Kraken Seek Offensive Boost, Trade for Veteran Left Wing Tomas Tatar
The struggling Seattle Kraken made a move to bolster their offense on Friday by acquiring veteran left wing Tomas Tatar from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next summer’s draft. The trade comes as the Kraken have struggled to find the back of the net, averaging just 1.6 goals per game over a near-three-week stretch.
Tatar, 33, is a six-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL and is expected to provide an immediate boost to the team’s offensive production. General manager Ron Francis expressed excitement about adding Tatar to the roster, noting that he sees Tatar fitting in somewhere on the top two forward lines.
The Slovakia native had just one goal and eight assists in 27 games with the Avalanche after signing for one year, $1.5 million this summer. Tatar has scored 212 goals and added 252 assists in 810 career games with Detroit, Montreal, Vegas, New Jersey, and the Avalanche.
To make room for Tatar on the roster, the Kraken sent forward Marian Studenic back to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Tatar’s remaining cap hit of $973,000 has been offset by placing forward Jaden Schwartz on the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) list, freeing up additional cap space for the team.
In addition to the trade for Tatar, the Kraken also recalled center Shane Wright from Coachella Valley and reassigned forward Tye Kartye back to the AHL affiliate. These moves are part of the team’s strategy to manage their roster and salary cap constraints.
Despite the challenges of operating under salary-cap limits, Francis expressed confidence in the team’s ability to make future acquisitions. However, with Schwartz expected to return from injury next month, the Kraken will need to keep cap space available for his return as well.
The addition of Tatar provides hope for the Kraken as they look to turn their season around and climb the standings in the competitive Western Conference. With a renewed offensive presence, the team will aim to build momentum and work towards a successful remainder of the season.