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# Kraken Should Be at Negotiating Table To Sign Mitch Marner
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-kraken-free-agency-mitch-marner/
- Published: 2025-06-18T20:17:20.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-18T20:17:20.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Analysis, Kraken, NHL Free Agency, Mitch Marner

With the Florida Panthers hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, the offseason has officially begun in the NHL. Of course, for teams not named the Panthers or Oilers, that has been long underway, including for the Seattle Kraken after missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

Thanks to a flurry of moves ahead of the trade deadline this past season, the Kraken are in a good place with around $20 million in cap space. That ranks smack in the middle of the NHL, at 16th. That is enough to make one big move this offseason to bring in a difference-making forward. Seattle needs more playmakers, as they ranked 16th in total goals scored and 24th in goals allowed. Simply, Seattle needs to get better on both sides of the ice.

Diving deeper into the offensive numbers, Seattle ranked 25th in shots on goal and 23rd in power play goals. They lacked juice on the offensive line of the ice. 

With around $20 million to spend along with some solid young core pieces, this is a good time for the Kraken to infuse this franchise, and its fanbase, with some energy. While that shouldn’t mean spending “stupid money,” or, spending money to just say you spent money, they do need to make a move. There are several upper-tier free agents that could potentially be in Seattle’s price range if they are willing to put themselves out there.

There is certainly a level of unknown with the Kraken organization right now. They have a new head coach in Lance Lambert. They reshuffled the front office, with Jason Botterill taking over as full-time general manager. He replaces Ron Francis, who took the role of president of hockey operations. It’s hard to project what the Kraken will do under new leadership this offseason. What they do need is some good PR and a way to excite the fanbase.

What if the Kraken went and splurged on top free agent Mitch Marner? 

Yes, the price tag would be huge for the Maple Leafs star. Daily Faceoff projects him to get a seven-year deal worth roughly $13 million per season. That would be inside the top five of contracts in the NHL. That might not even be enough. He has a legitimate case to be the top-paid player overall. There will be a bidding war. That certainly doesn’t sound like something the old Kraken regime would do.

But it’s a new era. This team badly needs juice and star power. They have some money and could even get more cap space with a few more minor moves. Marner is basically the consensus top free agent in this cycle. In fact, some are calling him the best free agent to hit the open market in several years. 

The Kraken have several young players to build around and a high amount of draft capital to make quick, impactful trades, meaning that adding a top-tier talent like Marner could be just the ticket to launch a franchise-altering offseason.

Marner is a member of the “Core Four” in Toronto of himself alongside Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares. That quad has won a lot of hockey games, even if it famously has not merited them a Stanley Cup or even an Eastern Conference Finals trip. It might be time for a fresh start for Marner.

The five-time All-Star broke through the 100-point threshold this year, with 27 goals and 75 assists. That 102-point total ranked fifth-most in the entire NHL and more than all-world player Connor McDavid (100). If Seattle were to reel him in, he would instantly be the best player in the Seattle Kraken’s short history, allowing other youngsters on the roster to develop in secondary roles that could immediately make them a contender in the Western Conference.

If the only question is whether or not the Kraken can afford Marner, that answer is yes. Even if that deal goes beyond $14 million per season, the Kraken have the cap space. They also have flexibility to create more if needed. The biggest question is, how far is Kraken leadership willing to go to bring Marner to town as the new face of the franchise? Will they be more aggressive like the Seahawks or conservative like the Mariners?

Also, since this is a free, open market and players are human beings that can make their own choices, would Marner even *want* to come to Seattle? He is a Toronto-area native. He may want to stay either in Toronto or nearby and make concessions to do so. It’s hard to deal before the market opens on July 1.

The Kraken have the financial flexibility to at least be in the mix for Marner. He is also an excellent fit, as is the case on just about any NHL team. The Kraken fanbase needs a jolt of energy. Here’s hoping the Kraken front office has an active, exciting summer fishing for some whoppers and that Marner has interest in taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest.