Seattle Kraken trade Shane Wright to Nashville Predators for Matthew Wood

The Seattle Kraken completed a trade on Sunday sending forward Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators in exchange for 21-year-old forward Matthew Wood, bringing an end to months of trade speculation surrounding the former high draft pick. Wright, the fourth overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, first made his trade request public last season, and the move finally grants him a fresh start.

Kraken general manager Jason Botterill praised the incoming player in a statement, highlighting his physical attributes and offensive upside. "Matthew is a young forward who adds size and an elite shot to our group," Botterill said. "He’s a skilled player, with high hockey sense, who demonstrated his offensive potential last season as a rookie."

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 202 pounds, Wood was originally selected 15th overall by Nashville in the 2023 NHL Draft. Hailing from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Wood has recorded 18 goals and 34 points across 91 career NHL games. By acquiring Wood, the Kraken also sidestepped a difficult impending decision, as Wright's entry-level contract is set to expire at the end of the season, which would have made him a restricted free agent.

Nashville general manager Chris MacFarland expressed enthusiasm about bolstering his forward lines with Wright. "We are excited to add Shane to our mix of forwards," MacFarland said. "We feel he will bring a strong, two-way game to our team and will add to the pace of our lineup. We believe Shane will continue to grow as a player, and we look forward to working with him."

Wright finishes his tenure in Seattle with 183 regular-season games played, accumulating 39 goals and 84 points. Expectations were high after he netted 19 goals during the 2024-25 campaign, but his production dipped to 12 goals the following year. Struggling to find consistency under a revolving door of head coaches and a shifting role that moved him from center to the wing, Wright managed just four points in 14 games this season before the trade.

The transaction also removes a potential acquisition option for other NHL franchises, such as the Boston Bruins, who had previously been linked to trade rumors involving young centers. Instead, Wright will head directly to Tennessee and is slated to make his Predators debut when they host the Carolina Hurricanes.