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Oliver Bjorkstrand and the Seattle Kraken are not exactly out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as we speak. Seattle enters the 4 Nations break with a record of 24-29-4. This has them on 52 points, which is the fourth-worst point total in the Western Conference. However, they are seven points clear of the third-worst team in the West — the Nashville Predators.
It certainly makes sense for fans to count Seattle out. However, there is a path where this team could begin to mount a playoff challenge in the second half of the season. The Kraken are 11 points out of the Vancouver Canucks for the final Wild Card berth in the West. However, only five points separates them from the Utah Hockey Club, who are the second-closest team to the final Wild Card spot.
The point is that Seattle could very well go on a run and make up ground. In saying this, it's rather unlikely this happens. Even with goalie Joey Daccord turning in a career season, the Kraken do not have the firepower to compete with some of these other teams in the West.
As a result, Seattle could sell at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. The Kraken have obvious trade candidates in the likes of Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev entering the deadline. Bjorkstrand is another name fans should keep an eye on.
Bjorkstrand could be a valuable secondary scorer for a contending team. There are a number of potential suitors who could make a move here. However, there are two teams that stand out as potential landing spots for the Kraken winger ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Blue Jackets could reunite
Oliver Bjorkstrand began his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015-16. He broke out in 2017-18 with a 40-point campaign. From there, he scored 20+ goals in three of the next four seasons. This includes a 28-goal campaign in the 2021-22 season. In the summer of 2022, the Blue Jackets traded him to the Seattle Kraken.
Bjorkstrand has continued to be a consistent secondary scorer for Seattle. He helped them make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023, scoring 20 goals and 45 points. In the postseason, he added four goals and eight points in 14 games. The Kraken fell short of the Western Conference Finals by one game in 2023.
Bjorkstrand had a career season in 2023-24, scoring 59 points. Now, as the Kraken potentially prepare to sell, he could head back to the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have put in a rather shocking postseason challenge of their own in 2024-25. In fact, they are much closer to the postseason than the Kraken. Columbus trails the Detroit Red Wings by a single point for the final Wild Card berth in the East.
The Blue Jackets could certainly add a scoring winger at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. This organization knows Bjorkstrand, and his familiarity with them would make for a seamless transition. Moreover, he is signed through next season, making him more than a rental. All in all, it could be a win-win move for the Kraken, Columbus, and Bjorkstrand.
Senators could be a fit for Oliver Bjorkstrand
The Ottawa Senators are ahead of the Red Wings in the East's Wild Card race. They own the first Wild Card spot and, at one point, sat third in the Atlantic Division. This is certainly not a perfect team, though. The Senators could use a scoring winger in their own right, and Bjorkstrand is a fit.
Ottawa signed David Perron and Michael Amadio in the offseason. Perron has struggled with injury, only playing 18 games to this point. Amadio, meanwhile, has played 46 games in 2024-25. He has scored just five goals and 14 points for Ottawa. This is after he has posted three consecutive 10+ goal campaigns, including a 16-goal performance in 2022-23.
The Senators need more scoring punch from their wingers. Bjorkstrand is on pace to score 22 goals and 52 points in 2024-25. This can play nicely alongside some of the talented playmakers in Ottawa's lineup.
