The Seattle Kraken benchwarmers have had a bit more room as of late, thanks to the absence of forward Alex Wennberg who took the night off during Monday's game against the Calgary Flames. A potential trade brews on the horizon, and as a result, Coach Dave Hakstol prudently sidelined him due to "trade-related issues," ESPN reported.
With the clock ticking down to the NHL trade deadline on Friday, the 29-year-old Swede, who's skating on thin ice with his current three-year $13.5 million contract wrapping up its final lap, is mulling his future as an unrestricted free agent when the league year ends. Wennberg's stats aren't for the faint of heart; the man's racked up 25 points with nine goals and a sweet sixteen assists in the current season, according to Yardbarker.
For the trivia buffs out there, Wennberg isn't a stranger to the draft spotlight—he was the 14th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2013. That's right, before he laced up for the Kraken and the Florida Panthers, he cut his teeth with Columbus, racking up a career total of 330 points, which if you're keeping score, includes 90 goals and a whopping 240 assists, as RealGM has noted. Add to that, he's got a history with the Kraken as a charter member of their expansion roster.
While the Kraken might be flapping their fins nine points shy of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, sitting Wennberg out of the game is a clear move to protect their asset from any last-minute injuries that could spoil a potential deal. As they weave through the rumors and strategies leading up to the deadline, fans and speculators alike are waiting to see where Wennberg will land next.
