We’ve got another edition of NHL rumours for you this weekend. Many people talking about the impending Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. However, there’s still plenty to discuss in the league’s hot stove. Teams are going to start wheeling and dealing pretty soon. In fact, some trades have already happened. However, things will really kick into gear with the NHL Draft and free agency looming. Today’s NHL rumours looks at the Seattle Kraken looking at a possible deal for a winger.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Seattle Kraken Showing Possible Interest in Finnish Winger
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek talked about the idea of the Kraken dealing for Patrik Laine in the off-season on a recent edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
Analysis: Seattle has undergone some changes already this off-season. General Manager Ron Francis has replaced Dave Hakstol with Dan Bylsma as the team’s new head coach. There will likely be some roster turnover as Seattle tries to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Kraken had trouble scoring last season at times and would like to fix that. Francis and his team does have some cap space at $23 million at the time of publication. Seattle has been very deliberate about not being a cap team like the Vegas Golden Knights are. However, there could be some interesting options in play for the club.
Crossing the Laine
This brings us to Patrik Laine being a trade target for the Kraken. Laine entered into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to help deal with personal issues. It was also found out that Laine would like a fresh start in a new city. The Columbus Blue Jackets forward hasn’t reached the heights of 30 or 40 goals like he’s done in previous seasons. However, there’s still plenty of time to return to form because he’s only 26 years old.
New Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell will probably try to do right by Laine. However, he’ll also try to get the best possible deal for his club. This move would free up $8.7 million in salary and allow Columbus to make some moves to re-tool its roster. Both sides would love a deal because it accomplishes a number of things.
The Jackets and the Kraken are in similar boats and need to make some changes. Both teams have already fired coaches in the off-season and would like to get back to the post-season.
Scoring Punch
Friedman mentioned that plenty of teams are looking to add some scoring pop. However, Seattle was a team that really jumped out to the insider. The Kraken haven’t had many big-time scorers in their brief franchise history. Jared McCann is the team’s all-time goal leader with 96 in the team’s three-year stint. This includes a 40-goal campaign 2022-23, but he would probably love some help.
A deal sending Laine to the Pacific Northwest would mean two old Carolina Hurricanes GMs making a swap. However, it probably would benefit both sides. Friedman said that the Kraken are likely going to be a bit more aggressive in the trade market. Adding someone with a big cap hit like Laine is a sign of that.
Seattle doesn’t have a lot of high-money players with going to Vince Dunn at $7.35 million. Laine would easily be the highest-paid player on the team, but Columbus could retain some salary to make a deal happen.
The Kraken want goals and Laine wants a fresh start. It could be a risk for Francis, but it could also pay off big time if the Laine from his days with the Winnipeg Jets shows up in Cascadia.
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