LA Kings Need to Look at Seattle’ Shane Wright
With the 2026 NHL trade deadline approaching, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland is searching for a player or players to help keep the team in contention for a playoff spot.
One of the voids is the center, which could be a position most teams want to fill.
Holland should take a look at young star Shane Wright of the Seattle Kraken.
The Kings have the pieces to make a big move, and this could be it.
The Kings have struggled this season with scoring, consistency, and in the neutral zone. A player of Wright’s caliber could fill the voids left in these areas and help in other ways. The Kings may be desperate to find a player with his skill set, as the team could look drastically different down the middle next season.
This season will be Anze Kopitar’s last season. Youngster Quinton Byfield is expected to take the role of first-line center, followed by Alex Turcotte and Samuel Helenius. One problem here is that all of the centers of the roster are left-handed shots. Wright is also young, as the Kings as a whole are the second-oldest team in the league, with an average age of 29.
Kopitar will be gone. Byfield does not seem ready for the spotlight just yet. Helenius is more of a fourth-line winger than a center. Turcotte has potential but is not top-line center-worthy. Wright could do a lot in the second center spot and carry himself quite well. He would have some weapons, as his linemates may include Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere.
Wright could fix the right-handed center role, and he would make the Kings a bit younger on paper. He is a solid two-way player and can contribute offensively. This season for Seattle, he has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points. That total would place him ninth in the Kings’ scoring, ahead of players like Trevor Moore, Drew Doughty, Turcotte, Warren Foegele, and Helenius.
Wright was a high draft pick, being selected fourth overall in 2022. If he is, in fact, available, expect a high asking price. Los Angeles has assets, along with 10 draft picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, to be dealt if need be. Acquiring a player like Wright will cost Los Angeles, but they need a player of his caliber going forward. A trade to the Kings could cost them some valuable pieces and picks.
Assuming he is dealt to the Kings, one would have to imagine a few talks about a new contract would take place.
He will be a restricted free agent in 2027-28 and is playing under a contract that sees him earn $887,000 per season.
He may want a pay raise based on his play in the NHL so far, and the Kings have a projected cap space of $5.297 this season if a deal between the two teams is reached.
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