The Nashville Predators traded forward Matthew Wood to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward Shane Wright in a one-for-one deal on Nov. 1.
The deal sees the Predators gain a 22-year-old center in exchange for a 21-year-old center.
Wood, 21, had one goal and two assists in 14 games for the Predators this season. Since he was drafted in the first round (No. 15 overall) in 2023, the right-handed center has 18 goals and 16 assists in 91 career games.
Wood is in the third year of his entry-level contract. He will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Wright, 22, has three goals and one assist in 14 games for the Kraken this season. He was selected No. 4 overall in 2022 and has 39 goals and 43 assists in 183 games for Seattle in five seasons. He's
also in Year 3 of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer.
“We are excited to add Shane to our mix of forwards,” MacFarland said in a news release. “We feel he will bring a strong two-way game to our team and will add to the pace of our lineup."
The biggest difference between these players is size: Wood is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Wright is 6-0 and 190 pounds. MacFarland's reference to "pace" in the release indicates he wants to get faster up the middle — Wood's skating and speed were always a drawback, even if he had the size and shooting ability to make up for it.
Wright should come in and immediately slot into the middle of the Predators' lineup, either as the second- or third-line center. He could see his Predators debut on Tuesday, Nov. 3 when the Carolina Hurricanes visit Bridgestone Arena.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at @alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators trade Matthew Wood to Seattle Kraken for Shane Wright
