NHL Offseason Mock Trade: Rangers-Kraken Blockbuster Emerges

Tuesday, April 08, 2025 ,

A hypothetical blockbuster trade proposal is making the rounds involving the New York Rangers and Seattle Kraken, with forward Jared McCann as the centerpiece. 

The deal, floated by a user on PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool, would send McCann to the Rangers in exchange for former first-round pick Brennan Othmann, defenseman Zac Jones, and a 2027 first-round pick. With the Rangers stumbling this season after topping the NHL standings last year, talk of major offseason changes is heating up. 

McCann, who has posted 20 goals and 38 assists in 78 games this season, is signed through 2026-27 at a $5 million AAV, making him a highly appealing option for a team seeking top-six scoring depth.

For Seattle, the proposed return centers on youth and potential. Othmann, who has just one assist in 15 games this season, remains a promising prospect and could benefit from a change of scenery and a consistent middle-six role. 

Jones, a pending RFA, has often found himself a healthy scratch in New York but logged 11 points in 42 games this year. As the Kraken weigh whether to retool or stay the course, adding a first-round pick and two young players could be tempting. 

“McCann is a versatile scoring forward that can kill penalties and play center if needed,” reported Sportsnet’s Jacob Stoller earlier this year. Though Elliotte Friedman later clarified that teams were calling Seattle rather than the Kraken shopping McCann, interest in the 28-year-old forward remains strong.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are facing pressure to retool on the fly. Insiders like The Athletic’s Peter Baugh have speculated that GM Chris Drury could consider major roster shakeups, including potentially moving veterans like Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, or even Artemi Panarin—though the latter two carry no-movement clauses. 

With a need for cap-effective scoring, McCann could be a logical target. While there's no indication the Kraken are shopping him, their willingness to listen at the trade deadline suggests that a summer move isn't out of the question—especially if a “generous overpay,” as Friedman put it, comes across GM Ron Francis’s desk.

Photo Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
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