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Trade Deadline Roundup: Western Conference

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While trade deadline day was largely a dud in itself, that was because so many moves were made in the days leading up to March 3rd.  With that in mind, here is a recap of the trades made in the Western Conference in the ten days leading up to deadline day to show who all moved where in what was a busy trade period overall.  Players and picks that were acquired and then flipped are only noted for their final destination.

Anaheim Ducks

Acquired: F Brock McGinn, F Nikita Nesterenko, D Chase Priskie, F Dylan Sikura, F Josiah Slavin, D Andrej Sustr, 2024 third-round pick (PIT), 2024 third-round pick (SJ), 2025 fifth-round pick (MIN)

Traded: F Hunter Drew, F Max Golod, D John Klingberg, D Dmitry Kulikov, D Austin Strand, D Henry Thrun

Arizona Coyotes

Acquired: D Michael Kesselring, D Connor Mackey, F Brett Ritchie, F Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, 2023 first-round pick (OTT), 2023 third-round pick (EDM), 2023 sixth-round pick (CBJ), 2024 second-round pick (OTT), 2025 third-round pick (NYR), 2023 fifth-round pick (VGK), 2026 third-round pick (CAR), 2026 sixth-round pick (OTT)

Traded: F Nick Bjugstad, D Jakob Chychrun, D Cam Dineen, G Jon Gillies, D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Dysin Mayo, F Nick Ritchie, D Vili Saarijarvi, D Troy Stecher

Calgary Flames

Acquired: F Dryden Hunt, F Nick Ritchie, D Troy Stecher

Traded: D Connor Mackey, F Brett Ritchie, F Radim Zohorna

Chicago Blackhawks

Acquired: F Joey Anderson, F Anders Bjork, F Hunter Drew, D Andreas Englund, G Anton Khudobin, F Pavel Gogolev, F Max Golod, D Vili Saarijarvi, F Austin Wagner, D Andy Welinski, D Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 second-round pick (NYR), 2023 second-round pick (OTT), 2025 first-round pick (TOR), 2025 second-round pick (DAL), 2025 fourth-round pick (NYR), 2026 second-round pick (TOR), 2026 fourth-round pick (OTT)

Traded: F Max Domi, D Jack Johnson, F Patrick Kane, F Sam Lafferty, D Jake McCabe, F Dylan Sikura, F Josiah Slavin, G Dylan Wells, D Cooper Zech, 2024 fifth-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick

Colorado Avalanche

Acquired: F Lars Eller, D Jack Johnson, G Keith Kinkaid, F Gustav Rydahl

Traded: F Anton Blidh, F Shane Bowers, D Andreas Englund, 2025 second-round pick

Dallas Stars

Acquired: F Evgenii Dadonov, F Max Domi, F Scott Reedy, G Dylan Wells

Traded: F Denis Gurianov, G Anton Khudobin, F Jacob Peterson, 2025 second-round pick

Edmonton Oilers

Acquired: F Nick Bjugstad, D Cam Dineen, D Mattias Ekholm, F Patrik Puistola, 2024 sixth-round pick (NSH)

Traded: D Tyson Barrie, D Michael Kesselring, F Jesse Puljujarvi, F Reid Schaefer, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick

Los Angeles Kings

Acquired: D Vladislav Gavrikov, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Zack MacEwen, G Erik Portillo, F Nate Schnarr

Traded: D Frederic Allard, F Brendan Lemieux, G Jonathan Quick, F Austin Wagner, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick

Minnesota Wild

Acquired: D John Klingberg, F Marcus Johansson, F Gustav Nyquist, F Oskar Sundqvist, 2023 second-round pick (VGK), 2024 fifth-round pick (BUF)

Traded: F Jordan Greenway, F Nikita Nesterenko, D Andrej Sustr, F Andrei Svetlakov, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick

Nashville Predators

Acquired: F Rasmus Asplund, D Tyson Barrie, D Cal Foote, F Isaac Ratcliffe, F Austin Rueschhoff, F Reid Schaefer, 2023 first-round pick (EDM), 2023 second-round pick (PIT), 2023 third-round pick (TB), 2023 fourth-round pick (TB), 2023 fifth-round pick (TB), 2024 second-round pick (TB), 2024 second-round pick (WPG), 2024 fourth-round pick (EDM), 2025 first-round pick (TB)

Traded: D Mattias Ekholm, F Mikael Granlund, F Tanner Jeannot, F Nino Niederreiter, 2024 sixth-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick

San Jose Sharks

Acquired: D Arvid Henrikson, F Andreas Johnsson, D Shakir Mukhamadullin, D Nikita Okhotyuk, D Henry Thrun, F Fabian Zetterlund, 2023 first-round pick (NJ), 2023 seventh-round pick (PIT), 2024 second-round pick (NJ), 2024 fourth-round pick (PIT), 2024 seventh-round pick (NJ), 2025 fourth-round pick (WPG),

Traded: F Nick Bonino, G Zacharie Emond, F Michael Eyssimont, D Scott Harrington, D Santeri Hatakka, F Timur Ibragimov, F Timo Meier, D Tony Sund, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick (COL), 2024 fifth-round pick

Seattle Kraken

No trades made

St. Louis Blues

Acquired: F Zach Dean, F Jakub Vrana

Traded: F Ivan Barbashev, F Dylan McLaughlin, 2025 seventh-round pick

Vancouver Canucks

Acquired: F Josh Bloom, D Filip Hronek, F Vitali Kravtsov, 2023 third-round pick (TOR) 2023 fourth-round pick (DET), 2024 fourth-round pick (NJ)

Traded: D Wyatt Kalynuk, F Curtis Lazar, F William Lockwood, D Luke Schenn, D Riley Stillman, 2023 first-round pick (NYI), 2023 second-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick

Vegas Golden Knights

Acquired: F Ivan Barbashev, F Teddy Blueger, D Dysin Mayo, G Jonathan Quick

Traded: F Zach Dean, F Peter DiLiberatore, G Michael Hutchinson, D Shea Weber, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick

Winnipeg Jets

Acquired: F Nino Niederreiter, F Vladislav Namestnikov

Traded: 2024 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick

Kraken Among Teams To Inquire About James Van Riemsdyk

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Johnston adds that the Golden Knights, Jets, and Kraken are among the teams that have inquired about van Riemsdyk so far.  Notably, none of those teams have enough cap space to take on his contract outright while Vegas would need either a third team to get involved to be able to add him.  The veteran has nine goals and 14 assists in 41 games this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Francis: Deadline Moves, If Any, Likely Tinkering Around The Edges

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  • Seattle’s second season has gone quite well as the Kraken find themselves holding down the second and final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference heading into tonight’s action. However, in an appearance on 93.3KJR today (audio link), GM Ron Francis indicated that he isn’t planning any major changes and that if anything happens, it would probably be “tweaking around the edges”.  Seattle is projected to have the ability to add someone making nearly $4MM on deadline day, per CapFriendly, so it’s possible that they look to add a rental or two to give themselves some more depth for the stretch run without making any changes to their core.

Chris Driedger Clears Waivers

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February 24: Driedger has cleared waivers, per NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston.

February 23: The Seattle Kraken have placed goaltender Chris Driedger on waivers, which could indicate he’s ready to return from the offseason surgery that has kept him out of game action all season. With two NHL goaltenders already in place, the Kraken will likely send Driedger to the minor leagues if he clears.

One of the original Kraken, selected in the 2021 expansion draft, Driedger, at that point, was coming off a breakout season with the Florida Panthers. After registering a .927 save percentage in 23 games with the Panthers, there was talk about Driedger all across the league as a potential available starter. The Kraken selected him and gave him a three-year, $10.5MM contract, only to sign Philipp Grubauer to a much bigger deal a few days later.

That made Driedger the backup by default, and things didn’t go well in his first year with Seattle. With an .899 save percentage in 27 appearances, he (along with Grubauer) was a big part of the team’s collapse in their first year.

After the season ended, Driedger went to play with Canada at the World Championships, where he suffered a serious knee injury. Surgery and a long rehab have followed, without any game action.

One interesting wrinkle in today’s waiver placement is that Driedger could have been loaned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on a long-term injury conditioning stint, without worrying about waivers for the time being. By doing it this way, the team can not only keep him in the minor leagues for as long as they want, but also potentially entice another team to take him—and his $3.5MM cap hit—off their hands.

Driedger is signed through next season but it is hard to predict where his career will go from here. The Kraken still have Grubauer under contract long-term and probably don’t want to be rolling out that tandem again next season. It makes almost no sense for anyone to claim him, but if he does pass through, perhaps a team would be interested as a goaltender they can keep in the minor leagues.

Jesper Froden Recalled From AHL

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled Jesper Froden from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, potentially giving him a chance to make his season debut against his old team. This is Froden’s first call-up since joining the Kraken last summer on a one-year, two-way deal.

The 28-year-old undrafted forward has been outstanding for the Firebirds, scoring 25 goals and 47 points in 44 games. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given how well he played for the Providence Bruins in his first year of North American professional hockey in 2021-22. That success didn’t carry over to his short stint with Boston, though, as Froden scored just a single goal in seven games.

If you want an example of hard work and determination, consider that Froden played six full seasons in the Swedish second tier before even getting a chance to play in the SHL. He would be named the SHL Rookie of the Year in 2020 after his long-awaited debut, and join the Swedish World Championship squad in 2021, scoring four points in five games. A contract with the Bruins followed, and now his chance to make an impact with Seattle.

While he is not a prospect, there must be a little excitement for the Kraken if Froden gets into the lineup. He has scored at every level so far; perhaps he can continue that trend in the NHL with a team willing to offer a fresh start to struggling offensive talents.

Seattle Kraken Reassign John Hayden

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The Seattle Kraken have reassigned John Hayden to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, clearing an open spot on Seattle’s 23-man roster for GM Ron Francis to work with.

Hayden, 28, was last on the ice for Coachella Valley on February 4th, when he helped the Firebirds defeat the San Diego Gulls 4-0. That wrapped up a two-game stay in Coachella Valley before he headed back to the Kraken’s roster. He got into two games for coach Dave Hakstol, scoring a goal in the Kraken’s shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on February 14th.

This season, Hayden has been a priory call-up for the Kraken when they need a reliable veteran forward to fill a down-the-lineup roster spot. He’s scored two goals in five NHL games so far this year, and has nearly 250 total games of NHL experience.

Hayden has been more of a difference-maker in the AHL, helping the Firebirds to an exceptional season. Hayden has 25 points in 36 AHL games, and has scored at a healthy rate whenever he’s been in the AHL in his career. He’ll now head back to coach Dan Bylsma’s squad with the hope that he can continue to play a helpful role for the Firebirds while waiting for his next NHL opportunity.

Andre Burakovsky Placed On Injured Reserve; Justin Schultz Activated

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After playing just a single shift on Tuesday, Seattle Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky has been moved to injured reserve. The team has activated Justin Schultz and recalled John Hayden to fill his roster spot.

Burakovsky, 28 (today!), is having an outstanding season in his first year with Seattle, scoring 39 points in 49 games so far. That had him on pace to break the career-high 61 points he set last year with Colorado, though this injury may now end that dream.

It’s unclear how long he will be out, but Burakovsky must miss at least a week with his placement on IR. Though the team did not confirm, it looked like a non-contact injury against the New York Islanders, which always draws a little more attention as a possible long-term issue. The team said yesterday that he is still being evaluated, but a quick move to injured reserve is not promising.

At least the team is getting Schultz back, who last played on January 17. The 32-year-old defenseman has averaged just over 18 minutes a night for the Kraken but does have 24 points in 42 games, already passing the total he had in a full season with Washington in 2021-22.

Schultz has been a strong puck-moving option in the NHL for years, and that hasn’t changed in Seattle, where he has recorded excellent possession numbers in their up-tempo style. Getting him back will at least help soften the blow of Burakovsky’s absence, though it certainly won’t make up for it.

Sharks Trade Jaycob Megna To Kraken

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The Kraken have made a move to add some defensive depth as they’ve acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from San Jose in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick.  Both teams have confirmed the swap.

The 30-year-old had been a regular for the Sharks for most of the season, playing in a career-high 48 games.  He chipped in a goal with 11 assists along with 63 blocks and 75 hits while averaging more than 19 minutes per contest.  It’s unlikely that Megna will see that much ice time with Seattle as he is likely to be more of a depth defender with the Kraken when everyone is healthy.  Megna has played in 135 NHL contests between Anaheim and San Jose for his career, collecting four goals and 21 assists.

Megna represents a low-cost depth addition for Seattle, both in terms of the acquisition cost and salary.  On the contract front, he’s in the first season of a two-year, minimum-salary deal with an AAV of $762,500.  Next season, that will be below the league minimum which will give him some extra value.  As for the draft pick, Seattle will get to choose between sending their fourth-round selection or Colorado’s and will be required to make that choice by June 15th.

At the moment, Seattle had been carrying the minimum of six healthy defenders on the roster thanks to the injury to Justin Schultz that has kept him out of the lineup for the last couple of weeks.  Megna will battle Cale Fleury for playing time in Schultz’s absence.  The Kraken had two open roster spots prior to the swap so no corresponding move will need to be made to add him to their lineup.

Francis: A Kraken Player Declined An All-Star Invite To Replace Beniers

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While it seems odd that Seattle won’t have a representative at the upcoming All-Star Game with Matty Beniers being replaced by Vegas center Chandler Stephenson, it appears the league did try to get a replacement representative from the Kraken.  GM Ron Francis told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that another Seattle player was asked but declined in order to use the break to recuperate while most of the players had already left with their last game before the break coming on Saturday.  They will be the lone team at the event without a representative.

Chandler Stephenson Named To All-Star Game, Replacing Matty Beniers

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The Vegas Golden Knights will have another representative at the upcoming All-Star festivities, as Chandler Stephenson has been named the replacement for Matty Beniers. Beniers will not be able to attend because of injury.

Stephenson joins Logan Thompson (and head coach Bruce Cassidy) on the Pacific roster, and will be making his first All-Star appearance.

It’s a pretty impressive climb for a third-round pick who scored 55 total points through the first three seasons of his career (more than 200 games). After a trade brought him from the Washington Capitals to Vegas, and injuries gave him an opportunity to play with top-line players, Stephenson has never looked back.

Last season, in 79 games, he set career-highs with 21 goals and 64 points. Both of those numbers are in danger this year, as the speedy center has 11 goals and 44 points through 51 games.

Stephenson is averaging close to 20 minutes a night for the Golden Knights, is winning close to 60% of his faceoffs, and is a key part of both the powerplay and the penalty kill.

For Beniers, it is a disappointing result, given he was going to be an All-Star in his first full season. The Seattle Kraken will likely get another chance down the road, given how well he has acclimated himself to the NHL in such a short time.

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