Kraken Have Received Trade Interest In Yanni Gourde
11/10/2024 08:58 PM
The Kraken went into the season extremely tight to the salary cap and have been using Vince Dunn's LTIR placement to keep compliant since then and even allowing them to pick up Daniel Sprong from Vancouver. While they're okay cap-wise as long as Dunn is on LTIR (which should last another three weeks or so), they will need to do something to get back into compliance once he's cleared to return.
To that end, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported this week (video link) that teams have been calling Seattle about center Yanni Gourde. To this point, however, it appears GM Ron Francis has been rebuffing those inquiries so far.
The 32-year-old has been a reliable middle-six center for several years now. While his point total dropped to 33 last season (11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games), Gourde has still reached the 30-point mark in now seven straight years, his first seven full seasons in the NHL.
That streak might very well be in jeopardy though as this season has not gotten off to a good start for Gourde. Through the first 15 games of this season, he has yet to score a goal and has been limited to just three assists. After averaging nearly two shots on goal per game a year ago, he's barely over one with his shot attempts down by a similar percentage. His struggles have led to a relatively steep drop in playing time as well, going from 17:27 per game last season to just 14:56 so far in 2024-25.
Gourde is in the final season of a six-year, $31MM contract carrying a $5.16MM cap charge. When he's producing at his usual level, Gourde is generally worth that price tag after you factor in his strong defensive game. But now, that's looking somewhat on the high side, especially with Seattle having good center depth in front of him in Matthew Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, and Shane Wright. With their cap situation, one that is slightly exacerbated with the addition of Sprong and his $975K price tag, can the Kraken afford to keep him?
It seems like other teams are wondering the same thing based on their reported interest. That said, there aren't many teams that can take that contract on outright; it stands to reason that they'd likely be looking to have the Kraken either retain a portion (they have all three retention slots available) or take a lower-priced contract back to help offset the cost.
For now, Seattle doesn't have to do anything; they have a few weeks to work with until Dunn is cleared to return. But if there aren't any long-term injuries that could buy them a bit more time by the time Dunn gets back in the lineup, the Kraken will have to do something to get back into cap compliance. It seems like moving Gourde could be one way to accomplish just that and evidently, there will be a market for his services despite his early-season struggles.
