With the Florida Panthers’ series-clinching 5-1 win in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, the on-ice portion of the 2024-25 season has come to a close. Thirty-one teams will enter the summer of 2025 with varying levels of disappointment, each trying to find ways to topple the powerful Panthers’ regime.
The Seattle Kraken enter the offseason with a new-look front office and a new head coach in Lane Lambert. They are tasked with steering a floundering ship back towards Stanley Cup contention, a journey which starts with the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on June 27th.
Here at OSN, the Kraken offseason review is in full swing. We’ve already explored Seattle’s four keys to a successful summer, made judgments on the team’s pending free agents, taken note of three lessons to be learned from the two Stanley Cup Finalists, evaluated five draft prospects in the Kraken’s range, and highlighted five intriguing trade targets on the market. All that’s left to do is to peruse through the list of this summer’s unrestricted free agents (UFAs), with potential restricted free agent (RFA) targets being covered a few weeks ago.
After last week’s trades, which brought in Mason Marchment and Joe Veleno and sent out Andre Burakovsky, the Kraken have $18.7 million in cap space to work with while needing to sign or promote at least two forwards and one defenseman to meet the minimum roster requirements. RFA skaters Ryker Evans, Tye Kartye, and Kaapo Kakko should collectively command around half of that based on AFP Analytics’ contract projections, so let’s assume that $9.5 million remains for at least one more forward and another left-handed blueliner to push Josh Mahura into the seventh defenseman role if we assume the team wants to carry one extra player at both non-goalie positions.
If additional cap space is needed, one or more of Jaden Schwartz ($5.5 million), Jordan Eberle ($4.75 million), or Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6 million) could be traded as all three are 32 or older and have one year remaining on their respective contracts. Jared McCann ($5 million) is also a potential trade candidate with two years remaining on their current deals. Philipp Grubauer’s contract runs for two more seasons, but a cost-cutting buyout could (and should) be in the cards this offseason as he has severely underperformed (more on that later) while carrying an albatross of a contract ($5.9 million annually).
Making any of those moves would open up holes on the roster, but it wouldn’t be difficult to find better value with the resulting cap space. With all of that in mind, let’s dive into four UFAs who are attainable this summer and would make a significant impact on Seattle’s fortunes in both the short term and in the future.
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
2024-25 Statistics: 81 Games Played (GP) – 27 Goals (G) – 75 Assists (A) – 102 Points (PTS)
There has been a lot written about the Kraken’s struggles in both the offensive (16th in goals per game this season) and defensive (24th in goals against per game) zones. The team lacks a true star up front, and while the hope is that one of the Kraken’s top prospects can develop into such a player, several UFA forwards could easily slot in on the first line in exchange for nothing but cap space.
It probably won’t be a center given that the Kraken have Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Chandler Stephenson, and Tye Kartye as options down the middle, which brings us to Mitch Marner. The disgruntled winger appears to be on his way out of Toronto and will be looking for at least a semi-competent team with which to plant his roots.
It’s not often that a 100-point player hits the open market, and especially not one with Selke Trophy potential and who is a top option on both special teams units. Marner has racked up the fifth-most assists in the league since his rookie season and ranks 10th league-wide in points per game over that time. He’s an elite talent and one who wouldn’t cost the Kraken pieces from their prospect pool if they were to acquire him.
Now, the elephant in the room. Despite his numerous regular-season accolades and impressive stat totals, Marner has borne the brunt of the blame for Toronto’s playoff woes. The history between the two parties runs deep and is too extensive to get into here, but fans will point to the fact that Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers scored more goals in this playoff run (15) than Marner ever has in his postseason career (13). His cap hit ranks 12th in the NHL this season and was even higher at the time of his last contract extension, but he’s been far from the same player come the spring.
The Kraken can offer a first-line role and ample deployment in all situations, as well as being able to throw an enticing contract to provide his way. AFP projects Marner to receive a seven-year contract worth $13 million annually (AAV) if he hits the open market. Still, he could potentially receive more if the Anaheim Ducks or Los Angeles Kings become involved in a bidding war. The Kraken don’t need Marner to execute their rebuild and would need to move a ton of salary out the door, but adding a two-way star in his prime would send a jolt of excitement through the market.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
2024-25 Statistics: 69 GP – 24 G – 39 A – 63 PTS
Once Marner is signed, teams with a need on the wing will turn to the worthy consolation prize in 29-year-old Nikolaj Ehlers, who is expected to ink a six-year pact carrying an $8.1 million AAV. The Danish forward is a dynamic attacker capable of slicing up defenses with his raw speed, mesmerizing agility, and slick puck-handling, and someone any team would love to have in its top-six. Ehlers can play on the top power play unit and on either wing, making him a versatile option for any head coach.
Working against Ehlers are his occasional lapses on the defensive side of the puck and his struggles with staying healthy. He’s missed 13 or more games in three of the past four seasons and has only appeared in 45 of Winnipeg’s 58 playoff games over his tenure with the Jets. He’s not always in the lineup, but when he is, few players have the same impact in the offensive zone.
Ehlers ranks 44th in goals per-60 minutes at five-on-five over the past three seasons, 22nd in assists per-60, and 17th in points per-60. He also boasts eight 20-goal campaigns to his name throughout his career, but despite his production, he has only averaged 17 or more minutes of ice time in a season on two occasions. His coaches have never trusted him with more than that, but he’s one of the league’s most efficient scorers.
Ehlers has had his share of playoff struggles with only 21 points in those 45 games, but he did tally seven points in Winnipeg’s eight games this past postseason. A new role on a new team could spark a career-best performance. Any team should be wary of his spotty health record, but few players are as electrifying as the Dane.
Ethan Bear, Hershey Bears
2024-25 Statistics: 62 GP – 10 G – 36 A – 46 PTS
With Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour, and Ryker Evans forming the nucleus of the blue line, the Kraken are fairly set on defense, though snagging one of the top RFA rearguards could give the organization another young cog to build around. The UFA market for defensemen is looking dicey at the top given the price point, so finding a bargain-bin option to partner with Evans or Oleksiak on the third pair should be the goal.
Henri Jokiharju and Nick Perbix are two solid options with NHL experience. Still, both are likely to command over $2 million per season, which would be a tad rich for what the Kraken should be aiming for, especially if a significant upgrade up front should be a bigger priority. Instead, Ethan Bear, a 27-year-old defenseman who spent the entire 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League, is a much more cost-effective target.
Due to several members of the Hershey Bears earning extended NHL call-ups last season, Bear led the veteran-laden club in assists, points, and plus-minus (plus-33). Bear represented Hershey at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic and was named to the AHL’s 2024-25 Second All-Star Team after finishing in a tie for eighth in scoring among all AHL defenders.
The Bears fell short of their attempt to three-peat, as Bear was among several players called up to the Washington Capitals for their playoff run, although he did not appear in a single game.
Bear’s last NHL appearance came during the 2023-24 season, where he tallied four points in 23 games with the Capitals. He counts 275 career NHL games to his name, which is more experience than every other free agent at his likely price point. A one-year deal at league minimum allows Bear to show he can stick in the NHL without committing any extra term or dollars to a reclamation project.
Ville Husso, Anaheim Ducks/Detroit Red Wings
2024-25 Statistics: 13 GP – .890 Save Percentage (SV%) – Minus-7.2 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx)
One of the Kraken’s most persistent issues since expansion has been in the crease. While starter Joey Daccord continues to shine (10th in SV% over the past two seasons), the backup role remains a cause for concern. Despite being the NHL’s 10th-highest-paid goaltender, Grubauer has easily been the worst signing of the organization’s brief existence.
Among the 98 goalies to have played in at least 20 total NHL games since the start of the 2021-22 season, the 33-year-old ranks 86th in SV%, 66th in goals-against average (GAA), and has allowed the most goals above expected in the entire league. If Grubauer were playing this poorly on a league-minimum contract, that would be one thing. To do so while being paid like an elite goalie is unacceptable.
Niklas Kokko is the Kraken’s goalie of the future, but with only 33 career games in the minors under his belt, more development is needed for the 21-year-old netminder. Instead, signing a cheap, yet dependable veteran should be a priority in free agency, as should getting Grubauer off the books by any means necessary.
30-year-old netminder Ville Husso doesn’t represent a clear upgrade given his struggles since signing a three-year contract worth $4.75 million annually with the Red Wings during the summer of 2022. He never posted a SV% above .900 while in the Motor City and was shunted off to the AHL before being traded to the Ducks at this year’s deadline. While he finished the season in the minors, Husso did appear in four NHL games with the Ducks and posted a sparkling .925 SV% over his brief stint, which suggests he could regain his form in a backup role on a new team.
As with Bear, targeting Husso is due to how inexpensive he is projected to be (AFP predicts a one-year contract with a $0.775 million AAV) while also having experience as a starter (he played 96 total games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons). He can try to rehabilitate his value on a one-year show-me deal while allowing the Kraken to spend valuable dollars elsewhere in the lineup.
Daccord missed time due to injury this season, so that Husso could be in line for 20-25 starts in 2025-26. Even if Husso doesn’t perform better than Grubauer, at least he isn’t being paid just south of $6 million to do so.
Kraken Face Thin Free Agent Market
Apart from a handful of notable names at the top, the 2025 free agent class is pretty barren. The Kraken have the benefit of a burgeoning youth movement lying in wait, which means striking out on Marner or Ehlers wouldn’t be the worst development for the front office. There are still bargains to be had, and that’s where their energy should be this summer.
Honorable Mentions: Alex Lyon (Detroit Red Wings), Nate Schmidt (Florida Panthers), Nick Perbix(Tampa Bay Lightning), Jonathan Drouin (Colorado Avalanche), Andrew Mangiapane (Washington Capitals). Contract projections courtesy of AFP Analytics. Data courtesy of Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, the NHL, and PuckPedia.
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