Welcome to a mid-week edition of Around the NHL, where league activity continues to pick up across the board. During a summer where the Toronto Maple Leafs have revamped every level of the organization, the rest of the NHL are still making moves, with a few prominent free agents still on the board.

Shane Wright demanded a trade from the Seattle Kraken, and now his preferences are beginning to emerge. Wright reportedly prefers a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, Ben Kuzma of Postmedia reports. Wright has been a popular trade candidate, and should be a player that the Maple Leafs target due to his age, upside and defensive acumen. The 22-year-old hasn’t met the hype cast upon him after being selected fourth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, recording 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games last season.

Wright also profiles as a defensively responsible centre who is still a few seasons away from his prime. He was granted exceptional status into the Ontario Hockey League and has been on the national radar since he was 15 years old. Wright can surely handle the spotlight that the Maple Leafs, or any Canadian market holds. Vancouver could be an intriguing landing spot for Wright, as it looks to rebuild completely, while sporting arguably the least-talented roster in the NHL.

Braden Schneider signed a one-year contract extension with the New York Rangers, reportedly worth $5.5 million. Schneider posted two goals and 18 points in 82 games last season. The 24-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and is a core piece of the Rangers’ rebuilding efforts. Schneider is a reliable defensive presence who can play on the penalty kill, and gained valuable playoff experience during New York’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022.

Both parties hope Schneider bounces back, at least from an analytical standpoint. New York controlled 43 percent of the expected goals, with a minus-nine goal differential when Schneider was on the ice at 5-on-5 last season, but that’s also a function of how poorly the team performed overall. Schneider will be compelling to watch this year, with his new contract set to expire next summer.

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