Rangers Miss Out as Predators Acquire Shane Wright
On November 2, the Nashville Predators acquired center Shane Wright from the Seattle Kraken for forward Matthew Wood, ending a possible route for the New York Rangers to address a lineup need.
The Rangers have been seeking help at center, where their organizational depth is limited. The need became more pressing after Joe Veleno, the team’s fourth center, was injured. For a while, New York had no fourth center, then signed 37-year-old Luke Glendening as a free agent.
Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, had been linked to the Rangers during the summer and around the start of the regular season. Instead, Seattle sent the 22-year-old to Nashville in exchange for Wood, who was selected 15th overall in 2023.
Predators general manager Chris MacFarland said Wright would bring a two-way game and more pace to the team’s forwards. He added that Nashville expects the young player to keep developing.
Wright has scored 29 goals and recorded 43 assists in 183 NHL games. This season, he has won 50 percent of his faceoffs, compared with a 43 percent career rate, and has recorded 13 high-danger scoring attempts. His finishing has been identified as an area for improvement.
Wright’s potential made him an appealing possible addition for New York, but acquiring him could have required the Rangers to give up a player such as Gabe Perreault. The team was not in a position to do that, leaving it to look elsewhere for center help.