The Seattle Kraken have completed another trade, this time sending defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to the Colorado Avalanche. MacDermid was Seattle’s choice from the Los Angeles Kings, but instead of suiting up for the expansion team, he’ll net them a 2023 fourth-round pick.
MacDermid, 27, represents the second player the Kraken have flipped since the expansion draft, following Tyler Pitlick’s trade a few days ago. Seattle selected ten defensemen in the draft, so were always expected to trade a few of them before the start of the season. In Colorado, MacDermid joins a contending team that could use a bit of size and depth on the back end after trading away Ryan Graves earlier this offseason.
The 6’5″ defenseman is incredibly physical, but has also shown he can be a bit more than just a face-puncher over the last few years. In 118 career games he has six goals and 17 points, playing limited minutes—fewer than 13 a night—in Los Angeles. He likely won’t be asked to do much more than that in Colorado, where the team already has so many talented young options to eat up minutes. At just $875K though, MacDermid can be a reliable seventh defenseman on the NHL roster, moving in and out of the lineup whenever head coach Jared Bednar feels the need for a little more size.
The cost of a fourth-round pick isn’t much for Colorado to add an NHL player, but to the Kraken it’s another important piece as they look to build the pipeline. The team was unable (or perhaps unwilling) to leverage the expansion situation to collect many draft picks and now must try to sell off whatever pieces they can. Cap space was the biggest focus of GM Ron Francis and company, but it is interesting that now Pitlick and MacDermid, two NHL options that barely crack $2.5MM combined, are the first ones out the door. The Kraken now have an extra fourth-round selection in each of the next two drafts.
Kevin Weekes of NHL Network broke the news on Twitter.
I guess Ron wasn’t close to Paul after all.
I hope K-Mac snagged that treasured collectible Seattle-logo’d swag on the way out…
Ron still holding that HFD grudge.
Calling the shots from their throne yet again. Start planning that 2048 Stanley Cup parade now, Ronnie.
Another day another trade that shows how had Seattle botched expansion. Kings had available players worth a 3rd rounder
Like you know. Get real basement GM
Oh the mass amounts of 2nd round picks getting moved isn’t evidence enough? Everyone can make a deal except Seattle huh. Grundstrom and Lizotte are easily worth 3rd rounders.
Doubtful, I’m sure they gauged league about trade and kurtis was the only one someone wanted. While the kings players mentioned have upside it’s clear that Seattle thought picks are better than a couple of kings prospects who haven’t hit there ceiling. Like poster said above I’m sure they know much more than you do at home
Laughable take. McDermid is an oaf on skates. Ron Francis is just a bad GM. He took a roster full of AHL players
Again he is more tapped in than you are at home in your moms basement. They got a 4th for him so idk what more validation you need
I too believe a cheap bottom 6 center who plays good defense and has an untapped offensive potential is not worth more than a 4th round pick.
It really is amazing that you weren’t hired as GM of the Seattle Kraken.
I know. For starters I would have taken JVR instead of that no name they took from Philly.
The available pool of players for Seattle was MASSIVELY overblown. On paper, a lot of known names and guys that seemed like they would be no-brainers. Then you look at their age, their contracts, and their recent production and the first thought is “He’s getting paid how much?” Could Seattle have made better picks? Probably. Seattle clearly valued cap space flexibility rather than bailing teams out of the bad contracts they gave out.
Imo the only thing opposing GMs learned between the Vegas expansion draft and the Seattle one was that instead of sending picks/prospects to the expansion team to take a bad contract, they just sent those same assets to another team.
Gav, well put with this part: The team was unable (or perhaps unwilling) to leverage the expansion situation. Why do you think Sakic traded with the guy unwilling to budge from his demands of a 1st and prospect for allowing teams to keep their core intact? Me, I’d either write him off or be very motivated to rip him off, “Welcome to the show Ron”, but that’s just me. This is a very interesting trade when you look at it like this.