Seattle Kraken: World events change the team’s trade deadline and draft plans
Recent world events could throw a wrench into the Seattle Kraken’s trade deadline and entry draft plans.
Before anything else, what is happening in Ukraine from a humanitarian and geopolitical standpoint dwarfs anything hockey-related. Our hearts go out to those affected by the recent invasion. The Seattle Kraken showed their support for Ukraine last week when they invited Roman Vashchuk to sing the Ukrainian National Anthem before a game.
Pacific Northwest Sports is not a political forum. We are meant to be an escape for sports fans. However, it would be naive to think there aren’t ramifications in the world of sports, especially the National Hockey League, from Russia’s actions.
Kraken Specific
Although there are no Russian players on the Seattle Kraken roster, there are 40+ of them in the NHL. As the trade deadline is less than a week, how much will world events factor into the team’s decision-making?
During his trade negotiations, Kraken GM Ron Francis probably discussed right wing Vitali Kravtsov (New York Rangers) and/or defenseman Nikita Zadorov (Calgary Flames). The pair is just a few Russian players rumored to be available at the deadline. Francis has a few, not many, high-value assets to use at the deadline and can’t afford to waste what little there is in the cupboard.
Then there is the NHL Draft in July. Right now, the Seattle Kraken are trending toward a top-three pick. There are no Russians expected to go that high. But, there are several talented players at the next tier. What does Seattle do in rounds 2-7?
There are so many moving parts. That makes for one more headache for a team that has plenty of work to do to reach mediocrity.