The NHL's newest team could make a splash at the deadline

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Sam Hutch
March 10, 2022 (9:30)

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The NHL trade deadline is a little over a week away; teams are gearing up to be buyers, sellers, or in some cases, brokers at the deadline to help facilitate bigger deals between two other teams. They do this by taking on a partial cap hit of players going from one team to another on what is viewed as one of the busiest days of the NHL season by far.

As reported by TSN and the Athletic's Pierre Lebrun, this year's trade deadline broker could and most likely will be the NHL's newest team, the Seattle Kraken, for the right price, of course:

Seattle's General Manager Ron Francis says he's made it known that the Kraken can be a blockbuster facilitator if the fit is there.

"Yeah, we've made it known that we have cap space and are willing to get involved in that part of the business if the deal is right." - Ron Francis

Don't be surprised if the Kraken is involved in a trade centered around a big name like Claude Giroux. The Philadelphia Flyers are rumoured to be willing to eat as much as 50% of their captain's cap hit if it means that a deal will be made. Look for Seattle to possibly help a team out by eating part of Giroux's cap hit going the other way.

Francis also noted that they may look for a player who could help the Kraken beyond this season and that they expect to be heavily involved in the free-agent period beginning July 13.

"Yeah, in our situation, we're looking at everything and anything that could make our team better; if those situations are there, we're certainly open to it as well.

We would certainly be looking to be a player on July 13 when free agency hits for sure."

Only time will tell if the Kraken lives up to their word of being brokers at the deadline.