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The Seattle Kraken rebounded after a disappointing debut season in the NHL. Seattle had their first taste of life in the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to an incredible season. And they even took out the Colorado Avalanche in the first round to end their Stanley Cup defense.
All in all, it was something for the Kraken to be proud of. It's also something for the Kraken to build upon in 2023-24. Expectations are certainly higher now, and those expectations will only get higher as we move forward.
Seattle kicks off their 2023-24 season on October 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas will raise their Stanley Cup championship banner to honor their achievement from last season. It also marks the beginning of their long and arduous title defense.
Before Seattle takes the ice in October, however, there is more work for them to do this summer. So here is one possible trade the Seattle Kraken must make ahead of the 2023-24 NHL season.
The importance of depth
Seattle's 2022-23 season should be used as a case study for the importance of depth in hockey. The Kraken did not have a lot of high-end talent. They received high-end performances from the likes of Jared McCann and Vince Dunn, but they aren't exactly elite players.
However, they more than made up for it through their depth. Seattle had six players score 20 or more goals last season. McCann became the franchise's first 40-goal scorer to lead this effort. The team spread their goals around, and it's hard to defend against a team that can score with all four lines.
Seattle did lose some of this depth in NHL Free Agency. Daniel Sprong, Morgan Geekie, Carson Soucy, and Ryan Donato all departed for new teams this summer. However, they also replenished it by signing Kailer Yamamoto, Brian Dumoulin, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.
In the end, Seattle lives and dies by their depth. And as they've proven, that can take them far. However, it's unlikely to take them all the way. The Kraken need to add more high-end talents to their roster. That can get expensive through trade, but there's one interesting target that could work for Seattle.
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Seattle's ideal trade target
The Seattle Kraken must trade for Travis Konecny. Now, there is risk involved with Konecny. The Philadelphia Flyers star is coming off a career season. He scored a career-high 31 goals and 61 points last season on a less-than-stellar Flyers team. And he did that while playing just 60 games.
The biggest risk with Konecny is his injury history. He has played less than 70 games in three of the last four seasons. He has not played 80 or more games since 2018-19, though he came close in 2021-22.
That said, Konecny is on a very favorable contract, especially for last season's production. The 26-year-old has two years left on his current deal at a $5.5 million cap hit. If he can maintain a 60-point pace, this is fine value.
Of course, the Kraken would want him to do more. And he certainly has the potential to produce at a higher rate. Konecny immediately slots into their top six and could thrive as one of the team's primary point producers.
Konecny could play down the wing or down the middle. He might slot better as a center in Seattle. He could take over as the top-line center unless the team believes Beniers is ready for the job. If that's the case, then Konecny can push Alexander Wennberg down to the third line.
No matter where he plays, Konecny represents an injection of high-end talent. He has the potential to truly breakout in 2023-24, and if the Kraken can get a deal with the Flyers done, Seattle may reap incredible benefits.
