An original Kraken may not be one for much longer.
According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, the Ottawa Senators have had discussions with the Seattle Kraken about acquiring forward Brandon Tanev. Elliotte Friedman of the 32 Thoughts podcast also floated this idea as a possibility.
Tanev, nicknamed “Turbo,” 32, had 16 points in 66 games last season (7 goals, 9 assists) and while he hasn’t been much of a threat offensively, he is a valuable defensive player, especially on the penalty kill. His relentless motor and perpetual case of the zoomies have made him a fan favorite over the three years he’s played in Seattle. He was selected from the Pittsburgh Penguins as an original Seattle Kraken expansion pick.
Tanev has one year remaining on his contract and carries a salary cap hit of $3,500,000. The Senators would probably need to shuffle things around to accommodate Tanev and the other moves they want to make this offseason. Any Tanev move would likely be preceded by the Senators trading Mathieu Joseph — seeing that trade would be a harbinger of future moves by Ottawa. Ottawa is also reportedly going after Brandon’s brother Chris in an attempt to collect all the Tanev Pokémon.
If Tanev is indeed traded to Ottawa, it would likely happen before the NHL Draft, which starts Friday, June 28th.