The Vancouver Canucks want to get younger, and the Seattle Kraken are looking for a scoring punch in their top six.
Sounds like it’s time for Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford to pick up the phone and call their old friend, Kraken general manager Jason Botterill.
Multiple NHL insiders reported last week that the Kraken were open to trading Shane Wright in exchange for scoring help in their top-six.
And, wouldn’t you know it, one of the NHL’s best offensive players from two years ago may be available.
So, how the heck did two top-five overall picks wind up here?
Unlike Pettersson, Shane Wright has had a more subdued start to his NHL career ever since being drafted fourth overall by the Kraken in 2022.
While Pettersson had an unreal 10 goals in his first 10 career NHL games, it took Wright 40 games across three seasons to reach the same number.
He has 69 career points in 146 NHL games. Pettersson had 66 points in 71 games during his first NHL season, en route to the Calder Trophy.
Despite their varying paths, both players are now stuck in uncertain situations.
Wright has seen his ice time and production drop under the new Kraken head coach, Lane Lambert. The 22-year-old is stuck in a sheltered, third-line role behind pivots Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson. So far this season, Wright has seven goals and 18 points in 51 games.
Pettersson’s trials and tribulations in Vancouver are well known. While he once looked like an NHL superstar, the 27-year-old’s speed and offensive production have both dipped drastically.
However, Pettersson is still a far superior player to Wright at this stage of his career. And, for a Kraken team desperate to finally make some noise in the Western Conference. Perhaps that holds merit.
Although his offense has dipped, Pettersson has still shown that he can finish his limited scoring chances. According to Hockey Stats, Pettersson’s finishing ability is in the 86th percentile of all NHL players.
He’s also faced some of the toughest matchups in the league and has largely held his own in those minutes.
Wright, meanwhile, has been one of Seattle’s worst defensive players despite playing in a heavily sheltered role.
So, is there actually a potential fit between the Canucks and Kraken for a trade involving Wright and Pettersson?
From the Canucks perspective, the fit is easy to envision. Vancouver has struggled immensely to find talented, young centres who can stay healthy. Betting on a 22-year-old who can grow into a top-six role also fits in with how the organization has operated of late. Call it a hybrid retool, if you will.
For the Kraken, there could be some interest in betting on a good player to return to superstar form. Seattle has lacked big-name players in their market, and Pettersson would surely be motivated to stick it to the Canucks if he were to join the Kraken.
Also, waiving a no-move clause might be more appealing for someone like Pettersson if the move is just two hours down the highway.
If the two teams were to pull this trade off, what would the parameters look like?
While a straight-up Wright for Pettersson swap would appease a portion of the Canucks fanbase, that’s not something rooted in reality based on the value of these two players.
But, considering Pettersson’s contract risk, how much more could Vancouver ask for from Seattle?
Seattle does have four first-round picks in the next two drafts, with the other two, aside from their own, belonging to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Could the Canucks aim to snag a late first and Wright in exchange for Pettersson? Considering the risk with Pettersson’s contract if he doesn’t return to star form, asking for anything more is unrealistic.
There’s also the possibility that the Canucks could juice the return by taking on an unfavourable contract. While Seattle is projected to have the cap space to take on Pettersson’s contract by the deadline, they currently have just $4.5 million in cap space.
Chandler Stephenson has been a defensive nightmare and a middling five-on-five player. His seven-year contract, worth $6.25 million per season, looked like a mistake from the moment it was signed in July 2024.
Like Pettersson, Stephenson does have a no-move clause, complicating a potential deal.
Some type of trade involving Pettersson for Wright, Stephenson and a late first-round pick could not only bring Seattle a potential star who could rebound, but it would also rid them of their most inefficient contract.
Not sure how Wright would feel about that deal, considering Stephenson has been a major blockade for him getting top-six minutes. At least in Vancouver, there’s no playoff push to worry about.
While a trade involving Wright for Pettersson would be a major, cojones-swinging deal for both clubs, the fit isn’t perfect.
And, the thought of either player bouncing back with a division rival club might be too much for either team to stomach.
But hey, swinging a blockbuster trade like this would certainly inject some animosity between the two teams amid NHL mediocrity in the Pacific Northwest.
