TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Seattle Kraken are expected to sign free-agent center Alexander Wennberg when the market opens. The contract is coming in at three years with a cap hit of $4.5M.
Wennberg revitalized his career on a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers this past season, but this contract may still surprise some. After all, Wennberg was bought out of a contract with a similar remaining term and AAV by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year after several years of failing to meet expectations. He recovered in Sunrise with 29 points in 56 games, but even this was only a full season pace of 42 points. The Kraken will expect him to do more with less based on his AAV.
Wennberg does fill an important role for the expansion team, which was lacking depth down the middle. Wennberg will also be a contributor to both special teams units. At 26, there is still room for growth from the big forward, and he will be asked to take on a larger role in Seattle than he ever has before. It will be sink or swim for the newest Kraken.
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