Kraken Goalie Quickly Becoming Offseason Trade Candidate

After a tough start to the season, many people counted the Seattle Kraken out and chalked last season up to somewhat of a fluke, believing that the team playing at a below .500 pace was the real Kraken. There is noticeably less depth and scoring from the forwards while the defense isn't anything special, but there has been a very nice surprise in net, Joey Daccord.

To think that Daccord passed through waivers two seasons ago and went unclaimed. Since Philipp Grubauer landed on the IR, Daccord has had to step up and play a major role on the team, starting every game but one since the injury. He has broken out of his shell and is proving that he is a number one in the NHL. He is one of the main reasons why the Kraken have won six games in a row and are 8-0-2 in their past 10 games.

In his last 12 games, Daccord has allowed more than two goals just once, in an OT loss to a strong Dallas Stars team. He has also recorded two shutouts and seven wins in that span. To win just seven of his last 12 while putting up the numbers he has shows the team in front of him is lacking. His recent run as the Kraken's starter has also shown the team that they should be confident in moving forward with the 27-year-old.

This means Philipp Grubauer, the starter since the Kraken were established, will very likely be moved before his contract is up in 2027. While it is unlikely he is traded mid-season due to his higher cap hit and injury, there is a chance that the Kraken have seen enough of Daccord dominating that they decide they want to allocate Grubauer's cap space elsewhere and move on from him. This will likely come through a trade, possibly even becoming a cap dump. Since he has a 10-team no-trade clause, it makes it a bit tricky, but not impossible to move him. $5.9 million AAV against the cap is a lot for a team on the rise for three more seasons after this one. Daccord makes just $1.2 million AAV through next season and will get paid if he keeps this play up.