Analysis: Should Kraken Re-Sign Jaden Schwartz or Let Him Walk?
On July 21, 2021, the Seattle Kraken held their “expansion draft” to build their first ever team, setting sights on constructing a roster that would allow them to be competitive right away.
But in the present, there are not many “Day 1” Kraken players left from that inaugural team after making just one playoff trip in five seasons. Seattle’s two goalies, Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, remain on the team. Among skaters, Adam Larsson, Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, and captain Jordan Eberle are still with the franchise.
A few of those original members of the team are set to be free agents this offseason in Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz.
While Jaden Schwartz was not part of the actual draft, Seattle signed him that summer to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. That deal is now expiring after he totaled 79 goals and 168 points over the life of the contract, ranking fourth and fifth in franchise history respectively.
Now, Schwartz is set to become a free agent for the first time since taking his talents to Seattle, creating a conundrum for the franchise. Should the Kraken re-sign one of their remaining inaugural players or let him explore other destinations?
2025-2026 was a frustrating one for Schwartz in Seattle, certainly. It was an injury-plagued campaign, as he totaled just 50 games played and a meager 11 goals, a far cry from the 26 he racked up the season before. His 2024-25 campaign was his best in Seattle.
Schwartz drove some positive results in terms of actual scoring but was a drag on underlying possession and chance creation, even as a player earning top-six level minutes each game. He even turned in a positive plus/minus score, despite the injuries and decline in production.
Over his Kraken career, Schwartz’s veteran leadership and two-way play remained evident when healthy.
Moving forward, however, underlying numbers were concerning, and injuries highlighted the risks of relying on him as a top-six winger heading into his mid-30s. He was Seattle’s third-highest paid forward without the results to back up such an investment.
As a result, re-signing Schwartz to anything close to that amount this time around would be a massive mistake for Seattle. Certainly, the veteran deserves some recognition as one of the feature players during the first five years of the Kraken’s existence. However, this offseason feels like an inflection point.
It was an unfortunate season health-wise, as Schwartz noted in exit interviews. Unlucky bounces and a couple of freak injuries derailed what could have been another solid campaign. He showed flashes of his skill but couldn't sustain it. At age 34, this season likely softens his next contract value significantly compared to the $5.5M AAV he just completed.
A bounce-back is possible with better health, but it underscores why letting him walk is a reasonable discussion point for Seattle, as bringing him back should only happen at a significantly lower cost against the cap.
