NHL Rumours: Wright to Jets, Werenski’s Future & Sharks Taking Rielly – The Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with the Seattle Kraken, who could send forward Shane Wright to the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the draft. Next, we look at Zach Werenski and his future with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Will he want out, or will he be looking for a big extension?

Finally, the San Jose Sharks could be interested in taking Morgan Rielly from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it could be a blockbuster.

Proposed Wright to Jets Trade Could Happen at Draft

In a recent mock trade article, The Athletic’s Murat Ates was asked about a potential deal regarding Wright, with the proposed offer being the eighth overall pick from Winnipeg going to Seattle in exchange for Wright and a second-round pick. (from Winnipeg Jets ‘Who says no?’ mailbag: Breaking down your Hellebuyck deals and more, The Athletic, June 13, 2026)

Normally, mock trades are a fun way to explore some possibilities, and in the case of Ates’ article, it would be a good way to get some feedback from someone who is very familiar with the Jets’ organization.

Ates offered more than just his thoughts on this proposed trade, and received feedback from an NHL executive and a former NHL executive, who, of course, went unnamed.

One person Ates spoke with figures that the price is close, but not something the Jets should be looking for, while the other thinks this would be the perfect kind of move for them, depending on who is available with the eighth pick.

As the former executive said, the Jets need to be looking at young, cost-controlled players, and at 22 years old, that is exactly what Wright is. He hasn’t broken out into a true star yet, but the signs are still there. He certainly could have a very bright future ahead of him in the NHL, and the Jets could look to bring him in.

Could Werenski Look to Leave Columbus?

After Dylan Larkin’s name flooded social media, some people were starting to wonder if Werenski could look to move on from the Blue Jackets in a similar fashion. Werenski is now 10 seasons into his NHL career, has a Norris Trophy and an Olympic gold medal. What he doesn’t have is a Stanley Cup, or even a good shot at one.

What the Blue Jackets are doing is promising. They had 89 and 92 points in each of the last two seasons, and are on the verge of breaking into the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference is very competitive, and the Blue Jackets haven’t been able to find their gap.

With many success stories, headlined by Werenski, the Blue Jackets are looking at winning now, and not another rebuild. Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, and Denton Mateychuk are a group of youth who could lead the way with the group of solid veterans surrounding them, but does Werenski feel like the team is good enough?

Every indication from Werenski suggests he is happy in Columbus, and he just had the best season of his career. The wrinkle in that is that the Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs in each of the last six seasons.

He has two seasons left under contract and will be eligible for an extension next offseason.

There is a trend of Team USA Olympians looking to go to the marquee franchises right now, including the Vegas Golden Knights and the two teams in Florida. The Minnesota Wild aren’t quite to that calibre, but it is no coincidence that they are coming up in these conversations, as they are run by general manager Bill Guerin, who assembled the Team USA roster.

This isn’t a concern right now, but it is certainly a story to keep an eye on.

Potential Rielly to Sharks Deal Heating Up

The Sharks have a pretty uninspiring long-term outlook on their blue line. With Dmitri Orlov and Sam Dickinson being the only NHL-calibre defensemen signed, they have a lot of work to do to rebuild that group. Luckily for them, they have lots of cap space and trade assets.

One name linked to the Sharks is Rielly, according to Sheng Peng. The Maple Leafs have been working on moving him for a while, but it appears that this offseason is going to be when the move is finally made.

Rielly has a lot of positive assets. While he is often one of the scapegoats in Toronto, joining a team like the Sharks will allow them to build around him and his veteran presence to help some younger defensemen working through the system.

What does the trade package look like for Rielly? Nobody seems too sure. He certainly has positive trade value, and the Maple Leafs should be able to move him without retaining any salary, though he might not fetch a massive return.

With four more seasons at $7.5 million, it is a big deal to bring in; however, if he were an unrestricted free agent this offseason, it is hard to imagine him getting much less than that on the open market.

There have been talks that Matthew Knies was going to be dealt, but with a new management regime, they may pivot away from doing that, which is probably the smarter decision.

If the Maple Leafs were to move Knies, would a package including him and Rielly to the Sharks make sense for the second-overall pick?