The Seattle Kraken fell back to Earth in the 2023-24 season. One year after finishing with 100 points and a 46-28-8 record, the Kraken finished on the wrong side of .500 (34-35-13) and missed the playoffs. This led to the Kraken firing their first ever head coach in Dave Hakstol after three season with the team. He finished with a record of 107-112-27 with the Kraken.

Seattle made a big move in free agency, signing former Stanley Cup champion Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract with $7.14 average annual value. This aggressive move gives the Kraken a solid defender who brings offensive firepower to the team.

However, the Kraken still have room to make another big swing this offseason. Now may be the time to make a strong move to acquire another player who can build a rapport with young star Matty Beniers.

Below are two trade targets who could fit the bill for the Seattle Kraken this offseason.

Could the Kraken be in play for Trevor Zegras?

Trevor Zegras would be an exciting addition to the Kraken who could stick with the team for a long time.

Zegras signed a three-year, $17.24 million contract with the Ducks before this past season. That leaves him with two years left on his contract at $5.75 million each year.

Zegras is now on the trade block. The Ducks GM Pat Verbeek did not draft Zegras, and it appears that he does not figure into the team's long-term plans. Therefore, Verbeek will look for someone to take Zegras off his hands. Some have even suggested that Verbeek and head coach Greg Cronin do not like Zegras because of his cocky demeanor that borders on showboating. They are both old-school hockey guys who do not appreciate that type of behavior, even if it comes from an elite offensive talent with many years left in the tank.

It has to be tempting for Seattle to add another young, talented center to pair with Matty Beniers. Zegras in particular already has some chemistry with Beniers.

The pair were teammates on the Team USA squad that won the a gold medal in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships. There is also some evidence that the two are pals after playing together on that team.

Zegras does not play as hard as you would want on defense, but he more than makes up for it with his offensive capabilities.

Zegras may not be a cheap acquisition, but he fits the bill of adding offensive firepower to the team. He also isn't so expensive that acquiring him and extending Matty Beniers would be out of the question.

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Seattle at least needs to make a phone call to Anaheim and see what's what.

Patrik Laine would be a splash addition for the Kraken

The Kraken have a lot of needs, including a talented young winger like Laine. There are any number of trade targets who Seattle could pursue at this position, but Laine would be probably the biggest swing they could make.

Rumor has it that Laine is looking to be traded away from the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason. Columbus is reportedly trying to make this happen for Laine and is seeking a trade partner.

The former second-overall pick has not lived up to his draft hype in Columbus. Laine has shown that he can be a consistent 50+ point scorer in the NHL. However, Laine struggled with injuries this past season and it is no guarantee that he can become that consistent player again.

The financials of a potential Patrik Laine trade would be the tricky part. Laine carries a $8.7 million cap hit each year for the next two seasons. The Kraken have a projected cap space of $8.16 million, so they would have to get creative to add Laine to the roster to begin with. This also ignores the fact that Seattle's first ever draft pick Matty Beniers is an RFA and is due a contract extension.

If the Kraken were to pull off this trade, they would likely have to convince Columbus to retain some of Laine's salary in 2024. Otherwise, they would have to send a valuable piece away in the trade to entice Columbus and clear up cap space on their end.

Ultimately, the terms of a possible Patrik Laine trade could end up making it too much of a gamble for Seattle's front office.

However, if they're looking to make a huge splash this offseason, this would be the way to go.