When Seattle picks their team on Wednesday, they’re expected to make several side deals like Vegas did back in 2017 to take on assets for staying away from a player, picking a specific player, or even in exchange for someone that was selected. In the latest DFO Podcast (audio link), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Florida will be one of those teams. While Chris Driedger is expected to go to Seattle, Seravalli adds that Frank Vatrano is also expected to be heading to the Kraken as well.
The 27-year-old winger has quietly found his scoring touch since moving from Boston to Florida, notching 58 goals in 206 games over the past three seasons including 18 tallies in 56 contests in 2020-21. Those numbers aren’t elite by any stretch but he has found his place as a capable secondary scorer.
To that end, it’s a little surprising that the Panthers appear to be willing to move on from Vatrano who is about to enter the final year of his contract with a reasonable $2.533MM AAV. They have some promising young forwards in Grigori Denisenko, Owen Tippett, and 2020 top pick Anton Lundell that could stand to benefit from a spot being created up front.
Alternatively, it could be a scenario where GM Bill Zito is looking to free up some cap room to make a more prominent addition or even a trade for someone that’s selected. Either way, it appears that Driedger may not be the only Panther acquired by Seattle on Wednesday.
Florida is like “it’s just not an expansion draft if we don’t fleece ourselves for absolutely no apparent reason!”
“No, please…don’t take one of our good players. Take two!”
It wouldn’t be an expansion draft without Florida losing two good players…just ’cause
Vatrano is OK but they can’t lose defensemen, kind of sucks that they will lose two players.
wait, they’re taking a UFA and Florida is still sending someone else over?
If Seattle doesn’t actually sign the UFA before the draft they still select a player.
That’s what I was thinking, why sign Driedger beforehand, just pick Vatrano or someone then sign Driedger as an FA.
Franky V needs to play on a New York team. Perfect name for that town. :D
Driedger is a UFA and Seattle gets first dibs at negotiating regardless. Then they can pick who they want from the available roster.
Am I wrong?
If they sign Driedger before free agency opens for everyone (ie before the expansion draft as well) he counts as their Florida selection. Now I suppose in theory they could have a handshake agreement and then select Vatrano but it’s a risk as they can’t sign him til free agency opens for all and then he can be swayed by anyone
Part of a Tarasenko package?
Yeah, sorry, I don’t care what “promising young prospects” a team has — you don’t bump a guy who’s *already proven he can score* for one. The guy’s averaged 23 goals per 82 since the trade (and wasn’t precisely chopped liver for Boston either), and that’s at least second line production for any team in the league. Guys who score at that pace can cadge a fair bit higher salary than Vatrano’s being paid. Is Florida TRYING to sabotage itself?
Maybe the Kraken are taking Tarasenko and flipping him to Florida for Vatrano and picks