The rumors of Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright hitting the trade block have blown up over the last few days. The hype has gotten to the point where pundits across the board have begun speculating about where Wright could land.
That hype led insider Elliotte Friedman to float a 1-for-1 deal between the Kraken and Rangers. During Friday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman suggested that the Rangers and Kraken could swap former top picks, namely a 1-for-1 deal involving Alexis Lafrenière for Wright.
On the surface, the deal makes sense. Lafrenière could use a change of scenery, while the Rangers could use a young center.
However, the trade idea is just off the rails.
Yes, both Lafrenière and Wright are former top picks. Wright was the fourth-overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft. At one point, Wright was considered the top pick of his draft class. However, his stock slid as the draft got closer, eventually landing at number four to Seattle.
The Kraken thought they were getting the steal of the century. Alas, that hasn’t quite materialized. While Wright scored 19 goals in 44 points in this first full season, he hasn’t been the top-six center the Kraken had envisioned. That’s something that may not necessarily translate in New York. Wright would have to compete behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. And while that situation would take plenty of pressure off Wright to perform, it could hinder his overall development.
Additionally, selling so low on Lafrenière would be something Rangers fans would immediately hiss at. Even if Lafrenière hasn’t turned into the high-end scorer the Blueshirts would have hoped for, he’s still a valuable piece. The rising cap will make his contract look much more palatable with time.
Then, there’s the chance that Lafrenière could evolve into a much better offensive player elsewhere. That’s why a 1-for1 swap doesn’t make sense. Perhaps Wright plus other pieces might make the move more sensible. A high draft pick and another prospect might get the needle moving.
Otherwise, the Rangers might be better off exploring a Lafrenière trade in the offseason. Yes, there might be a contending team out there looking at Lafrenière as a solid depth piece. The Rangers might still circle back to Wright at some point in the offseason. But that conversation would be much different under those circumstances.
Wright in New York makes sense, but not if it means selling low on Lafrenière.