
The Seattle Kraken traded Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets minutes prior to the holiday roster freeze.
The Kraken acquired a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL draft and a fourth-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Marchment. The fourth-rounder originally belonged to the New York Rangers. The Blue Jackets also designated Brendan Gaunce non-roster status as he's away from the team for personal reasons.
The Kraken acquired Marchment in the off-season from the Dallas Stars as they needed to create cap space. The plan was always likely to flip Marchment before the deadline, unless he and the Kraken were doing well and in a playoff spot. A recent slump has knocked them out of the playoffs and into 31st place in the NHL standings.
The 30-year-old is on the move for the second time in 2025 and will be hoping for better fortune in Columbus. His time with Seattle didn't go as expected. Through 29 games, Marchment scored four goals and nine assists for 13 points while averaging 16:57 of ice time. He was never able to become acclimated to playing in Seattle and in their system, and parting ways was the best option.
The Kraken could have waited until closer to the deadline, but GM Jason Botterill felt like this was the best offer they were going to get before his value possibly slipped even further.
"Mason is a player I know very well, and I think he will add a great deal to our team," Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said in a statement. "He is a physical, hard-nosed competitor with proven offensive ability, and we are very excited to have him join the Blue Jackets."

The Blue Jackets aren't doing much better in the standings and currently sit in last place in a highly competitive Metropolitan Division. The hope is that Marchment fits alongside their core of Zach Werenski, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko, allowing them to compete for a playoff spot. The move comes with risk for the Blue Jacket as he is a pending UFA, but if they can extend his contract, it's a worthwhile move.
The Kraken lose a roster player but gain another pair of picks. The Kraken now own three second-round picks in 2027 in addition to two first-round picks. They also own three fourth-round picks in 2026, bringing their total up to eight. It cost the Kraken a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick to acquire Marchment, and flipping him landed the highest overall pick.

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