Kraken Send Wright to Nashville, Acquire Wood in Sunday Swap

The Seattle Kraken traded Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators on Sunday afternoon in exchange for winger Matthew Wood. The move resolves a dispute that had simmered since the summer, when Wright's agent, Kurt Overhardt, publicly urged the team to move the former first-round pick.

General Manager Jason Botterill confirmed the deal and focused on the incoming player. "Matthew is a young forward who adds size and an elite shot to our group," Botterill said in a statement. He described Wood as a skilled player with high hockey sense who showed offensive potential as a rookie last season.

Wood is 21 years old and stands 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 202 pounds. The Kraken selected Wood with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft after he played for the University of Connecticut. He spent one season at the University of Minnesota before playing parts of three seasons with Nashville.

In 91 career games with the Predators, Wood has recorded 18 goals and 16 assists. This season, he has one goal and two assists in 14 games for Nashville. The Kraken have previously added players like Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McMann to increase the size of their forward group.

Wright, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, played in 183 career games with Seattle. He scored 39 goals and 43 assists for a total of 82 points during that span. His production dropped from 44 points in his first full season to 27 points last year.

Before the trade, Wright had three goals and an assist in 14 games this season. Traditionally a center, he had been playing right wing alongside Berkly Catton and Kakko for most of the year.

Wright had told reporters at the start of training camp that he wanted to focus on the present. "That was in the summer. I'm focused on the present here right now in training camp, and I don't want to let anything kind of distract me like that," Wright said at the time.