Analysis: Two Non-Shane Wright Trades for Kraken to Explore

All offseason, Seattle Kraken fans have heard about a possible trade that would ship young center Shane Wright out of town. Reports came out earlier in the offseason that the Kraken and Wright were on the same page in moving forward with trading the former No. 4 overall pick.

However, rumors have since stalled. As of now, Wright still remains on the roster. A trade does not feel like a guarantee at this point.

Even still, Jason Botterill and company can upgrade the roster elsewhere. The Kraken have the second-most cap space in the NHL, according to PuckPedia.com. They have the resources to acquire a player with a sizable paycheck to make a difference on the roster.

Let’s explore two trade scenarios that do not involve Wright:

Trade #1: Kraken trade RW Kaapo Kakko and 2027 Second Round Pick to Pittsburgh Penguins for RW Rickard Rakell.

Kakko is an intriguing player on Seattle’s roster. Like Wright, he is a former top-four pick in the NHL Draft, going second overall to the New York Rangers in 2019. He has not lived up to that billing and was jettisoned from New York to Seattle in the middle of the 2024-2025 season. Kakko is still only 25 years old with plenty of time to develop into a high-impact player. His 13 goals and 40 points in 65 games for Seattle last season were fairly underwhelming given his draft pedigree. But there’s still the allure of his untapped potential.

If the Kraken were to combine Kakko’s two seasons left of control with a mid-tier draft pick, they might be able to pry Rickard Rakell away from Pittsburgh. Rakell is older, at 33 years of age. But he has been much more of a proven commodity in the NHL than Kakko. Over the last five seasons combined with Anaheim and Pittsburgh, he has averaged 24.4 goals and 51.2 points per season. Both of those averages would have ranked second on the Kraken last year.

He is also just one season removed from a 35-goal performance. That is something Seattle severely lacks. The Swedish winger would come in as a proven, top-six scorer. Plus, his contract goes through the end of 2027-2028, giving the Kraken two years to build around him. With the other additions Seattle has made at forward, adding Rakell would be the cherry on top.

Trade #2: Kraken trade C Ryan Winterton and 2027 First Round Pick, 2027 Third Round Pick to Columbus Blue Jackets for RW Kirill Marchenko

This would seriously move the needle in Seattle (maybe not the Space Needle, though). Marchenko has a similar profile to Rakell but is seven years younger and a much more prolific puck mover. During his most recent two seasons in the NHL, he has averaged 29 goals and 41.5 assists per season. Both of those would have easily led Seattle’s club last year. His $3.85 million hit for next season is very manageable for Seattle’s cap situation. Plus, he becomes a restricted free agent after next season, allowing Seattle to try and retain him.

The Kraken have consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in goals per game since their inception. Adding a player of Marchenko’s quality would instantly legitimize a lackluster attack. That’s well worth a first rounder, a middling prospect, and another mid-tier draft pick.