Mason Marchment, we hardly knew ye. The Seattle Kraken traded the 6-foot-5 winger to the Columbus Blue Jackets late Friday, mere minutes ahead of the NHL’s holiday roster freeze. In return, the Kraken received a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, a slightly better return than the 2025 fourth-rounder and 2026 third-rounder that Seattle sent to Dallas to acquire him over the offseason.
“I’d like to thank Mason for his contributions to our club, and we wish him and his family all the best in Columbus,” general manager Jason Botterill said via press release. “This trade gives us more draft capital and flexibility as we look to improve our team moving forward.”
Despite coach Lane Lambert utilizing Marchment in a high-leverage role, things just never really got going during his short tenure in Seattle. He posted four goals and nine assists in 29 games but also led the Kraken forwards in giveaways and—based on our Twitter mentions almost every single night—was not exactly beloved by the fanbase.
The transaction also suggests the team was not overly enamored with his sometimes lackadaisical performance. Trading him in the midst of Losing Streak Cynthia, when the Kraken have lost 10 of their last 11, and with Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, and Berkly Catton all out with injuries, tells you everything you need to know about how the organization viewed him. There was clearly no interest in bringing him back after his contract expires following this season.
There were some good moments for Marchment with the Kraken, like his Opening Night goal against the Anaheim Ducks and his two-goal game against the Utah Mammoth a week ago. But the highlights were few and far between, and he also had some brutal gaffes and seemed to lose the puck for no particular reason multiple times per game.
He was also at the center of several on-ice controversies, including after he blew up Darnell Nurse against Edmonton on Nov. 29 and wouldn’t answer the proverbial bell. That sequence led to the Oilers chasing him around and taking runs at other players, including Catton.
Here's the root of the disagreement. Mason Marchment leveled Darnell Nurse from behind. Adam Henrique challenged him, but he wouldn't accept a fight.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025
Marchment was also right in the middle of the extended conversation between the teams at the end of the 1st period. #SeaKraken https://t.co/yF1TXjNIdg pic.twitter.com/ts41eRxWv6
Seattle lost that game 4-0, and Marchment was then not in the lineup for the rematch on Dec. 4 due to a mysterious “injury.” Edmonton got its vengeance on the Kraken with a 9-4 drubbing in that one, and we never did find out the designation on that injury…
The most recent bit of controversy came when Marchment got into a post-whistle tussle with Josh Manson in Seattle’s 5-3 loss to Colorado on Tuesday, throwing gloved punches at the Avalanche defenseman and inciting a full-line brouhaha. When Manson dropped his gloves, Marchment appeared to shy away. In the ensuing chaos, Brandon Montour did drop his gloves and started pounding away on Brent Burns. Montour later left the game with an injury and was unavailable on Thursday.
Marchment did deliver two unforgettable moments, though:
Just an all-time goal celebration from Mason Marchment. #SeaKraken broadcast doing him dirty with the reverse angle here.😂 pic.twitter.com/Zds666dQro
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025
GOT HIM! 😆 pic.twitter.com/mzKwTtTyEj
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025
With Seattle now in last place in the Pacific Division and seven points out of a playoff spot, is this an indication the team is officially in sell mode? Heck, are the Kraken in tank mode, even? Or does the front office view this as addition by subtraction—moving on from a player that simply wasn’t working out here?
Check back to Sound Of Hockey for more analysis on the Mason Marchment trade in the coming days…
Well color me shocked! Wait, I read that wrong. Commence the chaos!
Addition by subtraction without a doubt.
But we might also be in sell off mode.
I’m only worried that maybe this is an opening to another trade that could be worse.
It’s losing streak Darren, Darren!
Losing streak Darren!!!
Need to be a female name! Darreneysha
Very happy they got rid of Marchment. BUT… the thought they are clearing space for a panic trade is far less pleasant. Ugh.
I’ve got to agree with you here Witt. As much as I’d like to see them improve the team, I’m not convinced there’s a trade out there that’s gonna be what this team needs. You and I see the club differently, but I think we see this scenario the same.
I don’t read too much into this…they corrected a mistake from the offseason and we’re better off without him. Getting a better return than they paid is icing on the cake.
So glad to hear this. I was disappointed when they acquired him, and he has been absolutely BRUTAL thus, season. Play the kids and let’s see what we have.
More opportunities to move some kids up in the lineup
The team is now smaller in size. I was upset in the Oilers game for not standing so he may be big but he showed no toughness and that is what the Kraken need more that ever now.
So who’s gonna lead the team in giveaways now?
Dunn. Don’t worry, someone will stand up in that regard. Good riddance to Marchment though. We never knew but what we did know we are fine doing without.
Lots to unpack… just spitballin’ here, but Seattle snuck this in under the double retention window – but apparently didn’t retain. As bad as things are, moving Marchment seems far removed from raising a white flag. I can totally chalk this up to just moving on, but given what Friedman was pushing out on 32 Thoughts this morning… are the Kraken clearing cap space? Seems far fetched… right?
Not far fetched, they’ve been linked to Kyrou for months. He’d be an improvement albeit not the game breaker that can save them from hell. Haven’t heard much linking them to any other major names though.
Kyrou would be amazing, but since when do we get what we want?
Or maybe we’re just correcting a mistake and the cap space is just there.
Yeah, chalking this up to just moving on seems like the obvious bottom line, but still, between Friedman and that weird-ass presser… it’s hard to view anything as “business as usual” right now.
Well, owning a business myself, it never hurts you to be positioned for some unknown opportunity. Let’s say some other team were really having a desperate fire sale and you had an opportunity to get a player who would otherwise be difficult to acquire.
I do think the Kraken are well positioned for multiple paths here and I don’t think that’s by accident. Someone else mentioned this on here recently and I was having this discussion with a fan at the game last week. With five firsts in the next three drafts, tons of cap space coming up, and a prospect pool with multiple NHL ready pieces, they’ve got the resources to pull off a “big swing” if something becomes available. On the other hand, if they do write off this season, they can likely add even more to a well stocked draft pantry AND get an NHL look at some of the prospects.
Very curious about what comes next… on and off the ice.
I’ve gotta agree with Daryl W on this one
You can view this trade three ways: (1) That they are just trying to undo a mistake (2) That they are trying to give more ice time to prospects (3) Kraken management continue to show they do not know how to evaluate pro hockey talent. Take your pick.
A team showed interest and it’s a win win.
Just like to thank Columbus for resolving a problem for the Kraken. Hope you have a good Pk, you’re going to need it. Also, if you want to lose more games, be sure to play him right after you score a goal. Something the Kraken coaching staff never quite figured out. Also, you’ll need someone to fight the fights he starts. Yep, you got yourself a real pro alright.
Option 3, trying to clear cap space so they can trade for someone.. sending one or two of the kids away that we kinda wanna see played more.
This team has never traded prospects. The one aspect of management that can be admired. Sort of
Of course they haven’t really developed the prospects much either but that’s a separate issue…
Regarding your #3, how do we explain other teams always wanting our players? Maybe they’re all bad at judging talent, too. Pretty much all the players Seattle picked in expansion or signed afterward are still playing in the NHL, with the exception of Bellmare and Giodarno who are retired. Sprong went to the KHL, but did play for other NHL teams prior to that.
If Seattle put pretty much anyone on this roster up for trade (trade clauses aside) other teams would clamor to get them, including your man Chandler Stephenson.
The mix doesn’t work. Hasn’t worked for years. They can be useful players, just not together and not here
Move them out
Brilliant. Just get all the players who work well together. No one ever thinks of these things.
They’ve kept the same core for 5 years. Apparently the Kraken think that way as they merrily circle the drain…
I will give you something here. There was that one time we went to the second round of the playoffs…then got rid of Geekie, Donato and Sprong…then Gourde, Bjorkstrand, Schultz (?) Dumolin, Tanev and eventually the coach. I don’t remember who was all on the team. It is interesting how losing a hard fought playoff series can make a team re-think how it does everything.
Getting more back than the team paid to acquire him is exactly what a veteran with one year left on his contract is supposed to do. It was not a great return, but it was good enough. I will miss all the funny stuff that he did, but he was not out-playing any of Schwartz, McCann, Catton, or Kartye. This trade alleviates a log jam that would have formed once guys get back from injuries. Still, it is a pity. I had hopes that Marchment would be the guy to bring some toughness and fire to the team.
He really only brought toughness and fire to the opposition. One of those players that you hate when he’s not on your team and hate even more when he is on your team 😂
Good to move on from Marchment when viewed from almost every possible angle. The “tanking on purpose” angle is tricky, though. This is where the idea of losing on purpose gets muddy. Even though this player is helping us lose, do we keep him to continue losing despite the other damage he may be inflicting? Losing on purpose is a tricky business.
No way that trading Marchment in anyway points to tanking on purpose. I’m not even sure how one could possibly track the two together. If we start trading Ebs and McCann type players then sure but there is absolutely no reason to even consider a link between giving up on a complete mistake and trying to tank.
No. I’m saying they could have kept him for a more successful tanking, but then would face the slippery slope that intentional failure always presents.
For example, if you’re a true tankist thinking person, you could trade McCann for your valuable draft picks you want to collect and keep Marchment, because he’s helping you stay awful. Just bringing up a scenario for why SOME people would keep him. Not saying I would agree with it.
I hate to bring it up, but, this may not be the final washing of hands of the Marchment era. If there’s any possible chance that Dallas doesn’t get Robertson signed, he’s probably at the 2 firsts/1 second/1 third tier for an offer sheet and guess who Seattle traded their 2026 third-rounder for?
If he signs an offer sheet, it’s four firsts.
That would be criminally insane considering where the Kraken are likely to pick in the next 4 drafts.
I’m not saying they should do it, I’m just saying it’s gonna take something north of $12m to get Robertson to sign.
…and to replace Marchment up on the first line at practice, they moved Kakko up…
Why????????? Why break up the only line that has had any sort of spark? Literally any forward on the team (and possibly even Josh Mahura) would be an upgrade over Marchment on that line, so why not choose any of them? Hell, putting Gru in net and letting Joey live his dream would be an improvement.
Yeah I’m not sure why they want to break up what’s working.
We need to see Joey playing forward. That would be awesome.
First off good trade, a reasonable return for a player that was never going to be here long term.
Typical for this management team, their best moves are usually clearing out mistakes.
Really genius? All the trades have been clearing out mistakes. You know, I can say shit about Russia, but it’s more fun to let your shithole country sink itself 🤣