While NHL fans and the media will invest time in the 16 clubs that make the Stanley Cup playoffs, hockey is never over the other 16 that miss out on postseason action. That is to say, the action leaves the ice and enters the front office. The Seattle Kraken’s regular season is almost over, and with the playoffs but a prayer at this point, here’s a look at some of the contract situations management will face this offseason. Welcome to where professional sports teams are built: the negotiating table.
Kraken’s Cap Situation
Those who follow the thrilling world of NHL collective bargaining agreements (CBA), salaries, and cap hits know that the very fine people at Cap Friendly help The Hockey Writers with the figures we’ll be discussing. They cover all teams and go into the details that make an accountant’s head spin.
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As of April 1, the Kraken are projected to have $1.257 million in cap space after the regular season. While that does not sound like a lot, consider that many clubs won’t have any or barely a few thousand dollars. Incidentally, or perhaps unsurprisingly, many teams that have more projected cap space are the ones that will badly need it (read: not very good teams). Note: A few terms that will come in handy are unrestricted free agent (UFA), restricted free agent (RFA), entry-level contract (ELC), and no-trade clause (NTC).
Seven players on Seattle’s roster have expiring contracts, and we will focus on six of them. The seventh is a special “buried penalty” case involving third-string goaltender Chris Driedger, who will be tending the crease for the AHL’s Coachella Firebirds during their playoff run.
The others are Matthew Beniers (ELC and RFA), Justin Schultz (UFA), Tomas Tatar UFA), Eeli Tolvanen(RFA), Kailer Yamomoto (RFA), and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (UFA).
Seattle Sleeper: Tomas Tatar
The biggest question among the UFAs and RFAs this summer is Tomas Tatar (UFA). Like many players that are brought in mid-season, Tatar joined the Kraken from the Colorado Avalanche to finish one season, contractually speaking. His cap hit is $1.5 million, and when the trade occurred in December, Seattle was playing terribly and in danger of dropping the ball after a pleasant sophomore season.
Despite frequently playing on the top line with Jared McCann and Beniers, Tatar’s time with the team hasn’t quite worked out. In 39 matches in the Emerald City, he has 13 points (seven…
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