Kraken trade Shane Wright to Predators for Matthew Wood

The Seattle Kraken traded centre Shane Wright, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL draft, to the Nashville Predators for forward Matthew Wood on Sunday, NHL.com reported.

The one-for-one deal swaps two young Canadian first-round picks who have both started slowly this season. Wright, 22, was born in Burlington, Ont., and Wood, 21, was born in Nanaimo, B.C. Searches for “Matthew Wood,” along with “Shane Wright” and “Shane Wright trade,” passed 20,000 in Canada on Google Trends over the past day.

Wright has three goals and one assist in 14 games this season, and 39 goals and 43 assists in 183 career NHL games, NHL.com said. Wood, the 15th pick in 2023, has one goal and two assists in 14 games this season, and 18 goals and 16 assists in 91 career games.

“We are excited to add Shane to our mix of forwards,” Predators general manager Chris MacFarland said. He said the team expected Wright to bring a strong two-way game and add pace to its lineup.

Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said Wood still has room to add strength but already uses his reach well to protect the puck and get a shot off. He called the winger’s hockey sense and shot two of his best attributes.

The trade ends a long saga in Seattle. Pro Hockey Rumors reported in January that the Kraken were open to moving Wright, and Sound of Hockey reported in July that he had asked for a trade. No deal came together in the off-season, The Hockey News said. Yahoo Sports said the trade was first reported as close by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet before the teams confirmed it Sunday afternoon.

Wright played junior hockey with the Kingston Frontenacs before Seattle drafted him fourth overall, and he spent most of 2023-24 with Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League. His best NHL season so far was 2024-25, with 19 goals and 44 points, Daily Faceoff reported.

Wood, listed at six foot four and 202 pounds, had 17 goals and 13 assists in 71 games as a rookie, according to Daily Faceoff. Both players are expected to become restricted free agents at the end of the season, The Hockey News reported.

The move affects a Canadian team right away. The Kraken (8-5-1) host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, after Calgary beat them 6-2 and Seattle earlier routed the Flames 6-1 at the Saddledome. The Predators (5-4-5) host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, NHL.com said.

The swap is the latest in a busy stretch of NHL moves. NHL.com’s trade tracker shows the Winnipeg Jets sent goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils in October, and the Predators also acquired defenceman Jayden Struble from the Montreal Canadiens for a draft pick that month.

Sources: NHL.com, Yahoo Sports, Daily Faceoff, Sound of Hockey.

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