Hello everyone and a happy Monday to you all! Last time we took a look at several teams that could give up some high end good players to the Kraken. Today we will continue by looking at a number of other options.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
The Caps window to win with this team is almost completely shut and while there are still some excellent players in the organization the main core of this group is aging out. If the Capitals want to make one last big hurrah with Ovechkin, they may want to shed some cap and buy big in free agency.
That could see a player like T.J. Oshie or Evgeny Kuznetsov left exposed. Oshie is 34 years old and has four years remaining at 5.75 million a season and while he still produced 22 goals in 53 games this season it may only be a matter of time before his play starts to take a dive. Oshie is beloved in Washington but Kuznetsov is a far more polarizing player. His recent antics (ignoring COVID protocols) reportedly had the organization sour on him and at 7.8 million a year for the next four seasons, the team may not want to deal with that headache.
The other big name that Seattle will surely look at would be one of Vitek Vanacek or Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov was believed to be the next big thing in Washington but his own COVID issues saw him miss time and Vanacek come in. Vanacek played solid and even when Samsonov returned, it was Vitek getting more starts. Eventually the young netminder fell off a bit and Ilya got more starts. Both netminders ended up posting similar numbers at just over 0.900SV% but have room to grow and improve.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
On the opposite side of the spectrum from the Capitals are the Hurricanes; a strong young core on the rise. Carolina has amassed a number of young talented players and because of that they may be at risk of losing one. Warren Foegele is one such player. The 25 year old winger has put up three consecutive 10 goal seasons at even strength and reports are out that he is looking for a change of scenery after not getting enough opportunities to crack the top six. I would not be surprised to see Foegele be a 20 goal scorer next season. Another scenario could see the 28 year old Nino Niederreiter left exposed. Niederreiter is a strong complimentary player, scoring 20 goals in 56 games this past season but he only has one year remaining on a deal that pays 5.25 million.
A reason the Hurricanes may want Seattle to take Niederreiter is so they can ensure they have the cap space to extend Dougie Hamilton, who would surely be protected by the Canes if they can come to an agreement. If that happens, that opens the door for the Kraken for a defenseman like Brady Skjei. Skjei is a jack of all trades and a solid puck mover and shut down defender that could slot into almost any top four in the league. While Skjei might be old reliable, Jake Bean remains the most intriguing option on the blue line. The offensive defenseman put up 12 points in 42 games but is only beginning his career and could have huge upside for a new team like the Kraken.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Lastly, the Avs had another disappointing exit from the playoffs after many pundits (myself included) thought they had the talent to go all the way. Colorado has arguably more depth than any team in the league, with maybe the Lightning being the only exception. They are going to lose a good player.
The biggest question mark for Colorado is whether or not defenseman Erik Johnson will waive his NMC. If he doesn't, huge problems arise for the Avs who would have to expose the likes of Devon Toews and Ryan Graves. Toews was brilliant for Colorado this season and Graves was solid as well. Both would be valuable assets for Seattle.
Up front there are a number of ways the Avalanche could go. Nazem Kadri is a unique and valuable top six centre but once again his playoff antics resulted in a suspension which greatly hurt his team. With one year remaining on his deal at 4.5 million the organization may be looking past him. On the wing someone like Joonas Donskoi who put up 31 points in 51 games might be a victim of the numbers game, or J.T. Compher who produced 10 goals in 48 games. It's highly unlikely but if Colorado decides to sign both Saad and Landeskog prior to free agency, a breakout player like Andre Burakovsky with 44 points in 53 games may also be on the table.
Every day brings us closer to the Expansion Draft and a clearer idea of what this team will look like on opening night.