Amid rumblings that the Seattle Kraken could be headed toward a fire sale ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, injured forward Yanni Gourde could be at the top of the list as the front office explores all of its options.
Gourde had surgery for a sports hernia back on January 31, and the organization originally gave him a recovery timeline of five-to-seven weeks. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun provided an update on the 33-year-old on Wednesday morning.
“Five weeks puts him right at the March 7 trade deadline. He’s resumed skating, and obviously contenders are paying close attention to his recovery,” the hockey insider reported.
“I’m hearing Gourde hopes to come back and play March 4, right before the deadline. Whether he can remains to be seen. He’s got a modified no-trade clause, but I’m told the two-time Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay would welcome a trade to a contender. I’ve always liked him as a possibility for Toronto if the Leafs strike out on centers higher on their list.”
Gourde joined the Kraken in the expansion draft shortly after he won his second championship with the Lightning in the spring of 2021. He’s become a key piece of the core, but as a pending unrestricted free agent on July 1, it makes sense that general manager Ron Francis would look to move him for the right price.
The Saint-Narcisse, Quebec native enjoyed back-to-back 48-point seasons with the Kraken in 2021-22 and 2022-23, but regressed last year to the tune of 11 goals and 33 points over 80 games.
This season, he’s managed just 16 points in 35 games, while skating to a minus-five rating. Although his ailment could turn off some contenders, he still projects as an excellent bottom-six playoff player who knows what it takes to win in the postseason.
And the Kraken will almost certainly not be advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this time around.
Playoff dream is over for Kraken in 2024-25
After a brutal 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, the Kraken have fallen to 25-31-4 and second-last in the Pacific Division. They’ve been especially futile as of late, losing each of their last two games while surrendering 11 goals and scoring just three.
With that, Seattle is a full 10 points back of the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference with only 22 games left in the schedule. With the playoff hopes all but dashed, it makes sense that the front office would look toward the future.
Along with Gourde, it’s been reported that no one on the Kraken’s roster is safe, including top scorer Jared McCann. The potential shakeup could also see Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brandon Tanev, Jaden Schwartz and Andre Burakovsky getting a change of scenery between now and March 7.
After making a thrilling run to Game 7 of the second-round in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kraken haven’t advanced to the postseason since. That’s not going to change this season, and it’ll be interesting to see which players are on the move over the next nine days.
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