As expected, Alex Wennberg has been traded by the Seattle Kraken. We’ve expected this to be the outcome for a while, and this move became a foregone conclusion when the team held Wennberg out of the lineup Monday and Tuesday for “trade-related reasons.” The only questions left to answer were: A.) Where would he end up? And B.) What would Seattle get back for him?
Those questions are now answered. For Wennberg, the Kraken received a second-round pick in 2024 and fourth-round pick in 2025 (DAL) from the New York Rangers. Seattle also retained 50 percent of Wennberg’s salary.
The Swedish center has been a fixture for the Kraken, playing 222 games for Seattle since signing as a free agent prior to the franchise’s inaugural season. He only missed two games during his time with the Kraken and racked up exactly 100 points. Only Adam Larsson has played more games in franchise history.
Wennberg was a key piece
Alex Wennberg was relied upon in all game situations and led all Kraken forwards with an average ice time of 18:25 per game over his three seasons.
The versatile center came to Seattle after signing a $13.5-million deal just after the Expansion Draft in July, 2021. This is a key point to think about when remembering Wennberg’s time in Seattle, because he chose to be one of the team’s first players and helped develop a hard-working culture for the organization.
Personally, I had hoped Wennberg would re-sign in Seattle. But since a deal had not been inked yet, it was becoming less and less likely the Kraken would be able to bring him back. So, general manager Ron Francis decided it was best to make a move and recoup what he could, the right decision in the end.
Since Wennberg got pulled from the lineup before Monday’s game in Calgary, Jared McCann has stepped into the role of second-line center and has done an outstanding job through two games, scoring five points, including two short-handed tallies and three assists. Shane Wright is waiting in the wings in Coachella Valley, and we would guess he’ll spend some time with the Kraken before the season is done.
Digging into Kraken lore, Wennberg was a key contributor to the Kraken’s first ever playoff victory against the Colorado Avalanche on April 18, 2023. Although Wennberg excels defensively, he had a two-point performance that night, including the game-winner and an assist. Wennberg was named the first star and helped set the tone for the series, which the Kraken went on to win in seven games.
Here are a couple other fun plays Wennberg made recently, just because…
On the defensive side of the ice, Wennberg led the team in both takeaways at 178 and takeaways minus giveaways at 96. “Best friend of the Pod,” Alison Lukan, wrote a great article on this topic last year.
Wennberg will be missed for his solid play on the boards, quick hands with the puck, defensive reliability, and occasional no-bucket warm-ups (you knew his hair was on point if he came out without a helmet). The penalty killing specialist led the franchise in blocked shots for forwards with 172, which was 33 more than Brandon Tanev, who was in second place. Blocking that many shots and only missing two games in three seasons is an impressive feat.
If you have consistently read Sound Of Hockey articles, you will know that the we are pro-Wennberg, and that his contributions will be missed. We wish Alex Wennberg all best with the New York Rangers. We definitely will be watching (and perhaps shedding a tear) when Wennberg makes a return appearance to Climate Pledge Arena.