Which Wennberg Will The Seattle Kraken Get?
Alexander Wennberg is entering his eighth NHL season. Following the expansion draft, the former Columbus and Florida center signed with the Seattle Kraken as a free agent.
Alexander Wennberg is one of the most interesting players that will take the ice for the Seattle Kraken this season. He was a first-round draft pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013. After six years, a fairly sizeable contract, and a buy-out, he went to the Florida Panthers last season.
Wennberg in Columbus
Wennberg made the jump to the NHL for the 2014-15 season from Frolunda in Sweden. His rookie season was nothing special but solid for a player adjusting to the North American game. The following two seasons were very impressive, with him putting up 40 points in 69 games and 59 points in 80 games, respectively.
Coming off of his career year in 2016-17, Columbus signed Wennberg to a six-year contract with a cap hit of just under $5M per season. Immediately, Wennberg’s performances started trending downward as his point total declined annually. Columbus had enough after the 2019-20 season and bought out the remaining three years of the contract.
The biggest critique about Wennberg from both fans and the coaching staff was his hesitance to shoot the puck. While making an extra pass typically isn’t a bad thing, it becomes an issue when a player is passing while he has surefire goals at his fingertips.
Although Wennberg doesn’t have a phenomenal shot, it’s certainly serviceable at the NHL level. His lack of shooting seemed mainly like a confidence issue. He had more faith in his teammates to score goals than in his own ability to put the puck in the net.
A defensive-minded playmaking center is a great asset for any team; however, their effectiveness is minimalized when the defense knows exactly what he’ll do with the puck on his stick. Opponents practically dared him to shoot by laying off him and defending his teammates.