Potential Landing Spots for Kraken Forward

One of the most talked about names heading into the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is Seattle Kraken veteran Brandon Tanev. The 33-year-old winger is a two-way forward that teams love heading into the postseason. In the final year of a contract that pays him $3.5 million and unlikely to extend with the Kraken, they will likely deal the well-respected winger. Let's dive into a few of the likeliest landing spots as the deadline approaches.

Dallas Stars

What makes the Stars such a dangerous team heading into the deadline is their salary cap situation. With Long Term Injured Reserve giving them a nice cushion while Tyler Seguin recovers from surgery. The result is they have flexibility to play with, and they could easily make Tanev's cap hit fit for the rest of the year.

Tanev also fits ideally into the Stars' structure of play. He'd slot into their bottom-six lines and be able to play that aggressive forecheck and rush attack that Dallas loves to utilize.

New Jersey Devils

Tanev and the Devils would fit like a hand in glove, the question will be whether New Jersey could make the salary numbers and return package work. Tanev would be a perfect addition to the team's third-line, giving them another penalty killer and a speedy, heavy forechecker to play 12-15 minutes of ice-time each game.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are going to add to their roster before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, and Tanev makes a ton of sense. They could use a veteran for their bottom-six that isn't afraid to mix it up, be a pesky presence in a playoff series, and knows their role on a team. Tanev fits that bill, and his cap hit is low enough that the Maple Leafs could make something work.

Winnipeg Jets

How about a reunion between the Winnipeg Jets and Tanev for some Trade Deadline chaos? Tanev began his NHL career in Winnipeg and parlayed his success into the six-year contract he is about to conclude.

The Jets are a Stanley Cup favorite and have salary cap space to utilize. They have some bigger fish to fry in the offseason as far as contract extensions go, but they could use his services on a playoff run either way.