The Washington Capitals are atop the NHL standings nearing the end of January, and with that comes the assumption that they will be buyers ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
Washington has already been linked with moves to New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson and Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde. The latest rumor, stemming from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, centers around another Kraken forward, Brandon Tanev.
Mikael Granlund is No.4 on our updated Trade Watch List. The Sharks have chatted with his reps, but a new deal isn't close right now. San Jose will listen to trade inquiries leading up to the deadline. https://t.co/LMXlXElhjI
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 27, 2025
Tanev has been with Seattle since they selected him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2021 Expansion Draft. The 33-year-old forward scored a career-high 16 goals with the Kraken during the 2022-23 campaign, and the six-year contract extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2019 is set to expire after this season.
The Kraken are currently eight points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Their 22-25-3 record through 50 games sees them rank sixth in the Pacific Division and 27th in the NHL overall.
“All signs point to the pending unrestricted free agent winger getting dealt ahead of the deadline if the Kraken aren’t in the playoff chase,” the Athletic’s Chris Johnston wrote in his latest trade board article.
Tanev has 15 points (8g, 7a) in 48 games this season and is Seattle’s top penalty-killing forward, playing 2:10 of shorthanded ice time per game. The former Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins winger has 46 games of prior NHL postseason experience. He carries a $3.5 million cap hit and has a 10-team no-trade list.
While Tanev is well known for his speed, hard-hitting, and intense forechecking on the ice, he’s most known for his yearly NHL headshot, in which he acts like he just saw a ghost.
Another year, another legendary headshot from Brandon Tanev. 😂 pic.twitter.com/gaubIL67p1
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 21, 2022
