4 Kraken Free Agent Targets From 2024 Playoffs

Free agency season is less than two months away. With each successive playoff round that debuts, there are more clubs with nothing better to do than slowly start preparing for the 2024-25 campaign. The Seattle Kraken are among those clubs who have been idle for a few weeks – save, of course, the firing of head coach Dave Hakstol on April 29. All 32 teams have pending free agents on their rosters, but the hottest commodities are the ones that at least helped their clubs make the postseason. 

With that in mind and given the Kraken’s scoring woes, which offensively gifted unrestricted free agents (UFA) from recently eliminated playoff teams could Seattle envision signing?

1. The Big Kahuna: Steven Stamkos

Out of all the franchises that either failed to clinch a postseason berth or were quickly disposed of in the first round, none is facing a more intriguing predicament than the Tampa Bay Lightning and Steven Stamkos. One of the franchise’s great stalwarts – if not its greatest, period – is a UFA on July 1. It sounds incredible, yet this is what Lightning management must reckon with this summer. 

A 16-season veteran, winner of two Stanley Cups, a captain, over 1,000 regular season points to his name and now 101 playoff points. Does it sound like a bright idea to hunt for a 34-year-old veteran? Not always. That said, given that Stamkos continues to produce at a high level (40 goals during the regular season and another five in the first round of the playoffs), 31 teams will want to at least take a look at him. Age is just a number, as the saying goes. 

He won’t come cheap. As per The Athletic’s analysis, he is valued at $8.9 million (from ‘Steven Stamkos Contract Projection: How much would it take to land the Lightning star UFA?’, The Athletic, May 6, 2024). Seattle’s cap space is barely $1.3 million. That would require dumping quite a bit of players. Would the Kraken part from Justin Schultz ($3 million), for instance? Maybe yes, maybe no. This is where the general manager (GM) and his staff get their abaci out. It would require quite a bit of roster and budgetary gymnastics, but odds are that Ron Francis and company are performing them now just in case. 

One thing is certain, the Kraken do not have anyone on their roster at Stamkos’ level of attacking prowess. On the flip side, even after all the numbers have been crunched, convincing him that the Kraken are a team with championship credentials could prove challenging. 

2. Anthony Duclair, Tampa Bay

Another Lightning player that could be an interesting addition to the Kraken is 28-year-old, Pointe-Claire native Anthony Duclair. It’s important to be clear about something: there is no purpose in comparing Duclair with Stamkos. They are not in the slightest the same kind of player, nor do they produce the same level of offense. 

However, there is evidence to support the argument that Duclair can work as a unique spark plug in a largely moribund Seattle attack. His 2021-22 season with the Florida Panthers was excellent (31 goals and 27 assists), alongside his big contributions during the 2022-23 run to the Stanley Cup Final (four goals and seven helpers). He was also a rare bright spot with the San Jose Sharks earlier this season (16 goals and 11 assists) and was like a whirling dervish after being traded to Tampa Bay (eight goals and seven assists in 17 games). 

Watching Jordan Eberle, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matty Beniers and the like play, they look as if they could use some friendly fire underneath their backsides. It’s all a bit predictable, easy to defend, and lacks creativity. Duclair could be the jolt the Kraken need. If he can notch 20-25 goals and get other players to increase their tally by five or 10 goals, Seattle becomes a far more dangerous opponent. He earned $3 million this season and it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t worth every penny.

3. Tyler Toffoli, Winnipeg Jets

The Lightning suffered the sort of playoff exit some predicted, but not the Winnipeg Jets. Even if the predictions were that the club would struggle versus the Colorado Avalanche, a 4-1 slapping – with lopsided final scores – was a surprise. Be that as it may, it means that 32-year-old Tyler Toffoli is looking ahead at free agency come July 1. He would be a vastly more affordable option than Stamkos. His salary in 2023-24 was $2.125 million.