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The Seattle Kraken have been active in the offseason trade market. They sent two picks to the Dallas Stars for forward Mason Marchment. Then, they flipped Andre Burakovsky to the Chicago Blackhawks for Joe Velano. New general manager Jason Botterill should keep making trades this offseason to clear cap space. Jared McCann is the trade option that would bring the most back, but he is far from the only player who should be moved.
Effectively swapping Burakovsky for Marchment and Velano was well worth the third and fourth rounders. Burakovsky is slated to make $5.5 million and scored 37 points last year. Marchment is the same age, one year closer to free agency, $1 million cheaper, and scored 47 points. These are the types of moves that the Kraken have to make, as their core was too expensive for their horrendous performances over the last two years. More trades should be on the way.
The Kraken must trade Jared McCann
This one should be a no-brainer for Botterill and the Kraken. McCann has two years left before he hits free agency at $5 million annually, has scored 60 points in three straight seasons, and is just 29 years old. Seattle needs to focus on getting younger and adding picks and prospects for the future. McCann is one of their most valuable assets that won't be around when they finally reach competitive status.
McCann has trade protection and can submit a ten-team no-trade list. That would likely eliminate high-tax teams, like those in Canada and California, but provide many teams for Seattle to choose from. One good fit would be the Utah Mammoth, who are prepared to be active this offseason. McCann would be a good fit among their young core, and they have extra picks that they could flip.
Jaden Schwartz would be a good fit on a contender
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These trades all boil down to one key idea. The Kraken have to be willing to admit they are not a Stanley Cup contender in 2025-26, and potentially the year after that as well. So a player with one year left on his deal, like Jaden Schwartz, should be on the move. Schwartz was signed by the Kraken in their inaugural offseason to a five-year, $5.5 million contract. Through four years, he has 142 points in 251 games. Now, it is time to move on and send Schwartz to a contender.
Players like Schwartz are the problem with the Kraken. It is not that he's a bad player; it's that they have a lot of players exactly like him who are making too much money. They will also have five unrestricted free agents next offseason, so getting something for one now would be a wise move. The Canadiens could trade for Schwartz to help build out their bottom-six.
Jamie Oleksiak could be valuable in a defense-sparse offseason
The Kraken do not have the same multiplicity problem on defense, but they should get some assets for Jamie Oleksiak. He was their pick from the Dallas Stars in the expansion draft and has been solid in Seattle. But with very few defensemen available in free agency and trade targets few and far between, Oleksiak could be valuable.
The Kraken should be focused on getting more picks and prospects to flesh out their developmental system for the future. Having a solid lefty defenseman with a reasonable cap hit is going to do nothing for the 2025-26 team. Holding onto him only brings up injury risk before the trade deadline, where not dealing him would be catastrophic. Oleksiak should be gone by the time the draft closes over the weekend. And if he is not, Botterill has to hope Oleksiak does not get hurt before the deadline.
Oleksiak is due $4.6 million for the upcoming season before hitting unrestricted free agency. He has a 16-team no-trade list that will make the deal slightly more complicated, but should not prevent the move.
