With Cap Space to Spare, Kraken Need to Upgrade Offense

The NHL offseason has hit the dog days of summer. Gone are the draft and the initial wave of free agency. The Seattle Kraken made a flurry of moves early, trading for and then extending Mackie Samoskevich and re-signing deadline acquisition Bobby McMann. They added physical forward Curtis Douglas as well, likely to be towards the bottom of the lineup.

What they still lack is a true, proven difference maker. That still can come from their own ranks, like Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton, or Kaapo Kakko taking a big step forward. But it feels like the Kraken are going to continue to spin their tires in the mud until one of those youngsters rises to the occasion or they bring in a mercenary who can get the puck in the net.

According to PuckPedia, the Kraken have the second-most cap space at the moment, with $18.41 million still at their disposal. They also have the least amount of their cap tied up in money toward forwards in the entire NHL. For reference, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes rank third in that category. It pays to have forwards who score goals and get paid.

Two veteran free agents remain available for anyone, including the Kraken, to sign. The first is two-time Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko. He is fresh off of a 23-goal season with the Minnesota Wild in his age-34 season. Over the past five seasons, he averaged 21.8 goals and 53.4 points per year. Both of those figures would have been second best on the Kraken last year all by themselves.

Then there is his playoff experience, which Tarasenko has in spades. In 132 career playoff games, he has 51 goals, 78 points, and as mentioned, won two Stanley Cups. He has five career goals in Stanley Cup final games, as well. Despite all that, he likely would not break the bank, given his age. The Kraken could snag him for a short-term deal to see if he can lift Seattle out of purgatory.

Michael Bunting is another option that is still available. He is not as proficient of a goal-scorer as Tarasenko, but he brings a physical presence with him to the forecheck. He scored 14 goals between the Predators and Stars last season. During the Western Conference First Round, he tallied an assist in Game 6 against the Wild.

The Ontario native put together back-to-back 20-goal seasons for the Maple Leafs between 2021-2023. While he wouldn’t be a true impact scorer, as there are very few of those left in free agency, he would add to the depth of the next tier of forwards that the Kraken could become flush with. They can win like that, as they did in 2023, when they got to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

It does not make a lot of sense for the Kraken to just sit on that much cap space and do nothing when there is so much to do to improve this team. Moves like adding one of these two free agents would not capsize them financially but could alter their chances at a playoff berth next season.