The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching at noon Friday, and the Seattle Kraken seem very likely sellers.

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Heading into Tuesday’s 7 p.m. home game against the Minnesota Wild, the Kraken are 26-31-4 on the season, which puts them second-to-last in the Pacific Division with 56 points. Per MoneyPuck.com, Seattle has a 0.3% chance of making the playoffs, which is higher than only four other teams.

So with the Kraken essentially out of the postseason race, who could be heading elsewhere before Friday’s deadline, and which players are they saying are off limits? Here’s a look at what NHL insiders have been reporting lately.

The most likely Seattle Kraken trade departure

Brandon Tanev has been a fan favorite since the start in Seattle, but “Turbo” may be putting on a different sweater by the end of the week.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman (NHL Network, Sportsnet in Canada) recently spoke about Tanev on his 32 Thoughts podcast.

“Tanev I think goes. I don’t think there’s much interest there on either side to pursue an extension,” Friedman said.

The 33-year-old forward is set to be a free agent this offseason, and with 21 games to go this season, the Kraken apparently would make some concessions to move him and get something in return.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic, TSN in Canada) reported on social media Tuesday that he is “hearing that the Kraken are willing to eat” half of Tanev’s $3.5 million salary cap hit “to help facilitate a deal.” LeBrun added that there is “strong interest” from teams in the playoff mix for the feisty veteran.

They may talk about it

Friedman mentioned Yanni Gourde, a 33-year-old center who is nearing a return from long-term injured reserve for an abdomen injury, as a player the Kraken would like to retain rather than trade.

“I have heard that Seattle has considered keeping Gourde. I don’t know what the chances are, but I’ve heard they’ve talked about it,” Friedman said. “You know, he’s an alternate captain there, they do like what he provides on and off the ice. I’m curious to see if they get an extension done.”

Gourde’s six-year, $31 million contract is set to end after this season.

Friedman says it will be “interesting” to see if anything happens with three notable Kraken veterans: center Jaden Schwartz, left wing Andre Burakovsky and right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Schwartz, 32, is due $5.5 million both this season and next season before hitting free agency. Burakovsky is in the third year of a five-year, $27.5 million contract. And Bjorkstrand is in his fourth year of a five-year, $27 million deal.

The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, a longtime NHL insider, spoke about the Kraken’s situation recently on The Daily Faceoff Live. He said he expects at least two of the Kraken’s key players to be traded before the deadline, naming Gourde and Tanev as the most likely.

“Keeping them makes no sense,” Seravalli said.

He mentioned defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who has one year at $4.6 million left on his contract, as another name to watch.

“You don’t have to move Bjorkstrand and Oleksiak, two guys who have a little bit of term remaining,” Seravalli said. “I think they could get pretty good value for Oleksiak. I know you have to then go out and replace him, but we’ve talked before, this Kraken team is going nowhere fast. They need difference-makers, and the best way to do that is collect assets and then package them together to go out and try to find one.”

Not going anywhere

There are two players that the Kraken don’t seem to have any interest in dealing, according to Friedman.

One is 32-year-old defenseman and alternate captain Adam Larsson, who Seattle signed to a four-year, $21 million contract extension last offseason.

“Adam Larsson is a guy that Toronto’s called on a few times, and I heard that Seattle basically told them, like, lose our number, stop calling about this guy,” Friedman said. “And you know, he’s got a new deal with full no-trade protection.”

Larsson has been a cornerstone of the Kraken since Day 1, as is the case with another player that Friedman said Seattle isn’t looking to move: Jared McCann, who signed a five-year, $25 million extension in 2022 and is under contract through 2026-27.

“I don’t think they have put McCann out there. I’ve heard that’s the other way around – that’s teams calling them to say, would you do this?” Friedman said of the 28-year-old forward. “That says to me that (it has to be) a ‘blow our socks off’ deal before we even consider about it.”

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