With the NHL Trade Deadline approaching, Seattle Kraken center Alexander Wennberg could be of interest to contending teams in need of help down the middle.
The trade market on centers has already begun to move, with Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan heading to Vancouver and Winnipeg, respectively.
Those were the top two names at the game's most crucial skating position available, and teams with needs at the pivot will have to look elsewhere, which is where Wennberg could become a hot commodity on deadline day.
Other available centers like Adam Henrique and Nic Dowd are either a bit too expensive (Henrique) or not the same style of player (Dowd).
The Kraken are in the thick of the playoff race, but it's been a disappointing season overall in Seattle after making it to Game 7 of the second round a year ago. While the team is in it, they're not overly likely to make it in and a long shot to do anything meaningful if they do.
That could force general manager Ron Francis' hand when it comes to selling off players like Wennberg, as the Kraken could use this opportunity to pad out what is already a stacked farm system.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Alex Wennberg
Contract Situation: Expires after this season at a cap hit of $4.5 million
Season Stats: 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 58 games
Possible Destinations: Boston, Toronto, Colorado, Philadelphia, New York Rangers
It's extremely easy to see a bidding war forming here that ends with the Kraken having an offer on the table that they could not refuse.
The Eastern Conference is loaded this season, and two of the top contenders in the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins are both in dire need of center help.
The Rangers in particular have a gaping hole at the third-line center spot, and a passing-specialist like Wennberg could do wonders for some of their talented young depth wingers like Kappo Kakko.
The veteran center has made a living in that sort of range as a high-end third line center and a serviceable second liner, and that sort of player can make a big difference in a playoff series if utilized properly.
Beyond Boston and New York, the Colorado Avalanche have been struggling to find answers at center behind Nathan MacKinnon, and they saw what a good acquisition at the position can do when they won the Cup with Nazem Kadri behind MacKinnon in 2022.
Wennberg isn't of the caliber that Kadri was, but he's good enough that he could make a big difference for a team that could really just use a solid player there.
There's also the Philadelphia Flyers, who probably would prefer to be sellers at the deadline but could be compelled to add to their roster due to the fact that they're dealing with significant injuries and that they're very likely to make the playoffs.
The Flyers hold the third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division, and they could be caught by Pittsburgh or New Jersey, but the Devils and Penguins have proven incapable of stringing together any meaningful runs, which could get the Flyers in by default.
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