Kraken News and Rumors: Wright Trade Talks, Free Agency and More – Hockey Writers – Seattle Kraken

The excitement of the 2026-27 season begins, with the draft and the start of free agency now upon us. The Seattle Kraken have been relatively quiet during the offseason, but there are still stories and rumors surrounding the team.

Wright Will Be Delivered This Summer

One of the biggest stories to come out of the past few days of free agency was the announcement of the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet for Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson. The offer sheet includes an annual average value (AAV) contract of $18 billion, and in exchange, the Ducks will receive four first-round picks from the Flyers if they decide not to match.

Elliotte Friedman shared an article late on July 3, explaining how much this offer sheet will affect the NHL. While this news has been troubling almost everyone in the NHL, the second half of this article will be a tough break for Kraken fans. Finally, Friedman shared that Shane Wright and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, were in talks with Kraken management to sign him before the end of the summer. Friedman shared this quote about the situation:

“I can confirm that we had good discussions with GM Jason Botterill, and he agreed to move Shane this summer to a team that needs a top center,” Wright’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, said on Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time Wright has been in trade talks, as he was rumored to be part of a trade for Artemi Panarin before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, according to the same article Friedman shared about Carlsson’s offer sheet. Jason Robertson also turned down a big offer from Kraken, an eight-year contract with an AAV of $15 million. It turns out the Krakens were going to give up their seventh pick in the 2026 Draft, and the players are involved. While the list of players in the sign-and-trade phase has never been announced, it’s safe to assume that Wright would have been a part of that deal.

The question being asked is where Wright will end up. It would be ironic for him to head to the Montreal Canadiens, given that he was originally the first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, which would have sent him to Montreal. Instead, the Canadians chose Juraj Slafkovsky.

Wherever Wright lands, I hope he gets the ice time he’s been waiting for.

Kraken Lose and Gain in Free Agency

The Kraken have now lost two more members of their 2021-22 roster. Forward Jaden Schwartz and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak signed with two new teams. Schwartz signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche, while Oleksiak signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

The only remaining members of the Kraken’s starting lineup from the past six seasons are Jordan Eberle, Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Joey Daccord, and Philipp Grubauer. These six players are still stuck in Seattle, hoping to try to help build a winning culture.

Although the Kraken lost two players, they gained one. They signed forward Curtis Douglas to a two-year contract on the first day of free agency. Douglas played in 43 NHL games last season, 29 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and 14 with the Canucks, and recorded four points.

Douglas has the option of making it full-time with the Kraken or playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Either way, the 6-foot-9 forward will certainly find a way to make an impact within the Kraken organization.

Firebirds Assistant Trainer Rises in Career Level

The Firebirds announced that their assistant coach, Stu Bickel, has been named the head coach of the Iowa Wild. Bickel has been an AHL assistant coach since the 2021-22 season. He first served as an assistant coach for the Springfield Thunderbirds for one season before joining the Firebirds’ staff in their inaugural season, 2022-23. Since the group was founded.

Bickel has been an integral part of the Firebirds coaching staff for both head coaches, Dan Bylsma and Derek Laxdal. We wish Bickel the best of luck in his new role with the Wild.