Seattle Kraken trade fan favorite Brandon Tanev

One of the most recognizable names in the short history of the Seattle Kraken is moving on.

Veteran winger Brandon Tanev was dealt just ahead of Friday’s noon NHL trade deadline from the Kraken to the Winnipeg Jets, according to multiple NHL insiders including Darren Dreger of TSN and Elliotte Friedman of NHL Network and Sportsnet.

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Seattle is getting a 2027 second-round NHL Draft pick back from the Jets for Tanev.

The Kraken announced the trade Friday afternoon.

While Tanev has been a fan favorite in Seattle, it’s no shock that he’s heading elsewhere. Earlier this week, Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that both sides seemed ready to begin new chapters.

“Tanev I think goes. I don’t think there’s much interest there on either side to pursue an extension,” Friedman said while talking about the trade deadline.

Tanev is on the last year of a six-year, $21 million contract, so he will hit free agency this offseason.

This is the second trade this week for the Kraken. They also sent Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand and a future fifth-round pick the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday in a deal that brought back two first-round picks, a second-rounder and Michael Eyssimont.

Related: Seattle Kraken trade two of their top players to Tampa Bay

Digging into Seattle Kraken trade of Tanev

The Kraken are out of the playoff race with a 26-33-4 record, and are stocking up on draft picks as they look to add to a core that features young centers and former first-round picks Matty Beniers and Shane Wright.

The Jets (43-16-4) lead both the Central Division and the Western Conference, and now add a seasoned penalty-killer with playoff experience in Tanev.

Brandon Tanev.

The short-handed specialist. 😘 pic.twitter.com/8r0TUUE46t

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) April 21, 2023

The 33-year-old Tanev is heading back to where his career started. He debuted with the Jets during the 2015-16 season and remained in Winnipeg until 2019. He played the next two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, then was an expansion draft pick by the Kraken in 2021.

Tanev was one of the first players the Seattle fan base took to. He’s nicknamed “Turbo” for seemingly always skating as hard as possible, and he has a likable personality that was always on display when it came time to take his annual headshot.

In 60 games this season, Tanev has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists). His plus/minus of minus-12 is on pace to be the worst of his career – he’s only had a negative plus/minus twice in his 10 NHL seasons.

A torn ACL cut Tanev’s contributions to just 30 games in the inaugural Kraken season, but he played all 82 games in 2022-23, scoring 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) and posting a career-high plus-21 plus/minus to help Seattle reach the playoffs for the first time. In 14 postseason games in 2023, he had a goal and three assists.

“Brandon was an original member of the Kraken who brought high energy and grit to both ends of the ice,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said of Tanev in a press release. “He was a big part of our team, and we wish him nothing but success in Winnipeg. With this trade, we are pleased to add another quality draft pick, giving us even more draft capital to work with as we look to improve our team next season and beyond.”

The Kraken now have five picks in both the first round and second round of the next three NHL Drafts. While they can use those picks on prospects, they’re also valuable capital to acquire impact players in future trades.

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