Here’s what three free agency additions will bring to the Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken might not be done yet, but much of their inaugural roster has formed over the past two weeks.
Starting with the expansion draft and ending with a packed first day of free agency, the Kraken have now acquired the major pieces that will take the ice this fall. Speaking to the media on Wednesday afternoon, general manager Ron Francis said there were still some players he would like to add if the team could find the right fit. Generally, though, he felt good about where the Kraken stood at day’s end.
That’s partially thanks to the trio Seattle picked up in free agency: Center Alexander Wennberg, forward Jaden Schwartz and perhaps most notably, goalie Philipp Grubauer.
The addition of Grubauer, a 2021 Vezina Trophy finalist for best goaltender, came as a surprise. The Kraken already signed Florida Panthers goalie Chris Driedger and took Washington’s Vitek Valecek, the NHL’s winningest rookie goalie in 2020-21, in the expansion draft.
Francis said the Kraken expected to have a goalie tandem of Driedger and Vanecek. But due to the addition of Grubauer, Vanecek was traded back to the Capitals for a second-round draft pick in 2023. Grubauer, 29, finished last season with a 30-9-1 record, a 1.95 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and seven shutouts in 40 games for the Colorado Avalanche.
“I don’t think we expected Grubauer to get to free agency,” Francis said. “It felt like (the Avalanche) signed (Gabriel) Landeskog late. We figured (Grubauer) would be signed as well. He didn’t and made it to free agency, and that’s when we had discussions and we were fortunate enough to get him signed. But at that point, we had one too many goaltenders.”
And after a defensive-minded expansion draft, the Kraken also added scoring options in Wennberg and Schwartz.
Schwartz had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) and 71 shots on goal in 40 games with the St. Louis Blues in 2020-21. During 560 games with St. Louis, he scored 154 goals and added 231 assists. He also scored 24 goals and notched 26 assists during 82 playoff games.
“Jaden can play up and down the lineup,” Francis said. “We value his experience, especially winning the Stanley Cup (in 2019).”
During a call with the media, Schwartz said the recent death of his father made him want to move closer to his mother in Saskatchewan. Schwartz’s parents also briefly lived in Seattle while his sister went through chemotherapy in the city.
“I was able to go out there and see the city and I really liked it,” he said. “I thought it was very nice and the people that we met were great. We had a lot of people helping us through a hard time. There was just a lot of mutual interest and I think the whole expansion team in a new city with a lot of buzz and a lot of people being super-excited about it.
“If you look at Vegas and how that city has really taken off in the hockey world and how exciting it is in that city, that made me think about Seattle a lot and the opportunity of playing for a new franchise. Not a lot of people get to do that.”
As for Wennberg, Francis said he expects the 26-year-old center to play in the top six. Wennberg had a breakout season in 2020-21 scoring a career-high 12 goals and adding 12 assists in just 56 regular-season games.
“I always want to be a 200-foot player,” Weinberg said. “I want to be an offensive player who can be a threat. But I feel like responsible play and being a solid defensive guy is just as important.”
The addition of Wennberg gives the Kraken an offensive-minded center coming off the best goal-scoring season of his NHL career, Francis said.
“He’s still young and we think he has room to grow even further as he has taken large strides in each of his last few seasons,” Francis said. “We like his combination of size and skill and think he will fit well with our group.”
