After much discussion and debating about how the Seattle Kraken would handle Jordan Eberle at the NHL trade deadline, the two sides were able to work out a contract extension at the eleventh hour. Eberle has been re-signed for two years, at a $4.75 million cap hit, which will keep him in Seattle through the 2025-26 season. The deal includes a full no trade clause.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Per @FriedgeHNIC, Jordan Eberle and #SeaKraken are in an agreement on 2 year contract extension, $4.75M AAV!!
Eberle has expressed his desire to return to Seattle for quite some time, with both sides agreeing to the deal just hours before the NHL trade deadline.
Eberle has played 998 career games and should cross over the four-digit threshold on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The scoring winger has 144 points (55 goals and 89 assists) in 219 games over three seasons with the Kraken. He has served as an alternate captain for the club and is a consistent, calming presence in the locker room.
Expansion Draft
Eberle came to Seattle via the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Previously with the Islanders, he was coming off two straight Eastern Conference Finals losses. The Islanders had a solid team and were forced to expose some good players. When the protection lists were released, many in the hockey world were surprised to see Eberle available, and the Kraken smartly selected him as their pick from New York.
Eberle was one of the six players that flew out to Seattle to attend the Expansion Draft live.
Fans cheer for Jordan Eberle at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Not being protected by the New York Islanders after recently losing a hard-fought battle in the Conference Finals could have made coming to Seattle difficult. But if it was, you would have never known it from listening to Eberle, a true professional that became one of the faces of the franchise from Day One.
We recall from that difficult inaugural season, when the Kraken stumbled to a 27-49-6 record, that Eberle and fellow veteran Mark Giordano were trotted out to face questions from the media following loss after miserable loss. Eberle handled every question with grace and consistently gave thoughtful responses, even after the most difficult defeats.
In his time with the Kraken, Eberle and his family have grown to love the Pacific Northwest. Sound Of Hockey’s own Darren Brown recently asked about Eberle’s mindset to help determine if he wanted to return to Seattle next season. “My family loves it here, and I think my sole purpose right now and my goal is to try and help this team get in,” Eberle said. Eberle’s positive experience with the Kraken was a deciding factor in getting this deal done.
No trade for Eberle
Ultimately, a deal was struck, as predicted by yours truly in a Sound Of Hockeyarticle on pending unrestricted free agents. In that article, I wrote, “If he re-signs with the Kraken, which he has said publicly he wants to do, we predict a two- or three-year deal in the $4.5-$5.5M range for Eberle to finish his career with the Kraken.” With Eberle’s new contract including a full no trade clause, retiring a Kraken is a likely scenario.
Rumors swirled about an Eberle trade as Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff wrote in his article on trade targets, “Eberle and the Kraken have been grinding on a contract extension believed to be in the neighborhood of two years at $4.5 million, but that wasn’t enough to get it done. Eberle was seeking a third year, though his preference is to stay in Seattle. Without a new contract, the Kraken will be moving Eberle…”
This ended up being pretty close to the contract terms that got the deal done.
Eberle highlights
What is the most iconic goal in Kraken history? There are a few that come near the top, such as Vince Dunn scoring the first ever goal at Climate Pledge Arena, and Matty Beniers scoring seven seconds into overtime against the Washington Capitals.
Eberle, though, has two goals in which both the goal and celebration are burned into my memory. These goals are:
First Kraken playoff win at Climate Pledge Arena:
Overtime goal with 4.9 seconds remaining, followed by a McCann kiss on the head:
Eberle was also the first player in franchise history to score a hat trick for the Kraken and has a bobblehead to prove it.
It was raining hats last season at @ClimateArena when Ebs netted the first-ever hat trick in #SeaKraken history!
In honor of this historic milestone, the first 10k fans at Thursday's game will take home a limited-edition Jordan Eberle bobblehead, pres. by @pitchbook! pic.twitter.com/ffwCeipcsw
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.
Kraken retain 50 percent on Wennberg Seattle gets 2nd in 24 and 4th in 25
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.
🚨 WENNY WILLS IT IN! 🚨
Wennberg would NOT be denied of his 100th point with the #SeaKraken and a HUGE insurance goal.
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.
The Seattle Kraken fell short of the ultimatum I set in last week’s Monday Musings of grabbing five out of a possible six points, but I can’t be upset at the effort. The boys came away with gutsy wins against the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins but fell short of gaining a point versus the Edmonton Oilers in a Saturday afternoon matinee.
This might have been the best three-game effort the Kraken have brought this season against some high-quality opponents. From top to bottom, the team is really bought in and showing the desperation to stay in the playoff hunt right now.
Unfortunately, the Kraken woke up on Monday nine points out of a wild card spot and again looking at a logjam of four teams they would need to climb over in the standings to get into the postseason. Getting in is looking less likely every day, but if the Kraken can play the rest of the season like this, I still think they have a shot.
Remaining schedule
The next four games will be the toughest four games remaining on the schedule. Even if they only manage four points of the eight available, the Kraken might be ok to stay in it as long as either the Los Angeles Kings or Nashville Predators start to lose a bit more than they win. Over the next four games, the Kraken have one game against the Calgary Flames, two against the Winnipeg Jets, and then one game against the Vegas Golden Knights. After those four games, the schedule gets easier with six out of the next eight games being against teams that are mostly eliminated from playoff contention.
Alex Wennberg
With the trade deadline this coming Friday, I worry this might be the last week we see Alex Wennberg wearing the Seattle Kraken jersey. Regular readers will know that I love Wennberg and what he has brought to this franchise. He was one of the first free agents to sign in Seattle before the team ever took the ice. I am always blown away with his play and patience with the puck, and I marvel at his footwork and board play.
I will never forget the below play during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. A lot of the highlights won’t show his contributions to the goal, but the whole sequence doesn’t happen without his board work.
He had another great play on Monday that will go underappreciated, when he gained the zone, and as five Bruins set up to defend, Wennberg delivered a soft pass to empty ice that Will Borgen. Borgen swiftly stepped into it for a one-timer that Oliver Bjorkstrand tipped by Linus Ullmark.
🚨 CUE THE MAESTRO! 🚨
Bjorkstrand tips a Borgen shot in with 5 minutes left!
If this is truly his last week or even season with the Seattle Kraken, he will be missed. He currently leads all Kraken forwards in ice time, and he plays on the power play, penalty kill, and is often deployed in key defensive situations.
Hard sell, soft sell, or hold
What the Kraken do at the trade deadline is still anyone’s guess. I found Pierre LeBrun’s take on what the Kraken might do with their two biggest assets on expiring deals humorous. LeBrun’s take was the Kraken could re-sign Wennberg and Jordan Eberle, or they might re-sign one of them, or they might do nothing. So, they could do anything.
We published a story on the topic a couple weeks ago, in case you want to read up on that and hear what the players themselves said about the situation.
There are three trade deadline scenarios that could play out:
A hard sell would be if the Kraken trade either Alexander Wennberg and/or Jordan Eberle.
A soft sell would be if the team traded Justin Schultz and/or Tomas Tatar
Holding would be doing nothing or moving a depth piece in the system.
The fate of what they do might come down to the back-to-back games to start this week. Two wins, and they might hold. Two losses, and I think a hard sell will be kicked into motion. I do think there is a way this team could make the playoffs even with a “soft-sell,” where maybe it trades only Schultz and has Ryker Evans slot in for him the rest of the way (just as an example).
Other Musings
After a successful goalie interference challenge last Monday against the Bruins, the Kraken are two for two in goalie interference challenges this season. The success rate for goalie challenges league wide is 63 percent.
The Boston game was the 17th overtime game of the season for Seattle. That tied the full-season total from 2022-23, so the next overtime game this season will mean the most OT games in a single season for the Kraken. Here is how overtime games have broken down by seasons.
If the Kraken start the week with two regulation losses, the season is probably cooked, and I would appreciate people checking in on me on Wednesday morning.
Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets will be the first time the Kraken square off against the Jets this season. Winnipeg is the only team in the league the Kraken have not faced this season, but they will play two in a row against them this week.
The Kraken are still winless at home on Saturdays this season. The loss to Edmonton pushed their Saturday home record to 0-5-2. The Kraken have two more Saturday home games remaining this season.
It is great to see Philipp Grubauer getting in a groove. He has a .942 save percentage with a 4-1-0 record since coming back from injury. Outside of last season’s playoffs, this is probably his best stretch of games he has played with the Kraken.
Player performances
Morgan Geekie (BOS) – The former Seattle Kraken and Tri-City American had his first career hat-trick against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. We continue to root for Geekie as long as he isn’t playing against the Kraken.
Philipp Grubauer (SEA) – Grubauer had a .944 save percentage and a 2-1-0 record on the week including a shutout against the Penguins, his first of the season.
Jagger Firkus (MJW/SEA) and Carson Rehkopf (KIT/SEA) – Both players might be the most mentioned players in the Monday Musings for the season. Both Seattle Kraken prospects are having outstanding years for their respective clubs, and both eclipsed the 50-goal mark on Sunday.
For those that might have missed it, we had two outstanding guests on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast this week with Piper Shaw and Alison Lukan in studio. The episode was packed with tomfoolery and hijinks, but there was also plenty of Kraken insight, so give it a listen.
One thing Alison called out was Andre Burakovsky’s actions that helped with the Vince Dunn goal against Boston. The breakdown is in her below tweet.
2-2
Dunn with the equalizer but Burakovsky is so critical here – this comes right after a shift where he dangled right in front of Ullmark…BOS knows they have to defend him – he draws two and Dunn has plenty of space to send in the shot that gets in net. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/exF4UYDOH0
Also, on the podcast we discussed a different framing of shots and shot attempts, called ‘shots on target.’ It’s just shots on goal, but in context of shot attempts, you could widen the lens to evaluate how many shot attempts actually get to the goalie. So, naturally, I investigated it.
I originally started just looking at percentage of shots on target, and that showed Seattle had the second-lowest percentage of shot attempts that are on target. When I saw Carolina below the Kraken, I felt it needed additional context since Carolina is one of the better teams in the league this season. I then added total shot attempts per game to help add more color to the story.
This was pulled together in about 30 minutes on Monday morning, so there is still a lot more to dig into here, but it is an interesting perspective to start evaluating some of the shooting performances across the NHL.
The week ahead
I have been implying the Kraken’s situation (in terms of making the playoffs) has been dire for a while. They have been staying afloat, but the Predators have really started to separate from the rest of the pack and currently have a nine-point advantage on the Kraken for the last playoff spot. Seattle still has two games in hand but will need to climb over a few teams, even if Nashville starts to falter. I am also ready to lock the Kings into a playoff spot at this point, which only leaves that Nashville spot.
The first half of March has the Kraken facing some quality opponents, and that kicks off this week with a game Monday against an equally desperate Calgary Flames team and two games against the Central Division leaders, the Winnipeg Jets. Anything less than four points and at least one against Calgary might sink these Kraken playoff dreams in season three. The team has been playing well and still shows a lot of compete that has me clinging to a few last shreds of hope.
As always, thank you for making it this far. If you have questions, thoughts, or reactions, feel free to leave a note in the comments and I will do my best to respond and engage.
With about two weeks remaining before the March 8 NHL trade deadline, the Kraken playoff picture remains murky. After picking up one point on Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Seattle now sits three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference, very much within striking distance of its second postseason berth in a row.
But the Los Angeles Kings have started running away with the top wild spot since replacing coach Todd McLellan with interim coach Jim Hiller, and as of the writing of this story, two teams—the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators—sit between the Kraken and the Blues. Jumping over teams at this time of the year gets harder and harder the deeper into the season you go, so clearing that three-team logjam ahead of the Kraken is daunting.
Whether you believe the team can make the playoffs or not, the Seattle front office is reaching the end of its runway for some difficult decisions. Our general belief (and this is just conjecture) is that the team is deciding to either sell off the players it doesn’t think will back in 2024-25, or—if Ron Francis and his staff expect the team to compete to qualify for the playoffs—keep the group together for the rest of the season and risk unrestricted free agents walking for nothing in July.
It’s a tricky spot for all involved, and it certainly leaves some uneasiness in the Kraken dressing room, especially for those that could be on the trade block if Seattle doesn’t win the bulk of its next seven games.
“We all have a good level of trust in one another, and there’s the reality that the business side of the game is always there,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “It becomes more of a spotlight as you come towards the trade deadline because, obviously, the questions start to be asked about it. And it comes a little bit more to the forefront, but at the end of the day, our trust level is very good.”
If the Kraken go into full sell mode, two players to keep an eye on will be defenseman Justin Schultz and forward Tomas Tatar. But the two biggest decisions revolve around key veterans Jordan Eberle and Alex Wennberg.
Eberle and Wennberg have been central pieces for this franchise since its inception, but will they remain in Seattle beyond this season? Are we watching our last two weeks of these players in Kraken uniforms?
Decisions hinge on future fit in Seattle
We see two layers of decisions that need to get made on Eberle and Wennberg.
The obvious first question is, Will the Kraken make the playoffs? If team brass believes the Kraken are destined for the postseason, then we envision both players sticking around for the remainder of the season. So, that’s the first layer of decision making, simply choosing to show confidence in the group or not.
The second layer, though, is more complex because it will hinge on whether the Kraken see either or both players signing extensions beyond 2023-24.
Jordan Eberle
Sound Of Hockey asked both Wennberg and Eberle about their respective mindsets over the weekend to try to gauge if there is real interest in a return to Seattle next season and (maybe) beyond.
Eberle’s tone has not changed since training camp, when he publicly stated in no uncertain terms that he wanted to stay.
“I think my sole focus right now is just to be here,” Eberle reiterated on Saturday. “I want to get this team into a playoff spot and be a part of that. I think from Day 1, it’s kind of been fun to be here and build it and have a lot of guys come in and see us trending in the right direction.”
Most players will say the “right thing” when asked these questions, but there’s a kind of sincerity in Eberle’s words that make us truly believe he wants to stay.
“My family loves it here, and I think my sole purpose right now and my goal is to try and help this team get in,” Eberle said. “And at this point, I’m sure— hopefully, we’ll get something done. But I think more importantly, we’ve got to try and get this team into the playoffs.”
‘Hopefully, we’ll get something done’ refers to a contract extension. Players don’t say things like that unless they want to remain with a club.
Again, mostly conjecture here, but we also think there’s interest from the Kraken in bringing the 33-year-old winger back beyond this season. That doesn’t mean they will necessarily sign Eberle to an extension before the deadline, but we do think he will be here for the remainder of the season and at least one or two more years, regardless of how the next two weeks go.
Alex Wennberg
As for Wennberg, we aren’t so convinced that a mutual desire for a reunion is there for next season and beyond, even though he had nothing but positive things to say about his three seasons in Seattle.
“It’s great,” Wennberg said. “Obviously, we had our first kid here, so the whole thing, it’s [been] a great time. We’ve got great memories coming in, and obviously hockey-wise, it’s been good as well… [Seattle is] similar to Sweden, so you get that feeling as well. There’s a lot of good things.”
Wennberg’s situation is different from Eberle’s, though. At 29 years old, the center remains in his prime and has one more opportunity to cash in on a big free-agent contract this summer. He has played every scenario and every role for Seattle and leads all Kraken forwards by almost a minute in time on ice per game this season.
“It feels like every year, [my role] might change a little bit, but right now, I kind of get the role a little bit more defensively, taking a lot of draws and working all over the ice,” Wennberg said. “But I feel like it’s fit me pretty good. I feel like right now, with the team we have, we have whatever it takes to succeed. So for me to kind of chip in and do my part, it’s been a great fit, for sure.”
Still, despite all those positive comments about his time in the Pacific Northwest, we still get the sense Wennberg will want to test the market this summer. Perhaps we’re reading into this too much, but when we asked Wennberg more directly about his contract situation, he was a lot more cagey than Eberle.
“I actually have nothing I can share on that,” Wennberg said. “I feel like that’s personal, and right now, all I’m focused about is hockey. So for me, rather than look at the situation—it’s a stressful thing—I’d rather just leave that on the other side, let that way come all natural, and just play the game of hockey.
“If you’re poking around the extension part of that, it just— it is what it is. Obviously, there’s a business side of it as well, but for me, I’ve got nothing bad to say [about Seattle]. There’s a lot of good things with Seattle, and I like the city a lot. That’s all I can say.”
Trade rumors percolating
With all this in mind, we were not surprised to see Wennberg’s name pop up in a trade rumor article by the New York Post’s Larry Brooks on Tuesday.
Rental centers can earn premium returns this time of year, when true contenders like the Rangers and Bruins look to shore themselves up down the middle before a push for the Stanley Cup.
If Francis doesn’t see the team making the playoffs, and he doesn’t see Wennberg returning beyond this season, then getting everything he can in a deadline deal (and bringing up Shane Wright from AHL Coachella Valley to replace Wennberg) is the way to go.
Staying the course for now
As for what’s happening in the Kraken dressing room, the team and its coach are trying to ignore the distractions of the trade deadline and stay focused on the task at hand, which is reaching the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
“I felt like early on, we really gave up a lot of points,” Eberle said. “I look at our record, and I kind of grit my teeth. I feel like we should have been a lot better. But at the same time, we’re in the mix. We found a way to get some wins that were big and kept us in it, and I think, obviously we’re a healthy team—knock on wood—right now. And we need to continue to keep growing and building our game because I still think there’s another level that we can get to.”
Added Hakstol, “Everybody that’s in that scenario [with an expiring contract], is a really good veteran player, and they’re all very intelligent, good teammates. So, we’re gonna make sure that we keep doing the job in the dressing room and on the ice together, and the business area will take care of itself.”
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.
This is Part II of What the Kraken can do with their pending unrestricted free agents. Part I can be found here. In Part I, we reviewed the Seattle’s pending UFA’s that are over 30 years old and outlined what can be done with each of the four players. For Part II, we will shift our focus to the trio of UFA’s under 30 years old.
Kraken UFA players
For review, these are the seven pending UFA’s in question, split by over/under 30 years of age.
Alex Wennberg (Age 29) – Target: re-sign for four years at $4.5 million AAV
Alex Wennberg was signed to a three-year, $13.5M deal as a free agent in the days following the Expansion Draft. Wennberg is one of the more divisive players on the Kraken, as fans either love what he brings to the team or desperately want him to shoot more.
Let’s start this with a little quiz, but don’t worry; it will be easy. (Hint: The answer to every question is “Alex Wennberg.”)
Iron-man Adam Larsson has played every Kraken game, but who is next in games played? Wennberg. 208 games and counting.
What Kraken forward has the most blocked shots in franchise history? Wennberg. 156. The next closest forward is Brandon Tanev at 121.
What forward has averaged the most ice time per game over the first three seasons? Wennberg. 18:23 average time-on-ice per game. He also averages the highest power-play-plus-penalty-kill time of any forward on the team with a 3:50 (PP: 2:06, PK 1:44) average per game.
Most face-offs taken? Wennberg. He has led in the number of face-offs taken overall in every Kraken season.
Who leads the Kraken in percentage of high-danger shots at 15.38 percent? Wennberg.
What player leads the team in takeaways minus giveaways? Wennberg. He leads the team in both takeaways at 158 and takeaways minus giveaways at 88. “Best friend of the pod,” Alison Lukan, wrote a great article on this topic last year.
How did you do on the quiz? If you got less than seven out of seven, feel free to try again. Remember the answer is “Wennberg.”
The Swedish center is trusted in all situations on the ice, consistently rolled out on the PP and PK, and is defensively sound. To address the amount of shots Wennberg takes, this is nothing new to his playing style, but the key to focus on is that he opts to pass rather than take low-percentage shots. But he takes high-percentage shots as they are available. Here is a heatmap of Wennberg’s shot attempts this season, as found on Moneypuck.com.
The following three trades were used for comparison (player name, age when traded):
Andrew Copp (Age 27) – The New York Rangers sent first-, second-, and fifth-round picks plus an AHL prospect to Winnipeg in 2022.
Lars Eller (Age 32) – Colorado traded a second-round pick to Washington in 2023.
Eric Staal (Age 36) – Buffalo fetched third- and fifth-round picks from Montreal in 2021.
At 29, Wennberg should fall somewhere between the Eller and Copp trades, if Seattle decides to move him. A first-round return might be asking a bit much, but a second-rounder and an additional pick is more practical.
Shane Wright is developing in the AHL and will look to make the Kraken next year. This does create a log jam in the center position if Wennberg stays, but having too many centers is a good thing, and the Kraken have options with the current rostered players that can play both wing and center. We would rather see Wright make the team first and eventually ease him into a top-six center role. Keeping Wennberg around gives them the ability to do that.
Wennberg, a former first-round pick, has a 10-team modified no-trade clause (M-NTC).
What it would take to re-sign Wennberg?
Three comparable contracts were used (player name, contract terms, age when signed):
Vincent Trocheck (seven year at $5.625M AAV, signing age 29) – First-line center averaging over 21 minutes per game. This physical forward also plays in all situations and averages 50-60 points a season. It helps that Artemi Panarin plays on his wing.
Phillip Danault (six years at $5.5M AAV, signing age 28) – Shutdown center that has a scoring touch, tallying over 50 points in each of the past two seasons.
Alexander Kerfoot (two years at $3.5M AAV, signing age 28) – Since joining Arizona, Kerfoot has played both PP and PK minutes. He has a career average of ~40 points a season.
Wennberg is currently at $4.5M AAV, so he falls in the middle of these contracts, and that is about right. Both Trocheck and Danault were able to sign longer-term deals due to their skill sets. The defensive-minded Wennberg is in the same camp and will be looking for the longest term possible (four-plus years).
We think the Seattle Kraken will look to capitalize on his early 30’s and try for another three-year deal. We see the AAV landing in the $4-$5.5M range with a three-to-five-year term.
Chris Driedger (Age 29) – Target: Let walk
The goaltender was the Kraken’s Expansion Draft pick from the Florida Panthers after he compiled 21 wins and a .930 save percentage over two years. Unfortunately, the Canadian netminder has not panned out in Seattle, posting an .899 save percentage in the inaugural season before getting injured in the IIHF World Championship in 2022. Since that time, Driedger has only played two NHL games and spent the rest of his time in the AHL.
The WHL product cleared waivers after this season’s training camp, as other NHL teams did not want any part of his $3.5M cap hit.
With Philipp Grubauer being activated off injured reserve Tuesday, Driedger was re-assigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. A trade still could happen, but there are currently teams in need of goaltending, and a deal has yet to be done. This indicates his cap hit and small sample size, since returning from injury, are issues. The Kraken will most likely keep Driedger as an insurance plan in the AHL, in case there is a future goalie injury. We foresee Seattle letting Driedger and his 10-team M-NTC walk at the end of the season.
Devin Shore (Age 29) – Target: Trade for a fifth-round pick
The veteran of over 400 games is the perfect depth insurance policy. He can play center or wing and jump up and down the lineup as needed. Having this flexibility is something that NHL clubs in the playoffs value. Shore is on a two-way contract, meaning he is paid $250K in the AHL and the league-minimum $775K when with the Kraken.
The following two trades were used for comparison (player name, age when traded):
Curtis Lazar (27) – New Jersey sent a fourth-round pick to Vancouver in 2023.
Ryan Carpenter (31) – Calgary traded a fifth-round pick to Chicago in 2022.
In return for Shore, a fourth- or fifth-round pick could be expected.
Overall
Trades are hard to predict, and we don’t see the Kraken pulling the trigger to sell, as long as they have a path to the playoffs. Another aspect that was not covered is the NHL salary cap is expected to go up to $87.7M next year, so every team is going to have some extra flexibility.
Please comment on what trades you feel are possible and if the Kraken should re-sign or trade their existing UFA’s. If you missed part I, you can find it here.
Next project is to review the Kraken’s restricted free agents (RFA), so look for that in the coming weeks.
The Kraken are inching closer to a major inflection point in their season, when their front office will need to decide which players with expiring (or soon to expire) contracts should be kept and which ones should be moved on to new teams. As Seattle has floundered over the past week, we’ve begun thinking again about what the team might do if it has to be a seller at the NHL Trade Deadline, which falls on March 8.
In this two-part series, we’re going to look at all the players on expiring contracts, focusing first on the older ones (over 30 years old) in Part I, then shifting in Part II to those under 30.
For Part I, we think it will be a useful exercise to go through each pending UFA, discuss what he brings to the Kraken, and consider if the team should re-sign the player or look to trade him if in a selling position.
Let us start with a definition for unrestricted free agent (UFA). A UFA is a player who is not under contract and is free to sign a deal with any NHL team. Players are considered UFA’s if they are 27 years of age or older or have played at least seven NHL seasons. UFA’s can only negotiate/re-sign with their current team during the season, but once free agency opens in the summer, they can sign anywhere. Talks with other NHL clubs can start after the NHL Draft on June 29, and players can officially sign with other clubs on July 1.
Possible trade returns
It is hard to get exact value of what a player will return in a trade. There are many factors that play into trades, such as team salary cap situation, player age, player performance, salary retainment, and contract term remaining. For this exercise, trades over the last three years were reviewed, and focus was put on trades for rental players that best matched the Kraken player’s position, age, and performance.
By the way, a “rental” is a player targeted in a trade whose contract is expiring at the end of the year. Barring a deal that is too good to pass up, we would only expect the Kraken to sell at the deadline if they are out of the playoff picture. If the team does end up selling, the third-year franchise will be looking to harvest draft picks to augment its prospect pipeline and and grab more chips to hopefully find some star power through the draft.
Notes on re-signing players
There are two main pieces to an NHL contract, average annual salary and term. As players move deeper into their careers, teams want shorter terms, whereas players want longer terms, as this could be their last NHL contract. We will compare some contracts that closely match the Kraken UFA’s performances and ages.
Kraken UFA players
The Seattle Kraken have seven players that will be UFA’s at the end of the season. After realizing it would take a really long article to review all seven players, we have decided to split it up into to two parts.
The players (separated by over/under 30 years old) are:
Jordan Eberle (Age 33) – Target: Re-sign for three years at $5 million AAV
Eberle came to the Kraken as the Expansion Draft pick from the New York Islanders. He is a top-six forward that has been on a 20-goal pace 10 out of his 11 seasons. This campaign is the first season he is off the 20-goal pace. He has played in 982 career games and is set to cross the 1000-game mark in mid-March.
As an alternate captain for his entire tenure with the Kraken, Eberle has played on the top line and provided mentorship to budding young star, Matty Beniers. Eberle is second in Kraken franchise history with 47 goals. Among Eberle’s offensive skill set is a wicked backhand and some smooth hands in tight spaces. His current contract comes with a $5.5M cap hit.
Trade return possibilities:
The following three trades were used for comparison (player name, age when traded):
Calle Jarnkrok (Age 30) – Seattle General manager Ron Francis was able to get a second-, third-, and seventh-round pick to Calgary in 2022.
Rickard Rakell (Age 28) – Pittsburgh sent a second-round pick, Zach Aston-Reese, and two AHL players to Anaheim in 2022.
Gustav Nyquist (Age 33) – Columbus fetched a fifth-round pick from Minnesota in 2023.
In all of the trades above, salary was retained, which the Kraken have the flexibility to do as well. Eberle’s possible trade range could be as low as a fifth-round pick or as high as multiple picks topping out at a second-rounder.
At the time of his trade, Nyquist was injured, but had been scoring at the same clip as Eberle, which does not bode well. Jarnkrok was scoring above his career average at the time of his trade from Seattle to Calgary and returned a bounty of picks. Eberle does have a 16-team no-trade list as part of the modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) in his contract.
The good news is GM Ron Francis swung a solid return in the Jarnkrok deal, so hopefully he can push for a return matching the Boi Boi Calle trade. Expect a deal to include at least a second-round pick plus additional picks or prospects.
What it would take to re-sign Eberle?
David Perron signed a two-year, $9.5M contract as a UFA just after his 33-year-old season. Perron scores just a hair under Eberle, but matches him in leadership, playing time, and power-play experience. Another player contract we could compare to is the Kraken’s own Tomas Tatar, but we will be talking more about him later.
Eberle is on the back nine of his career. If the Kraken want him back, they would likely be targeting a one- or two-year deal, similar to Perron’s, and we would imagine the Eberle camp pushing for a third or fourth year.
The winger is trending on a ~40-point pace, and if that continues, a pay cut could be in his future. On the other hand, if he returns to form and has a stellar second half of the season, a contract in his current range is likely. It should be noted that scoring is down for the Kraken as a whole, so Eberle’s point totals could be a result of a more defensive game plan.
The former first-round pick does bring power-play abilities and leadership to the group. If he re-signs with the Kraken, which he has said publicly he wants to do, we predict a two- or three-year deal in the $4.5-$5.5M range for Eberle to finish his career with the Kraken.
Justin Schultz (Age 33) – Target: Trade for second-round pick
Schultz joined the Kraken as a free agent, signing a two-year $6M deal with a 10-team M-NTC before the 2022-23 season.
With Ryker Evans knocking on the door, we believe Schultz is the most likely defenseman to not be with the Kraken next year. That takes re-signing him off the table, so we will focus on trade return.
Schultz runs the second power-play unit and has settled into a third defense pairing with his previous Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Brian Dumoulin.
Comparable trades (player name, age when traded):
Ben Chiarot (Age 30) – Florida really wanted Chiarot and paid first- and fourth-round picks, plus an AHL player to Montreal in 2022.
Mark Giordano (Age 38) – The first ever and only Seattle Kraken captain returned two second-round picks plus a third-round pick to Toronto in 2022. It should be noted Colin Blackwell was included in this deal with the Maple Leafs as well.
Brett Kulak (Age 28) – Edmonton traded second- and seventh-round picks, plus NHL player William Lagesson to Montreal in 2022.
Schultz is definitely a valuable depth defenseman with offensive prowess that a team making a playoff run will covet. A second-round pick is probably the highest pick the Kraken can get, but an additional lower-round pick (or two) could be thrown in. Targeting a trade like Kulak’s is conceivable. Looking a bit at Giordano’s trade, which is a package deal, could be something Francis would explore as well.
Tomas Tatar (Age 33) – Target: Trade for second-round pick
Tatar went from making $4.5M last season to signing a team-friendly deal with the Colorado Avalanche, only to get buried on the fourth line and eventually traded to the Kraken for a fifth-round pick.
Now playing on the Kraken’s top line at $1.5M, Tatar has been a steal. The Kraken could look to re-sign Tatar in the $2.5-$3.5M range on a short one-to-two-year contract. The big question is, will Tatar want to stay or go to a team favored to win the Stanley Cup?
Since joining the Kraken, the player affectionately known as “Tuna” has rejuvenated his offense. The comparable trades for Tatar are the same as the trades for Eberle. Tatar has averaged 45-50 points a season over his career and could return almost as much value as Eberle, since he is on a cheaper contract, helpful for teams that are cap constrained. A first-round pick is still out of the question, but a second is definitely feasible.
Being that the Kraken only traded a fifth-round pick to acquire Tatar, trading him could end up being a quick return on investment.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Age 38) – Target: Trade for fourth-round pick
The veteran center signed with the Kraken for one year at the league minimum, $775K. Bellemare offers defense, including penalty-killing time, and above 50 percent in the face-off dot. There are only three players in the NHL that are 39 or over, so he is definitely reaching the end of his career, but Bellemare has played effectively this season.
With his current cap hit, we could see extending Bellemare’s deal for one more year. He is currently on injured reserve but is a depth center with NHL playoff experience when healthy.
We found one comparable trade (player name, age when traded):
Derick Brassard (Age 34) – Edmonton traded a fourth-round pick to Philadelphia in 2022.
A reasonable return could be a third- to fifth-round pick due to Bellemare’s penalty-killing expertise. He is also a possible thrown-in player added to a package deal that could upgrade a trade for the Kraken.
Overall
Trades are hard to predict, and we don’t see the Kraken pulling the trigger as long as they have a path to the playoffs. One aspect of trades we did not dig into much is package deals. Francis has experience with this type of trade, bundling Blackwell with Giordano to get an extra second-round pick in the inaugural season.
For any of the Kraken UFA’s, it would be a stretch to get a first-round pick as part of the return, but packaging up two players could be enough to push a first-round pick into the conversation.
A past package deal that is of interest:
Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac – These New Jersey Devils were traded as a package to the New York Islanders for first-, fourth-round picks, and two AHL prospects in 2021.
Please comment on what trades you feel are possible and if the team should re-sign or trade its pending UFAs. Part II can be found here.
