Kraken Trade Shane Wright to Predators for Matthew Wood

The Seattle Kraken traded forward Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators for forward Matthew Wood on Sunday, November 1, in a one for one swap of former first round draft picks. NHL.com and the Predators announced the deal on November 1, and Wright could make his Nashville debut on Tuesday, November 3, when the Carolina Hurricanes visit Bridgestone Arena.

Wright, 22, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has three goals and one assist in 14 games for Seattle this season, and 39 goals and 43 assists for 82 points in 183 NHL games across five seasons with the Kraken. Wood, 21, was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He has one goal and two assists in 14 games for Nashville this season, and 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points in 91 NHL games.

Both players are in the third year of their entry level contracts and will be restricted free agents next summer, according to the Tennessean. The clearest difference is size. Wood is 6 foot 4 and 200 pounds. Wright is 6 foot and 190 pounds, and Nashville general manager Chris MacFarland said pace was the point of the deal.

What Nashville is getting

"We are excited to add Shane to our mix of forwards," MacFarland said in the team release quoted by NHL.com. "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." The Tennessean reported that Wright should step straight into the middle of the Predators lineup, as the second or third line center.

Why it matters

Seattle drafted Wright fourth overall and expected a franchise center. He never held that job for long stretches, and NHL Rumors reported he had asked for a trade since last year. Nashville, 5-4-5 this season according to NHL.com, is reshaping its forward group under MacFarland, and this is the latest in a run of trades since he took over. For Seattle, Wood is a bigger, younger winger with 30 points as a rookie last season, and a fresh start of his own.

What happens next

Wright's first test is simple: earn minutes at center on a team that needs speed through the middle. His Predators debut could come on November 3 against Carolina in Nashville. Wood joins a Kraken team that moves on from a top five pick and bets on size and a longer runway. Both players reach restricted free agency next summer, so this season is an audition for each of them, in a new city, with the contract talks waiting at the end of it.