The partnership between the New York Rangers and the Seattle Kraken has seemingly grown pretty close. The Kraken were not too far from bringing in Artemi Panarin. Heck, the Rangers would have gotten a much better deal from Seattle. But we all know how that deal turned out.
But missing out on Panarin might not have soured the relationship between the Kraken and Rangers. In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle suggests New York could team up with Seattle to pull off a deal involving Shane Wright.
It’s worth pointing out that the knee-jerk reaction was a 1-for-1 swap, sending Wright to New York with Alexis Lafrenière heading the other way.
That deal was so evident that it pretty much had zero chance of happening. The Kraken want a proven gamebreaker, as Mirtle put it, with Lafreniere not quite being that guy. In fact, Mirtle suggests the Kraken could be eyeing another Rangers’ forward: Vincent Trocheck.
Trocheck makes a ton of sense for Seattle. They’re looking to solidify their position as a playoff team this season. But they don’t really have a high-end scoring forward. That’s why they wanted Panarin. But the next best thing could be Trocheck.
Of course, it’s tough to envision a 1-for-1 Wright-for-Trocheck deal. Wright would be part of the return, plus other pieces. Such a trade would make a lot of sense for both sides.
Why Wright could flourish with the Rangers
As for Wright landing in New York, Mirtle offered this assessment:
“Wright just turned 22 and has the high IQ that could allow him to develop into more of an offensive threat over time, especially if given more opportunity than the 13 minutes and change he’s had per night in Seattle this season. This could be a change of scenery deal on both sides, and sometimes those can pay off with surprising results.”
A rebuilding Rangers’ squad would be willing to give Wright the opportunity to play top-six minutes. Plus, playing under a coach like Mike Sullivan could be just what the doctor ordered.
In addition, the change of scenery for Wright could go a long way. While there would certainly be more pressure to perform in New York, he could shake off the “bust” label he’s seemingly gotten in Seattle.
If things work out, the Rangers could have two 20-somethings teaming up in Lafreniere and Wright. Seeing both clicking on the same line would be reason enough to ignite Rangers fans' hopes.
While losing Trocheck would be tough, the potential return could help the Blueshirts recover from the botched Panarin trade.