Coveted Seattle Kraken forward Alexander Wennberg will not participate in Monday night's game against the Calgary Flames for a reason “related to a transaction.”
According to the Seattle Times Sports newspaper, head coach Dave Hakstol made the announcement during his pregame press conference.
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The 29-year-old Swede's profile has quickly become interesting for teams looking for depth at center, as candidates for a move at the position are becoming increasingly rare. Since the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan transactions, Adam Henrique (Anaheim Ducks) and Wennberg are the pivots most likely to develop under different skies.
The 14th overall pick in the 2013 draft, from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has shown great consistency since the beginning of his career. He has 25 points in 60 games this season, which is still far from his personal high of 59 points set in 2016-2017.
Wennberg, who will become a free agent next summer, is making $4.5 million this year. The Kraken or a third team could get involved to retain some of his salary and facilitate a trade.
It is rumored that the New York Rangers are the favorites to land the 1.95 meter tall, 80 kilogram left-hander.