Shane Wright learned he had been traded at 2 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. The 22-year-old quickly went home to pack and hopped on a direct flight to Nashville departing at 5:30 pm.

“Managed to make the flight, so pretty hectic day, but glad I got in last night,” the newest member of the Predators told reporters Monday.

Wright and his agent reportedly requested a trade from Seattle. However, Wright disputed that narrative after his first practice in Nashville. “I wouldn’t say we requested a trade,” Wright responded when asked to confirm when he made his trade request.

So, what did happen?

I spoke with Ann Kimmel, Predators beat writer and host of “Second Intermission with Ann Kimmel,” on Monday. Watch the full conversation, where we discussed:

• What did Wright and Nashville general manager Chris MacFarland had to say about the trade?

• Who is Matthew Wood?

• Did Nashville or Seattle win this trade?

You can watch or listen to the full interview on the 206 Sports Collective podcast by Black Rosie Media.

Doing Wrong by Wright?

In five seasons in Seattle, Wright logged 13:42 Time on Ice per game. He averaged 13:42 of ice time per game in 14 games this season is the highest of his career. Additionally, Wright was one of three young centers the Kraken drafted high, alongside Matty Beniers (No. 2 overall pick in 2021) and Berkly Catton (No. 8 overall pick in 2024). However, when Wright overwhelmingly played bottom six minutes at the wing position in Seattle.

Once projected to go first overall in the 2022 NHL draft, the Canadian forward watched from the stands as the Montreal Canadiens selected Olympian Juraj Slafkovsky. The Seattle Kraken drafted Wright with the fourth overall pick. Wright began the 2022-23 season with the Kraken but was sent to AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, after five consecutive games as a healthy scratch.

Wright, 18 at the time, went to the Firebirds on a 14-day conditioning loan. The move got around the NHL-CHL agreement, which requires teenage CHL draftees to return to junior hockey rather than be assigned to the AHL. On his 19th birthday, he captained Canada to gold at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He finished the season in the OHL with Windsor before joining Coachella Valley for its Calder Cup Final run.

Fresh Start in Smashville

Wright spent most of the 2023-24 season in the AHL. He appeared in 16 NHL games his first two years and recorded five goals and two assists. By the 2024-25 season, Wright was a Kraken mainstay, but mostly as a bottom-six winger. The move to Nashville could mark a return to his natural position in the center of the ice.

“I played mostly wing this year. I played most of my life at center, but felt pretty comfortable at the wing,” Wright said Monday. According to Kimmel, Wright centered Predators’ second-line wingers Filip Forsberg and Nils Höglander during his first practice.

While Wright maintains he didn’t request a trade, it is clear he was seeking more opportunities. “I just always wanted a little more opportunity. I wanted to have more minutes, wanted to play a bigger role,” he told reporters Monday.

“Whether that was in Seattle or somewhere else, I was happy to do that. Now moving on from that situation, really happy to be here,” he added.

Getting To Know Matthew Wood

Matthew Wood is a promising young forward expected to participate in his first Kraken practice Tuesday morning. Kimmel described the 6-foot-4 Canadian as a student of the game and a self-starter.

“Last season, he sat in on all of the penalty kill meetings. He does not play the penalty kill, but he just wanted to learn more about penalty killing. This season, he got time on the penalty kill,” Kimmel said. This level of commitment will impress his new coach, Lane Lambert.

Kimmel says Kraken fans should not be alarmed by Wood’s one goal and two assists in 14 games this season. “Last season, he played 71 games, had 17 goals, really a fantastic season in shooting percentage,” she said. “His shooting percentage (16.6%) was in that Stamkos, Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly area. That’s when he was playing on the wing.”

The young forward’s ability to score should grant him opportunities in the Kraken system. With Jared McCann out for at least 10 weeks, adding a skater who can shoot and has size like Wood is what Seattle needs. Should he match his shooting percentage from last season, the 21-year-old would rank among the Kraken’s top five shot producers.

Wood will debut for the Kraken Wednesday as the team hosts the Calgary Flames at Climate Pledge Arena. The team will play the New York Rangers Saturday before playing a two-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Finland November 12 and November 14.

Follow Black Rosie Media on YouTube for more exclusive interviews and analysis on the Seattle Kraken.