Predators acquire Shane Wright from Kraken for Matthew Wood

The trade comes after Wright finding himself in trade rumours for a significant amount of time, as he has yet to live up to the pedigree of a fourth-overall pick with the Kraken. The Predators swing a deal looking to take a gamble on him in hopes that they finally can find a long-term solution to their center depth.

Wright has started the season on a slower note, as he has just three goals and one assist for four points in 14 games before the trade. He’s shown flashes of being the player he was originally drafted to be, but up to this point, he hasn’t had a more successful season than his 19-goal, 44-point campaign in 2024-25.

Wright is in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract with an $886,666 cap hit, a contract which has lasted five years due to the contract sliding for the first two seasons. He’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

In return for Wright, the Kraken acquire Wood, who has become one of the more intriguing young power forwards in the league. He caught the hockey world’s attention not just with his six-foot-four, 202-pound frame, but also with his rookie campaign, which saw him get 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 71 games.

But like Wright, Wood has also had a slower start to the season, with just one goal and two assists for three points in 14 games. If there’s any concern for the Kraken with this trade, it’s that Wood doesn’t end up like the last goal-scoring power forward from the Preds’ system: Tanner Jeannot broke out with a 24-goal rookie season, but has since only scored 27 goals in the five seasons following it.

Wood is in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract with a $950,000 cap hit, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.