Kraken 2025-26 Offseason (different but the same??)

[RainyCityHockey]

Trades aren't necessary any better than free agency since trading has the potential to make certain position on the roster better only make other positions worse depending on which players you have to give up. It could make the prospect pool worse by possibly giving up your top prospects to get that elite level talent. then there filling any holes made by the trade resulting in relaying on free agency possible overpaying to replace that talent that was traded.

Trades are most definitly better than free agency.

In trades you can target guys in their prime and under contract for some mor time(quite often on a solid contract).

In free agency you overspend for guys and what they've done for their previous teams. All that while hoping they can keep that up(or close to it) for at least half of their contract given ther age.

Teams trying to build through free agency usually don't do sh*** all cause they're using too much of their cap space on players that aren't really worth that cause they had to overpay to bring them in while they're also on the decline and won't produce like they did before.

I think it was j-fresh who had a statstic looking at free agency that stated on average for every dollar you spend in free agency the return value(on the ice9 is about 25 cents.

Thanks to the way free agency is set up in the NHL, trying to build trhough it makes no sense and at the end of the day you're givig away cap space for guys that are not worth their contracts and generate problems that way. You might even lose assets(picks and/or prospects) cause you need them as sweeteners to get rif off those contracts.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Trades are most definitly better than free agency.

In trades you can target guys in their prime and under contract for some mor time(quite often on a solid contract).

In free agency you overspend for guys and what they've done for their previous teams. All that while hoping they can keep that up(or close to it) for at least half of their contract given ther age.

Teams trying to build through free agency usually don't do sh*** all cause they're using too much of their cap space on players that aren't really worth that cause they had to overpay to bring them in while they're also on the decline and won't produce like they did before.

I think it was j-fresh who had a statstic looking at free agency that stated on overage for every dollar you spend in free agency the return value(on the ice9 is about 25 cents.

Thanks to the way free agency is set up in the NHL, trying to buuld trhough it makes no sense and at the end of the day you're givig away cap space for guys that are not worth their contracts and generate problems that way. You might even lose assets(picks and/or prospects) cause you need them as sweeteners to get rif off those contracts.

Basically this, FA is great to fill in missing spots on the roster. But if you are trying to get "core" pieces which fit the long term plan of the team, trades are the way to go. Yes, they cost assets that are not "free" like FA but you can save some $$ if the player is already signed OR has some controlled years on their current deal.

"Core" players also rarely make it to FA. Marner is one. Tavares was another. But they are/were both 28 when they hit FA and I expect Marner to make much more than what Tavares got in his last deal.

28 may be the max age I am comfortable with signing a FA because even with a 7 year deal they will be 35 when the contract runs out, but a lot of it is also dictated by their style of play and also if that can stay at a high level when they get in their mid-30's. So, while I would be comfortable with a deal like that to Marner, I am not sure if I would want to give a deal to Bennett simply because I see his body not being able to keep up with the style of play after another 3-4 years.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Curious on what you would pay for guys who may be rumored to be available via trades:

Jason Robertson
Martin Necas
JJ Peterka

Their names have come up in trades and all of them would, in theory, become our top offensive forward.

 

[The Marquis]

Curious on what you would pay for guys who may be rumored to be available via trades:

Jason Robertson
Martin Necas
JJ Peterka

Their names have come up in trades and all of them would, in theory, become our top offensive forward.

I might take any of those players over almost any player we have, so I think aside from Daccord, Wright and Beniers, I’d trade anybody and couple them with 1st round picks if needed.

 

[The Marquis]

Curious on what you would pay for guys who may be rumored to be available via trades:

Jason Robertson
Martin Necas
JJ Peterka

Their names have come up in trades and all of them would, in theory, become our top offensive forward.

Here's a follow up question for anybody. Who of these three do you target the hardest? Which hand do you bet your chips on? (I shouldn't make a gambling analogy, since I don't gamble at all and have no idea what the f*** I'm talking about)

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Here's a follow up question for anybody. Who of these three do you target the hardest? Which hand do you bet your chips on? (I shouldn't make a gambling analogy, since I don't gamble at all and have no idea what the f*** I'm talking about)

That's tough.

I want to say Peterka > Necas > Robertson

I don't really have much of a reason why other than Peterka is the youngest and Robertson's struggles in the playoffs, despite his size are a little concerning.

 

[Fuhrious]

I'd love to see Nyman start the season with the main team, but I'm worried about who you pair him with. Wright was able to start out with "still had some gas left in the tank" Eberle and McCann. Those players are all older and coming off consecutive down seasons, so I dont know who the obvious choices are.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I'd love to see Nyman start the season with the main team, but I'm worried about who you pair him with. Wright was able to start out with "still had some gas left in the tank" Eberle and McCann. Those players are all older and coming off consecutive down seasons, so I dont know who the obvious choices are.

They just need to move some of the vets out as well.

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

You got Nyman, Tolvanen, Burakovsky, Eberle competing for those 3 spots. Assuming the team goes for a forward in trades or FA, we are now down to 2 spots with those 4. I don't see Eberle being moved since he is the C and also has a NTC. I do think Burakovsky will be traded with retention and maybe a very small sweetener.

Alternatively, you play one of Tolvanen or Nyman on the 4th line, which I am not a fan of. This team needs more spots opened up even if we don't sign anyone.

 

[The Marquis]

They just need to move some of the vets out as well.

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

You got Nyman, Tolvanen, Burakovsky, Eberle competing for those 3 spots. Assuming the team goes for a forward in trades or FA, we are now down to 2 spots with those 4. I don't see Eberle being moved since he is the C and also has a NTC. I do think Burakovsky will be traded with retention and maybe a very small sweetener.

Alternatively, you play one of Tolvanen or Nyman on the 4th line, which I am not a fan of. This team needs more spots opened up even if we don't sign anyone.

It feels a bit like a pickle and I don’t like it. GM Botch is going to have to really make some moves this off season if we’re going to look any different.

Remember that dread I mentioned? Yeah…

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It feels a bit like a pickle and I don’t like it. GM Botch is going to have to really make some moves this off season if we’re going to look any different.

Remember that dread I mentioned? Yeah…

I think they have to make multiple moves and hope that a few of them hit.

I saw this roster on Puckpedia and while this roster itself may not be exactly what a lot of us want, it seems to have a lot of good ideas. Well .. atleast in my opinion.

https://puckgm.puckpedia.com/rosters/614304

 

[The Marquis]

I think they have to make multiple moves and hope that a few of them hit.

I saw this roster on Puckpedia and while this roster itself may not be exactly what a lot of us want, it seems to have a lot of good ideas. Well .. atleast in my opinion.

https://puckgm.puckpedia.com/rosters/614304

There are some truly crazy ideas, but it’s certainly a way better team than what we have now. I feel like most of those moves are within reality or close to it, meaning something couple easily be added to put it over the line if it’s not already there. It’s a step down defensively, and inexplicably holds onto Oleksiak, but all in all, it’s a big enough shake up with some massive ideas and it’s close to a version of reality.

 

[tank44]

The Veteran Logjam at forward is real and what the casual fan will get angry about when one of those vets gets moved.

We are not getting Marner. I'd love to see it but there's no way he comes here.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I think they have to make multiple moves and hope that a few of them hit.

I saw this roster on Puckpedia and while this roster itself may not be exactly what a lot of us want, it seems to have a lot of good ideas. Well .. atleast in my opinion.

https://puckgm.puckpedia.com/rosters/614304

Looks a bit like NHL 25 GM mode gone wrong or so, looking at some of the trades...

Anyways, Marner isn't signing here anyways.

BTW: Talking about the three guys you mentioned earlier.
I'd really love the kraken to find a way and bring in Peterka.
Robertson would be interesting even though the price is most likely going to be high.
Necas I don't see leaving Colorado, cause they can't trade Rantanen and end up with next to nothing to show for. He also fit the Avs style pretty well.

 

[sigma six]

It sounds like Utah really intends to make a splash and take a big step forward. They're farther along in the competitive process than we are, and if Marner wants to head west I can see that being a choice landing spot for him. (along with LA)

There's also the rumor that Utah would trade out of 4th overall for the right top-6 forward, which could be really interesting for teams with some good vets looking to rebuild.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Looks a bit like NHL 25 GM mode gone wrong or so, looking at some of the trades...

Anyways, Marner isn't signing here anyways.

BTW: Talking about the three guys you mentioned earlier.
I'd really love the kraken to find a way and bring in Peterka.
Robertson would be interesting even though the price is most likely going to be high.
Necas I don't see leaving Colorado, cause they can't trade Rantanen and end up with next to nothing to show for. He also fit the Avs style pretty well.

I don't like thinking in absolutes because I have no idea what Marner is really interested in. That being said, I tend to agree that the chance he wants to sign here is very slim.

Regarding the other trade options mentioned, the list does seem to keep growing. You can add Rossi to the list too, though he is not at the same level as the others. And these are just the options that we are aware of.

 

[kihei]

All three would be nice. My order:

Paterka--is he really on the block? Why trade this guy at all?
Necas--I like his ceiling, though I, too, think he stays put in Colorado
Robertson--seeing as we are not, for one reason or another, going to get the other two or Marner, he makes a decent consolation prize.

I have modest hopes for the off-season. Just do enough to make me hold onto the outer edges of the wish that we are not only a better team but that the future looks at least semi-bright. Anything approaching the status quo would be chilling.

 

[gstommylee]

Curious on what you would pay for guys who may be rumored to be available via trades:

Jason Robertson
Martin Necas
JJ Peterka

Their names have come up in trades and all of them would, in theory, become our top offensive forward.

robertson would have be something like 2 first + prospects discord dicussion suggested nyman and Rehkopf cause dallas can't afford to take players on actually contracts. so it would be to be players on ELC's.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think what it comes down to, again, is the GM willing to take chances. McCann is moveable. So is Oleksiak. We need to think hard on Tolvanen as well. He has a lot of value right now but how do we see him long term? If he scores 20 again this season, he will get paid like a top-6 player but will he have space in our top-6 in 2026-27? I would love to keep him and feel like he is a solid 3rd line piece but his goal-scoring could make him an overpriced 3rd liner.

It's not like we don't have options to improve the roster but Francis has been pretty gun shy and seemed vested in the vets and loading up on tweeners to give us "depth". At this time, we have a good pipeline of forwards, though none have high-end potential minus Catton and we also have a lot of draft capital.

Before folks jump on me and tell me to be patient and wiling to build via the draft, I want to understand how long they want to be patient for and if the organization legitimately have the option. Any new draft picks from this season are likely, at a minimum, atleast two years away from even having a shot at the NHL. The only players we should be invested in at this time are:

Beniers
Wright
Catton
8OA
Nyman

Everything else should be made available to improve the roster. But, and this is a big but, you cannot expect to make just 1 change this off-season and expect improvement. We need to have multiple moves to improve the roster. In my mind, we need two better forwards in our top-6 than what we have today if we want to push for the playoffs. Making just one move, even adding someone like Necas, Robertson, Marner, etc. is unlikely to be enough in my opinion.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

robertson would have be something like 2 first + prospects discord dicussion suggested nyman and Rehkopf cause dallas can't afford to take players on actually contracts. so it would be to be players on ELC's.

I have seen multiple discussions around Robertson and one big need for Dallas is a top-4 RHD. We could send them Oleksiak+ picks/prospects (not Catton or our 8OA) or Oleksiak + McCann + picks/prospects or even Larsson + McCann.

If you make a trade and get the best player in the deal back, I consider it a win. We have a lot of "good" players but none that are great/elite. We also have a lot of picks/prospects. Ofcourse, multiple teams will be in on players like Robertson, Necas, Peterka, etc. if they are available but this is where a good GM can make things work.

 

[gstommylee]

I have seen multiple discussions around Robertson and one big need for Dallas is a top-4 RHD. We could send them Oleksiak+ picks/prospects (not Catton or our 8OA) or Oleksiak + McCann + picks/prospects or even Larsson + McCann.

If you make a trade and get the best player in the deal back, I consider it a win. We have a lot of "good" players but none that are great/elite. We also have a lot of picks/prospects. Ofcourse, multiple teams will be in on players like Robertson, Necas, Peterka, etc. if they are available but this is where a good GM can make things work.

Like i said dallas has cap issues they can not take decent to good size contracts back. Only like vet mins/ELC contracts. Dallas is currently 16 players 4.955m of cap space.

 

[gstommylee]

Trades are most definitly better than free agency.

In trades you can target guys in their prime and under contract for some mor time(quite often on a solid contract).

In free agency you overspend for guys and what they've done for their previous teams. All that while hoping they can keep that up(or close to it) for at least half of their contract given ther age.

Teams trying to build through free agency usually don't do sh*** all cause they're using too much of their cap space on players that aren't really worth that cause they had to overpay to bring them in while they're also on the decline and won't produce like they did before.

I think it was j-fresh who had a statstic looking at free agency that stated on average for every dollar you spend in free agency the return value(on the ice9 is about 25 cents.

Thanks to the way free agency is set up in the NHL, trying to build trhough it makes no sense and at the end of the day you're givig away cap space for guys that are not worth their contracts and generate problems that way. You might even lose assets(picks and/or prospects) cause you need them as sweeteners to get rif off those contracts.

but those players in the prime also come with a cost that depending on the player could be very very costly in term of assets. There's a trade off between trades and a trade off with free agency.

With trades depending on who you have to give up, you aren't necessary (key word necessary) making the team actually better you just shift where the problem area is. What i mean is you potentially create a new trouble spot somewhere else in order to solve a trouble spot.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Like i said dallas has cap issues they can not take decent to good size contracts back. Only like vet mins/ELC contracts. Dallas is currently 16 players 4.955m of cap space.

If they are off-loading Robertson, they create 7.75M in space. The team that they trade with may need to retain on any "vets" to make it work for Dallas, but that in turn will impact the other pieces in it. My point is, there are always ways to make those trades work if you are willing to think out of the box.

 

[The Marquis]

I have seen multiple discussions around Robertson and one big need for Dallas is a top-4 RHD. We could send them Oleksiak+ picks/prospects (not Catton or our 8OA) or Oleksiak + McCann + picks/prospects or even Larsson + McCann.

If you make a trade and get the best player in the deal back, I consider it a win. We have a lot of "good" players but none that are great/elite. We also have a lot of picks/prospects. Ofcourse, multiple teams will be in on players like Robertson, Necas, Peterka, etc. if they are available but this is where a good GM can make things work.

That Oleksiak guy was on the Stars in their most recent visit to the Stanley Cup final. There's value there.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

That Oleksiak guy was on the Stars in their most recent visit to the Stanley Cup final. There's value there.

I think Oleksiak is still seen as a big/effective D first top-4 guy in the league. I do think he could get good value back in a trade or be part of a package.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I don't like thinking in absolutes because I have no idea what Marner is really interested in. That being said, I tend to agree that the chance he wants to sign here is very slim.

Regarding the other trade options mentioned, the list does seem to keep growing. You can add Rossi to the list too, though he is not at the same level as the others. And these are just the options that we are aware of.

I just don't know why Marner would sign here especially with the cap going up and teams like Vegas or the Kings having a chance to create enough cap room to sign him.

Though, if he wants to have the complete opposite, media wise, to Toronto than Seattle would be the perfect landing spot.....

BTW: It eems like Rossi's asking for too much money to re-sign or sign with anyone.
I've read other teams are also a bit hesitant in trading for him thanks to the contract demands.

We'll see what happens but I'm, curious if the Kraken are ablet o actually do something of if they's just take the "easy road" and keep the current squad together while adding another mid free agent to the mix.