The maiden voyage of the Seattle Kraken hasn’t exactly been one for the books. With an expansion draft that hasn’t aged well early on, they sit in the basement of the Pacific with just 40 points. Although the expansion draft didn’t go as planned, GM Ron Francis does have one thing in his back pocket; tradeable assets. By the afternoon of March 21, Seattle should certainly have a loaded war chest of draft capital, with a slew of movable pieces to play with.
Make sure to check out all of our other NHL Trade Deadline Previews.
Current Status
Current Record: 17-37-5
Division Standings: Eighth in the Pacific
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Mark Giordano
Giordano will be one of the better rental defenseman pick-up options on the market and could net the Kraken a solid return to boot. Excluding the Seattle Captain’s +/- numbers, which aren’t entirely his fault, he has more or less done the same through 54 games as he did in his final year (56 games) with the Calgary Flames. The former Norris Trophy winner can still log 20-plus minutes a night and add veteran leadership to any locker room. Conceivably, the Kraken could swing a first-round pick at the minimum in a trade. Although he is 38 currently, last year, then 31-year-old David Savard netted the Columbus Blue Jackets a first-round and future third-round pick as a possible comparison.
Marcus Johansson
The 31-year-old Johansson won’t be among the bigger names moved in the coming days. He could, however, be a solid depth add to any contender trying to make a Cup run. For the Kraken this season, Johansson has logged just six goals, but also 15 assists playing alongside Jared McCann, who just inked a five-year extension with the team. Johansson also has some playoff experience to his name, as he was a part of the 2019 Boston Bruins squad. The Kraken won’t get the return for Johansson that they will for Giordano. Seeing as he is up at the end of the year, they may as well get something for him now.
Carson Soucy
The 6-foot-5 Soucy is another Kraken defenseman who could end up elsewhere in under two weeks. His +/- of 10 doesn’t blow you away until you consider that is easily the best on the team as of this moment. Unlike Giordano, Soucy has an extra year of control, as he won’t hit the open market until the summer of 2023. He is also likely to have a career year in the ’21-’22 season, as his seven goals tie a career-high, and is just four points shy of having the most points in his career with some time to work with. Additionally, he only carries a cap hit of 2.75 million dollars. If the defenseman market is going to be as hot as expected, Seattle should get some calls about Soucy’s availability.
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