The Seattle Kraken’s next-to-last deal before the trade deadline was moving pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) winger Brandon Tanev to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2027 2nd-round NHL Draft pick.
“Turbo” goes from a team playing out the string to the club with the most points (90) in the National Hockey League.
Tanev returns to the place where he began his NHL career in 2016 coming out of Providence College in Rhode Island. He played three games that spring before spending three seasons in Winnipeg, amounting to 195 games played with 24 goals and 51 points.
Never a scorer, Tanev is known for his aggressive penalty kill and his high energy checking style. He’s famous for his hockey head-shot photo, a non-verbal nod to his approach to the game.
“Brandon was an original member of the Kraken who brought high energy and grit to both ends of the ice,” Kraken GM Ron Francis said of the fan favorite.
Francis is piling up draft picks, ones that can be used in off-season deals and/or to continue to stocking the farm.
There’s a scenario that sees Tanev returning to the Kraken, once he plays out this season as a “rental” for the Jets. He’ll likely hit the free market this summer and at age 33 shouldn’t expect to see anything close to the $3.5-million he made each of the last six seasons. This spring is his chance to win a Stanley Cup, an opportunity he would not have seen in Seattle.
The only pending UFA who remains with the Kraken is defenseman Josh Mahura. There was no reason to unload him for the sake of unloading him; he plays for the NHL minimum salary.
Seattle’s final deal of the day was to trade current minor league winger Daniel Sprong to the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 7th-round draft pick.
