The Seattle Kraken currently roster five left-handed defensemen, creating a logjam on the backend that needs fixing. The odd man out seems to be Jamie Oleksiak.

Oleksiak has been with the Kraken since its inaugural season after the Kraken selected him in the expansion draft. Since his arrival, the 32-year-old has played 311 games, scoring 16 goals and 74 points. 

Throughout his time with the Kraken, Oleksiak has served as a dependable middle-to-bottom-pairing defenseman, but at his current cap hit and age, the safest and most logical trade candidate to clear up space is the 6-foot-7 defenseman. 

His traits and skill set are highly valued, and the market for him will likely grow if he remains with the team throughout the season. With that being said, it might be in the Kraken's best interest to offload him now, and here are three teams that could be looking to acquire Oleksiak.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have been desperately trying to make the playoffs, and after a season where they fell short once again, the pressure is continuing to build. With a roster headlined by Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Serider and veterans like Patrick Kane and John Gibson, the front office is looking for players that will make the Red Wings tougher to play against. 

Oleksiak would join a blueline filled with towering defensemen, helping the Red Wings follow the trend of tall defensemen. 

Three Players The Kraken Could Trade Away At The 2026 Trade Deadline It's far too early to predict where the Seattle Kraken will be come March 2026, but most signs point towards the team being out of playoff contention at the time. With a plan of installing younger talent into the lineup, the Kraken will undoubtedly go through stretches of games where the performances are subpar. 

Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth are in a similar situation to the Red Wings. With young star talent like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and recently acquired JJ Peterka mixed with Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev, adding an experienced and physical defenseman like Oleksiak could be what helps them get over the edge and into the playoffs. 

Oleksiak can eat minutes, averaging north of 19 minutes in four of the last five seasons. The Mammoth have been working hard to add big players to their lineup, and Oleksiak could get them over the hump.

New York Rangers

The Rangers moved Ryan Lindgren, a new Kraken defenseman, at the trade deadline to the Colorado Avalanche. His absence opened up space for the Rangers to chase after Vladislav Gavrikov, who will now serve as Adam Fox's partner. They also traded K'Andre Miller in the offseason, which opens up space for another left-handed defenseman.

Oleksiak could slide in nicely in any of the bottom two pairings, reuniting with Will Borgen or next to Braden Schneider. The Rangers had a difficult 2024-25 season but believe they could return to the playoffs next season.

Kraken's Jamie Oleksiak Named On Off-Season Trade Board Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was named one of the 20 players to watch as a potential trade target this offseason by <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/real-kypers-off-season-trade-board-1-0-players-to-watch-this-summer/">Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos</a>.