Kraken Could Still Have High-End Trade Candidate

The Seattle Kraken have made a number of good moves this offseason to get better and try to get back into the playoff picture. Whether adding Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren, and Frederick Gaudreau will be enough, moving off of one of their best players won't make things easier for them.

Insider Christ Johnston said that Seattle might be compelled to move someone like Jared McCann. Why they would be compelled is not something I could really imagine unless it's a package for some interesting players. The Kraken have a handful of talented, younger players already who are developing nicely while McCann is 29 years old and has two years left on his deal at a great price of $5 million AAV.

Contenders are very likely trying to get McCann away from the Kraken and why wouldn't they as he finished last season with 22 goals and 61 points? He can also play center and the wing. All four of his seasons in Seattle have been very good, especially 2022-23 when he scored 40 goals. He won't ever be considered a star of a team, but a strong complementary top-6 player that will score and put up points.

The Kraken's top-9 is packed, but they have over $11 million in cap space and it wouldn't make much sense for them to add what they did to fill out their roster nicely if they were just going to turn around and trade their leading point getter from last season.

I think what the Kraken have done this offseason to this point will result in more than 76 points and a seventh place finish in the division, but it's still tough. The new additions will have to contribute what they did for their clubs last season, the young players will have to continue to get better, and the others will need to keep up their production as well. Moving McCann, unless it results in a clear younger upgrade or two, makes little sense and I can't see it happening this offseason.