Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis.
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.
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.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended Russia and Belarus from all international competitions. They even pulled the 2023 World Junior Championships from Russia. While the IIHF has no sway over NHL teams, governments do.
Foreign nationals need a work visa to hold jobs in the United States and Canada. Limiting or banning workers from Russia is among the possible sanctions that could happen. That includes hockey players. It’s possible that for political reasons, Alex Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin might not play in the NHL next season.
What if one country has sanctions in place and the other doesn’t? That would disqualify a player with a Russian passport from crossing the border.
Of course, Russia could ban its citizens from traveling to North America. Would anyone put it past Vladimir Putin to do that? And as added leverage, the Russian government could make life difficult for the in-country relatives of any players who head to the NHL. This is why almost all Russian players in the NHL avoid talking (or posting) about the war.
Getting back to the Russian players, they have been taking lots of verbal abuse from North American fans recently. Will they even want to come back to the NHL for 2022-23?
Since this is a huge unknown, Francis has to be wary about trading for any player that’s a Russian citizen. Then there’s the draft, which is a whole different can of worms. Think about the entire above situation, then apply it to 17-19-year-old kids. That’s a huge mess.
Russians, like Canadians and Americans, love their hockey. Lurking in the background of any Russian-born player is the Kontinetal Hockey League. That league has a history of overpaying for home-grown talent.
Until very recently, the KHL didn’t think very highly of honoring NHL contracts. Stories like Alexander Radulov leaving the Nashville Predators for the KHL in 2008 despite being under contract could happen again. Fans watching the recent Olympic games saw many players from the “Russian Olympic Committee” team with NHL ties.
Another tool they use to drive NHL teams nuts is to offer a young Russian player who didn’t make his NHL team out of training camp and headed to the minors a KHL contract. The average AHL player makes about $45K. These guys know they can get six-figure deals in the KHL.
So, for example, say the Seattle Kraken dealt for a Russian player who might need some seasoning with their AHL Coachella Valley affiliate next season to reach his potential. The specter of a KHL team swooping in and offering a big contract makes a trade like that less of an option.
Of course, Francis could gamble a little bit. The trade and draft value of Russian players has taken a hit due to the uncertainty. Do the Seattle Kraken buy low in hopes of getting a big payoff down the road?
Maybe, but because this is such a fluid situation, when that payoff happens could be several years away, if at all. This season isn’t the problem. Any Russian players in the NHL now will finish out the season here. Next year and the years after are the problem.
The Kraken and Francis specifically haven’t proven to be adept when it comes to making deals. Don’t expect him to go out on a limb.
Do you think recent events have changed the Seattle Kraken trade deadline and draft strategies? Let us know in the comments section below.