The trade chatter is getting louder, and frankly, it makes too much sense to ignore. Darren Dreger dropped a bomb on TSN Insider Trading, reporting that Seattle Kraken GM Jason Botterill is officially “listening” to offers on Shane Wright. The goal? To leverage their center depth to acquire a high-end, top-six winger.
If you connect the dots, one trade partner screams for attention: The New York Rangers.
With New York signaling a “retool” and Alexis Lafrenière needing a fresh start just as badly as Wright does, we might be looking at the rare “change of scenery” blockbuster that actually benefits everyone involved. The Kraken have drafted incredibly well down the middle—locking in Matty Beniers and accumulating depth—which makes Wright, the 2022 4th overall pick, a luxury they can surprisingly afford to move. Botterill isn’t in a rush, and the ask is “incredibly high,” but Lafrenière is exactly the kind of distressed asset with elite upside that fits that bill.
Here is why I think this deal happens.
Why Alexis Lafrenière is the Perfect Fit for the Seattle Kraken
In my opinion, Seattle has been screaming for a player with Lafrenière’s profile since their inception. They have a structured, hardworking forward group, but they lack that pure, chaotic offensive talent on the wings.
The Kraken have been hunting for a “top-six scoring winger” to ride shotgun with Beniers. Lafrenière checks the boxes that Ron Francis and Jason Botterill value: pedigree, age, and heaviness on the puck. Despite his inconsistencies in New York, Lafrenière plays a north-south game that would mesh beautifully with Seattle’s forecheck-heavy system.
Furthermore, Seattle can afford to “buy the dip.” Lafrenière’s production hasn’t matched his $7.45M AAV extension yet, but Seattle has the projected cap space (roughly $34M next season) to absorb that risk. They wouldn’t need him to be a savior immediately; they just need him to be a top-line winger who can finish. At 24, he fits the Beniers-Dunn timeline perfectly.
How Shane Wright Fits The New York Rangers’ Retool
For the Rangers, trading Lafrenière is painful, but acquiring Wright solves two massive problems: Cap Space and Center Depth.
Moving Lafrenière’s $7.45M hit for Wright’s entry-level deal (and subsequent RFA bridge deal) clears nearly **$6.5M in cap space** instantly. For a Rangers team looking to clear cap space, that flexibility is gold.
On the ice, the Rangers are set at 1C and 2C, but their bottom-six centers offer zero offensive upside. Wright could slot in immediately as a protected 3C, sheltered from the toughest matchups, allowing him to develop without the crushing pressure he faced in Seattle. It’s a classic Rangers move: acquire a high-pedigree prospect who stalled elsewhere (think Ryan Strome) and rehabilitate their value.
My Verdict
Seattle hesitates on the contract term; New York hesitates to give up on a #1 overall pick. But if Botterill is serious about a winger, and Drury is serious about cap flexibility, this is the deal.
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