Over the past couple of days, several reports have indicated that the interest in Seattle Kraken winger Mason Marchment is growing.
Chris Johnston, in a new The Athletic article, listed Marchment as one of the players to watch before the NHL trade freeze, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST tonight and runs until Dec. 28. Marchment ranked 10th on the list and was the only Kraken player to appear.
“Already moved from Dallas to Seattle over the summer, Marchment’s name is starting to make its way around the league again,” wrote Johnston. “The big winger plays an aggressive style and carries plenty of playoff experience after three straight trips to the Western Conference final with the Stars. He’s seen a sharp decline in his offensive numbers of late, but a move carries minimal risk since he’s due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.”
The 30-year-old winger has notched four goals and 13 points in 29 games. He’s well off his pace from his previous seasons with the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers, but he has continued to be a physical force and add snarl to the Kraken lineup.
Marchment is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $4.5 million. His modest cap hit is enticing for teams, but becomes more intriguing given the fact that the Kraken can retain half of his contract this season.
In addition to Johnston’s report, insider Frank Seravalli stated on Prime’s Coast to Coast that Marchment has “generated real traction on the trade market this week as we wind down to Friday’s holiday roster freeze.”
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has also mentioned that Marchment is in play on the trade market. At first, he noted that he didn’t believe anything would come to fruition until Jaden Schwartz returned from injury, but now he thinks that their mindset might have changed.
With limited time until the trade freeze, the expectation is that Marchment remains with the team until the New Year, and they continue to explore a trade afterwards. It’s unlikely, but it hasn’t been ruled out just yet.
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