Mark Giordano, Seattle Kraken.
We are just over two months away from the March 21 NHL trade deadline. Now is the time when general managers lay the groundwork for trades. As a matter of fact, the current trend has needy teams not waiting to pull the trigger on deals. With that in mind, we look at what the Seattle Kraken have to offer other teams.
With their record this season, many observers think the Kraken are sellers. For the most part, it’s true. They will trade away players, but it’s only part of the story. More on that later subjects later on.
These are the top six assets Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis has to work with to build his team.
Contract: Before the expansion draft, the Seattle Kraken signed Chris Driedger to a 3-year, $10M contract.
Why he’ll be traded
Based on what he’s done so far this season, no team in their right mind would touch him with a 10-foot blocker pad. Between injuries and illness, Driedger appeared in only 11 games with a 3-6 record with a 3.18 Goals Against Average (GAA) and 0.898 Save Percentage (SV%). He seems more like an AHL candidate than a trade target.
Like several other Seattle Kraken trade chips, other teams need only at the stats before coming to the Emerald City. Driedger spent the last two seasons with Florida, playing in 35 games with a 24-11 record, 2.07 GAA, 0.937 SV%, and 4 shutouts. That goalie is worth something to a team with injury problems in the crease or one with an aging netminder on a big contract.
If Driedger can pick his game up a tick, it benefits the Kraken greatly as well as his trade value. A good Chris Driedger commands a third-round pick and possibly a second.
Contract: Mason Appleton makes $900K for the 2021-22 season. He is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Why he’ll be traded
A disappointment, to say the least; Appleton has 2 goals and 4 assists in 24 games. Part of that has to do with his dismal shooting percentage of 5.9. Most of the disappointment has to do with his virtual invisibility and lack of impact.
Last season, Appleton was a big part of Winnipeg’s successful third line. He made his presence known between scoring and defensive play. That’s why Appleton shows up on several trade boards; teams want the 202-21 version. How much they are willing to pay for the opportunity is negligible.
Because he is an unrestricted free agent, whoever acquires him isn’t committed long term. If Appleton can’t cut with the new team, he can try to catch on somewhere else in free agency. At best, Francis can flip him for a fourth-round pick, but more likely a six or seven.
People don’t think this is a trade asset, but it’s very important. It’s 2022, and the salary cap is king in the NHL. The Seattle Kraken has over $6M for the remainder of the season in projected cap space, according to capfriendly.com. That number will go up when they deal away number one on this list.
Contending teams want to add impact players. They may not have the cap space to do so, and a big-ticket player may have to go. Seattle can take on some salary to facilitate a trade. Of course, that will cost the other guys either prospects or good draft picks to make it happen.
Contract: Marcus Johansson is on a 1-year, $1.5M contract.
Why he’ll be traded
On most teams, Johansson is a second-line forward at best. For the Kraken, Johansson sees plenty of top-line minutes alongside Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. It’s not an ideal situation, considering he has only 10 points, 7 of which came on the power-play. Combine that with a -17 +/- rating, and he has to go.
Even with such lousy stats, there is a demand for a player like Johansson. Good teams all have a veteran forward on their roster to lend experience to their young players. Additionally, he can more than hold his own on power-play. In the postseason, it’s crucial to capitalize on the man advantage.
This season’s lackluster performance is offset by a reasonable contract that expires at the end of the year. That should net the Kraken anywhere between a fifth and seventh-round pick.
Contract: Vince Dunn is under contract for $4M per season through 2022-23. From there, Dunn is a restricted free agent.
Why he’ll be traded
When it comes to young Kraken players with a future that other teams want, Dunn is at the top of the list. Over the three seasons before coming to Seattle, he was trending at 0.406 points per game. This year Dunn has 4 goals and 11 assists in 33 games, for an average of 0.455 points per game. That’s great, but he’s also -15 this year as well.
Dunn is a good puck-handler and can quarterback the second unit on a Cup contender. Speaking of the Stanley Cup, he was on the St. Louis team that won it in 2019.
Dunn is a good pickup for the right team at only 25 years old and under team control for another year-and-a-half.
Contact: The 2019 Norris Trophy winner is in the final year of a deal that pays him an AAV of $6.75M for 2021-22.
Why he’ll be traded
As soon as the Seattle Kraken selected Mark Giordano from Calgary in the expansion draft, there was speculation that he wouldn’t last an entire season in the Emerald City. Some prognosticators even had Francis trading the 38-year-old defenseman before the season started.
Instead, the Kraken held on to Giordano and made him the franchise’s first captain. That was despite the fact he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.
Seattle’s strategy with him has been to wait until the trade deadline approaches and ship him out to a team desperate for a quality veteran defenseman. As a whole, Seattle has greatly underperformed. Giordano is by no means exempt from criticism.
He’s never seemed to accept that Calgary left him exposed or embraced being part of the Kraken. His slow start of 4 goals, 8 assists (0 on the power-play), and -15 are concerning. And while Giordano isn’t the production machine he was in 2018-19, when he put up 79 points and a +39, he’s still a capable defender and puck mover.
Giordano’s skill set, experience, and leadership will go a long way on a contender. That’s why he’s so valuable and why the Kraken can pull in a big haul for him.
What do you think the Seattle Kraken’s biggest trade chips are at the deadline? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.