To say the Seattle Kraken have had their ups and downs in the offensive department this season would be an understatement. The Kraken started their recent 5-game road trip with an impressive outing against the Montreal Canadiens, netting 8 goals. But they completed the road trip by being outscored 15-4 over the next 4 games. Winning four out of their last five games, their offense has still been spotty and inconsistent at best. So, how can they fix it?
Trade Brandon Tanev
Die-hard and bug-eyed Kraken fans might stop reading at this point, but hear me out. Brandon Tanev is almost 33 years old. He is in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.5 million. He is not likely to return to Seattle next season. Seattle has plenty of young talent in the pipeline. They can save money by letting him go and filling that fourth line role with a prospect.
Additionally, Tanev has four goals since the win streak started against VGL on 11/8, and six points in the last five games. He is not known for his goal-scoring prowess, so now is the time for the Kraken to sell high on Tanev. He scored 7 goals last season, one season after scoring a career high 16 goals in ’22/’23. In 492 NHL games played, he has been credited with only 79 goals. He is not the answer to the Kraken’s offensive woes.
Vince Dunn’s Return
The Kraken are hard up against the salary cap. They are also without their $7 million defenseman, Vince Dunn, in the lineup. In approximately three weeks, the Kraken will need to make room for Dunn’s return. This means some cap needs to be moved. Sure, the Kraken can send defenseman Josh Mahura and their 13th forward down to the minors. But, that leaves no wiggle room for injuries. Instead, they should trade Tanev and his cap hit to someone who can use him – and get something in return for it.
Trade Tanev to the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maples Leafs are a team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup. They have a lot of large contracts on their roster. The Leafs are looking for someone with grit to fill out their bottom-six forwards. They need a player that will wear down their opponents, occasionally create some offense, and not be afraid to jump in when the going gets tough. Insert Tanev. Brandon has been in 15 NHL fights, can hold his own, and is not afraid to jump in to protect his peers. He also never shies away from going hard into the corners. He has averaged three hits/game throughout his NHL career. This is significant for a team that does not have the best reputation when it comes to throwing checks.
Another attractive reason to target Toronto is Tanev’s brother, Chris Tanev, is one of Toronto’s top defenders this season. Having never played on the same NHL team, the Tanev family would most certainly enjoy a reunion in their hometown.
The Trade Proposal
In exchange for Tanev, Seattle would likely want a young forward with speed that can help alleviate some of the scoring woes. Nick Robertson has been stuck in Toronto’s pipeline going on five years now. He has not broken through in a top-6 role due to Toronto’s offensive depth. Nick is coming off of a season in which he scored 14 goals, while averaging only 11:23 minutes/game. He has openly requested a trade from Toronto this past off-season, and is signed to a team-friendly $875,000 contract this year. At 23-years old, he has plenty of potential that is likely to blossom upon receiving a fresh start somewhere else.
The salaries alone are not enough to have this trade be successfully executed. Seattle has -$1.5 mil in cap space once Dunn returns. Toronto has $2 million in cap space. In order for this trade to be financially successful, Seattle would need to retain $1 million of Tanev’s cap hit. They also will likely need to throw in a draft pick to entice Toronto to give up their former second round prospect. Since Seattle has two fourth rounders for the upcoming draft, they could afford to give one up.
They could get creative with a conditional draft pick option as well. Like if Toronto makes it to the third round of the playoffs (something they have not done since 2002), it would be a fourth round draft pick. Otherwise, Toronto receives Seattle’s fifth round pick over the summer in Los Angeles.
Summary
This trade works for both parties – Seattle gets younger, faster, and clears cap space. Toronto receives a gritty forward who can help them get past their playoff demons. They also reunite two brothers, which is bound to add natural chemistry in their hometown.
While Turbo has been an integral part of the Kraken’s identity and a fan favorite, the time has come for Kraken fans to bid him a fond farewell. It is time for the next chapter of the Kraken without him. There are plenty of young prospects in Coachella Valley who can fill the roster spot. This is hopefully one of several moves made this year in the PNW. Buckle up, Kraken fans – it is going to be a roller coaster of a season!
