The veterans on expiring deals
When a team is hovering around the bottom of the standings, it’s natural to look at short-term contracts as the most obvious trade chips. For the Kraken, those expiring contracts belong to players who could provide value to a contender looking for depth. Let’s look at some potential names.
Daniel Sprong
Daniel Sprong was picked up earlier this season, but he’s had a roller coaster ride that has involved being sent down to the AHL. Once he hit waivers, every NHL team passed on picking him up for free. If that didn’t entice a single GM back then, it’s hard to imagine them sacrificing assets for him now. Sprong’s got talent, but any fan expecting a big return from him at this point will likely be disappointed.
Josh Mahura
On the blue line, Josh Mahura has shown promise but is firmly entrenched as a third-pairing defenseman. Could he be shipped out for a late-round pick? Possibly. However, a third-pairing defender usually isn’t the kind of piece that commands a huge return. If a deal does come, it’ll likely be for a modest package—maybe a mid-to-late-round draft pick that Seattle could use to bolster the pipeline.
Brandon Tanev
Which brings us to Brandon Tanev. For many Kraken fans, Tanev is practically the face of the franchise—partly because of his instantly iconic headshot from the inaugural season, partly because of his relentless energy on the ice, and partly because of his infectiously fun personality off it. He’s 33, though, and in a bottom-six role. If the Kraken want to stock up on future assets, Tanev is arguably the most attractive piece among the expiring contracts.
A contending team looking for a high-energy, defensively responsible forward who can spark the penalty kill and chip in offensively might see Tanev as the perfect rental. It’s never fun to think about trading a fan favorite, but shipping him to a contender could also be seen as giving him a shot at a deep playoff run—or even letting him play alongside his brother. If we’re talking about pure odds, Tanev is probably the most likely of these players to be moved if the Kraken go into full sell mode.