With the compressed schedule wrecking its havoc and the Flyers playing like the wheels are coming off, it might be time for one of those fun trades we have been hearing so much about.
Who would be the partner? The Seattle Kraken are looking like playoff contenders and want to solidify themselves to earn a ticket to the postseason. They're a Wild Card team at the moment, but could vault into one of the divisional playoff spots with just a couple of wins. They've decided the cost of that is worth Shane Wright.
The information comes from a recent report from David Pagnotta. Wright was the Kraken's first round pick in the 2022 Draft. Wright was a player projected to possibly go first overall. His drop to fourth was a draft night surprise and considered a windfall for the young franchise. However, his development has frustrated the Kraken, and it seems like ever since day 1, the fit has seemed forced. Now the rumors are abound that the Kraken are willing to move on from Wright for the right price.
The Kraken are looking for a top 6 forward, and possibly even someone who could fit in on their top line. The Flyers have some players who could fit that mold, and have enough draft picks to toss around that they could sweeten the pot enough to get Wright, a player once granted exceptional status to play major junior hockey in the OHL at just 15 years old.
Two Flyers forwards have been bandied about as tradeable this year. First, you have Owen Tippett. Tippett is perhaps already the player that you would want Wright to become in a well-rounded scorer who can bring a physical aspect to the ice. Wright also can take faceoffs, which adds some value, but Tippett is still waiting to play with a great setup man consistently, which could unlock even more goals from him.
If you don't want to sell Tippett, the next man up trade-wise could be Bobby Brink. Brink can play probably anywhere in the top 9 and contribute, and would present an intruging option as a young player who can grow with Seattle.
Now, Brink's pedigree isn't quite as high as Tippett's or Wright's, so the Flyers might have to go into their depth of picks in the 2027 Draft if that's how they want to get the deal done. In that draft they have a total of 8 draft picks, 2 of which are first-round picks, and 2 of which are third-round picks.
Based on the returns from Wright, whom Brink has outscored in a similar number of games, you'd have more than enough to whet the appetite of Seattle. The question is, do you want to take the gamble and get rid of Brink, who, along with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, forms one of the Flyers' best lines (when they're all healthy), and Tippett, who looks ready to settle into the role of a 25 to 30 goal a year power forward.
Seattle could very well want a more established player, or someone considered a star, and leave the Flyers out in the cold. We do know that Shane Wright still has the potential to reach superstar heights in the NHL, but after his developmental stallout in Seattle, making a move for him now seems like a risk you'll have to greatly consider before taking.