefers a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, and the interest runs both ways, per Ben Kuzma of The Province. Wright wants a fresh start, and he views Vancouver’s rebuild as the right place for it.
We laid it out on our own feed. Wright’s first choice is Vancouver because of where the roster is headed. He asked Seattle for a trade a few weeks ago, and the Kraken agreed to move him. Nothing has closed yet.
The fit is easy to see. Vancouver has real questions down the middle. Elias Pettersson is coming off a rough year, Filip Chytil keeps dealing with concussions, and Aatu Raty wins faceoffs without offering much scoring punch. A 22-year-old center slots right into that window.
Wright is not arriving on a hot streak. He put up 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games last season while averaging 13:48 a night. The year before looked better, with 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games.
Here is a look at what Wright can do when things are clicking:
The holdup is the return. Vancouver called Seattle about Wright last week and came away with a very high asking price, which is where things have stayed. We covered that standoff when the two sides first hit a wall.
Kuzma floated one path forward, with Vancouver moving a forward who already wants out. Jake DeBrusk fits that description, and he would hand Seattle the top-six help it has been chasing.
Wright was the projected first overall pick in 2022 before he slid to Seattle at fourth. Now 22, he still has room to prove that slide wrong, and Vancouver looks like the spot he wants to do it.
