Shane Wright and Lane Lambert are heading toward a Seattle split that will not come cheap.
That is the real weight in Elliotte Friedman's latest read. Team and agent appear aligned on working toward a trade, but Seattle has made it clear it expects a fair price.
And that changes the whole mood around this file.
This is not the Kraken dumping a player who failed. It is the Kraken telling the league that a 22-year-old right-shot center with pedigree still carries real value.
Wright's 2025-26 numbers explain why teams keep calling and why Seattle still thinks it can hold the line. He finished with 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games.
Those totals are not star-level output. They are still enough to keep belief alive on a player taken 4th overall in 2022.
Seattle also can point to the roster context. Wright averaged 13:48 a night on a club where Jordan Eberle led the team with 55 points and Matty Beniers had 50.
" Elliotte Friedman: Re Shane Wright/Kraken: Executives who've spoken to Seattle said there's obviously an agreement between team and agent to work together [on a trade], but the Kraken made it extremely clear they expect a fair price - Sportsnet (7/3) "
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Elliotte Friedman just confirmed the Shane Wright situation is getting serious fast
That is why Friedman's “fair price” line matters so much. Seattle is not pricing Shane Wright like a 27-point forward. It is pricing him like a young center who still could become much more.
That is also why outside teams cannot expect a discount just because both sides seem ready for a fresh start.
If Nashville, Vancouver, or Montreal really want in, they are not buying low on a broken player. They are trying to buy before another jump changes the number again. That is the gamble.
From Seattle's side, that is a smart stance. A young center with 169 NHL games already played is not something you move for soft futures and call it patience.
Lambert's first season behind the Kraken bench also sharpens the decision. A new coach can want a cleaner fit right away, but the organization still has to make sure it is not solving one roster question by creating a bigger regret.
So this is where it sits now. Shane Wright looks available, Seattle looks open, and the market has been warned that the Kraken are not desperate.
That makes the next step simple. If a team wants Shane Wright, it will have to pay for the player Seattle still believes is in there, not just the one the stat line shows today.
Should the Kraken hold out for a big return in any Shane Wright trade?
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