The Seattle Kraken split two games over the past seven days, with a loss against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and a thrilling overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night. The win broke their four-game losing streak and marked the first time the Kraken have defeated the Golden Knights at Climate Pledge Arena. In the post-game press conference, coach Dan Bylsma described it as the team’s best game of the season—not because it was perfect, but for the way they battled through to come back and win in overtime.
The win against Vegas also gives hope that this team has the skill to make the season interesting. If you want to understand how some fans were feeling, just read the comments from last week’s musings. I’m not prepared to say one win puts this team back on track for the playoffs, but it did showcase its potential. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: this season’s team is better than last season’s, which should put Seattle in a position to play meaningful games in March.
The acquisition of Daniel Sprong
In case you missed it, the Seattle Kraken re-acquired Daniel Sprong on Friday. Sprong is expected to bring a much-needed offensive boost to the lineup, and hopefully, he can recapture the scoring magic he had during the 2022-23 season with the Kraken, when he put up a career-high 21 goals. Darren provided an in-depth breakdown of how Sprong will fit into the team if you need more details. When the trade was made, it seemed likely that Tye Kartye would be the one to come out of the lineup for Sprong, but Kartye had a strong game against Vegas, and his line was one of the best on the ice Friday night. I’m also not sure Sprong would be an ideal fit with those two, so I imagine there could be further line adjustments when he joins the group.
The acquisition of Sprong also creates another issue that will need to be addressed down the line: salary cap compliance. For now, there’s no issue with the Kraken’s cap situation because they’re using the cap relief from Vince Dunn being on long-term injured reserve. During the Kraken pre-game show on Friday night, general manager Ron Francis mentioned that Vince Dunn is about three weeks away from being activated, which delays this issue a bit.
Once Dunn is activated, they’ll need to clear $970K of cap space, which complicates things since Sprong carries a $975K cap hit. Assuming they want to keep Sprong on the roster when Dunn returns, simply sending Josh Mahura down won’t be enough to resolve the issue.
Another option is to make a trade, which I believe has been on the table since the beginning of the season.
Adjusted goal differential
One topic I’ve discussed in the past is adjusted goal differential. This metric measures the difference between goals scored and goals allowed, excluding empty-net goals on both sides. The takeaway from this analysis is that teams close to an even goal differential have about a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs. The more positive the goal differential, the more likely a team is to reach the playoffs.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the Kraken very close to the even mark, currently with a goal differential of negative two.
It’s not a perfect science, but it underscores that this is a competitive team capable of contending for a playoff spot. I’m sure many people will point out the team’s flaws, but I don’t believe those flaws are as significant as they seemed during the losing streak.
Other Musings
- I’m embarrassed to admit how much better I feel the day after a Kraken win compared to a Kraken loss. It’s not that I’m grumpy after a loss—I just feel like bouncing off the walls when they win.
- The Kraken’s overtime-winning goal on Friday night was fantastic, but check out Jared McCann’s subtle stick check on Jack Eichel that caused the turnover, leading to McCann’s breakaway opportunity.
HANDS AS SMOOTH AS SILK 🤩 pic.twitter.com/0DBifay9B1
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 9, 2024
- Friday night’s win was the Kraken’s second victory of the season after falling behind by two goals—a feat they didn’t accomplish even once last season.
- Shane Wright logged his lowest ice time of the season on Friday, which raised concerns among some fans online. Shane is still adjusting to the NHL’s speed and physicality, so give him time. Quinten Byfield, for instance, didn’t hit his stride in the NHL until his fourth season after being drafted. This is Wright’s third year since his draft.
- Yanni Gourde has been playing great, but is there any player more snakebitten than him? It feels like he’s hitting a post in nearly every game.
- (Lost) face-off goal alert:
TURBO TIMES ✌️! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 9, 2024
Great work by Kartye to keep the play alive and get it to Tanev for his second of the game.
2-2 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/uRyfL6TnLs
- The Coachella Valley Firebirds have now won three games in a row.
- I know there were some challenges with the “Meet the Team” event over the weekend before the Super Skills Competition, but several people I spoke with absolutely loved the event. It was a chance to see the players loosen up and showcase their personalities, something we aim to capture on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast when we host Kraken guests. Plus, it was fantastic to see so many kids there!
- I loved this feature from KING5 on Kraken play-by-play announcer John Forslund. Even before he joined the Kraken, I thought he was the best in the business. We’re lucky to have him calling our games.
Player performances
Berkly Catton (SPO/SEA) – The Kraken’s first-round pick from the most recent draft posted eight points over Spokane’s three games this week.
Caden Price (KEL/SEA) – The Kraken’s 2023 third-round pick notched two goals and two assists over the weekend, including this beauty against Spokane.
Nathan MacKinnon (COL) – Ever heard of this guy? He tallied nine points in three games over the last week, including five assists against the Kraken last Tuesday. He continues to be one of my favorite players to watch—when he’s not playing the Kraken.
The week ahead
If the Kraken have a shot at getting back into the playoff picture, they need to take advantage of their remaining November schedule, with six of their 10 games this month against Anaheim, Chicago, Columbus, and San Jose. They absolutely need to start gaining ground on the teams ahead of them.
This week, the Kraken host Columbus, Chicago, the Islanders, and a tough matchup against the New York Rangers. There are no gimmes in hockey, but the first two games of the week should be easier than the last two. Four points seem like the minimum, with at least five as the target. Columbus comes in having lost four of their last five games, averaging under two goals per game in that stretch.
How are we feeling out there? Has the win against the Golden Knights turned that frown upside down, or are we still anticipating a challenging season?
There are challenges for all teams at some point during a season.
The Kraken I feel are a much better team this year than last. Dunn being out definitely hurts. A good current home stand should help build confidence and momentum.
Difficult payroll decisions lay ahead just have to trust that it will all iron out…
Go Kraken!!
We came out of Friday’s game with three complete lines after what appeared to be a “tryout” between Bjorkstrand and Burakovsky.
McCann-Beniers-Eberle
Schwartz-Stephie-Bjorkstrand
Kartye-Gourde-Tanev
And still to be determined…
Tolvi-Wright-…Sprong?
When it came down to the wire, it was Bjorkstrand shown to be the more trusted player, and Burakovsky not touching the ice again with 9:22 remaining in the 3rd period. Meanwhile, Bjorkstrand was on the ice for the final shift defending the 3-3 tie. In fact, we can say the reason Shane didn’t see the ice much in the 3rd was because he was missing a linemate who had become otherwise engaged playing with Stephenson.
It seems unlikely The Kraken will be trading Tanev or Gourde to create cap space, given how well the Gourde line is playing. The most obvious choice is Burakovsky, who is now officially odd man out of this lineup. The good news is we have the draft capital to entice someone to take a flyer on him, and could possibly even retain a little of his salary. A new environment could help ignite his game, too, after all his injuries here.
Business-wise, it just makes the most sense to trade Gourde and/or Tanev.
They’re both free-agents at the end of the season and, while there’s good odds they’re going to take a pay cut wherever they land, there’s no guarantee it’s going to be in Seattle. If Seattle trades them in-season, they’ll at least get something in return. For another team to take them this season, it’s a relatively low-risk, since there’s no additional contract obligation beyond this season. Who is going to take a risk on Burakovsky at this point?
If Tanev and Gourde stay in Seattle through the season, there’s a good chance they both leave as free agents and the team gets nothing.
The thing that’s going to keep Kartye in Seattle and not down in Coachella is that he’s cheap and there’s probably not a better replacement for him at his price. I was honestly surprised he didn’t spend the rest of the game on the bench on Friday after his bonehead shove on Eichel that turned the original penalty on Evans into a 5-on-3.
Finally, back to Gourde, but on a different note…I’m pretty sure I saw him holding all the kids at some point on Saturday, not just his own. I can totally see him coaching some awesomely fierce, scrappy girls once he retires. (Though kudos only to Eberle for having a helmet on his kid…the team should probably have a policy with the players on that)
The “business side” is still sound if you don’t trade Gourde and Tanev. We don’t need more draft capital, and if they leave you gain the entirety of their cap space, which contrary to populist opinion also has value. The “at least getting something in return” is a terrible argument, especially when they are playing so well now together AND with a young Tye Kartye. Not worth rocking that boat.
Someone will take Burky if the pot is sweet enough. Columbus comes to mind. He could fit well on their 2nd or 3rd line and they don’t have any 2nd round picks in the next two drafts. Say…
Columbus gets Burky, 2025 Sea 4th and 2026 Sea 2nd, $1m retained.
Seattle gets 2025 STL 4th and 2025 VGK 7th.
I went back and read my comments from last week… and I’m still feeling the same as I was then. Last Monday morning I said “I’m not starting to panic” and I wouldn’t even begin to worry until the 20 game mark at the end of this homestand. I also said panic time doesn’t come until the end of November… I still believe all that.
On the “trade” front. Gourde definitely seems to be the name on everyone’s lips, especially insider Frank Seravalli. As much as he’s beloved, it seems difficult to expect he’ll return next season with so much ELC talent waiting in the minors. One thing to consider, on November 23rd Yanni will collect his fourth paycheck of the season lowering his remaining cap hit to about $3.6m. Tampa Bay – as an example – currently has about $2m in cap space. If the Kraken retained half, that’s only $1.8m. If the Lightning send Glendening the other way, that’s another $550k the Lightning could hold onto for cap accumulation. Glendening isn’t a great get, but his $800k could be sent down and buried in Coachella if need be. That would leave Seattle with over $2m to try and nab Robertson from the Leafs. Just a thought.
For all the folks mentioning Burakovski, it’s sounding more and more like Gabriel Landeskog won’t be returning this season. With Nichushkin now moved to IR, the Avs still have $4.7m of LTIR cap available and on the 23rd Burky’s hit drops to $3.8m. I don’t know if Colorado would be interested, but they need forwards and they are familiar with him.
Go Kraken!!!
Whatever you think you’re getting for Gourde isn’t worth it. If he leaves at the end of the season you just gained whatever salary you would have paid him, which in itself has value.
I agree with hanging onto Gourde. I think until you’re out of the playoffs – or can reasonably expect to be – it’s best to hang onto your contributing players and getting his game out if him for the remainder of the season isn’t letting him walk for nothing. Also, as much as teams may be interested in Yanni, I don’t think anybody is handing over a first, especially not one in the top 25.
I also agree that him and Tanev are almost definitely not coming back, but I think the team has their replacements already in place and those will be ELCs. So as you were saying, their departures will add to significant available cap space for next season.
I brought up the trade options because with the addition of Sprong and the return of Dunn… someone has got to go. I have no idea how that will happen, but Gourde’s name has been coming up. Honestly, there are about half-a-dozen names on the roster I wouldn’t be shocked to see moved. A lot could happen in the next couple weeks… we’ll see.
On top of the fact that the 4L is playing well, Francis knows that the trade value of both Gourde and Tanev will increase significantly towards TDL. Every single playoffs aspiring team wants Gourde, such that Francis (for once) needs to essentially hold an auction. I am sure played correctly he could get a 1R pick for Gourde, as he is that valuable come playoffs.
So what to do in a couple of weeks when Dunn returns? First, as I have said in other posts, Sprong should be playing next to Shane, as he needs a reliable goal scorer to get himself going. Second, this means you have Burakovsky as the odd man out. A trade would be ideal but may not be possible. Third, that means they should waive someone who is playing poorly, has a high salary, and has zero chance of getting claimed. Yes, that means Grubauer. Bring up a CV goalie to be Joey’s backup.
I know that PG apologists will show up and claim I know nothing about hockey. Wrong on that score. But what other transaction gives us the necessary cap space with no risk or negative impact to the team? I am all ears.
You might make the case for waiving Burky but there is a non-zero chance he could be claimed. Not sure he is the one you want to send out right now, as his improvement is always right around the next corner and we need 13 NHL F’s.
Chuck, I have the exact same thought every time I think about the cap. ‘They could send Grubauer down, he won’t get claimed’, but after you account for his replacement – even a league minimum – that only nets $375k. Sprong puts the team ~$970k over… someone else would still have to go.
I don’t think you get enough cap waiving Burky or Gru if they aren’t claimed, as they are both on one way contracts. Someone could correct me. The retained cap hit is something like the differential of their current salary minus league minimum plus $375K. Maybe that squeaks us by.
As I understand it, $1.15m of their cap goes to Coachella, the rest stays on the books in Seattle.
Forgot to add that they will also have send down Mahura at the same time to offset Stezka coming up, so you would save $1.15 m (PG) + $0.775 m (JM) + $0.775 (AS). The net then of PG down + Sprong up is around $200,000 of cap space.
That was supposed to be a minus sign: $1.15 m (PG) + $0.775 m (JM) – $0.775 (AS). Mahura and Stezka offset each other and you gain the space from PG going down to offset Sprong being on the roster.
I don’t think it’s worth the risk of Mahura being claimed under any circumstances. He has been great and I’ve heard he’s also a great teammate. His value seems to exceed his cap hit.
A few thoughts. One, because of the way Francis built the roster this season, they only have enough cap space for 21 players. With Mahura it makes 22. Some has to go down or out, no way around it.
Two, Mahura becomes the 7D and gets scratched every game, so there is nothing to miss about him.
Three, there seems to be a general belief on the forum here that Fleury has done well in his time up, so if they were able to carve out space for a 22nd player, he could fill in well enough as the 7D who gets scratched.
Seems like someone on D eventually gets injured, and while Oleksiak has actually been playing well (and that’s coming from an Oleksiak skeptic) he could suffer a case of his former self and need to be scratched. Mahura is a LD and Fleury is a RD, so having both gives us some great depth if we can manage it.
I don’t think we’re resolving the cap issue properly without trading one of the regular forwards previously mentioned, and Burky seems to make the most sense. There doesn’t seem to be any upside keeping him, and the cost to move him could be totally reasonable. Plus it frees up $5.5m not just for this season, but for the next two. Wins all around.
Still early in the year, my only confident prediction is that this team will be the death of me 🙂
At this point fans need to be patient as (I think) the Kraken’s best hope for improvement will be from within. (Sidenote: I understand the criticism of GMRF, but in fairness he was given a directive to make this team competitive right away. Ownership is painfully aware that the Kraken could become an afterthought if they still stink when the Sonics probably return for the 27/28 season). So assuming the team is in the hunt for a playoff berth at the TD, they’ll need to stand pat through the end of the season (and maybe even be a buyer). If they suck, any TD trades will probably garner no better than 3rd round picks.
If they end up missing the playoffs, at least they’ll have another full season to evaluate their prospects at Coachella Valley and determine if they have any “difference makers” there at the NHL level – which will also influence who they pursue in free agency. Per Puckpedia, the combination of buying out Grubauer and either Burakovsky/Bjorkstrand combined with letting Gourde and Tanev and walk would create ~ $16mm in cap space (and obviously create openings at the forward position). In terms of the draft – maybe they should focus on college players who could make a more immediate impact.
Curious re: your handle how far back you go with the Totems?
Regarding the 3 trades at TDL, if Francis acts like a true negotiator, he should be able to get a 1R or 2 2R pick(s) for Gourde, given his playoff pedigree and the large number of likely playoff teams who are short a 2C/3C right now; a 2R pick for Borgen, given he is RD, physical, young, could sign an extension, and how many teams are short a 2RD/3RD; and a 3R/4R pick for Tanev, unless there is a bidding war.
Agree with your cap space analysis. I feel certain that because he cannot play in the AHL next season and another season in juniors does not make sense, that Catton in on the NHL roster next year. Probably joined by Winterton and Borgen’s replacement (Fleruy and/or Ottavainen). If they keep Sprong and Burky, that takes care of the skater roster, unless they bring up Melanson as a 14F.
Too bad teams loaded with young players are terrible and not so fun to watch.
Chuck,
I started attending Totems games 67/68 to the end. My dad was a medical professional associated with the team and had to attend every game – I went to probably 30 games a year (favorite game was beating the Russians and Tretiak in ’74 – just electric!)
About your analysis above, I agree – if they can get 1st/2nd round picks for Gourde/Borgen RF should pull the trigger. And promote Winterton and Fleury as well. And front office REALLY needs to find out this season who they have at CV that can be a difference maker. A few months back (John, Curtis I can’t remember) published a prospect article. The thread started discussing player upside and it was mentioned that Jason Robertson was a 2nd round pick so perhaps (best case) we have a Jason Robertson type player in our system. The author then stated that we need to redefine expectations – that given the relatively low probability of any prospects having careers exceeding 100 games, success would mean a forward who had a multi-year career averaging 45 points (again I may not have recalled all the details correctly).
The problem with that philosophy is that (save McCann) our entire forward group is full of players like that. If they’re replaced by CV players with similar upside the team is simply locked into borderline playoff purgatory (at best) for the next several years.
So going forward, “Country Club Ron” needs to act more like “Riverboat Ron.” By all means bring up Berkley Catton next year. If he’s truly not ready, keep him and create enough cap space to accommodate a 22/23 player roster. And draft aggressively.
A related side note. The CHL-NHL (20 year-old) transfer agreement is complete BS, illegal and needs to be done away with. The CHL is being sued by former players – and if successful hopefully the CHL-NHL cabal goes away. Which means players can play where it is most beneficial to THEIR development without artificial age restrictions. Berkly Catton (and the future Shane Wright’s) would certainly benefit from this.
Jason Robertson was taken 35th overall. Francis drafted Sebastian Aho 39th overall.
If a trade needs to happen I am actually looking to have it be Tolvy. I think his output is easily replaced. Moving his salary gives us more flexibility this year as well as next.
If a trade needs to happen I am actually looking to have it be Tolvy. I think his production is easily replaced. Moving his salary gives us more flexibility this year as well as next.
I’ve thought about Tolvy as well. I think he is a good scoring threat but he probably has some interest out there and isn’t contributing like Gourde or Tanev.
Ron Francis has created a complete mess with negative value contracts up and down the roster. Disco Dan may have worked all the way back to the league just to be a lame duck. Our identity is not having one.
Grubauer should have been dumped a year ago, just to give the team some hope on the nights Daccord isn’t playing. Burakovsky is a trainwreck but people are talking like things are just going to fall in place any second and he’s back to the guy he was 4 years ago. Our #1C that got paid like a #2C because he’s playing like a #3C… The Stephenson contract, wooooooof, talk about investing in an already fading asset. The Sprong desperation move now setting off a series of roster issues.
Don’t assume Ron has a plan so much as thought perhaps he could get a guy in trade for a tentacle from the team store and our forward group will suddenly make sense. Don’t assume that if Ron had a plan it would be executed well.
Contracts (negative value, positive value, whatever you think value is) have nothing to do with how good a team is.
Stephenson looks great. Not sure what your issue with him is. He played 23+ minutes in the game against Vegas. He can literally play in any situation, and does. Faceoff success is up across the board.
Grubauer and Burky have been issues for a variety of reasons, but you can’t blame Francis for that.
Most NHL teams have roster/cap issues they need to address. People were mad at Ron for not spending money the first three years and now you’re mad at him for trying to make the team better. He can’t win with some fans.
If the team continues to play like it did on Friday and we find Burakovsky a new home, The Kraken will have a good season.
Are you serious? Contracts have A TON to do with how good a team is. The Maple Leafs wouldn’t be an annual joke if the distribution of contract dollars didn’t have an impact on how good a team is. There wouldn’t be staff dedicated to contracts if they weren’t. Opportunity cost, if nothing else. Francis has overpaid every free agent deal, save Montour, and often to get diminishing assets.
I can and absolutely do blame Francis for Grubauer and Burakovsky, as he signed them for multiple years and both were clear overreaches per most analysts. The writers don’t often step out of their lane and say “oof, what ya doin?” but that happens an inordinate amount of times with Seattle since day one.
We’re a team of middle-6 forwards who project to remain there, Stephenson included. Francis has turned a playoff team into a bottom feeder and now he’s clearly grasping at straws but he lacks the trading acumen to get himself out of his mess.
There was no reason to spend to the cap this season. His moves are getting increasingly desperate as his approach treads water.
Burky is a streaky, now-middling player who’s injured half the time. We’d have to give up assets to move him, I reckon. Moving Burky doesn’t mean we suddenly have 4 lines that work and stick.
Bylsma has already pulled too many triggers and as much as I like him personally, I fear he’s already hobbled himself.
The players cost what they cost, and they have to want to join your team. There’s a lot more that goes into how well a team does than contracts. Contracts are just the business. They aren’t hockey.
The Leafs are a great example of why contracts don’t have anything to do with performance. Matthews would be the same player making $8m or $13m. It doesn’t matter. So would anyone else on the Leafs. The money doesn’t change how they play.
Giving up assets if you need to get rid of Burky is also irrelevant. We have plenty of prospects and draft picks. If he doesn’t work on the team, you get rid of him, whatever the cost. The alternative is having a guy taking a spot that isn’t working. Stephenson, on the other hand, to the extreme contrary of your viewpoint, is working great, regardless of what he’s making, which also isn’t ridiculous by any stretch.
There are lots of fans who try to confuse the business with the game.
Follow-on to my points above…if you need to get rid of someone, you have to replace them with someone. It goes without saying there aren’t unlimited options at terms you can freely dictate. IE, your coveted “positive value contract.” Players have agents, or already have contracts with teams who want them and who aren’t willing to part with them so easily, etc.
The thing you should be asking yourself about Ron Francis is would he have paid Darnell Nurse 9.25m for 8 years? I don’t think he would have.
You’re giving RF way too much slack. Players don’t cost what they cost they cost what the highest bidder is willing to pay. Unfortunately RF has willing to be the highest bidder in many cases where other GM’s (ones that actually want know how to win) are looking the other direction. You don’t bite on every hook you need to make the right deals and sometimes the right deal is no deal. RF hasn’t figured out when to walk away not only for his one bad choices but also from the bright shiny objects that the smart fish avoid. Sure you can pull up a small handful of other GM’s that have made choices just as bad but seriously can you find 16 GM’s that have made even one choice as bad as the growing handful RF has. There is a reason I mentioned 16….
How do we know what the highest bidder was willing to pay? Someone might have been offering Stephenson $9m x 4, and Montour $9.5 x 4. We don’t know. But the Kraken office does.
Seattle G, if someone was willing to pay Stephenson 9×4 they would be unemployed within hours. He’s realistically a good third line center… 9m per year 🤯. It’s pretty safe to assume nobody was willing to pay as much for as long as we were in that deal.
I think Jonathan had a very good point regarding negative value. You can always make a case that “they” are contributing but honestly how many players on our roster are there that we could not trade for a bag of pucks. RF has done a horrible job weaponizing the cap space as he was soooo proud that he was going to do. Maybe he should have had a better analytics team… I don’t know if it’s his fault directly or the team he put together failing him. His history as a GM is playing itself out again, it’s time to clear out his mistakes.
Regarding the Sprong trade I feel a little underwhelmed, I don’t feel he’s our missing piece? If the plan if to dump Burky to gain cap space then I’m ok with it, otherwise I’m not sure what he’s thinking. If this is a move intended to make a competitive 4th line and keep them fighting for their spot “on the 4th line” RF is on crack. The 4th line has hardly been our problem this season it’s actually been one of the brightest spots. If I see a “4th line player” as the first scratch to get Sprong into a game I’m going to call out the Sprong trade as the next desperate move by a GM fighting for his job. Ownership has to be very careful that they don’t let him sink the ship fighting to keep his job.
Is Tolvanen-Wright-Sprong a “4th line?” We might find out.
Totally agree that the 4th line is one of the team’s brightest spots. No one on that line should be benched for Ding Dong. There’s no need for competition for spots for that line. They outwork everyone already.
I don’t recall “clear overreach” clamor about the Grubauer signing.
I thought it was a horrible idea from the start, maybe it’s just me but I didn’t think he should have even been considered for the Vesna and was getting over paid because he was on a good team. From day one of his signing I was shaking my head.
Really good thread with some new voices offering their insights. The thing about this site, as opposed to say the poisonous Athletic, is that people keep their comments in check and avoid ad hominem attacks. Makes it worthwhile to participate.
I think there is general consensus that (1) there is an immediate cap problem; (2) it should be solved without disrupting what the 4L is doing; and (3) AB and PG are the two candidates for a solution, due to their long history of inconsistent play and high contract AAV.
So what to do? I tend to avoid trade recommendations at any time except TDL, when there is immediate pressure on teams with playoff intentions to get better. Outside of that time, you have to ask why would any team make a trade that does not make them better?
Given the consensus on these two players, they are not going to make any team better. So to me, that makes the trade route highly speculative at best. And Francis cannot control what another team wants to do. What he can control is the waiver wire, at least putting people on it.
Therefore my suggestion to waive PG, along with related moves for JH and AS. Outside that, I cannot see what Francis can do that he completely controls and not give up assets to do so. As others have said, I would rather he did not go outside his core competencies to save his own skin.
Who plays for Grubauer?
I think you’re too attached to giving up assets. We have good prospects now who probably won’t end up making the team, which is quite normal.
As I wrote a few times above, Ales Stezka dresses for PG, just like he is doing tonight. As the consensus is PG gets bought out in the summer, this is just a short term cap fix. As someone posted, Bylsma is used to heavily riding Joey, so AS’ starts may be in 1 in 3 or 4.
Not sure I catch your point, which I’ll assume is about giving prospects to unload Burky. As the futures of any of the prospects drafted in rounds 2 and 3 are unclear at this point, I believe it is too risky to dump any of them this early in their careers for mere cap fixes.
Okay, I have to say that relying on Ales Stezka to be the team’s backup netminder sounds like a very, very terrible idea, one that will cost a team that is trying to make the playoffs several standings points. The guy is a decent AHL netminder. He’s not an NHL-quality netminder like Chris Driedger or Martin Jones. The Kraken have played against a lot of backup netminders in their four years of existence, and the bad ones have often made Kraken teams with their poor-to-middling offensive potential look like contenders. Besides, the Kraken are not Edmonton; they can’t expect to frequently outscore their defensive problems. They need good defense, or they are going to tank with the San Joses and the Columbuss of the league. It’s the most important position on the ice; never take it for granted.
The reason we have this problem is entirely on Francis. I advocated strongly for the Kraken to retain CD. I cannot understand why they let him go to Florida to be 3G when he could have gotten the same role staying here and likely more money than his almost league minimum deal with the Panthers. Francis must think AS and CD are similar if he let CD go, so that is his professional evaluation, but clearly not yours.
You are just looking at one piece of the puzzle. The AS promotion is part of bigger plan to solve the immediate cap crunch. As I said, he might only start one game in four, so the impact may not be so much. Even with that limited exposure, do you think he could be much worse than PG?
Others are advocating for hypothetical trades, using up 2R picks to dump Burky. If wanting Burky off the roster is what people want the most, and they would use up a 2R pick to do so, then just waive him, as he only has a M-NTC. That way, you might get lucky and someone takes him and his cap hit is gone. If not, you get the cap space relief over what Winterton costs coming back up (about $300,000). Again though, this requires a Mahura demotion as well. In any case, you retain your 2R pick. Let’s see what RF does.
Like wall… A really terrible idea for Stezka to be our backup goalie?
What are you afraid he’d be 1 and 5 with a 3.27 GA and a .877 save percentage?
I agree that’s he’s probably not ready for the NHL BUT a really terrible idea is playing a horrible goalie 6M per season to be an overused backup goalie.
Chuck, keeping Driedger was not an option. Even if Francis were to offer him a raise over what he ended up getting, Driedger would have had to have been insane to stay. It’s a dead-end job for him here, especially with Daccord on track to take the starting gig and Grubauer’s contract being unmovable. At least in Florida he had a chance to play. He no doubt wanted to leave and for good reason.
Nino, another terrible idea is to pay somebody to play somewhere else, which is what would happen if Grubauer were to be bought out. And, yeah, I do think Stezka would be significantly worse than Grubauer. I was a Sens fan for many years before the Kraken came to town, so you can believe me when I say that you do not want an AHL-caliber backup. Besides, if Grubauer’s cap hit is going to be there for the most part anyway, I would like to have him available when the playoffs come around. Joey has never been in that kind of NHL game before, and Grubauer excels in the playoffs enough that I would feel comfortable letting him take over if things were to go sideways, or even if he is just playing better at the time.
I was referring more to future draft picks. Why should we be afraid to use those as sweeteners for trade leverage? We have good prospects in the system already.
For example,
Burky to Columbus with 2025 Sea 4th and 2026 Sea 2nd ($1m retained)
Seattle gets 2025 STL 4th and 2025 VGK 7th
Yes definitely seeetners may be a better option then a buyout.
To just take one draft class as an example why I would not do what you are suggesting. In 2015, Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, and Vince Dunn were all 2R picks. Which one of those would you give up just to dump Burky? How about in 2016, with Jordan Kyrou, Alex DeBrincat, and Samuel Girard as 2R picks?
You never know who you have for quite awhile with your prospects. None of those in the 2R are worth a cap dump. Better just to waive Burky if you insist on getting rid of him. Best if he is claimed, second best is you get some immediate cap relief, third best is that it wakes him up playing in the AHL and a phoenix arises from the ashes of his career. If nothing works, then in the summer, you could package him as part of a bigger trade, if anyone will take him, trading our disappointing player for another team’s similar guy.