Seattle Kraken general manager Jason Botterill continued to cook Thursday, swinging his third trade in a week by acquiring veteran center Freddy Gaudreau from the Minnesota Wild for a fourth-round pick in this weekend’s NHL Draft. The deal comes on the heels of a transaction last Thursday that landed winger Mason Marchment from the Dallas Stars, and another trade on Saturday that offloaded Andre Burakovsky to the Chicago Blackhawks and brought back Joe Veleno.
Gaudreau, 32, is a reliable bottom-six center who can pitch in offensively but is also responsible in the defensive end and kills penalties. In two of his last three seasons, Gaudreau has scored at least 18 goals (19 in 2022-23 and 18 in 2024-25) and added 19 assists in each of those campaigns. He had uninspiring numbers in 2023-24 but was hampered by injuries throughout and only played 67 games.
How Freddy Gaudreau fits with the Kraken
A big difference between this Gaudreau acquisition and the Marchment one is that Marchment only has one year left on his contract at a $4.5 million cap hit. Gaudreau, on the other hand, still has three years remaining on a five-year deal he signed with the Wild in 2023-24. That means he’ll be 35 years old when the deal expires.
The good news here is that Gaudreau’s cap hit isn’t crazy at $2.1 million. By the end of the deal, it will probably be more than they’d want to spend on a then-34-year-old (most likely) fourth-liner, but for now, it’s not a terrible number.
What’s perplexing at this point, though, is how all the pieces fit together. Botterill told us in his interview with the Sound Of Hockey Podcast that he doesn’t want to “block out” the young players in the organization from having a chance to make the team. But if you assume that includes Berkly Catton and, say, Jani Nyman, then they’re already reaching the limit of forwards they can keep in the lineup.
In the article I published on Tuesday, recapping the previous two trades, I haphazardly threw together a projected depth chart with the additions of Marchment and Veleno and the removal of Burakovsky.
Here’s what I came up with for the forward group at that time:
Jaden Schwartz // Matty Beniers // Kaapo Kakko
Jared McCann // Chandler Stephenson // Mason Marchment
Eeli Tolvanen // Shane Wright // Jordan Eberle
Jani Nyman // Berkly Catton // Joe Veleno
Tye Kartye
Does the addition of Gaudreau end up pushing another youngster out (potentially in addition to Tye Kartye)? Or does Joe Veleno fill the 13th/14th forward role and spend a lot of nights sitting out (heck, they could still end up buying him out, but I still don’t believe that’s the plan)?
Jaden Schwartz // Matty Beniers // Kaapo Kakko
Jared McCann // Chandler Stephenson // Mason Marchment
Eeli Tolvanen // Shane Wright // Jordan Eberle
Jani Nyman // Freddy Gaudreau // Berkly Catton
Tye Kartye // Joe Veleno
Another thing to consider is that the Kraken are suddenly bursting at the seams with centers. Matty Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright, Gaudreau, Berkly Catton, and Veleno are all centers. So, at least one or two of those players will end up primarily on the wing. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it’s notable that Botterill continues to load up on players who can play the pivot.
I also wonder if this transaction marks the unofficial end of the short-lived Mikey Eyssimont Era in Seattle. The speedy depth winger, acquired at the Trade Deadline in the Yanni Gourde/Oliver Bjorkstrand trade, showed well in his time with the Kraken, but it does appear the roster is maxing out on its depth players.
More coming
With the trade for Gaudreau, the Kraken are now projected to have about $16.6 million in cap space before re-signing restricted free agents Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans, and Tye Kartye. When that dust settles, I’d think they’ll have around $7–8 million left.
I’m still convinced that Botterill is looking for a splashier acquisition—a top-line winger who can reliably score 30-plus goals. But as the roster spots continue to fill up and the surplus cap space dwindles, I’m even more convinced that whoever he brings in will require the departure of a key contributor from last season’s group.
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
What are we doing here? 3 years for a guy who did pretty badly last year and is only getting older? We’re turning into one of those “wheel spinning” franchises like Buffalo at this rate.
I completely agree. This feels like a Kyle Dubas show, make lots of middling moves but none of them move the needle.
In GMJB’s first four significant transactions, he has spent three draft picks to acquire one 3L player and two 4L players. In addition, he has not bought out Grubuaer. Oh and he whiffed on the only important trade done, acquiring JJ Peterka from Buffalo.
If he can acquire Jason Robertson or someone of that talent level, all is forgiven but until that happens, it just seems like more of the same.
I don’t know if you can say he whiffed on the JJP trade. Seattle didn’t have the main asset Buffalo wanted – a RHD that could play top 4D minutes. My guess is neither Larsson or Montour were going to waive to go to Buffalo, and GM JB probably didn’t even ask them since they are both at the start of long term deals.
With a good GM, trades are not a linear, one-step process. One could go acquire the asset that the Sabres needed or could give them sufficient capital to acquire it themselves. Considering the entire pool of players under the Kraken’s control, do you not believe you could come up with a more enticing package than Doan and Kesselring? Even it it took throwing in three current assets and a pick, would you not do it for Peterka? That is exactly the type of asset they should be acquiring, not these over 30 #L and 4L players.
The thing about the Kraken was highlighted well in the recent Athletic articles where they evaluated each team across each position. The repeated analysis of the Kraken was that everyone was playing higher in the lineup than they should. That is, the 1L is really a 2L, the first D pairing is really a second D pairing. The only way forward to change that is to acquire either current or potential 1L players. As far as I can see, and let’s see what happens tonight, but as of this minute, the Kraken not do not have any first line talent, current or potential. Even the most talented prospect (Catton) is being rated by most as a 2L NHLer.
That makes the GM’s job really not about all these little moves for 3L and 4L players but a big move for a 1L player. I don’t know, maybe GMJB has an unrevealed plan for this summer, so we can wait and watch and hope he hits one out of the park. To me, Peterka was the first chance. Other unhappy young players players with upside clearly should be a target. To show he is not GMRF junior, I would like to see him do something daring, such as a big trade or do what Doug Armstrong did last summer and offer sheet an RFA or two.
The fact that you consider JJ Peterka a huge miss at what you seem to be describing as a true first line players says a lot.
I’m sure you’re a big fan of the “without Mark Stone” take on Chandler Stephenson. Well take a look at Peterka without Tage Thompson – the true first line talent we don’t have… it’s gawd awful. I think he’s a good player and one of the most appealing things about him is his age, but he’s not a “must have” for the Kraken. He puts up a lot of points playing on a line with Thompson and Alex Tuch. That’s not irreplaceable.
The off-season has barely started and Botterill has been in the job all of a month and already you’re starting in with this same old “what a good GM would do” shtick? Seriously, Chuck, go root for Vegas.
https://sinbin.vegas/
KrakBird23’s point stands, though. Botterill cannot be expected to make a trade when he did not have the assets that the other team wanted. Buffalo is not trying to languish in the league’s basement any longer, so draft picks are not as attractive to them as NHL-ready young players are. You say that Botterill could have acquired a top-four right-handed defenseman (at a no doubt massive cost), but Utah returned specifically Michael Kesselring, a 6’5″ former Calder candidate right-handed two-way defenseman on an entry-level deal who is already top-four ready and just about to enter his prime. The guy may as well be made of pure gold. I think it is fair to say that Buffalo may have won the trade with Josh Doan coming along as well. If reports are to be believed, Buffalo turned down multiple offers from around the league, one of them presumably Botterill’s. No sane GM is taking draft picks and journeymen over a player like Kesselring. This trade was unicorn for unicorn. Nobody was taking no work horses.
You could do a lot worse than Gaudreau for a bottom 6 C/RW option. With that said it make little sense for the organization to add an older players on a long term contract, especially when their ceiling barring injury appears to be on the 4th line.
Gaudreau is a right handed center, something they don’t have but have been looking for. He’s can score, he’s decent at faceoffs and he plays the PK… he’s basically Gourde’s replacement. Veleno is looking more and more like the cost of moving Burakovsky and not an actual addition. He’s certainly not going to be on this roster.
Using Catton in a fourth line center role seems less than ideal when he can play on the wing and move up and down the line-up.
I think the fact that they’re overloading – especially down the left side – makes me think they already have something in the works and already have a idea of whose moving out… but maybe not.
Shane Wright to Dallas for Jason Robertson, unless Anaheim comes up with a better deal.
…Seattle has Berkly Catton and potentially ANOTHER young center prospect in at #8 in this year’s draft, but there aren’t a lot of Jason Robertsons out there (elite 25 y/o still with RFA status averaging 87 pts last four seasons).
Shane Wright and a number one this year and probably a number one next year??? Maybe. Makes us better today but not tomorrow.
Again, Robertson is only 25…87 pts a season. He could be a piece in SEA for the next 10 years. Every Seattle draft pick should be available except this draft #8. Seattle already has a bunch of good prospects, and will pick up another very good one (ie, Eklund). People tend to overrate draft picks, when there are plenty of ways to build.
Besides, I don’t think Dallas wants picks. They need players with low cap hits who can play now. It would more likely be a package of Shane, Nyman and maybe even Karts. Dallas gets young guys with good potential who can play now for cheap and Seattle gets a 25 year old elite 80+ pt winger who can play either side.
I think McCann would be a better fit for the Stars to fill the Robertson hole. If the Kraken agreed to take Dumba as well that would net Dallas $6.5m in desperately needed cap room. Additionally, they don’t have a first this draft or next. The lower of Seattle two firsts in 2026 should certainly be in play.
I’d hate to lose McCann, but…
Agreed with Seattle G. I think it’s probably something like Wright, Nyman, and maybe Goyette or Firkus, plus a first for one year of Robertson and maybe being able to re-sign him. It’s a really high cost but at the end of the day they have cap issues so it’s not going to be a 5M contract going their way, it’s going to be ELC’s.
Robertson would be nice to have but I want still feel like it’s too early to move on from Wright and Nyman.
With older players, there comes a need to have backup replacement players that do not down grade the team.
I have no clue what the Kraken are thinking, we have prospects that need ice time and they keep signing/trading for old low to middling players who honestly are not going to move the needle. This trade will not win us a cup and will not make us a better team in three plus years, honestly what is the thought process.
32 isn’t old. $2.1m for a player of Gaudreau’s caliber and experience is a good deal. I don’t understand why some people think the NHL should be a development league for young players. You should already be developed.
This kind of move makes sense for a team that had a long run in the playoffs last year, and just needed to fill a very specifc need to help them take the next step. Unfortunately the Kraken are not that team. Their roster is simply deficient from top to bottom, in that respect FG will fit right in. No offense to him personally, but we can finish last with or without the Freddie Gaudreaus of the world.
Is it actually confusing when the pending CHL agreement change will see Catton in the AHL? Also the comments commenting on his skill seem to fail to understand he’s clearly our fourth line center where he was 3rd line on the Wild. Seems like a fine trade to fill a hole in our roster.
Will the agreement apply this year? If so, friggin’ sweet! Coachella Valley is going to be so much fun to watch this season. They’re going to be stacked like a Costco.
Agreement wouldn’t be in place until 26-27 season.
Aww. Well, that does us no good then.
Gaudreau is right-handed, which is the primary thing that makes sense about this. Don’t be misled by the fact that he played center in Minnesota, he can play wing. If they want to use him as a bottom-six right-winger, which they do need after Burakovsky’s departure, who can occasionally take face-offs in the left circle of the defensive zone–where they have had well-documented trouble–I dig it. Otherwise, he is not big enough to be counted on for a lot of hitting, and he is not a more significant scoring threat than, say Ryan Winterton. This seems like a move to hedge their bets on Winterton and Jani Nyman in case the youngsters struggle. Or maybe it is because Jordan Eberle is thirty-five and coming off a significant injury. Either way, Gaudreau provides security to an otherwise precarious right side. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes, even if that contract is a bit steep for a bottom-six winger.
I agree with just about everything but “expensive for a bottom six.” $2.1m for another Swiss Army knife depth veteran when the salary cap is increasing the next few years is a great deal.
Plus he immediately becomes Seattle’s best shootout weapon. He had something like 8 shootout goals one season.
Given the propensity of Lane Lambert-coached teams to play into overtime, that is a hugantic benefit. Man, the more I hear about Gaudreau the more I like the deal.
Joseph Veleno, and Frederick Gaudreau will make for some trade bait i assume… maybe throw in Schwartz or tolvanen… this draft will be interesting.
Even moreso than the Marchment trade, this feels like it has to be part 1 of 2 with something bigger to come that will make this make sense. Because in isolation it really doesn’t and my head is starting to itch again.
Freddy Gaudreau is a right-handed Yanni Gourde who can play wing on different lines, take draws on the left side of the defensive zone, and kill penalties. Does that help?
Veleno is a buyout candidate that essentially ensures they dumped almost all of Burky’s deal for pennies.
Gaudreau is an actual competent NHL center for the fourth line. He’s much, much better than John Hayden, or Kartye or anyone else the Kraken could play there (including Veleno since he doesn’t PK). The Kraken don’t have centers ready to play meaningful fourth line minutes (and they shouldn’t throw Catton on a 4th line).
At least one more forward probably goes out, like Tolvy. Kartye is either a healthy scratch or no longer on the team.
And they can still buyout Gru for added space if they need more cap room.
I see a lot of people say Veleno is a buyout candidate, but I’d actually be surprised by that considering they have plenty of cap space and could waive him at only a $300k difference in salary, not to mention no 2026 dead cap too. There is even a possibility another team claims him too. Lots of GMs like to take chances on low paid players that have shown they can be competent at the NHL level and have a 1st round pedigree. My guess is he gets a shot to win the 4C job in camp and if not is waived when they want to bring up a young player.
That would be my guess as well. Veleno would be very valuable in the AHL. That is unless the plan is to have him play center on the fourth line with Gaudreau on his right wing if Catton can’t make the squad. This is going to be one interesting preseason.
Veleno in the AHL counts ~$1m+ against the cap in Seattle. I can imagine they’re going to want to do that.