Seattle Kraken: Best trade partners in each division for Mark Giordano
PNWS Staff
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Pacific Division – Calgary Flames (by Chip Clark)
Calgary Flames – 62 points (1st Place), $0.5M current cap space
Why the Flames
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.
The trade
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.
Why it works for the Seattle Kraken
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.
Why it works for the Calgary Flames
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.
Pacific Runner-up
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.
Final Thoughts
Trading within the same division is usually taboo, but it’s happening more often.
Related Story: 2022 Trade Deadline is Key for Kraken’s Future
Where do you think the Seattle Kraken will trade Mark Giordano? Let us know in the comments section below.