The Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in landing one of the top trade candidates in the market. It was recently revealed that the Seattle Kraken are moving on from Shane Wright this summer. Seattle previously drafted the center with the fourth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Despite lofty expectations, he regressed during the most recent campaign.
So far, several teams from around the league have been linked with the 22-year-old forward. The Penguins can now be added to the list. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe is reporting that Pittsburgh is definitely “intrigued by Wright.” According to the beat writer, the young center is essentially an ideal target for general manager Kyle Dubas.
“In the past week, two different sources in the Penguins’ organization, who spoke anonymously because they do not have permission to discuss the subject publicly, told me that general manager Kyle Dubas and the front office are intrigued by Wright,” writes Yohe. “And really, why wouldn’t they be? He checks every box.”
As Yohe points out, Wright’s talent, age, and position are a combination of everything Dubas wants to bring in. The Pittsburgh Penguins do not necessarily have many highly rated young centers in their prospect pool. Pittsburgh has also been linked with Vancouver Canucks star center Elias Pettersson, but Seattle’s center would be a significantly cheaper alternative. Pettersson carries an annual cap hit of $11.6 million. Wright, on the other hand, is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Pittsburgh Penguins Could Have Advantage in Shane Wright Sweepstakes
GettyThe Seattle Kraken are expected to trade away Shane Wright this summer.
Interestingly enough, the Pittsburgh Penguins now have a direct connection to Wright. Hockey Hall of Famer Ron Francis was recently brought back to the organization as a special advisor. Before returning to Pittsburgh, Francis was Seattle’s president of hockey operations. He was also the Kraken’s general manager when they drafted Wright in 2022. Francis clearly believes in the youngster’s ability.
While the Pittsburgh Penguins would like to land Wright, the Kraken could make things difficult. It was recently reported that Seattle had trade conversations involving the young center with the Canucks. According to Rick Dhaliwal, Seattle asked for highly rated defenseman Zeev Buium as part of the return. Vancouver, however, has resisted the move.
The Kraken’s high asking price for Wright could surprise many NHL fans. After all, the center only recorded 27 total points during the 2025-26 season. This was a noticeable drop-off compared to his breakout 44-point rookie campaign the year before. Nevertheless, he is just 22 and is still regarded as a quality two-way center who should bounce back in the near future.
Pittsburgh Would Be Patient Regarding Wright’s Contract Situation
Assuming the Pittsburgh Penguins ultimately acquire Wright, they will have to give the center a new contract soon. The forward will earn under $900,000 for the 2026-27 campaign and then become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
It seems risky to reward Wright with a multi-year deal before he steps on the ice this autumn. Because of this, the Penguins, or any other team to land him, will likely play the waiting game regarding a contract extension. Seeing how the youngster adapts to his new team before offering a new deal next summer would be the smart move.
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