Another year has gone, and the Seattle Kraken are in about the same position as they were at the last trade deadline – on the outskirts of the playoff picture. The team sits second-to-last in the Pacific Division with a record of 26-31-4 through 61 games (56 points). They are nine points back of the Calgary Flames for the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference, with the Flames also holding a game in hand on the Kraken.
Seattle’s remaining schedule is one of the most difficult in the league, putting yet another obstacle in the team’s path to a second-ever playoff appearance. Accordingly, MoneyPuck, Hockey Reference, and The Athletic all give the Kraken less than a one percent chance of making the postseason, so the writing appears to be on the wall for this year’s group.
I’ve dived deep into why I believe that the Kraken should commit to a rebuild, identified which players they could trade to kickstart those efforts, and came up with a list of intriguing trade targets who could help expedite the teardown.
All signs point to general manager Ron Francis being among the most active executives over the next week and change, other than Francis’ history of reluctance in making significant trades. If he fails to do anything of note on or before March 7th, this could be his final deadline at the helm in Seattle.
To Toronto: Yanni Gourde and Jamie Oleksiak (Both with 50% Retention)
To Seattle: 2025 2nd Round Pick, 2026 1st Round Pick, Max Domi, Connor Timmins, Matt Benning, and Alex Steeves (From Toronto) 2025 3rd Round Pick (From Chicago)
To Chicago: Max Domi
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. This trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs involves two of the Kraken’s most valuable assets in Gourde and Oleksiak and helps address the Leafs’ two biggest needs (center depth and defensive insurance) in one fell swoop.
The Leafs have identified a need for a two-way center behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares, particularly one with experience in the playoffs, defending opposing team’s best players, and on the penalty kill. The one potential hitch in the plan is that Gourde has been increasingly injury prone recently, and may not be able to suit up for Toronto until the playoffs. A thorough review of his medical records will be needed for the Leafs to get the assurance they need that he can hold up for a playoff run.
As for Oleksiak, the Leafs have severely struggled when one of Chris Tanev or Jake McCabe are not in the lineup and thus have a massive need for insurance behind them, as well as a steady partner for the talented but defensively deficient Morgan Rielly. Oleksiak is a left-handed defender but has experience playing the right side. Adam Larsson could be an alternative, given that he is a righty, but his contract would be more difficult to fit under Toronto’s cap. It’s possible that a third team (Chicago in this case) could act as a third-party broker and retain another 50% of Gourde’s deal to make the math work, but it would require another pick to go their way.
With both Gourde a UFA this summer and Oleksiak the next, the Kraken would be able to use one of their three salary retention slots this season and get the room back next year. Retaining half of the pair’s sizable deals is a necessity with the Leafs up against the cap and would mean that Toronto would likely send their two most valuable draft picks over the next two seasons.
While Domi, Timmins, Benning, and Steeves are mostly included as salary makeweights, they have some value to Seattle. Domi can be flipped to another team, while Benning’s deal can be buried in the minors. Timmins and Steeves are both youngish players under 27 and could flourish in a new environment with expanded roles.
The final part of the deal involves the Kraken then sending Domi to the Chicago Blackhawks to get back under the cap and get a mid-round pick for their troubles. Chicago is very low on NHL-caliber talent with which to surround Connor Bedard, and the playmaking Domi could give him a linemate capable of getting him the puck in dangerous areas while not being too much of a cap commitment for the rebuilding club.
To Dallas: Brandon Tanev
To Seattle: 2025 3rd Round Pick and 2026 3rd Round Pick
With Tyler Seguin on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), the Stars have additional room to add to their already formidable roster. Tanev is a pinball on the forecheck and has played at a 13-goal pace for his career, and the Stars have a dire need in their bottom-six for the prototypical grinder who is equipped for dealing with the increased physicality of the postseason environment.
Tanev offers more offense, is a regular on the penalty kill, comes with some playoff experience (two career trips to the second round and beyond), and has been bandied about as an attractive trade target. He has also been reported as hoping to be dealt to a true contender, and the Stars (third in the NHL by points percentage) are as good as you can get.
Seattle could pry away the Stars’ 2nd round pick in 2026 rather than a pair of thirds, but his 10-team no-trade clause and desire to be moved to a contender could dampen the return.
To Vegas: Oliver Bjorkstrand (50% Retention)
To Seattle: Alexander Holtz, Tanner Pearson, 2025 2nd Round Pick, and 2026 2nd Round Pick
The Kraken do not have to trade Bjorkstrand as he still has another year on his contract after this one, but his presence only blocks a young prospect from seeing time in the NHL, and he may have more trade value with the promise of two playoff runs rather than one.
Assuming that Seattle uses two of its retention slots on Gourde and Larsson, they still have one more which could be used to drastically cut down on Bjorkstrand’s cap hit. He’s decent value at $5.4 million, but would be an outright steal at $2.7 million and could significantly increase his value.
The Golden Knights have never been shy about making big trades in season (Tomas Hertl last season, for example), and a Bjorkstrand deal could really solidify their forward group. Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar are currently occupying spots in the top nine and coupled with the eventual return of the injured William Karlsson, acquiring Bjorkstrand would give them a truly formidable attack. Bjorkstrand is a responsible two-way winger with offensive chops (he’s a five-time 20-goal scorer) who can slide up and down the lineup as needed.
While Pearson is thrown in to make the cap numbers and roster spots work, getting Holtz in the deal would represent another gamble in the same vein as Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen, two first-round picks who couldn’t carve out a role with the team that drafted them. Holtz (the seventh overall pick in 2020 by the New Jersey Devils) scored 16 goals during the 2023-24 season but was shipped to Vegas during the summer.
Taking a flier on a young player with some skill (33 goals and 65 points in his last 70 AHL games) would be a good move. The pair of 2nd round picks may seem a tad rich, but two years of a heavily retained Bjorkstrand is worth it.
2025 NHL Trade Deadline Should Kickstart New Era for Kraken Franchise
While the Kraken fanbase will go another year without experiencing playoff hockey, the future remains bright in the Pacific Northwest. The team boasts one of the league’s best prospect pools and that’s without potentially adding a bounty of draft picks at this deadline or during the summer, as well as having a good shot at a top-five pick in the 2025 draft.
Assuming that the Kraken follow through the three deals mentioned above, the team will have 12 picks in the first three rounds in the 2025 and 2026 drafts, picks which they could use to select players or perhaps be an offer sheet threat.
Few people have the appetite for an extended rebuild but the presence of Kakko (24 years old), Ryker Evans (23), Matthew Beniers (22), and Shane Wright (21) in the NHL lineup could provide a buffer against having to hit rock bottom to acquire top talent.
The path to Stanley Cup contention is long to be sure, but the road is clear and only requires that the Kraken’s front office has enough foresight to see that the current veteran core is not capable of leading the franchise to glory. What (and who) will be left standing in the aftermath of Friday’s deadline?
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