Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis.
The Seattle Kraken seemingly had the potential to be essentially anything coming into this season. With their apparent strong goaltending, young players primed to breakout, and useful veterans looking to prove they still have enough left in the tank, the team could’ve had a great first year. But instead, the Kraken find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific division by a substantial margin just over halfway through the season.
Kraken General Manager Ron Francis made some odd moves during the expansion draft. A notable example is the selection of Gavin Bayreuther from Columbus, however, his strangest move was the lack of moves prior to the draft itself. Unlike George McPhee in Vegas, Francis didn’t make any trades and strictly went to get players from the draft. This strategy was bold. As a result, Kraken fans have not been shy with their displeasure toward this approach.
There are quite a few trade candidates on the Kraken as Chip Clark previously mentioned. Francis put himself in a bad position with the previously mentioned expansion draft failures and Seattle fans are going to see improvements quickly once the deals start to roll. First, he needs to address goaltending. Grubauer and Driedger’s values are at all-time lows. They can’t build a winning team with $9.4M worth of goalies putting up a combined save percentage below .900.
Fans can argue one will bounce back. Then the question becomes which one and when? Do you keep Phillip Grubauer and his massive contract when there’s a chance of him never returning to his previous form? Or does he stick with Chris Driedger who has been slightly better but is also younger and cheaper and knows his role as a long-term backup?
Francis has to make a choice between the two, but more than likely he’ll stick with both and hope for the best. Teams won’t give up much for either of the goalies, however no matter how bad of a season they’ve had a desperate team will be willing to take a chance based on their previous performances.
The second task on Francis’s plate is dealing with pending free agents, and there are quite a few on the Seattle Kraken. While addressing this, he can also accomplish a second task which would be making space for prospects who may be NHL ready for next season. The most pending free agents are forwards. Nine of thirteen currently on the roster are either unrestricted or restricted free agents after this season.
Brandon Tanev and Jaden Schwartz are not included in these numbers since they are currently on the injured reserve. That makes it six total forwards signed for next year when you include those two.
Out of the restricted free agents, Jared McCann, Ryan Donato, and Morgan Geekie are likely to be brought back from the main roster. Meanwhile, Kole Lind, Carsen Twarynski, and Alex True are currently in the AHL, but will almost certainly be brought back for organizational depth. Lind could make a run at getting a full-time NHL role next season.
Also, 2021 first round draft pick Matty Beniers will certainly take up a roster spot. Still, he may decide to stay at the University of Michigan for one more year. Francis could try and move Mason Appleton as a pending restricted free agent.
There are four pending unrestricted free agents up-front. Namely, Calle Jarnkrok, Marcus Johansson, Riley Sheahan, and Colin Blackwell. Jarnkrok, Johansson, and Sheahan are all on the wrong side of thirty. It’s unlikely they’ll want to sit at the bottom of the standings waiting for Francis to build a winning team. The trio will likely be moved for future assets.
If any of this group is re-signed, Blackwell is the choice. He fits in nicely in a bottom-six role. Maybe one of the other three could be happy in Seattle and make a surprising move by signing an extension, but don’t count on it. At forward, Francis needs to move at minimum three of the four pending UFAs in order to build this team properly for the future.
Things are much simpler on the blue line. Both pending UFAs, Mark Giordano and Connor Carrick will likely be moving on. Giordano in an attempt to get him a Stanley Cup before his retirement. Meanwhile, Carrick would give a contender some depth. Regarding RFAs, both Fleurys: Cale, and Haydn, are young enough to justify a new contract. Jeremy Lauzon has been a regular in the lineup for a majority of the season and should return.
When Francis does move on from these players, it would be best to embrace the state of the team. He’ll need to acquire picks and prospects, such as Owen Tippett who Florida reportedly is willing to move. The best bet is likely to build for two or three years down the line.
Pushing for an expedited build would almost certainly fail, all things considered. These things take time. The more draft picks Seattle can acquire for the upcoming draft the better. The 2022 draft class looks strong, so it would be smart to capitalize on all that high-end talent.
If he can add one or two first-rounders, then he’ll have quite a few skilled options. With the team’s current position, there’s a high chance they’ll end up with a top-five pick based on performance. Shane Wright, Matthew Savoie, and even Brad Lambert are all highly regarded prospects. Each could be difference-makers in a few years, if not sooner. Lambert’s value is dropping quickly due to a down season. His status is very similar to Aatu Raty’s draft year and he has been phenomenal since.
Ron Francis certainly has a lot on his plate, however, the biggest key to the trade deadline is simple. He can’t do what he did at the expansion draft and stand pat as the future of the Kraken depends on it.
Who do you think the Seattle Kraken will move at the NHL Trade Deadline? Let us know in the comments section below.