2024-25 Kraken Roster discussion

[Fistfullofbeer]

Looking at next years roster. So assuming no other moves are made in the TDL, we will have 21.7M available next season with 8F and 4D. This is also assuming neither Gru or Burakovsky are bought out.

Pending RFA's:

Evans - Re-sign

Fleury - Release unless there is a plan to really give him a shot at the NHL

Kakko - Re-sign

Kartye - Re-sign

Meyers - Meh

Pending UFA's:

Eyssimont - Meh

Mahura - Re-sign

I am only counting FA's that I expect we re-sign. I am not sure about term here but I am expecting:

Evans - 3M AAV.

Kakko - 4.5M AAV.

Mahura - 1.5M AAV

Kartye - 1.25M AAV

This gives us 14M left with 10F, 6D and 2G. Call up Melly and Winterton/Nyman. This still gives us 10.3M in cap space. Keep the cap space. See if you can find someone in FA you can sign for a 1 year "show me" deal and flip him at the TDL.

 

[The Marquis]

10.3 isn’t much. Can get you two of what we already have or one step up from what we have that I don’t believe is available at that price. Feels, underwhelming.

As such, yes, keep it.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

10.3 isn’t much. Can get you two of what we already have or one step up from what we have that I don’t believe is available at that price. Feels, underwhelming.

As such, yes, keep it.

10.3M is not really enough to have signed Rantanen (he cost 12M) or Marner (I expect). However, it's not like Francis does NOT have options. A buyout of Gru or Bura could create more cap space. We could also potentially trade someone to create some cap space.

I would still prefer them to not do anything in FA.

 

[The Marquis]

10.3M is not really enough to have signed Rantanen (he cost 12M) or Marner (I expect). However, it's not like Francis does NOT have options. A buyout of Gru or Bura could create more cap space. We could also potentially trade someone to create some cap space.

I would still prefer them to not do anything in FA.

I wasn't realistically expecting either Rantanen or Marner. I don't see a world where they choose Seattle over a contender. Other than that we have what... Boeser, Nelson.. There are not too many interesting pieces left with Rantanen gone and Marner probably not being insane and choosing a team far from contending, not that I'd want him necessarily.

I think the real plan is to hold onto the cap space and take advantage of teams who have gone over the cap before the season starts and are more desperate for a trade. That's how we got Bjorkstrand. Perhaps we can pull something else off like that, but again... that doesn't exactly make us better than we were at the start of this season... but it probably makes us better than we are right now.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I wasn't realistically expecting either Rantanen or Marner. I don't see a world where they choose Seattle over a contender. Other than that we have what... Boeser, Nelson.. There are not too many interesting pieces left with Rantanen gone and Marner probably not being insane and choosing a team far from contending, not that I'd want him necessarily.

I think the real plan is to hold onto the cap space and take advantage of teams who have gone over the cap before the season starts and are more desperate for a trade. That's how we got Bjorkstrand. Perhaps we can pull something else off like that, but again... that doesn't exactly make us better than we were at the start of this season... but it probably makes us better than we are right now

It really comes down to what Francis is doing next year. He can choose to be aggressive and trade one of the 1st round picks we just required and a combination of current roster players or prospects to trade for a piece who could be part of our future.

What I don't want to happen is Francis signing or trading for another middling player like Burakovsky, Schwartz, etc. Either aim high or just sign FAs to 1 year deals if you think you can recoup some value at the TDL.

With the rising cap, I am not sure how many teams will really have that many cap problems.

 

[majormajor]

10.3M is not really enough to have signed Rantanen (he cost 12M) or Marner (I expect). However, it's not like Francis does NOT have options. A buyout of Gru or Bura could create more cap space. We could also potentially trade someone to create some cap space.

I would still prefer them to not do anything in FA.

We absolutely could sign Mitch Marner if he wanted to come here. We could easily move out a player or two. It would not be hard given the amount of extra cap space around the league right now.

I'm not suggesting Marner as a serious possibility, just saying that we can open up tons of cap space if needed.

I think the real plan is to hold onto the cap space and take advantage of teams who have gone over the cap before the season starts and are more desperate for a trade. That's how we got Bjorkstrand. Perhaps we can pull something else off like that, but again... that doesn't exactly make us better than we were at the start of this season... but it probably makes us better than we are right now.

The Bjorkstrand type of situation isn't going to happen, unfortunately. During that cap crunch we were the only buyer with room left after players had signed. This summer there will be too many teams with cap space even after every one is signed.

Either aim high or just sign FAs to 1 year deals if you think you can recoup some value at the TDL.

Exactly.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I have a strong feeling that we are going to be aggressive with trades this off-season and maybe even UFA signing(s). This TDL got us a quite a few picks but the only pick for the 2025 draft is an additional 2nd round pick. We are also without our 3rd and 6th round pick in the upcoming draft.

The high picks we got at the TDL do nothing, on their own, to really help us till 2028 and beyond. I can't see management and ownership being that patient. This team can't wait that long to show some legitimate improvement.

If it also not in Francis' nature to trade high draft picks so that has me a big concerned as to how he goes about this.

 

[CLW]

I have a strong feeling that we are going to be aggressive with trades this off-season and maybe even UFA signing(s). This TDL got us a quite a few picks but the only pick for the 2025 draft is an additional 2nd round pick. We are also without our 3rd and 6th round pick in the upcoming draft.

The high picks we got at the TDL do nothing, on their own, to really help us till 2028 and beyond. I can't see management and ownership being that patient. This team can't wait that long to show some legitimate improvement.

If it also not in Francis' nature to trade high draft picks so that has me a big concerned as to how he goes about this.

Francis's to do list this summer will be a very lengthy one. First of all, there has to be a clear plan. He needs to determine exactly what he aims to achieve both next season and further out, how this team is going to look going forward and then build around that plan. The total fiasco of this season is the result of errors on his part as much as anything.

Stephenson has statistically been one of the worst players in the entire league this season and he was one of Francis's big UFA signings. Bylsma has flamed out AGAIN, not for the first time in his NHL coaching career. Nice guy but this got ugly fast. Also, the room is clearly not in a good place. The fanbase has had so much PR BS stuffed up their rear end they hardly know what to think, while management is flailing about with contradictory statements and actions.

Having said that, I do have the feeling we do not know everything that's behind going on behind the scenes; and that Friedman's comments about a split in the org's vision has legs. The first thing the Kraken need to do is to sort that out. For now, the GM bears the responsibility.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Francis's to do list this summer will be a very lengthy one. First of all, there has to be a clear plan. He needs to determine exactly what he aims to achieve both next season and further out, how this team is going to look going forward and then build around that plan. The total fiasco of this season is the result of errors on his part as much as anything.

Stephenson has statistically been one of the worst players in the entire league this season and he was one of Francis's big UFA signings. Bylsma has flamed out AGAIN, not for the first time in his NHL coaching career. Nice guy but this got ugly fast. Also, the room is clearly not in a good place. The fanbase has had so much PR BS stuffed up their rear end they hardly know what to think, while management is flailing about with contradictory statements and actions.

Having said that, I do have the feeling we do not know everything that's behind going on behind the scenes; and that Friedman's comments about a split in the org's vision has legs. The first thing the Kraken need to do is to sort that out. For now, the GM bears the responsibility.

100%. GM and ownership need to be on the same page. This is where the off-season review should begin. The decision should be clear if there is a disconnect between the org's vision and Francis. Let Francis go and get a GM who aligns with that vision. Let the new GM sort out the coaching issue, which to me would very likely mean letting Bylsma go UNLESS this is something ownership is adamant about. But if I were a new GM coming in, I would want to make sure that ownership is ok with a coaching change, if that is what they intend to do.

I hate using Vegas as an example, but they were all-in with their aggressiveness. Trading for Eichel and Stone was not a half measure. They were both gambles, but they were for elite players and paid off in spades. If the intent is to be good now, I would basically put anyone from the Kraken on the table to acquire elite talent, except Wright and Catton. I consider every other player and prospect in our organization as complimentary pieces, even if they were to hit their ceilings. Maybe this speaks of my pessimism, but that's how I think about our team. To be clear, I am not saying we have a bad prospect pool. To the contrary, I think our pool is pretty good and deep but it's basically all complimentary players with the one exception of Catton.

Build around Wright and Catton. We can throw Beniers in that mix but I am not sure if he ends up being anything more than a good 2C. Don't trade him unless it is for an elite player as I still think he could be a good core piece. The D prospect pool is pretty damn bad. Evans has shown glimpses that he becomes a decent 2nd pairing D-man but Nelson has a long way to go.

If the team does decide to go in an aggressive win-now mode, put everyone other than those 3 on the table. I can't believe I am saying this but I would even include our 1st round pick for this season in that mix unless we are drafting top-3.

 

[CLW]

100%. GM and ownership need to be on the same page. This is where the off-season review should begin. The decision should be clear if there is a disconnect between the org's vision and Francis. Let Francis go and get a GM who aligns with that vision. Let the new GM sort out the coaching issue, which to me would very likely mean letting Bylsma go UNLESS this is something ownership is adamant about. But if I were a new GM coming in, I would want to make sure that ownership is ok with a coaching change, if that is what they intend to do.

I hate using Vegas as an example, but they were all-in with their aggressiveness. Trading for Eichel and Stone was not a half measure. They were both gambles, but they were for elite players and paid off in spades. If the intent is to be good now, I would basically put anyone from the Kraken on the table to acquire elite talent, except Wright and Catton. I consider every other player and prospect in our organization as complimentary pieces, even if they were to hit their ceilings. Maybe this speaks of my pessimism, but that's how I think about our team. To be clear, I am not saying we have a bad prospect pool. To the contrary, I think our pool is pretty good and deep but it's basically all complimentary players with the one exception of Catton.

Build around Wright and Catton. We can throw Beniers in that mix but I am not sure if he ends up being anything more than a good 2C. Don't trade him unless it is for an elite player as I still think he could be a good core piece. The D prospect pool is pretty damn bad. Evans has shown glimpses that he becomes a decent 2nd pairing D-man but Nelson has a long way to go.

If the team does decide to go in an aggressive win-now mode, put everyone other than those 3 on the table. I can't believe I am saying this but I would even include our 1st round pick for this season in that mix unless we are drafting top-3.

It's too soon for that kind of aggressiveness. Vegas could do it because they were handed a contender that lacked those final elite pieces. This team does not have that base, nor does it have the core pieces in place.

Florida drafted Barkov, Ekblad, Lundell
Tampa: Kucherov, Vasi, Point, Hedman
Dallas: Heiskanen, Hintz, Robertson, Johnstone, Harley, Lindell etc. (even gool ol' Jamie Benn back in 2007...)

Kraken don't know what they have yet, now's the time to build up that draft pool to the max - a good top prospect this year, another two or three next year in that lovely 2026 draft. Add all the other picks, then take stock and see how it looks.

The overall hysteria surrounding the Kraken is surreal to me. This team is just getting started and that's the reality of the situation. It was simply Kraken's luck of the draw that this would be a more traditional expansion.

Tbh it would help if The Great Fairy Uncle sprinkled a little lottery luck Kraken's way sooner rather than later, but I guess we cannot say that out loud.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It's too soon for that kind of aggressiveness. Vegas could do it because they were handed a contender that lacked those final elite pieces. This team does not have that base, nor does it have the core pieces in place.

Florida drafted Barkov, Ekblad, Lundell
Tampa: Kucherov, Vasi, Point, Hedman
Dallas: Heiskanen, Hintz, Robertson, Johnstone, Harley, Lindell etc. (even gool ol' Jamie Benn back in 2007...)

Kraken don't know what they have yet, now's the time to build up that draft pool to the max - a good top prospect this year, another two or three next year in that lovely 2026 draft. Add all the other picks, then take stock and see how it looks.

The overall hysteria surrounding the Kraken is surreal to me. This team is just getting started and that's the reality of the situation. It was simply Kraken's luck of the draw that this would be a more traditional expansion.

Tbh it would help if The Great Fairy Uncle sprinkled a little lottery luck Kraken's way sooner rather than later, but I guess we cannot say that out loud.

Oh I agree with you 100%. I want us to not do anything this off-season. I want us to just see if the rookies can help and make the team better. LIkely end up having a similar or worse season to this one in a strong 2026 draft and by 2027-28 season have a few of our top prospects are ready to make an impact. I actually mentioned the 2027-28 season should be when I expect us to start being a good team.

My pessimism just stems from me not knowing what this organization wants to do. Or rather, them themselves not knowing what they want.

 

[Fuhrious]

I’m still not 100% convinced it’ll be Francis in the seat this offseason. I wonder if the Kakko trade and these deadline deals actually moved his needle from “fired” to “failing upwards to a “VP of Hockey Ops promotion”.

 

[Kat Predator]

If Francis doesn't retire, I don't see a lot of big swings in FA. The first and second year draft picks are coming into their own now along with some other young guys we've picked up. I'd expect Francis to go more in that "build through the draft" direction with possibly some other younger players picked up to fill roles and depth.

 

[CLW]

Oh I agree with you 100%. I want us to not do anything this off-season. I want us to just see if the rookies can help and make the team better. LIkely end up having a similar or worse season to this one in a strong 2026 draft and by 2027-28 season have a few of our top prospects are ready to make an impact. I actually mentioned the 2027-28 season should be when I expect us to start being a good team.

My pessimism just stems from me not knowing what this organization wants to do. Or rather, them themselves not knowing what they want.

Warning! The corporate BS spin machine has kicked into overdrive:

Kraken GM Poised To Finish The Job | Seattle Kraken

Four seasons into building up the Kraken, GM Ron Francis is again on the cusp of something much bigger heading into Year 5

www.nhl.com

 

[Kevinsane]

I’m more excited for Catton and maybe Rehkopf down the road than for a big splash UFA who keeps the Kraken hovering around .500, out of the playoffs and drafting 16th.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Warning! The corporate BS spin machine has kicked into overdrive:

Kraken GM Poised To Finish The Job | Seattle Kraken

Four seasons into building up the Kraken, GM Ron Francis is again on the cusp of something much bigger heading into Year 5

www.nhl.com

LOL. Sounds like a propaganda pamphlet. And it says really nothing of substance.

- we have been disappointing this year. Well .. duh.

- we need to be better. Duh x 2

- we have a big prospect pool. Yes.

No mention about how he plans to get there really. Or what the long term plan is. To me, “we need to be better”, is not a plan.

 

[The Marquis]

I think dollar for dollar, Burakovsky is giving off big Jeff Skinner at Buffalo vibes. He’s no longer worth even than half his salary. He’s a large part of the problem with this team right now and something has to be done. Short list is him, Oleksiak (who is so unbelievably inconsistent), and Grubauer. For a while I felt Larsson too, but Larsson is looking a bit better since I shat all over his play a few weeks ago.

We all know Jess Campbell is showing the players HFboards on that fancy ass tablet of hers. It was proven today when magically Beniers started shooting the puck. I’m betting that’s what turned Larsson's game around.

Jess pointing at the tablet screen while speaking to Larsson “See, The Marquis thinks you’ve been shit as of late! Turn things around!”

Jess pointing at the tablet screen today while speaking to Matty “See, The Marquis, who is just under a Duke, says you never shoot, prove him wrong”

Hi Jess!

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think dollar for dollar, Burakovsky is giving off big Jeff Skinner at Buffalo vibes. He’s no longer worth even than half his salary. He’s a large part of the problem with this team right now and something has to be done. Short list is him, Oleksiak (who is so unbelievably inconsistent), and Grubauer. For a while I felt Larsson too, but Larsson is looking a bit better since I shat all over his play a few weeks ago.

Bura is definitely not worth even half of his contract. He was never a great 2-way forward and with his offensive contributions gone, he is just a negative factor on the ice. Agree with your sentiment on Grubauer as well.

I have been surprised that he has not been healthy scratched yet. Give him the Gru treatment. Waive him and show him that he won't be picked up.

This off-season will be interesting. We can financially keep both Gru and Bura on the team if we make no FA moves, which we really shouldn't. But if they keep them both on the roster, does it send the message to the team, "Its fine, you are already getting paid. Just showing up is fine."

We all know Jess Campbell is showing the players HFboards on that fancy ass tablet of hers. It was proven today when magically Beniers started shooting the puck. I’m betting that’s what turned Larsson's game around.

Jess pointing at the tablet screen while speaking to Larsson “See, The Marquis thinks you’ve been shit as of late! Turn things around!”

Jess pointing at the tablet screen today while speaking to Matty “See, The Marquis, who is just under a Duke, says you never shoot, prove him wrong”

Hi Jess!

I took my edible early and had to read it a few times.

 

[CLW]

Francis's interview is funny. He says he wants to build through the middle, where the team has Beniers, Wright, Stephenson with Catton in the wing. He is happy with the top 4, but he wants to add to the team which means he is going to add wingers and maybe depth D even if Mahura has been fine and Oleksiak is a long time staple. That basically leaves the wings as the places to update, but the wingers are veterans at $5+m cap hit each (Schwartz, Burakovsky, Eberle, McCann), plus Tolvanen and Kakko. Burakovsky needs to go, but that creates yet another spot for upgrade. At the same time Francis says he's going to use the draft picks as trade ammo, but what kind of upgrades can he get with only picks? If he has to pack a pick to move a veteran that's a waste of a pick. Could he possibly be any mushier?

XX Schwarz - Beniers - Kakko* RFA
XX McCann - Wright - XX Burakovsky
Tolvanen - Stephenson - XX Eberle
4th line don't care - this is not where the real issue is.

Dunn - Larsson
Evans - Montour
XX Oleksiak - Mahura

Daccord
XX Grubauer

And the reason he is mushy is because a lot of this is his work. Schwartz, Eberle, Burakovsky are not easy to move and the team has too many big contracts that don't really live up to their paygrade anymore. Schwarz and Eberle are fine individually, but one is surplus in the good veteran role. McCann is a good player but a bit wasted on this team as he is one of a few in his prime. I doubt he, hand on heart, wants to stay even if he's a good soldier.

His passive approach has come back to bite him and now Francis needs to get out of his comfort zone and have an active summer where he deals away part of the remaining original expansion draft players and brings in meaningful reinforcements, without crazy overpayments for limited contribution.

Let's be honest. Francis is a lukewarm GM, not the worst (by virtue of there being some terrible ones) but compare him to the best and the gap is night and day. Someone compared him to Hextall as GM and that feels quite apt, the approach is so phlegmatic everything eventually stagnates - which is what happened to this team. And now Mr. Mush says he wants to be active and flexible? I hope he has top grade assistants and pro scouts because they will have to do stellar work steering this old man in the right direction. A bad GM with trade ammo whose ass is on the hot seat... yeah that rarely ends well.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

H

Francis's interview is funny. He says he wants to build through the middle, where the team has Beniers, Wright, Stephenson with Catton in the wing. He is happy with the top 4, but he wants to add to the team which means he is going to add wingers and maybe depth D even if Mahura has been fine and Oleksiak is a long time staple. That basically leaves the wings as the places to update, but the wingers are veterans at $5+m cap hit each (Schwartz, Burakovsky, Eberle, McCann), plus Tolvanen and Kakko. Burakovsky needs to go, but that creates yet another spot for upgrade. At the same time Francis says he's going to use the draft picks as trade ammo, but what kind of upgrades can he get with only picks? If he has to pack a pick to move a veteran that's a waste of a pick. Could he possibly be any mushier?

XX Schwarz - Beniers - Kakko* RFA
XX McCann - Wright - XX Burakovsky
Tolvanen - Stephenson - XX Eberle
4th line don't care - this is not where the real issue is.

Dunn - Larsson
Evans - Montour
XX Oleksiak - Mahura

Daccord
XX Grubauer

And the reason he is mushy is because a lot of this is his work. Schwartz, Eberle, Burakovsky are not easy to move and the team has too many big contracts that don't really live up to their paygrade anymore. Schwarz and Eberle are fine individually, but one is surplus in the good veteran role. McCann is a good player but a bit wasted on this team as he is one of a few in his prime. I doubt he, hand on heart, wants to stay even if he's a good soldier.

His passive approach has come back to bite him and now Francis needs to get out of his comfort zone and have an active summer where he deals away part of the remaining original expansion draft players and brings in meaningful reinforcements, without crazy overpayments for limited contribution.

Let's be honest. Francis is a lukewarm GM, not the worst (by virtue of there being some terrible ones) but compare him to the best and the gap is night and day. Someone compared him to Hextall as GM and that feels quite apt, the approach is so phlegmatic everything eventually stagnates - which is what happened to this team. And now Mr. Mush says he wants to be active and flexible? I hope he has top grade assistants and pro scouts because they will have to do stellar work steering this old man in the right direction. A bad GM with trade ammo whose ass is on the hot seat... yeah that rarely ends well.

Man. Thanks for posting this. Represents most of my sentiments and concerns.

The bolded, just scares the beejeezuz out of me. While no GM can guarantee success in this aggressive approach, the fact that this is not in Francis' nature or history is a big concern.

 

[kihei]

It is odd that after all this time, we still don't have any degree of certainty about what the long-term plan is. My wish for the off-season is relatively modest, that we get bigger and meaner and don't do anything really stupid, like another Stephenson-type signing.

 

[CLW]

If Francis doesn't retire, I don't see a lot of big swings in FA. The first and second year draft picks are coming into their own now along with some other young guys we've picked up. I'd expect Francis to go more in that "build through the draft" direction with possibly some other younger players picked up to fill roles and depth.

He'll add sprightly young Jamie Benn I have no doubt. Maybe the ghost of Chris Kreider too.

Kreider - Stephenson - Benn, that's the ticket to the playoffs he'll tell himself and everyone who's listening.

(I'm joking but that's how much faith I have in GMF's competence.)

 

[majormajor]

This off-season will be interesting. We can financially keep both Gru and Bura on the team if we make no FA moves, which we really shouldn't. But if they keep them both on the roster, does it send the message to the team, "Its fine, you are already getting paid. Just showing up is fine."

I think they should both be waived (or bought out, if ownership isn't willing to pay them to play in the AHL). Gru has had so many second chances to turn it around, and has continued to fail badly, that I think even our FO will be forced to be rid of him starting this summer. I think they'll get D'Accord a real backup this summer.

Bura I'm personally just as sure that he has to be waived / bought out - especially for the reasons you mention, that leaving this type of bad player on the roster just kills the ethic and morale of the team - but I don't know if our FO will get it. With their tendencies, they might just keep giving him more chances.

You can contrast that with Vegas that will dump a guy in an instant if he looks cooked. And people have speculated that that lack of loyalty will cost the team its morale, yet it has the opposite affect. It keeps the team standard up and players love that and want to play in that high standards environment.