Kraken the Ice: Could Seattle Explore Reunion With Original Team Member?
Armed with ample cap space coming out of the draft, even following the initial waves of free agency, the Seattle Kraken still have the resources in place to make several moves to improve their roster. Could bringing back a member of the inaugural team be in the cards?
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee dives into Seattle's cap situation and why it is time for the franchise to take action, including potentially bringing back Carson Soucy, before revisiting Shane Wright trade rumors and investigating two teams that could make the most sense to maximize their return for the former No. 4 overall pick.
Trade Proposals: What Can Kraken Fetch in Return for Shane Wright?
According to multiple reports, first kicked off by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet.CA, the Seattle Kraken intend to trade center Shane Wright sometime this offseason.
Friedman quoted Wright’s agent saying, “I can confirm that we have had positive conversations with GM Jason Botterill, and he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young centre.”
Unfortunately for the Kraken, if a deal does materialize, which isn’t as much of a given as Wright’s agent hinted, their leverage is compromised due to this report. Still, for a player who is not yet 23 years old and a former No. 4 overall pick who still has untapped upside, Seattle should be able to get some value in a trade package. Teams will bank on their own player development skills to get the most of a talent such as Wright. That should be tantalizing enough to garner a modest return at worst.
Let’s take a look at three possible trade scenarios for Seattle to move Wright in coming weeks.
Analysis: If Kraken Trade Shane Wright, Who Replaces Him?
Shane Wright’s time in Seattle could be over. Or at least it looks that way.
Last week, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Seattle Kraken were working together with Wright’s agent Kurt Overhardt on a trade. Wright is entering his third full NHL season and took a step back in his production last season with 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games, far from the numbers the franchise was counting on from the former top-five selection.
Yesterday on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said that he got some push back on the rumor, but still believes the 22-year-old center will be traded this summer.
“It was pretty clear from talking to other teams that it’s not a guarantee from the Kraken,” the NHL insider said. “They’re not going to just do it to do it. They want to get something fair in return… But it’s clear that we’re headed in this direction.”
Kraken the Ice: Assessing Seattle’s Trade for Mackie Samoskevich, Bobby McMann Extension
Executing one of the most exciting days of transactions in the franchise's brief history, the Seattle Kraken made a bold move dealing a first round pick to Florida for 23-year-old Mackie Samoskevich and locked up their best scoring threat in Bobby McMann long-term.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee examines the ramifications of dealing one of Seattle's two first rounders in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft for Samoskevich, discusses why the young forward fits with the team's current timeline, highlights all the positives of locking up McMann for the next six seasons, and explores what could be the next move coming for the front office with a former first round selection.
Kraken Receive No. 7 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft Lottery: What Now?
The NHL lottery for draft picks 1 through 16 took place on Tuesday night, ahead of the draft on June 26 and 27. The Seattle Kraken entered the lottery sixth in line, with a 7.5% chance at getting the No. 1 overall pick with an average projected draft position of 5.9.
For yet another season, Seattle got the short end of the lottery. The Toronto Maple Leafs nabbed the top pick, followed by the Sharks getting second overall. Seattle did not hear their name called until No. 7. They will pick seventh, which is one spot higher than their slot last year when they selected Jake O'Brien.
Picking seventh means for another season, they are picking lower than their initial position in the final standings. However, this will actually be Seattle’s highest draft pick since taking Shane Wright fourth overall in 2022.
Kraken the Ice: Seattle Ends Disappointing Season With a Thud, What Now?
After being eliminated from the playoffs with a week to play, the Kraken closed out their season without much of a whimper with losses to the Golden Knights and Avalanche, capping off a disastrous post-Olympics finish.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee reads Seattle's eulogy after an up-and-down season, diving into the obvious low points while also revisiting a few positives that developed in the 2025-26 season, and takes a look at where Seattle must go this offseason to revive a possible contender or completely clean house.
Post-Mortem: Three Reasons Why Kraken Failed Once Again in 2025-26
The 2025-2026 NHL regular season is now over. The Seattle Kraken failed to score a goal in their season finale, going out without much of a whimper, falling 2-0 to Vegas to bring another disappointing campaign to an end.
The Kraken finished 34-37-11, totaling 79 points. That ranks third among the five seasons in Seattle Kraken history. They fell three points shy of being the second-highest point total in franchise history. They also failed to have a winning season in Lane Lambert’s first year as head coach, finishing below .500 for the fourth time out of the five years, along with three straight years of sub-.500 hockey.
The Kraken have gone through three head coaches in five seasons. It appears as if Lambert will get a second year, barring an unexpected development.
So, what happened? Why did the Kraken fail to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season?
Kraken Need a Shake-Up to End Era of Passive Mediocrity
The Seattle Kraken are in a tailspin. It seems their season is circling the drain, destined to sink to the bottom of the Pacific. At least metaphorically, as the Vancouver Canucks will finish in last place in the division.
MoneyPuck.com has the Kraken’s playoff chances, as of Sunday night, at 0.7%. They are all but eliminated. They had every opportunity to grab a spot in a historically bad Pacific Division and Western Conference. Yet they failed.
With the current Pacific Division leaders at 87 points with five games to play, this was a weak division. 87 points would be outside of a playoff spot altogether in the Eastern Conference. In short, the Kraken let a golden opportunity to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s first five years slip away.
So, what now? Who is to blame?
Kraken the Ice: Have Kraken Become Calamari After Latest Deflating Loss to Mammoth?
While they still haven't been eliminated from playoff competition, the Kraken's chances continue to plummet by day as they suffered another devasting loss to the Mammoth.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee offers up an unofficial obituary to Seattle's playoff chances after the latest defeat, explains why the time is now to extend Bobby McMann as he continues to score points in bunches, and breaks down what fans should be watching for the remainder of the season with the playoffs being a long shot.
Bottom-Six Propels Kraken to Big Win Over Panthers
After snapping their four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks, the Seattle Kraken’s new-look top line and trade deadline acquisition Bobby McMann’s three-point debut stole the show. Less than 24 hours later, it was the Kraken bottom-six that powered Seattle to a back-to-back sweep with a 6-2 win against the Florida Panthers at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.
With two goals each from the third- and fourth-line, the Kraken displayed the top-to-bottom production they’ll need if they want to hold down a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, which they reclaimed after San Jose lost 7-4 to Ottawa on Sunday.
“We need everybody,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “That’s the way it’s going to be, and certainly we need everybody and needed everybody on a second night of a back-to-back with a rested team here waiting for us, and Joey (Daccord) played well right off the start, and then our fourth line stepped up and got us going with some energy … so huge for us, but we’re a four-line hockey team, and that’s what we need out of them.”
Kraken GM Jason Botterill Breaks Down McMann Acquisition, State of Team After Trade Deadline
Striking at close to midnight - at least proverbially - the Seattle Kraken acquired Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick right before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.
McMann, 29, is a forward on the final season of a two-year contract with a $1.35 million AAV. He has 19 goals and 32 points through 60 games this season, which ranks second-most on Seattle behind captain Jordan Eberle (42 points).
Of course, that production came with superstar Auston Matthews at center. According to Natural Stat Trick, McMann had 238:09 of 5-on-5 ice time on a line with Matthews and Max Domi, the most of any single line combination in Toronto this season.
Analysis: 3 Trade Scenarios for Seattle Kraken Involving Shane Wright
In a playoff spot as of the Olympic break, the Seattle Kraken sit third in the Pacific Division with a record that keeps them competitive in the Western Conference Wild Card race as well. However, their offense ranks towards the bottom in most offensive statistics and to make a real push to be a playoff contender, they need some serious scoring juice.
Trading Shane Wright, the 2022 fourth-overall pick now 22 years old, could be a strategic move to address immediate needs and accelerate the team's contention window with an instant upgrade, though making such a deal with a talented young player carries significant risk.
With the NHL trade deadline looming on March 6, let’s explore three possible trade scenarios that involve Seattle packaging Wright for an upgrade.
Kraken the Ice: Would Trading Shane Wright Be Right Deadline Move for Seattle?
Closing in on their return to action as the Winter Olympic break nears a conclusion, the Kraken could have a massive decision on their hands regarding the future of Shane Wright.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee breaks down why Seattle may have interest in moving Wright for the right price, shares his thoughts on what that right price would have to look like in terms of compensation to finalize a deal before the deadline, and recaps the latest exploits by Kraken players on the Olympic ice in Milan.
Kraken the Ice: Who Should Seattle Target at Looming NHL Trade Deadline?
In the midst of a winter break for the 2026 Olympics, the Kraken may be doing extensive work behind the scenes trying to find upgrades to aid their playoff push once they return to action later this month.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee shares his thoughts on several players who could make sense for Seattle to target before the upcoming deadline, including a former No. 1 overall pick to add star power to the roster for the second half, and recaps how several Kraken players have fared so far in Olympic competition.
‘Always Want to Get That One Back’: Wright Pulls Kraken Past Maple Leafs to Third Straight Win
Redeeming himself after an early snafu on Thursday night, Shane Wright’s two-goal effort steered the Kraken past the Maple Leafs in a convincing 5-2 win. Jumping into third place in the Pacific Division, how did Seattle get it done at Climate Pledge Arena?
‘Weren’t Very Good at All’: Kraken Lose Crucial Home Division Matchup Against Ducks
With crucial points on the line against the Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, the Seattle Kraken floundered, missing out on a key opportunity in a loss Lane Lambert summed up as a “disappointment.”
Kraken Build ‘Rare’ Big Lead, Extend Point Streak to Six Against Predators
Continuing to play much better on the ice, the Kraken extended their points streak to six thanks to an explosive first period that had been unrivaled by the franchise in over a calendar year. How did Seattle put away Nashville swiftly at Climate Pledge Arena?
New Year, New Number, New Beginnings: Catton Looking to Break Out For Kraken
It may not be a New Year’s resolution, but Berkly Catton has already made some changes for 2026 with the Seattle Kraken. What is going into that new look the rookie tries to truly stamp his skates in NHL ice?
More Missed Opportunities Plague Kraken as Avalanche Mount Third Period Comeback
Facing the NHL’s top team, the Kraken put themselves in position to drive home a much-needed victory in the third period with a one goal lead. But in key moments down the stretch, Lane Lambert’s team came up short yet again, losing for the ninth time in 10 games.
Shane Wright, Kraken Searching For ‘Killer Instinct’ to Break Out of Slump
Despite the Seattle Kraken’s recent 1-7-1 skid, forward Shane Wright has shown some good play, and Emerald City Spectrum spoke with him and others Monday about what the team needs to do to right the ship.
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