The Seattle Kraken are in the midst of a disappointing season and probably won’t make the playoffs, which means they could sell at the NHL trade deadline later this week. One player who appears to be on the move is Alex Wennberg. Head coach Dave Hakstol confirmed Monday that Wennberg won’t play moving forward as he was held out of their win over the Calgary Flames due to trade-related reasons, as reported by The Fourth Period.
Wennberg is in the final year of his contract and although the Kraken did work on possibly signing him to an extension, nothing came to fruition. Rather than losing him for nothing in free agency, they might as well try and get some draft capital and/or other players in return.
While the forward does have a 10-team no-trade clause, there are a plethora of contenders interested in him. The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Rangers are all eyeing Wennberg.
The 29-year-old has tallied 25 points in 2023-24 in 60 contests for the Kraken, scoring nine goals and registering 16 assists. A first-round pick back in 2013, Wennberg has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. He’s not a major offensive weapon, but the Swede could be a nice depth piece for a team that is looking to make a Stanley Cup run.
The trade deadline is at 3 PM ET on Friday. Within days, it will not be a surprise to see Wennberg wearing a different jersey. The Kraken are currently nine points back of the final Wild Card berth in the Western Conference.
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