Top trade target pulled from lineup pending deal

This just in, the Seattle Kraken have pulled forward Alex Wennberg from their lineup for what head coach Dave Hakstrol calls, "trade-related issues."

From Kraken insider Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times:

As a result, Wennberg will miss tonight's game against the Calgary Flames.

TSN insider Chris Johnston reports that the two teams vying for Wennberg's services are the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche.

From Johnston:

Additionally, Johnston's TSN colleague Pierre LeBrun is reporting that Kraken GM Ron Francis attempted to re-sign Wennberg recently, but ultimately has made the decision to move the 29 year old Swedish forward. 

From LeBrun:

Wennberg has nine goals and 25 points in 60 games with the Kraken this season and is an original member of the team, having signed with them as a free agent prior to their inaugural season in 2021-22. He's a pending unrestricted free agent earning $4.5 million on his current deal.

In total, the Stockholm, Sweden native has 90 goals and 330 points in 693 games split between the Kraken, the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was selected 14th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Rangers have been linked to Wennberg only recently, but there's been rumors that Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has been after Wennberg for awhile now. To be perfectly honest, I think he'd be a great fit with either team. He's a utility type forward with great forechecking abilities who can slot almost anywhere into an NHL lineup. He's the type of player who won't drastically change a team's complexion, but sometimes that's really the best case scenario for a trade deadline pick up. You don't want a guy coming into the lineup and completely shaking things up, but rather a guy who just slots in perfectly and gives you some solid depth simply by adding him to the equation. To me, that perfectly sums up Wennberg as a player. I suspect that he'll be moved to a contender, maybe as early as today. Stay tuned.