For Chris MacFarland, the opportunity to strengthen the Nashville Predators’ center depth was too good to pass up.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into these trades and this was one was no different,” MacFarland said at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 2, one day after trading forward Matthew Wood to the Seattle Kraken for forward Shane Wright.
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“What makes it interesting is it’s two young players that are in the young stages of their careers,” MacFarland added.
Exchanging Wood, 21, for Wright, 22, was about adding more speed and defensive responsibility to the Predators lineup. MacFarland added that the plan is for Wright to immediately slot as a top-six center.
“They’re both good young hockey players, but we feel (Wright) is a natural center and we like his pace,” MacFarland said. “He’s shown early in his career that he’s got a good floor as a defensive player.”
Coming off a 5-4 shootout with over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 31, the Predators (5-4-5, 15 points) are in sixth place in the Central Division. The offense has been led by a potent power play, which ranks fifth in the league, but the defensive side of the ice has been concerning for MacFarland.
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“The middle of the ice is something that we’re going to stress here,” he said. “You’ve got to be strong in the middle of the ice, and you’ve got to have a back end that can move pucks and defend hard and get out of the zone and get the puck to your forwards quick. We have to be better at that.”
Wright’s arrival in Nashville comes after five tough years in Seattle. After being selected No. 4 overall by the Kraken in 2022, Wright bounced between the NHL, AHL, and OHL for three seasons, until finally being an every day player in 2025.
Rumors were circling as early as last season that Wright wanted a change of scenery. Now that it’s happened, Wright talked briefly about the trade after practice on Nov. 2.
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“I wouldn’t say we requested a trade,” he explained. “For me, I just wanted a little more opportunity. I wanted to have more minutes, to play a bigger role. Whether that was in Seattle or somewhere else. But yeah, moving on from that situation, I’m happy to be here.”
As a top pick, Wright may have felt pressure to instantly produce for the Kraken. Wright’s production wasn’t terrible, but also not impressive: He scored 82 points (39 goals and 43 assists) in 183 games while averaging 13:42 ice time per game.
Once the trade went through, MacFarland talked directly with Wright, addressing the pressure that comes with being a top pick.
“I told (Wright) last night, your game is good,” he said. “You don’t need to have the weight of the world on you. You’re not the fourth overall pick anymore. That was years ago. What you are is a good hockey player, and you still have growth in your game. We want you to come in here and feel a part of it and what we’re trying to build”
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Wright’s first game with Nashville should come on Nov. 3 when the Carolina Hurricanes visit Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m. CT, The Spot Nashville 28).
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Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com, follow him on X at@alexdaugherty1 or check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Predators’ GM Chris MacFarland told Shane Wright after surprising trade
