Why the Maple Leafs should target Shane Wright to kickstart retool

If the Leafs want to retool smartly, they would also be wise to target younger players with NHL experience who can help extend the contention window and act as the buffer between the next generation. Which makes the timing of the Seattle Kraken being open to trading forward Shane Wright perfect for the Leafs.

The Leafs would be wise to be all over this for a multitude of reasons, with the primary one being that Wright would make a ton of sense for right now and down the line as they get back into their contention window. He is only 22 years old and has a ton of room to grow into becoming a dynamic two-way player in his own right. Being a right-shot centre would be a helpful addition to the Leafs, who mostly have left-shot centremen on their roster. If they play their cards right, Wright can eventually take the load off the aging John Tavares to become the Leafs’ second-line centre of the future.

The fourth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft still possesses a ton of upside despite taking a step back in his offensive production compared to last year. Wright was coming off a 44-point (19 goals and 25 assists) campaign in 2024-25 and currently has just 19 points (nine goals and 11 assists) in 53 games at the time of filing.

Part of why his offensive numbers are down is that Seattle’s coaches inexplicably do not trust him despite his high-end talent, ranking as the Kraken’s 12th most-used forward on average since his rookie season. It’s hard for him to really take major strides in his development when he is forced to only play against the opposition’s bottom-six and isn’t challenged to tackle the higher-end players. That’s not to suggest he is ready to carry the load of a line from an offensive standpoint just yet, but he won’t be able to round out his game in a major way if he continues to be managed by the Kraken.

Seattle’s lack of organizational direction is something the Leafs can take advantage of as they commit to the retool and remagine the makeup of the team. Wright is a raw talent who has a high ceiling and can provide more if he is given a better opportunity to succeed. Given how much talent will remain on the forwards that the Leafs decide to retain through this retool, the opportunity for Wright to take the next step in his development is ripe for the taking.

A package of Wright plus a draft pick in exchange for one of the aforementioned players could be enough to get a deal done, though it depends on which player ends up going the other way. It might be in GM Brad Treliving’s best interest to have McMann be the centrepiece of this trade since he would be a rental, and it could help fetch them an additional asset out of the deal.

If they can get Wright into the fold, the Leafs could start off having Wright play third-line minutes but also grant him some auditions on the second line when William Nylander returns from injury. They would need to kickstart the ascension of Wright becoming their second line centre of the future since Tavares has started to lose a step this season and could benefit from a reduced role. It would also put the Leafs’ centre-depth in a better position going forward while also assembling it in a way that makes more sense.

For a Leafs team that could benefit greatly from committing to a retool, Wright would represent the start of the transition phase of the Matthews era and help get the ball in motion on reopening the contention window down the line.

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