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Western Notes: Scheifele, Vilardi, Dunn, Kovalenko

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The Winnipeg Jets could be getting major reinforcements back soon, with the team hopeful that Mark Scheifele will return to the lineup on Friday, per Scott Billeck with the Winnipeg Sun. Billeck also shared that Gabriel Vilardi will remain out on Friday. Vilardi has been out since February 29th with an upper-body injury, missing the team’s last seven games. The extended absence has continued a season of injuries for Vilardi, who has now missed 27 games on the season.

Scheifele missed Winnipeg’s Wednesday night game with illness. He continues to lead the Jets in scoring, with 19 goals and 57 points in 58 games. The Jets simply haven’t been the same team without Scheifele, averaging a measly 1.57 goals-per-game in his absence compared to 3.22 goals-per-game with him in the lineup – leading Winnipeg to a 2-5-0 record without their top forward.

Scheifele’s importance to the Winnipeg roster can’t be understated, placing plenty of weight on his game-time decision ahead of Friday’s matchup. If he can’t go, the Jets will need to rely on one of David Gustafsson or Rasmus Kupari. Gustafsson has been Winnipeg’s de facto fill-in this year, with four points in 31 games, though Kupari’s role as a natural center could earn him a leg-up, even despite his sole assist through 27 games this season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Seattle Kraken will be without defenseman Vince Dunn for the fourth straight game, per Scott Malone with Root Sports. Dunn has been Seattle’s top defender this year, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time for the second-straight season. Dunn has managed 11 goals and 45 points in 57 games on the season, scoring at nearly the exact same pace as he did last season, when he posted a career-high 14 goals and 64 points in 71 games. Without Dunn, Seattle has promoted top young defender Ryker Evans back into an NHL role. Evans has five assists in 19 games this season – the first games of his NHL career – though he’s still searching for his first career goal. Evans has also managed two goals and 15 points in 25 AHL games this year.
  • The Colorado Avalanche could be adding a major boost even after the Trade Deadline, with Russian forward Nikolai Kovalenko reportedly headed to America soon, per Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now, as well as a social media post from Kovalenko’s barber. The Avalanche drafted Kovalenko in the sixth-round of the 2018 NHL Draft, with the winger since emerging as a strong option for the KHL’s Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. The 24-year-old scored 11 goals and 35 points in 42 KHL games this season, after posting a career-high 21 goals and 54 points in 56 games last season. He will look to carry that same scoring energy onto the high-offense Colorado lineup.

Vince Dunn Returns To Practice

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Earlier this morning, Scott Malone of Roots Sports reported that Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn was back on the ice for practice in a non-contact jersey. Although he will not be back in the lineup tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, it is a positive sign for the Kraken that Dunn is progressing from his injury.

When healthy, Dunn has once again been the best defenseman on the ice for the Kraken, leading all fellow blueliners in points. Suiting up in 57 games for Seattle this year, scoring 11 goals and 45 points, with 16 of those points coming on the team’s powerplay.

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Kraken, Jordan Eberle Agree To Two-Year Extension

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With Seattle selling, it was a matter of Jordan Eberle either signing an extension or being traded today.  It will be the former as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the two sides have agreed to a two-year, $9.5MM extension.  The deal contains a full no-trade clause.

The 33-year-old had been believed to be seeking a third year on this deal but instead, he winds up with a bit more than the originally reported offer of $4.5MM per year and full trade protection, something he didn’t have before; his current deal only carried a 16-team no-trade clause.  Even with that, the contract represents a small dip in pay by $750K per season.

Eberle was originally picked by Seattle in the expansion draft in 2021 and has been one of their top scorers since then; he’s tied for second in franchise scoring history with defenseman Vince Dunn and behind center Jared McCann.  He had one of his best outputs last season, notching 20 goals and a career-high 43 assists, giving him some leverage heading into offseason extension discussions.

However, his numbers have been down this year, as has been the case for several of Seattle’s top players.  Even so, Eberle sits fourth in team scoring with 14 goals and 23 assists in 58 games while logging a little over 17 minutes a night.  That type of production made him an attractive target for teams looking to bolster their secondary scoring leading into the trade deadline, especially with 76 playoff games under his belt.  Instead, he’ll be staying put and staying in a top-six role for the Kraken for the next couple of years.

With the signing, Seattle has a little under $65.5MM in commitments to 16 players for next season, per CapFriendly.  With Kailer Yamamoto and Eeli Tolvanen headlining their RFA list and Justin Schultz their lone higher-priced UFA of significance, GM Ron Francis looks set to have considerable cap space heading into next summer to add to his roster to try to get his team back into playoff contention.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was first to report that contract talks had resumed earlier this morning.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kraken Have Offered Eberle Two Years, He Wants Three

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  • The Kraken and winger Jordan Eberle were discussing a two-year deal with a cap hit of $4.5MM, relays Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. However, Eberle is believed to be seeking a third year which is the hold-up in discussions.  The 33-year-old has seen his numbers dip this season but still has 14 goals and 23 assists through 58 games.  The expectation is that Eberle will either be signed or traded by the 2 PM CT deadline.  If it’s the latter, Seattle will almost certainly need to retain on his current $5.5MM price tag.

More Trade Notes: Eberle, Oilers, Laughton

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The Seattle Kraken remain open to trading veteran forward Jordan Eberle, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, with the Edmonton Oilers emerging as one team interested in a trade. The Kraken have prioritized signing Eberle to an extension, though Seravalli reports that term has become a hangup in negotiations. Eberle has been effective once again in Seattle, scoring 14 goals and 37 points in 58 games this season. He’s on pace to once again score 20 goals on the season – a feat he’s managed in each of his three years with the Kraken, after not achieving it since the 2017-18 season with the New York Islanders. Eberle has totaled 144 points in 219 games with Seattle, ranking as the team’s third-highest scorer of all time and bringing his career totals up to 695 points in 998 games. While Seattle is still hoping to complete an extension, the heat of the Trade Deadline could be enough to see Eberle play his 1,000th game with a new team.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are searching for an inexpensive, veteran defenseman says Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The Oilers have already made a splash this Trade Deadline, acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. They now have just $1.0MM in cap space remaining, limiting their ability to upgrade much more. They’ll have to act quick if they want to bring in a veteran defender with the market dwindling, as Joel Edmundson has already been traded and both Zach Bogosian and Nick Seeler each signed extensions with their clubs. Remaining options could include Montreal’s David Savard or Buffalo’s Erik Johnson. Edmonton carries a healthy mix of left-handed and right-handed defensemen, giving them the flexibility to choose whichever player fits their style better.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers are planning to revisit a Scott Laughton trade after bigger names have come off the board, per The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco, who shares that the price for Laughton remains a first-round pick. Laughton has become a cornerstone piece in Philadelphia, thanks to his impacts in all three zones. He has 10 goals and 32 points in 63 games this season, after scoring a career-high 18 goals and 43 points in 78 games last year. He’s spent all 11 years of his career in Philadelphia, totaling 231 points in 582 games.

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.

Trade Notes: Eberle, Kraken, Blues

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The Seattle Kraken are making their decisions ahead of the Trade Deadline, now preferring to sign forward Jordan Eberle to an extension, rather than trading him, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared the same in the latest 32 Thoughts article, adding that the team could continue extension talks with Eberle beyond the Deadline, pouring cold water on trade rumors surrounding the 14-year pro. Eberle was previously linked to the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Eberle is having yet another productive season, scoring 14 goals and 35 points in 56 games. He’s once again scoring at a 20-goal pace, a feat he’s managed in each of his last two seasons with the Kraken. Eberle also managed 63 points last year, the most he’s scored since the 2014-15 season in Edmonton, and ranks third in all-time scoring for the Kraken with 142 points in 217 games. He offers great complementary value in the top six, a strong power-play presence, and the experience of a 1,000-game veteran – all highly-coveted assets on the trade market. But with teammate Alexander Wennberg generating plenty of trade interest of his own, the Kraken are seemingly opting to hang on to Eberle for now.

Other trade notes from around the league:

  • Kraken general manager Ron Francis is reportedly content with standing pat outside of Wennberg and Eberle, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts. Friedman adds that there has been modest interest in Adam Larsson and Yanni Gourde, though Francis isn’t eager to mess with the team’s core pieces. Seattle has generally refrained from making much of a deadline splash, though they did sell off Mark Giordano, Marcus Johansson, and Calle Jarnkrok at the 2022 Trade Deadline.
  • St. Louis Blues defensemen Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Marco Scandella are both still available, reports The Fourth Period. The Blues attempted to move Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers this summer but he invoked his no-trade clause, halting the deal. There’s no shortage of teams in need of defensive help this Spring and the Blues have something for everyone – offering stout defense in Parayko, strong offense in Krug, and good all-around play in Scandella. But salary cap will be a likely concern in any negotiations, as both Krug and Parayko carrying a $6.5MM cap hit and Scandella set at $3.275MM. All three carry either full or modified no-trade clauses.

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.

Trade Deadline Primer: Seattle Kraken

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With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Seattle Kraken.

The Seattle Kraken’s ship is leveling out after an inaugural season that saw them fail to reach 30 wins, and a 2022-23 season that saw them outscore most of the league en route to the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the middle ground between one dismal season and one electric season hasn’t produced much. The Kraken are in the midst of a fairly boring season, ranked as the fifth-lowest-scoring team in the league and one of six teams caught up in the Western Conference Wild Card race. It hasn’t been a necessarily bad year for the Kraken, but they’ll need to find a spark if they want to push for the playoffs once again. Luckily, the 2024 Trade Deadline should offer plenty of opportunity for Seattle to bring in high-impact players and build a lineup that can compete into the Spring.

Record

25-22-11, 6th in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Reluctant Buyers

Deadline Cap Space

$4.93MM of cap space on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: SEA 1st, SEA 2nd, SEA 3rd, TOR 3rd, SEA 4th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th, CGY 7th
2025: SEA 1st, SEA 2nd, SEA 3rd, SEA 4th, SEA 5th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th

Trade Chips

The Kraken has managed to draft phenomenally well in their few years of existence, already promoting two top picks into routine NHL roles in Matthew Beniers and Ryker Evans. The team also boasts the acclaimed Shane Wright, Jagger Firkus, and Jani Nyman in their pool – among a long list of talented names. Their strength at the draft helps Seattle in a menagerie of ways – but most notably, it makes their future draft picks a bit more expendable. While the next three drafts each carry talented top-ends, the Kraken shouldn’t pass up the chance to make a splash just because it’d cost them high draft picks. A first-round pick has been the starting point of many rumors this winter and the pricier players on the market could cost upwards of two first-round picks. That’s a lot of capital to send off, but the Kraken has already built a robust prospect pool that should survive a couple of years without top picks.

If Seattle isn’t ready to move draft capital, their best trade value will come from marketing veterans like Jordan Eberle. Eberle has provided value in all three zones this season, boasting 14 goals and 35 points through 54 games this season. He’s been a focal piece of Seattle’s power play, scoring nine points on the man advantage this season, and ranks atop the team with a 54.44 CF% (Corsi-For Percentage). What’s best – Eberle carries a quant $5.5MM cap hit this season, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s a short-term rental that could fill a lot of different roles for contending teams. If teams aren’t interested in Eberle, Seattle also offers similar value in the likes of Brandon Tanev and Tomas Tatar. The team could also see interest in Alexander Wennberg, who has taken on a prominent utility role in Seattle – playing on both special teams and operating as a go-to option on the faceoff. Seattle will have to ask themselves which veterans are expendable, with the team still wanting to keep enough together to push for a successful Spring, but their long list of options gives Seattle plenty to entertain this Deadline.

Other trade candidates: Justin Schultz (D, $3MM cap hit until 2024), Brian Dumoulin (D, $3.15MM cap hit until 2025), Chris Driedger (G, $2.35MM cap hit until 2024)

Team Needs

1) Swing For The Fences – The Seattle Kraken offense has not been good this season. They rank 27th in the league in goals and have only seen three players – Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, and Oliver Bjorkstrand – even top 40 points through their first 58 games this season. It’s clear that the Kraken need a spark to breathe life below their first line. Luckily, St. Louis has made star winger Pavel Buchnevich available. Buchnevich is a fantastic option for teams looking for a difference-maker, with the 28-year-old winger boasting 22 goals and 46 points in 55 games this season, and 189 points in 191 career games with the Blues. He’s scored at least 20 goals in five of his eight years in the NHL, including each of the last four seasons. And what’s best – Buchnevich carries a manageable $5.8MM cap hit through the end of next season. That means any trade will provide benefits through the end of next year, which could be a saving grace for a Kraken team at the tail end of the playoff race. Unfortunately, St. Louis could be asking for as much as two first-round draft picks in exchange for Buchnevich. That’s a tall ask, especially considering Seattle currently only has two first-round picks in the next two years. A strong prospect pool, and luck in the later rounds of the draft, could be enough to convince Seattle to pay the price. Though, if the Kraken are willing to spend big this Deadline, they could also pursue Trevor Zegras, likely the most expensive asset on the open market this year but maybe the most fruitful as well. Zegras, 22, has broken the 60-point mark in each of the last two seasons, though he has just seven points in 20 games this year. Still, the former top-10 draft pick offers amazing potential and would provide an instant boost to Seattle’s future lineup. A deal for Zegras will likely need top prospects attached to draft picks but could offer a blockbuster deal for Seattle to pursue.

2) Choose A Side – The Kraken are presently in a strange limbo, not far enough away from the playoffs to start thinking about next year but still too close to sell off a list of veterans. They will need to decide what direction they want to take the team in ahead of the Deadline – and their choice will help them decide how expendable players like Wennberg, Yanni Gourde, or even Jaden Schwartz are. The Kraken are slowly building a strong lineup, though they’re still missing a few key pieces and have a few years before high-impact prospects like Shane Wright will establish everyday roles. The opportunity to add future capital, either through young lineup pieces or draft picks, could be tempting for a Kraken team that’s seen their youth perform well. But too much selling this year could doom Seattle to a few more years of monotony. The Kraken are in the midst of an in-between year after their first two seasons sat on each extreme, and now face the challenging question of what they want their team’s direction to be. The 2024 Trade Deadline should give fans a full look at how Seattle’s top brass answers that question.

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.

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