The Pittsburgh Penguins are being tied in potential trade interest to a young center this offseason.
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported Monday “two different sources in the Penguins’ organization” told him Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is “intrigued” by Shane Wright.
Yohe noted, however, “the asking price for Wright is, to put it lightly, substantial, and possibly more than Pittsburgh is willing to pay.”
Wright, who turned 22 in January, was originally selected by the Kraken with the No. 4 pick
of the 2022 draft.
He just wrapped up his second season as a full-time NHLer, during which he recorded 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 74 games as a bottom-six center for a Kraken team that missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
Wright skated 13:48 per game and played on the Kraken’s second power play unit last season, which he is apparently hoping will be his last with the franchise.
His agent Kurt Overhardt told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman earlier this month Kraken general manager Jason Botterill “he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young center.”
Wright is signed through next season on the final year of his entry-level contract before hitting restricted free agency in 2027.
Even given his limited production, taking a swing on a young forward on a cheap expiring contract could be attractive for a few clubs in need of a center. Friedman reported other NHL executives said the Kraken have “made it extremely clear they expect a fair price and won’t be pressured into anything they don’t want to do.”
The Penguins have a few notable organizational ties to the Kraken. There’s Botterill, who worked with the Penguins from 2007 to 2017 before leaving to manage the Buffalo Sabres and later the Kraken.
There’s also Ron Francis, who spent seven seasons with the Kraken as general manager and president of hockey operations before joining the Penguins as a special advisor this offseason. Francis was at the helm when the Kraken drafted Wright in 2022.
If Wright is looking for more ice time, the Penguins could potentially provide him with that in the future. Now that Evgeni Malkin is on the wing, the Pens are heading into next season with Tommy Novak in the middle of the second line, and Ben Kindel is the only young center option in the pipeline.
The Penguins also have a stellar recent track record of picking up players looking for a change of scenery to break them out a slump. Many first-year Penguins including Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, Egor Chinakhov, Parker Wotherspoon and Elmer Söderblom recorded career-high points totals after arriving in Pittsburgh before or during last season.
The Province’s Ben Kuzma reported last week the Vancouver Canucks are Wright’s “preferred destination,” although Wright doesn’t have any trade protections in the final year of his ELC.
Dubas said during the NHL draft last month the Penguins have been interested in trades but “haven’t had the assets to get there.” Whether the Penguins ultimately target Wright as a solution to their center depth issues could depend on what the Kraken are asking to move the 22-year-old ahead of the final year of his rookie contract.
