The Kraken continued to flounder. As I tuna'd in to their game against the Wild, I watched one team look pacifisht while the other looked exsquidist. I've been inking about different topics to discuss so if there are any specific topics you want me to cover let minnow in the comments section.
I hope I could get a smile out of some of you for that flurry of fish related puns because right now there is very little to smile about this Kraken team. Hopefully these past three days off will give the boys a chance to flip the reset switch and find a way to prevent some goals against. Seattle is less of a Kraken and more of a bottom feeder as they sit tied for second last in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. At least the Sens can used their COVID cases as a bit of an excuse, Seattle cannot.
Therefore, today we will talk about the trade deadline and some of the players that could be on the move. For starters, let's discuss the ones that should absolutely be held onto.
Jared McCann: The 25 year old McCann is set to be an RFA at the end of this season and will need to be qualified at just over 3 million. McCann has come in and proven himself to be a capable top six player, either on the wing or at centre and should absolutely be part of the Kraken's long term plans.
Morgan Geekie: Like McCann, Geekie is another young pending RFA who shouldn't be let go. While Geekie only has 2 goals and no assists this season, there is enough raw talent there to assume this isn't all to expect out of the 23 year old. Possession numbers have not been kind to Geekie as he is one of the worst on the team in terms of GF% but that simply means at this stage he is not ready for big NHL usage. No one should be thinking of giving up on him yet.
Ryan Donato: Donato is the perfect option that can be thrown anywhere in the lineup, can kill penalties and moonlight on the powerplay if the team wants a different kind of look. He will not be expensive to extend and his trade value would not be so high as to warrant trading him. Moving him out would simply mean that Ron Francis would need to go out and acquire another player like Donato.
Mason Appleton: Injuries have unfortunately kept Appleton from gaining any traction this season. There is no point trading Appleton when he has negative value and should be able to be signed cheaply moving forward.
Those are the pending RFA's that I would not move on from. The below players are players I could see Seattle trading in order to gain draft picks to start building the team through development.
Mark Giordano: I'll admit I do not like the message it sends to a team if you trade their captain at the deadline but I think it's unavoidable in this situation. Giordano is in the last year of his contract and he is 38 years old and I would not be shocked to learn that behind closed doors Gio has already asked to be traded to a contender at the deadline. With seven points in 15 games Gio has shown he still has legs and his experience could be invaluable to a competing team that needs depth.
Jeremy Lauzon/Haydn Fleury: I'm lumping these two together as they both have been third pairing rotating options this season. Fleury is more of a jump into the play type of player while Lauzon is a stay at home defender but neither has shown in their NHL career that they have the ability to rise above replacement level. Lauzon in particular just looks slow when he skates and is one of the worst option for Seattle at preventing goals against. Both players are still young enough that they could have value not necessarily to a contender, but a team like the Coyotes or Senators that want to add cheap younger depth.
Calle Jarnkrok: The Jarnkrok experiment continues to be a resounding failure and as a pending UFA the team should try and recoup some value for selecting him (a reminder that I suggested that Seattle select Johannson or Duchene from the Predators, both of whom are having good starts to their year). I could see a scenario where Seattle makes a deal with Nashville to return Jarnkrok. If not to the Preds, a number of teams would deal a middle round pick to improve their defensive abilities in their bottom six, especially with a mere 2 million dollar cap hit.
Marcus Johannson: This is one I struggled where to put. Johansson has looked really solid in the limited number of games he has played (1-2-3 in 4GP) but he is 31 years old and a UFA at the end of this season. I could see an argument to offer him a one or two year deal but ultimately he could be worth a second or third round pick to a team that misses out on one of the bigger deadline options.
Philipp Grubauer: I had to include one controversial option on this list. Grubauer was supposed to solidify the backend for the Kraken but instead has had career low numbers. I do blame the blueliners and the system far more than Grubauer but Ron Francis has a decision to make. If there is a team out there that is willing to pay a 1st round pick+ for a goalie that they believe will be their starter for years to come (I'm looking at you Edmonton) than Seattle should certainly consider it.