3 Biggest Trades in Seattle Kraken History, Ranked

The Seattle Kraken have been relatively quiet in the trade market since joining the NHL for the 2021-2022 season.

The Kraken have made a handful of big moves, but they’ve been much less aggressive in the trade market compared to the other recent expansion teams (Vegas and Utah).

Part of the reason Seattle has yet to take a big swing is because it has had just one competitive season in its brief history, and the Kraken have been a long shot to win the Stanley Cup according to their NHL odds every year since they joined the NHL.

Here are my picks for the biggest trades in the history of the Kraken.

3 Biggest Seattle Kraken Trades in Team History

1. Will Borgen, a Third-Round Pick, and a Sixth-Round Pick for Kaapo Kakko

The jury is still out on how this deal will play out, but it can potentially be a massive moment for the Kraken.

The New York Rangers selected Kakko with the second pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Kakko was so highly regarded as a prospect that there were a lot of scouts who had him ranked higher than eventual first overall pick Jack Hughes.

Unfortunately, Kakko’s production with the Rangers never hit the heights you would expect out of a prospect with his pedigree and the Blueshirts sent him to Seattle in December of 2024 for Will Borgen and two draft picks.

Kakko’s camp had always been adamant that the reason the Finnish scorer never truly got going was because he didn’t get enough of an opportunity on the star-studded Rangers, so the Kraken were banking on unlocking his potential by giving him better minutes and power-play opportunities.

The early returns for the Kraken are encouraging as Kakko has posted 19 points in his first 28 games in Seattle.

2. Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell for Two Second-Round Picks and a Third-Round Pick

The Kraken were quick to name Mark Giordano as their first captain. The former Norris Trophy winner was the perfect fit for the role in Seattle’s inaugural season.

Unfortunately, the Kraken struggled out of the gates in 2021-2022 and that forced the franchise into the tough decision of trading Giordano to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline.

It was a tough call for Seattle’s front office to make, but ultimately they decided it was for the best to collect assets for Giordano’s services rather than let him play out the rest of the string and potentially walk in free agency for nothing.

3. Third-Round Pick and a Fourth-Round Pick for Oliver Bjorkstrand

This one doesn’t involve any household names, but hockey die-hards were shocked – and impressed – that the Kraken were able to acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand for such a friendly price.

One of the most underrated scorers in the NHL, Bjorkstrand fit in like a glove with the Kraken since he joined in July 2022. 

The Danish winger played a massive role in the 2022-2023 season when the Kraken made the playoffs and defied the hockey odds by upsetting the Colorado Avalanche in Round 1 of the postseason.

Bjorkstrand is one of six players with more than 50 goals in the franchise’s brief history and averaged 52 points in his first two full seasons with the club.