Mark Giordano, Seattle Kraken.
On the ice, the inaugural season of Seattle Kraken hockey hasn’t been very successful. Currently, Seattle occupies last place in the NHL’s Pacific Division with 36 points in 49 games. Honestly, the Kraken don’t have enough talent to compete for the playoffs; far from it. But that shouldn’t stop them from building for the future.
The next step in developing a solid team is the NHL trade deadline on March 21. It’s a semi do-over for Seattle General Manager, Ron Francis. By selling off players who could help other teams reach or succeed in the playoffs, he can get young players and draft picks. Both are crucial to creating a core. Matty Beniers, the Kraken’s first-round pick in 2021, will be here soon, but he’ll need help.
Aside from room under the salary cap, Francis’ biggest asset at the deadline is defenseman Mark Giordano. The Seattle Kraken captain is an unrestricted free agent after the season, so now is the time to gain some assets instead of letting him walk away for nothing.
Giordano has racked up many accolades since his first season in the juniors with Owen Sound 20 years ago. He’s won the Norris Trophy (20i8-19) given to NHL’s best defenseman and the Messier Award (2019-20) for leadership. Giordano also had a 74-point season, represented his country internationally on several occasions, and made three All-Star appearances. He’s done almost everything there is to do in professional hockey, except win a Stanley Cup.
At, 37-years-old, Giordano isn’t the player he was three or so years earlier, but Gio still brings plenty to the table. He can handle the puck as it seems to stay on his stick until he wants to pass it. His positioning in both zones is excellent; he hits hard and shoots hard from the point.
Those traits, in addition to his outstanding leadership on and off the ice, make him very desirable to contending teams. They will part with the young talent, and future draft picks to strengthen their chances at hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in June.
With 31 days until trading stops until after the Stanley Cup Finals end, these are the best trade partners in each division for Giordano and the Seattle Kraken.
New York Rangers – 67 points (3rd place), $17.5M current cap space.
The Rangers rebuild is over. NYR may be in third place, but they are four points behind Pittsburgh for first place. This team is a contender with a great up-and-coming goalie. They need some stability.
Seattle Kraken send Giordano and Calle Jarnkrok to the New York Rangers for Vitali Kravtsov, Libor Hajek, and 2022 fourth-round pick.
After some hard feelings between Kravtsov and the Rangers about not making the team out of camp last September, the young wing is on loan to Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. He’s an exciting player with an outstanding ability to finish plays, while not ignoring his defensive responsibilities. With some maturity, Kravtsov is a legit top-line NHL talent.
Hajek projects as a mid-to-bottom pair NHL defenseman. The type of steady but unspectacular blueliner who takes care of business in his own end that can stay in the league for a long time once he makes it permanently.
The Broadway Blueshirts need Giordano. First, they have four really good young defensemen Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, and Ryan Lindgren. After that, it’s been a mix-match of whatever retread NHLers and not ready for prime-time rookies. With Giordano, the Rangers can make three solid pairs.
Jarnkrok fits nicely on NYR’s third line with Filip Chytl and Drayden Hunt. He might also get some time on the second power play unit. It won’t be New York’s only trade, but acquiring Giordano and Jarnkrok from Seattle will be their most important.
The Washington Capitals could use Gio (who couldn’t) but would have to clear out enough cap space in another deal to make it happen. Also, is Washington willing to part with a first-round pick or Connor McMichael?
Originally, I was against trading Giordano for anything less than a first-round pick, but Kravtsov is too big of a carrot to pass up.
Toronto Maple Leafs – 67 points (3rd place), $0 current cap space.
With multiple buyers in the Atlantic Division, it would be easy to say four teams could be in the market for Mark Giordano. The Kraken would have options if they went this route. The Maple Leafs have a solid top four, and even their bottom pairing isn’t bad. However, an upgrade wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
The Maple Leafs and General Manager Kyle Dubas need a successful postseason, and Giordano could certainly help push for that. Due to their current salary cap situation, it would certainly have to be a three-team trade.
This is a three-team deal. The Seattle Kraken receive defenseman Travis Dermott, forward Nick Ritchie, and a 2023 second-round pick from Toronto. The Maple Leafs receive Mark Giordano at 25 percent of his salary due to both teams retaining 50 percent, Frederik Gauthier (from NJD), and a 2022 fifth-round pick (SEA). The New Jersey Devils would receive a 2023 fourth-round pick from the Maple Leafs.
On the surface, it may seem like a bit of a light return. However, considering the age and ability of both players, it makes things more clear. Dermott and Ritchie are both under contract for the next two years, with Dermott expiring as an RFA and Ritchie as a UFA.
Dermott is a 25-year-old left-handed defenseman who can fill the gap left by Giordano’s departure. Ritchie is a 26-year-old winger currently playing in the AHL but who already has 30 point seasons under his belt at the NHL level. It gives both players a fresh start and a chance to have an increased role at the NHL level.
The Maple Leafs are getting an experienced defenseman who wants to win badly. Much like many veterans on the team, a Stanley Cup has eluded him his entire career. Although they have players like Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin on the left side of their defense, the depth falls off quickly.
By adding Giordano, not only does it let coach Sheldon Keefe take some of the load off the players mentioned above, but it also gives Toronto a defenseman who can play a big role when injuries come calling. New Jersey sending Gauthier north is a bonus for Toronto’s depth. Additionally, he’s a familiar face to the organization.
The Atlantic runner-up for a trade would be the Boston Bruins. They have cap space, aging veterans, and a much stronger right-side of their defense than the left-side. Adding a player like Giordano could give them a much greater chance at pushing for the Stanley Cup this year. But at the same time, they may benefit from standing pat, for the most part, and adding some depth pieces at the deadline instead.
Nashville Predators – 60 points (4th place), $10.5M current cap space.
Out of all the contenders in this Division, Nashville should definitely be a buyer at the deadline, if for no other reason than their cap space. The Preds are hanging onto a playoff spot with a five-point lead, but Nashville could be one defensive injury from sliding down the standings – or leaping up.
Seattle Kraken send Giordano to Nashville for Alexandre Carrier, Yakov Trenin, and Nashville’s 2nd and 3rd draft picks in 2022.
Seattle is trying to build a championship-caliber team from within. They want younger players they can develop. Giordano is almost certainly out the door at the end of the season, so Seattle should trade him and get two young players, and two high-level draft picks.
Trenin, a pending restricted free agent, is having a great season. Meanwhile, Carrier has one more year left on his contract and would easily slide into Seattle’s top 6 defensemen. This is one of the few trades where Seattle would not have to retain any cap, too.
Why it works for the Nashville Predators
Nashville is already deep on defense; however, defense wins championships. They need more depth. Gio would be a great second or third-pair defenceman for Nashville, providing a defense that opposing offenses would dread – Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Giordano, Philippe Myers, Mark Borowiecki, and Dante Fabbro with Matt Benning and Ben Harpur in reserve.
Minnesota is a solid runner-up from the Central division. They are in a four-way race for the Central Division title. The Wild currently have just under $2M in cap space, so moving 2 players to make room for Gio makes perfect sense. They could shed Viktor Rask’s $4M cap hit back to Seattle and sweeten the deal with their first-rounder and a fourth.
Gio provided some much-needed leadership for a brand new franchise. Now is the time for him to go win a cup and, in return, net the Kraken a solid return.
Calgary Flames – 62 points (1st Place), $0.5M current cap space
Out of all the contenders in this Division, Calgary and Edmonton are for sure deadline buyers. The bigger question is can they fit Mark Giordano under the cap. Between the two, Calgary has the bigger need for a defenseman.
Seattle Kraken send Giordano and Andres Johanson to Calgary for Milan Lucic, Nikita Zadorev, and either Jusso Valimaki; or Jacob Pelletier and a future second-round pick.
Valimaki is the big prize. To this point, Calgary’s 2017 first-round pick can’t seem to establish himself as an NHL regular. He has the whole six-pack of skills but needs the plastic pack ring to bring them together. If and when he does, Valimaki could be a top-pair defenseman. A change of organizations will do him good.
If the Kraken want to bring Matty Beniers in next season, he’ll need a protector. Lucic is perfect for that role. Zadorov is there to back-fill for Giordano because somebody has to play those minutes, and Seattle doesn’t have a capable replacement.
I’d like to see GM Ron Francis try to get goalie Dustin Wolfe as a throw-in. The former Everett Silvertips netminder is a diamond in the rough but needs to add 25 pounds or so to his 6’0” frame.
Bringing the franchise hero home for a final run at a championship is a heck of a storyline. As great as that optic is, storylines don’t win titles; talent does. Giordano still has game, and I’ll take him over Michael Stone, Erik Gudbranson, (and maybe Zadorov) on my team any day. Also, it might be awkward at first, but Giordano fits into the Flames locker room.
Playing with quality NHL top six (or nine) centers should ignite a fire under Johansson. He’s an ideal addition to provide solid secondary scoring over a 10-12 week period.
This one is hard due to other than talent issues. Both L.A. and Anaheim would love to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but neither is under the gun to do it. It’s easier to see both as deadline sellers. As much as Edmonton would like to stick it to their Alberta rivals, they don’t have as much need for Gio.
San Jose is out of the picture, and with Jack Eichel ready to return, Vegas has cap problems. That leaves Vancouver as the last Pacific team standing. They have a young base that can contend. But are they ready to mortgage some of their future? If so, Giordano is a nice pick-up. He’d also be a great mentor to Quinn Hughes.
Trading within the same division is usually taboo, but it’s happening more often.
Where do you think the Seattle Kraken will trade Mark Giordano? Let us know in the comments section below.