2024-25 Kraken Roster discussion

[Fuhrious]

Just noticed that McCann is STILL the team's leading scorer despite having been invisible since early November.

I know we threw around the descriptor "bubble team" a lot back in September and October, but if you had told me it would be this bad I don't think I would have believed you.

 

[The Marquis]

Just noticed that McCann is STILL the team's leading scorer despite having been invisible since early November.

I know we threw around the descriptor "bubble team" a lot back in September and October, but if you had told me it would be this bad I don't think I would have believed you.

I think that’s the problem. They are far from meeting expectations. That’s bad. When we expect a team to be bad and they are is one thing. If you expect a bubble team, and they are bad, it’s entirely another and this is NOT a bubble team. .433 is not a bubble team when .600 is pretty well required for nearly all the playoff spots.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Just noticed that McCann is STILL the team's leading scorer despite having been invisible since early November.

I know we threw around the descriptor "bubble team" a lot back in September and October, but if you had told me it would be this bad I don't think I would have believed you.

Yeah. I buy that we are lacking with elite talent but the team is underperforming given what we had. No doubt about that.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Kraken Listening To Offers On Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky

The Seattle Kraken are reportedly listening to trade offers on a pair of forwards. Visit Pro Hockey Rumors for all the details.

www.prohockeyrumors.com

Man, I'd listen the heck out of proposals for Burakovsky as well.
Though, it probably includes a few assets going the other way as well...

 

[Fuhrious]

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Kraken Listening To Offers On Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky

The Seattle Kraken are reportedly listening to trade offers on a pair of forwards. Visit Pro Hockey Rumors for all the details.

www.prohockeyrumors.com

Man, I'd listen the heck out of proposals for Burakovsky as well.
Though, it probably includes a few assets going the other way as well...

I think Bura at 50% may appeal enough to some teams to take a chance with us adding a minimal sweetener. The fact that our forwards have sucked as a whole may lead other GMs to believe that he could be a better fit with their team. A lot of this wishful thinking but I have seen stranger things happen.

If Bura can get moved, and we buy out Gru this off-season, it could be a massive addition by subtraction as far as the locker room goes. I am not expecting the team to get "better" next season, rather than just set them up for success starting in 2026-27. If Catton + this years draft pick are both ready by 2026/27, we would likely have enough cap space to add some FA as well.

McCann-Beniers-Kakko
?-Wright-?
?-Stephenson-?

I am not a fan of Stephenson as 3C but we may not have much of an option. The "?", I am hoping are filled in by prospects.

Catton
Martone/Misa/Eklund - whoever we pick this season
Nyman
Firkus
Sale
Roed
Morrison
Winterton

I can definitely see atleast 3 of the group being ready by the start of the 2026/27 season. Now whether they are ready for a top-6 role full time, that remains to be seen.

 

[Fuhrious]

Has there been a player in recent memory who signed a lucrative UFA deal and was the very next season already getting thrown around as a buyout? Dubois maybe but his extension hadn’t kicked in yet? Anyone else or just Stephenson?

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Has there been a player in recent memory who signed a lucrative UFA deal and was the very next season already getting thrown around as a buyout? Dubois maybe but his extension hadn’t kicked in yet? Anyone else or just Stephenson?

Stephenson is not going to be bought out. That buyout would be on the books till 2036-37.

 

[Fuhrious]

Stephenson is not going to be bought out. That buyout would be on the books till 2036-37.

I agree, it's an idea ECH keep weirdly throwing around.

 

[Dead Coyote]

Has there been a player in recent memory who signed a lucrative UFA deal and was the very next season already getting thrown around as a buyout? Dubois maybe but his extension hadn’t kicked in yet? Anyone else or just Stephenson?

Clarkson, for one. Stamkos maybe?

OEL was an RFA I think at the time but he dropped off hard after his signing. Progressively got to buyout ready.

 

[The Marquis]

I don’t think Cups is nearly buyout bad, but he probably will be late in the contract.

 

[kihei]

Out of curiosity, do we generally agree that the Mahura signing was a fluke success by GMRF and not some analytical masterstroke? He’s been great but none of us…to include RF…saw that coming…right?

Total surprise to me. One of those minor transactions to which I never give a second thought usually.

 

[Fuhrious]

Not that we necessarily needed the confirmation, but if Jarry sails through waivers then it's definitely Buyout City for Grubauer.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I don’t think Cups is nearly buyout bad, but he probably will be late in the contract.

I think if we buy him out this summer it would be a cap hit of about $2M for the next 12 years.
Quite frankly, that doesn't even seem that bad.

BTW: According to most advanced stats models Cups is basically the worst or one of the worst forwards in the whole league.

But those cups man....

 

[Fuhrious]

https://puckpedia.com/player/chandler-stephenson/buyout?s=2025-2026

If I'm the new GM coming in to clean up Francis' mess, I think I'd legitimately consider it?

 

[Fuhrious]

BTW: According to most advanced stats models Cups is basically the worst or one of the worst forwards in the whole league.

Depending on how hard you decide to filter for minimum TOI, it's bad. If you are loose with it and say minimum 350 TOI so that you're getting in some of the plugs who are frequently scratched, he's still bottom 10 for iXG, iCF and/or iFF. If you crank the filter up to 500+ minutes TOI it gets interesting...

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Wenny!

 

[majormajor]

I don’t think Cups is nearly buyout bad, but he probably will be late in the contract.

I think he's buyout bad but the decision has more to do with where the team is at. Same thing with Grubauer. If we're trying to win now then I'd buyout both guys. If we're thinking of a window in the future, then you wait.

The one exception to that is guys that are bad for the team, perhaps bad in the locker room or bad for the young players that need to learn to play the right way.