Free Agents From Stanley Cup Semifinalists Kraken Should Target
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One of the best two-way forwards in the NHL, Sam Bennett has sights set on a second straight Stanley Cup in Florida. Could Seattle make a push for him in free agency? Credit: Sam Bennett/Instagram [/caption]
The Seattle Kraken did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Like us, they are sitting at home watching it. Hopefully, they are too busy to be actually sitting on the couch watching it idly because they are in a dark room somewhere scheming up ways to be there themselves this time next year.
Yes, it was a disappointing season in Seattle. The franchise traded away some veteran impact players and collected draft picks and cap space like they were stocking up for a long winter (or summer, in this case). Looking at the final four teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which pending free agents should the Kraken target next year? Seattle has almost $22 million in cap space this offseason, which ranks 14th-most in the NHL, providing some room to be aggressive pursuing upgrades.
Let’s dive into four players, one from each semifinalist team, Seattle could pursue with that cap space:
Dmitry Orlov, D, Carolina Hurricanes
If the Kraken are looking for a proven veteran to put into the defensemen group with Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour, and company, Orlov is the guy. The 13-year veteran has 867 games under his belt for three different NHL franchises. One of his best abilities is his availability, as he has played at least 76 games in seven seasons. He is a shut-down defender with good ice vision. His age might prevent him from totally breaking the bank with his new contract. Per Yahoo!, Orlov is the fourth-best defenseman available in free agency this offseason, so there likely will be competition if Carolina doesn’t retain him.
Mikael Granlund, C, Dallas Stars
Per TheHockeyWriters, Granlund is the 12th-best overall free agent this offseason and fifth-best center on the list. He spreads the puck around and also gets his own when he needs to. His 66 points this season would have led the Kraken by a large margin. He has put together back-to-back 60-plus point seasons and is now part of the first line as a winger for Dallas’ push to the Stanley Cup. Adding a versatile weapon like Granlund would be a big boost to Seattle’s offensive attack and with him now being 33 years old, he should still have a lot of great hockey left in him.
Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers
The defending Stanley Cup champions certainly have a lot of talent. The Kraken already drew from that well last year when they signed Brandon Montour shortly after he helped them clinch the cup. Why not do it again? Bennett should be one of the highest sought-after free agents in this cycle. It never hurts to be among the top liners for a team searching for a second straight Stanley Cup. Bennett is also coming off of a career year with a personal-high 51 points. If the Kraken truly want to flex their free cap space, inking the two-way forward would be a shot across the bow to the rest of the NHL, declaring Seattle wants to contend in 2025-26.
Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
This one is a little trickier since Bouchard will be a restricted free agent. The Oilers have a chance to match any free agent deal offered. If he truly hits the market, he will be among the most coveted blue-liners. In the 2023-24 season where the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals, Bouchard finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting, which goes to the NHL’s top defenseman. His 82 points were among the best in the NHL for defenders. He didn’t quite match that level during this past regular season, but that shouldn’t scare any teams away from courting him if he does hit the market. Seattle better be knocking on his door if Edmonton allows that to happen.
