Tomáš Tatar’s eyes lit up speaking of how he’s gelled with his new team, how much he adores Seattle. Bluntly asked if there’s interest on his part in re-signing, he dodged the question: “It’s kind of early to talk about. There’s a lot at stake right now.”
That was Saturday morning.
Since then, the Kraken have made no progress in the playoff race. Losing to the Minnesota Wild, defeating the Boston Bruins, and witnessing the Nashville Predators win their sixth-straight game has left Seattle right back where they started on Saturday: seven points out of the second Wild Card position.
Similarly, no progress has been made with this offseason’s class of free agents. Per The Athletic, the New York Rangers inquired about Alex Wennberg and Yanni Gourde, although teams nosing about the latter have been firmly shut down by the Kraken according to Sportsnet‘s Elliote Friedman (who also suggested Tatar could be “flipped” at the deadline).
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Monday the Kraken have had “conversations” with Jordan Eberle’s camp, still intent on his re-signing. “There hasn’t been much progress there, but they’re going to continue those conversations later this week as other teams poke around as well to see what the price tag may be.”
Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev, a sturdy puck-moving defenseman and the hottest target on the trade deadline market, was traded to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday in a blockbuster three-team deal. It’s a move that could kick start the annual deadline feeding frenzy.
But for all the rumors regarding the Kraken, in a deadline market coming to a boil as March 8 creeps closer, nobody’s moved a muscle, be it for trades or re-signing commitments. Like a gunfight in an old Western, everybody’s got their finger on the trigger but nobody’s unholstered their weapon.
Mutual interest is apparent in re-signing Tatar, at least between coach and player. Asked point-blank whether he was happy with Tatar’s acquisition, Hakstol gave a firm ‘yes.’
“Tuna’s fit well wherever we’ve put him,” Hakstol said Saturday. “He’s a guy that creates possession, he extends plays, he makes very smart plays in tight areas with traffic that put guys in good spots. He’s been a good linemate.”
And Tatar feels he’s found a “home” with Seattle.
Sure, those could be the praises of a 33-year-old hoping he’ll be invited back next season fearful of the free agency market’s cruelty. Yet his tone was sincere, his message tracking with what he’s said all season: he likes it here, he fits well, he feels he can contribute. Not to mention he’s relatively cheap, and a flexible asset when it comes to lineup assemblage. So what are the Kraken waiting for in re-signing him?
A lot, actually– Seattle needs to know what kind of future they’re preparing for before they make decisions on how their free agents should be dealt with.
Similar to how Tatar’s initial acquisition reflected an urgency within the organization regarding what they perceived as their set course, a season hurtling toward failure, the hesitancy to commit to any free agents either way at this point speaks to an uncertainty as to whether this iteration of the Kraken can realistically pull off a last-minute playoff push. At this point, throwing in the towel and boosting draft capital on free agents set on walking this summer might be more productive.
Seattle acquired Tatar to jolt their roster to life and keep things steady until the team turned things around consistently. That never happened. Now, Tatar’s future with the Kraken hinges upon the fact that the future he was acquired to usher in never materialized.
Time is a flat circle at the bottom of the Pacific Division.
Burakovsky Out Day-to-Day
André Burakovsky is “day-to-day” according to Hakstol on Thursday, withdrawing from the lineup versus the Pittsburgh Penguins due to injury.
Following his liveliest performance of the season since easing back into the lineup after a slew of injuries, Burakovsky collided with the Boston Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy in overtime on Monday. Although he didn’t appear to favor any portion of his body, he was slow to get up and hobbled off the ice. Play-by-play announcer John Forslund noted during live commentary at the time he was “laboring.”
Asked about the take-down post-game, head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters he “didn’t have anything to share” about the winger’s status. Questioned about the winger’s absence from practice on Wednesday, he was similarly vague.
“There’s a reason he wasn’t out there today,” he said. “But right now it’s a maintenance day, and we’ll continue to evaluate where he’s at in the morning on game day.”
Burakovsky didn’t attend an optional morning skate on Thursday, either. No explanation was provided as to what he’s dealing with or whether it’s connected to his three injuries already sustained earlier this season.
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