The Seattle Kraken's most coveted trade deadline asset used to play for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Seattle Kraken's most coveted trade deadline asset used to play for the Edmonton Oilers.
EDMONTON -- With four days left before trade deadline day - rumors and information is circulating like a sandstorm in the desert.
It's poised to be a busy week, with contenders like the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs being just a handful of teams looking to load up for a deep playoff run.
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The Stars got the ball rolling by acquiring Chris Tanev in a three team deal in order to make Tanev's cap hit more digestible financially. A similar deal was struck with the Maple Leafs for Ilya Lyubushkin.
Although the Oilers were in on Tanev, there is a former Oilers defender who is drawing the eyes of general managers around the league.
Adam Larsson has been generating buzz. In Elliotte Friedman's latest 32 Thoughts piece - on every team in the NHL - he cites Adam Larsson as "the most coveted Kraken."
Friedman also mentions that Ron Francis (Kraken general manager) "likes his blue line and doesn't wish to tinker with its backbone."
My Thoughts
The 31-year-old defender would be a slam-dunk for any contending team in the NHL - including the Oilers. He's a right-handed defenseman who plays a ton and isn't afraid to play the body while defending.
He has a couple other qualities that teams value. He has good size (6-foot-3, 209 lbs) and a very affordable contract for the rest of this year and next ($4-million).
Larsson is a tough customer, racking up over two hits per game across his entire 13-year NHL career. He chews up minutes like the Cookie Monster downs chocolate chip cookies - averaging 23:10 per game this season.
He's coming off a season with many career highs for himself - goals, assists, points, blocks, shots and time on ice. With the Kraken taking a step back this season, his numbers have too.
Regardless of what his stats say - his attributes as a rugged, minute-munching top-four right-handed defenseman may have teams offering the farm for him.
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There is plenty of time to see if Francis keeps his coveted player or accepts a high price to have him play out the rest of this season elsewhere.
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