Daniel Sprong, Seattle Kraken.
So far, the Seattle Kraken haven’t dazzled the National Hockey League with their play on the ice. A good part of the reason is a lack of talent accumulated by Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis in the expansion draft. Not every player has been bad. But to put it kindly, many of the veterans have greatly underachieved.
In need of a fresh start, Francis was busy leading up to the trade deadline. He made six trades with six teams. With the benefit of a few days to digest all that went down earlier this week, we evaluate how the team did at their first deadline.
We start with the biggest trade first. I didn’t like this deal, but I understand why it went down. If the Canadiens got a first and fourth-round pick and an additional mid-level prospect for Ben Chiarot, Mark Giordano was worth as much or more than Chiarot. But the Kraken didn’t get a first-rounder for their captain, let alone kicking in a capable defensive forward, Colin Blackwell.
As I said above, I understand why Francis made the trade. Gio is from Toronto, and the Leafs have a decent chance to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Francis did right by Giordano by sending him home. It just wasn’t what was best for the Kraken.
Even if he wasn’t getting a first-round pick, Francis could have at least tried to get defenseman Travis Dermott who the Leafs traded to Vancouver for a 2022 third-round pick to clear enough room under the cap to acquire Giordano.
Grade: B-
Seattle Kraken sent Mason Appleton to Winnipeg for a 2023 fourth-round pick.
Francis taketh and Francis sendeth back. The Kraken selected Mason Appleton from Winnipeg in the expansion draft. They expected the guy who anchored the Jets’ successful third line from last season. What they got was 17 points in 49 games. At least he won’t disappoint the Kraken anymore.
Grade: B
Seattle Kraken sent forward Marcus Johansson to Washington for forward Daniel Sprong, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick. Seattle retains $750K of Johansson’s salary.
This trade isn’t as great as some made it out to be. Francis got what he could for Marcus Johansson. After all, he’s a 31-year-old, on an expiring contract, with 23 points in 51 games and a 10th worst in the league,-23.
I covered the Ducks while Daniel Sprong was there, and he didn’t make much of an impression on me. Since playing his first NHL game in 2016, he’s got 65 points in 187 games. The Kraken are Sprong’s fourth team, and he turned 25 last week. In the long run, Seattle could get more from the fourth-rounder.
Grade: C+
The Seattle Kraken sent Calle Jarnkrok to Calgary for a 2022 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick. Seattle retains $1M of Jarnkrok’s salary.
Francis did well on this one. He got a second and third-round pick for Calle Jarnkrok, a third line wing on an expiring contract. Not too shabby; in fact, it’s a steal. I don’t know what the 2024 seventh-round pick is for, but an asset is an asset.
Grade: A
Seattle Kraken sent defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Nashville Predators for a 2022 second-round pick.
The staff here at PNWS are divided on this one, but I get to make the call. The Kraken will this one in a few years. Jeremy Lauzon has talent; he needs to mature. Once he does, Lauzon will become the shutdown defenseman every team wants. In the meantime, he’ll benefit from playing with Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm in Music City.
But the big defenseman isn’t there yet. A second-rounder is a good get for Francis on this. Hopefully, Lauzon doesn’t come back to haunt the Kraken.
Grade: B
Seattle Kraken acquired center Victor Rask from Minnesota for future considerations.
Victor Rask might not be the player he was when he first came into the league, but at least he wins just over half of his faceoffs. Since we don’t know what the Kraken are giving up, it’s hard to evaluate the deal
Grade: Incomplete
In total, Francis traded away:
He got back:
I’ve been hard on Francis for the job he did putting the initial Seattle Kraken team together. It didn’t get much better after the draft by bungling several transactions.
This week he redeemed himself a little bit. Francis didn’t exactly make chicken salad out of “his chicken mess,” but it’s a start.
Overall Grade: B
What do you think about all the transactions the Seattle Kraken made at the trade deadline? Let us know in the comments section below.