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Alexander Wennberg

Sharks To Sign Alexander Wennberg

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The Sharks are signing UFA center Alexander Wennberg to a two-year deal worth $5MM annually, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

It’s clearly above market value for Wennberg, likely signed with the intent to help San Jose stay above the $65MM cap floor. But that doesn’t mean the addition is devoid of value for the Sharks, who desperately need veteran talent to help avoid overworking rookies like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, both of whom project to slot into the opening night lineup.

Wennberg is what he is at this stage of his career, recording between 30 and 40 points for three years in a row. The 29-year-old has logged heavy minutes over the past few years, averaging around 18 minutes per game since 2020-21, certainly more than he’s suited for. But he does manage decent possession numbers in defense-oriented usage at even strength, and he’s been a fixture on the Kraken’s penalty kill since they signed him in free agency three years ago. He’ll remain a top PKer as he makes the move to San Jose via a brief stop in New York thanks to a deadline deal to the Rangers in March.

He struggled to produce in postseason action for the Blueshirts, limited to one goal and one assist in 16 games. He’ll look for a fresh start in San Jose, where he’ll get a solid paycheck and is joined by veteran additions Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Toffoli up front to help add some much-needed secondary scoring.

Rangers Notes: Fox, Trouba, Vesey, Wheeler, Wennberg

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With any team’s end-of-season media availability, especially after a long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, a slew of injuries are typically revealed to the public. During the media availability for the New York Rangers, injuries were reported for defensemen Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba, while the injury keeping Jimmy Vesey out of the Eastern Conference Finals was brought to light.

In the team’s Round One series against the Washington Capitals, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports Fox reaggravated his knee injury during a knee-on-knee collision with Capitals’ defenseman Nick Jensen. After only one month into the 2023-24 NHL season, Fox was placed on the Rangers’ long-term injured reserve due to a knee injury, keeping him out of the lineup from November 2nd to November 29th. The change in play was noticeable, as Fox only tallied six assists in 12 games following the series against Washington, a stark dropoff compared to his previous postseason play.

Staying on the blue line, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba dealt with a broken ankle. However, later reports suggested that the fractured ankle fully healed by the end of March, and Trouba was largely healthy for New York’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Still, Trouba set a career-high in postseason points with seven in 16 games but still led the team with 22 PIMs during the playoffs.

Lastly, Dan Rosen of the NHL mentions that Vesey was dealing with a separated shoulder during the penultimate series which would keep him out of the lineup. Thankfully, the report suggests that Vesey will not require surgery to repair his shoulder, and should return after a few weeks of rehab.

Other Rangers notes:

  • Playing on a team not named the Winnipeg Jets for the first time in 12 years, the 2023-24 NHL season may have been the last for forward Blake Wheeler. Mercogliano of USA Today relayed that a decision regarding his future has not been made, but he will talk it through with his family this summer. It would not be surprising to see Wheeler hang up his skates, as the soon-to-be 38-year-old veteran suffered a gruesome leg injury on February 15th against the Montreal Canadiens — an injury that would keep him off the ice for nearly four months.
  • Peter Baugh of The Athletic reported that Alexander Wennberg would like to return to the team this offseason after being acquired by the Rangers at this year’s trade deadline. Wennberg was originally acquired from the Seattle Kraken for New York’s second-round pick in 2024 and Dallas’ fourth-round pick in 2025. Brought in to fill the void in the team’s third-line center position, Wennberg put up two points in 16 postseason games for the Rangers while averaging nearly 16 and a half minutes of ice time.

East Notes: Devils, Rousek, Wennberg, Ponomarev

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While the season isn’t over yet for the Devils, GM Tom Fitzgerald has already identified an area outside the crease that he’d like to address for 2024-25.  In an interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription link), Fitzgerald indicated that he’d like his team “get harder on the wing” for next season.  New Jersey has been hovering around the top ten for offense this year despite missing several key players due to injuries so it appears their preference would be to add some grit to help complement their skilled forwards.  As things stand, New Jersey has around $21MM in cap space for next season, per CapFriendly, giving Fitzgerald ample wiggle room to work with to reshape parts of his roster.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Sabres winger Lukas Rousek left today’s practice early after taking a stick to the face. Head coach Don Granato told reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News that Rousek’s status for tomorrow’s game is unknown as he was undergoing medical evaluation.  The 24-year-old has two assists in nine games so far with Buffalo after a strong showing with AHL Rochester where he notched 10 goals and 28 assists in 48 contests.
  • The Rangers announced (Twitter link) that center Alexander Wennberg was unavailable to play tonight for personal reasons. He and his wife are expecting a child in the coming days.  The 29-year-old was acquired from Seattle earlier this month and he has fared relatively well in the early going with his new team, picking up four points in nine games so far.  However, his playing time is down by nearly four minutes a night as he’s averaging 15:01 with his new team.
  • Penguins prospect Vasiliy Ponomarev suffered a lower-body injury late last week with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, relays Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 22-year-old was a key piece in the Jake Guentzel trade and was speculated to be a strong recall candidate for the stretch run.  However, Ponomarev is now listed as out week-to-week which will put those plans on hold if not squash them altogether.

Trade Notes: Edmundson, Byram, Rangers, Panthers

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Washington Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson is once again preparing for a trade, with TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that multiple teams are interested in the 30-year-old. Dreger shares that the Boston Bruins likely lead the pack right now, though the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are also interested.

Edmundson has been traded three times since 2019, though he’s never been moved in-season before. The Capitals brought in Edmundson on July 1st, sending the Montreal Canadiens a third and seventh round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Washington marked the fourth team of Edmundson’s career. He’s served in a modest role for the club, scoring six points in 44 games and averaging just 16-and-a-half minutes of ice time – though he’s played as much as 22 minutes a night when Washington needs him.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun pointed out that Edmundson could carry a cap hit as little as $875K, if Washington retains half of his salary. That’s a cheap price to pay for a defenseman with over 500 NHL games and one Stanley Cup under his belt. Edmundson is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, likely making him a depth rental for a playoff contender.

Other trade notes from around the league:

  • Bowen Byram will join the Buffalo Sabres in Nashville for their Thursday night game against the Predators, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Head coach Don Granato also shared that Byram will be paired with star defender Rasmus Dahlin when he’s ready to play. Byram missed the Colorado Avalanche’s last game with an illness, something that could limit him on Thursday as well, though Lysowski reports that Byram is feeling better. The Sabres brought in the 22-year-old defenseman in a one-for-one trade with Colorado, sending Casey Mittelstadt the other way. Byram has 20 points in 55 games this season, playing in nearly 20 minutes a night for the Avalanche.
  • Alexander Wennberg was just the start of the New York Rangers’ deadline moves, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The Rangers still have their first-round picks in both the 2024 and 2025 drafts, as well as $2.91MM in cap space, per CapFriendly. That’s likely more than enough to land them some of the market’s top names. While the Rangers haven’t been tied to any specific names, they draw a clear connection with interdivision-rival Jake Guentzel and former Ranger Pavel Buchnevich. Both players are garnering plenty of interest ahead of the deadline, each offering dominant, point-per-game scoring on the wing. With the assets and cap space to make most moves work, it will be interesting to see if the Rangers once again shoot for the stars.
  • Seravalli also reported that the Florida Panthers were still searching for a scoring winger, mentioning Max Pacioretty as a potential option. The Panthers were also tied to Guentzel by Pierre LeBrun. Florida just acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators, giving them five forwards in their top-six with at least 40 points this season. They also have Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett sporting 36 and 30 points respectively. Adding yet another scoring winger to the mix would give Florida high-production through their third-line, something they may deem necessary to get over teams like Vegas or Carolina. Pacioretty, who has 15 points in 25 games since returning from an Achille’s Tendon injury, would likely be one of the cheapest options on the market and carries a modest $2MM cap hit that would fit into Florida’s books.

New York Rangers Acquire Alexander Wennberg

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3:11 pm: The Rangers have made the trade official, announcing that Wennberg will be headed east to New York.

2:18 pm: With a flurry of trade activity today, the New York Rangers have decided to enter into the madness. Emily Kaplan of ESPN is reporting that the Rangers are working on a deal with the Seattle Kraken that would land Alexander Wennberg in the Big Apple.

TSN’s Pierre Lebrun is reporting that the deal is done, indicating that the Kraken will be receiving the Rangers 2024 second-round pick, as well as New York’s fourth-round pick in 2025. Seattle will also be retaining 50% of Wennberg’s remaining salary, bringing his AAV down to $2.25MM with the Rangers.

Ever since the Rangers lost center Filip Chytil back in November due to a concussion, the team has been looking to fill the void for nearly the entire season. The organization has tried both Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski in this role but had their eye on a bona fide forward to add down the middle.

Not as much of an offensive threat as he was during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the addition of Wennberg should help in multiple areas of the Rangers lineup. Initially, he is readily available to center the team’s third line, and will also be able to serve on the team’s penalty kill unit as well.

Coming over to Seattle as an unrestricted free agent in the 2021-22 offseason, Wennberg is in the last year of a three-year, $13.5MM contract. Throughout his tenure in Seattle, Wennberg has played in a total of 142 games for the expansion franchise over the last three years, scoring 22 goals and 63 points in the process.

Although Wennberg doesn’t have the amount of success in the dot teams might be expecting out of their bottom-six centers, his possession metrics show that he brings solid defensive awareness to the table. Wennberg will also be able to help a New York penalty kill unit that is already top five in the league, recording an 83.15% success rate being a man down.

The General Manager of the Kraken, Ron Francis, is using a similar deadline strategy as he used two years ago, as he went on to acquire 10 total draft selections leading up to the deadline in 2022. In this deal, Seattle will now have five total selections in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft, and 17 total selections over the next two years.

Kraken Scratch Alexander Wennberg For Trade-Related Reasons

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Kraken center Alexander Wennberg will be held out of tonight’s game against the Flames for trade-related reasons, head coach Dave Hakstol said (via Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). Wennberg, 29, had been generating interest as far back as last month and was linked to the Rangers a few weeks back. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta added Monday that the Bruins have demonstrated interest, while Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports the Avalanche have also called about the veteran center.

Carrying a cap hit of $4.5MM on an expiring deal, Wennberg may potentially veto a deal to any of these teams if they appear on his 10-team no-trade list. He has nine goals, 16 assists and 25 points in 60 games this season, his third with the Kraken after he signed a three-year, $13.5MM contract with them in free agency before their inaugural season in 2021.

It’s a bit of a down year for him offensively, but not by much. His 0.42 points per game aren’t far south of his 0.48 career average, although his possession metrics have taken a tumble. He’s posted a 46.7 CF% at even strength, a career-low by a country mile for the normally defensively responsible center.

That hamstrings his value at his cap hit, but with all three retained salary slots open, Kraken GM Ron Francis will likely retain half his salary to make him a $2.25MM player for the acquiring team. Adding in a third party could decrease his cap hit by another 50% to $1.125MM.

The Rangers’ courtship of Wennberg has been discussed at length, while the Bruins have been in the conversation for added depth down the middle since the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí last summer. The Avalanche, on the other hand, are likely in on Wennberg as a backup plan if they can’t land the Ducks’ Adam Henrique, who Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported has been linked to Colorado. If Wennberg is being held out days before the deadline, though, he may not be available by the time Colorado leans their fate on their offer for Henrique.

Rangers Have Shown Interest In Alexander Wennberg

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With Filip Chytil (concussion) out for the season and on LTIR, there has been plenty of speculation that the Rangers would look to make a move to add to their center depth heading into the playoffs.  It appears they’re looking to do just that as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported earlier this week that the team has shown some interest in Kraken middleman Alexander Wennberg.

The 29-year-old is in the third and final season of a contract that carries a $4.5MM AAV.  Considering he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, he’d fit New York’s plans of a short-term addition while keeping their cap space open if Chytil can return as planned next season.

Wennberg has recorded eight goals and 14 assists so far this season in 56 games, a level of production that is slightly below his first two seasons with Seattle.  However, Wennberg isn’t known for being a true offensive threat but rather more of a two-way secondary option.  He’s a frequent member of their top penalty killing unit which could help what is already a strong Ranger penalty kill that sits sixth in success rate heading into tonight’s action.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that the rental center market is quite thinned out following the trades of Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan so this will be a case where more teams are looking for one than there are rental centers available.  That means the cost for Wennberg’s services could be relatively high should Seattle opt to sell closer to the trade deadline; as they’re three points out of the last Wild Card, there’s no guarantee GM Ron Francis will move out his rentals.

At the moment, the Rangers have a little under $4.4MM in full-season LTIR space, per CapFriendly.  While they could add a bit more to that by sending a player down which would then free up enough space for Wennberg, it stands to reason that New York – or pretty much any interested team – would want the Kraken to retain up to the maximum 50% of that.  Of course, that should only increase the asking price from Seattle’s end.

The trade deadline is now just two weeks away so teams still have a bit of time to decide what direction they’re going to go from a buyer and seller perspective.  It’s safe to say that the Rangers and several other teams will be keeping an eye on Seattle to see if they make Wennberg or any of their other expiring veterans (including Jordan Eberle, Tomas Tatar, and Justin Schultz) available.  If they don’t sell, that thin center market is going to get a whole lot thinner.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kraken Receiving Interest In Jordan Eberle, Alexander Wennberg

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The Kraken are receiving interest from multiple teams regarding winger Jordan Eberle and center Alexander Wennberg ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports.

Both players are again top-six fixtures for Seattle, who have yo-yoed their way in and out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference all season long. They’re pending UFAs with hefty cap hits of $5.5MM and $4.5MM, respectively, but the Kraken have all three salary retention spots open and could keep money on the books for the rest of the season to facilitate a deal if they do intend on selling at the deadline.

The Oilers have already been linked to Eberle in their pursuit of a complementary top-six winger, with Pagnotta reporting another one of his former teams, the Islanders, as well as the Maple Leafs, have demonstrated interest. The Bruins and Avalanche have called about Wennberg, who’s one of the few quality centers remaining on the deadline rental market.

Whether the Kraken will decide to sell off assets at the deadline is an entirely different question. A recent 3-6-1 stretch now has them six points out of playoff position, but there’s still a shot for Seattle to squeak in for their second consecutive playoff appearance. With a quickly aging group still comprised primarily of expansion draft selections, however, they’d likely do well to recoup value for some veterans and retool around Vince Dunn, Matthew Beniers, and Jared McCann.

Eberle would presumably fetch more value than Wennberg, and rightfully so. He’s having a down season in the goals department – just nine in 49 games, but his 28 points are fifth on the team, and he leads all Kraken players in even-strength Corsi share. He’s been their best two-way skater this season – not just forward – and with eight 20-goal seasons under his belt, he carries immense breakout potential if paired with the skill level of a contending team’s top six.

Thus, a reunion with Edmonton makes the most sense out of the three teams listed. There’s no better breakout potential for Eberle at right wing than alongside Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers’ second unit, and he could do wonders for Draisaitl-anchored lines that have struggled defensively without Connor McDavid.

Wennberg is more of a depth add than an impact pickup for a contender – he’s likely not suited for anything above a third-line role on a team with contending aspirations. He has leveraged major minutes since joining Seattle, logging 18:23 per game over the last three seasons.

Like Eberle, he’s struggled on the scoresheet with eight goals and 21 points in 51 games. Unlike Eberle, he’s shooting above his career average and has some of the worst possession metrics on the Kraken – only Brandon Tanev has a worse Corsi share at even strength among full-time members. His expected -3.6 rating is the worst on the team, and he’s won less than 50% of his faceoffs for the 10th time in 10 NHL seasons. As such, he’s likely a complement to the Bruins’ and Avs’ cast of middle-six centers that lack punch, not a significant upgrade. Even at a half-retained $2.25MM cap hit, his disappointing season might be too much to swallow and a third team may need to retain another 50% of his salary to facilitate a trade.

Stars Injury Notes: Marchment, Dellandrea, Hakanpaa

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Dallas Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine tweeted today that after a conversation with Stars head coach Pete DeBoer he put a 10% chance that Mason Marchment dresses tonight for game 5 against the Seattle Kraken. DeBoer said Marchment was a game time decision after the forward took part in the team’s gameday skate. However, LeVine also tweeted that Marchment and DeBoer had a conversation on the ice and the 27-year-old did not participate in the hard skating portions of the team’s practice.

Marchment left game 4 of this series after taking an elbow to the face from Kraken forward Alexander Wennberg. Dallas offered little information up after the game and just deemed his status as questionable for game 5. Should Marchment sit out tonight it would be a big blow for the Stars as Marchment has provided a little bit of everything for Dallas in these playoffs. In ten games the Uxbridge native has put up three goals and two assists while playing 14 minutes a night.

In other Dallas Stars injury notes:

  • Bruce LeVine also speculated that forward Ty Dellandrea had a 90% chance of dressing for game 5 tonight. The young center was one of the first arrivals to the Stars practice and took part in it. DeBoer called Dellandrea a game time decision, but it appears he will dress after missing game 4 with what was described as a flu. Dellandrea has struggled in these playoffs with just a single goal in nine games while playing 15:31 a game. He has seen his faceoff numbers dip as well as he is winning just 38.7% of the draws he takes, a far cry from his 51% average in the regular season.
  • LeVine put Jani Hakanpaa’s availability for tonight’s game at 50/50 after Pete DeBoer called the defenseman a gametime decision. The 31-year-old missed game 4 with what was described as a lower body injury. No information was released on how Hakanpaa suffered the injury but he appeared okay when he last dressed on Sunday night as he put up six hits, scored a goal, and played over 20 minutes. In these playoffs the 6’6” defender has a goal and an assist in nine games for the Stars.

Seattle Kraken Expected To Sign Alexander Wennberg

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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Seattle Kraken are expected to sign free-agent center Alexander Wennberg when the market opens. The contract is coming in at three years with a cap hit of $4.5MM.

Wennberg revitalized his career on a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers this past season, but this contract may still surprise some. After all, Wennberg was bought out of a contract with a similar remaining term and AAV by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year after several years of failing to meet expectations. He recovered in Sunrise with 29 points in 56 games, but even this was only a full season pace of 42 points. The Kraken will expect him to do more with less based on his AAV.

Wennberg does fill an important role for the expansion team, which was lacking depth down the middle. Wennberg will also be a contributor to both special teams units. At 26, there is still room for growth from the big forward and he will be asked to take on a larger role in Seattle than he ever has before. It will be sink or swim for the newest Kraken.

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