Seattle Kraken have made it clear what they want for Shane Wright

Speaking on 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman laid out exactly where the front office stands on trading the former fourth overall pick.

That framing matters. Wright's numbers dipped last season, finishing with 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games after a promising 44-point rookie campaign the year before.

A coaching change under Lane Lambert pushed him into more of a checking role, and his ice time settled around 13:48 a night on a roster where Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers carried the offensive load.

On paper, that decline could suggest a team ready to sell low. Friedman's comments say otherwise.

Seattle still sees a 22-year-old right-shot center with the pedigree of a No. 4 pick, and GM Jason Botterill wants other teams to pay for that upside, not last season's stat line.

That stance puts interested teams in a tricky spot. Wright checks a box that's increasingly hard to fill around the league: a young, right-handed pivot with size and offensive pedigree.

Teams looking to get younger down the middle have circled his name for months, but Seattle's refusal to discount him means any deal likely requires a legitimate prospect, a first-round pick, or a young roster piece already producing at the NHL level.

Until that price is met, expect Wright's situation to remain a slow burn rather than a quick resolution.

Seattle isn't desperate, and Friedman's report suggests the Kraken are comfortable waiting out the market until the return matches what they still believe Wright can become.

That patience could work in Seattle's favor as the season unfolds. If Wright produces again under a full camp with Lambert's system installed, his value only climbs. For rival GMs, the message is simple. Calling about Wright is easy. Getting him for less than full price won't be.

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