There have been multiple trades in the NHL so far this month, with various players heading to new cities. But there was also recently a trade between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Seattle Kraken that resulted in only one player switching addresses, and that was forward Mason Marchment.
Marchment, who had been acquired by the Seattle Kraken during the offseason in a trade with the Dallas Stars, only played in 29 total games with the Kraken before they decided to move on from him. They shipped him to the Blue Jackets, receiving a 2026 fourth-round selection and a 2027 second-round pick in return.
It brought an end to a relatively short tenure for Marchment with the Kraken, who had been hoping that he would be a key piece in helping them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs as he had been during his time with the Stars.
Kraken general manager Jason Botterill thanked Marchment for his short time in Seattle while noting that the trade gives his team more salary cap flexibility.
“I’d like to thank Mason for his contributions to our club, and we wish him and his family all the best in Columbus,” Botterill said, via MyNorthwest. “This trade gives us more draft capital and flexibility as we look to improve our team moving forward.”
Mason Marchment has played for several teams in NHL career
Marchment was never drafted into the NHL, and instead began his professional career with the Toronto Maple Leafs before he was eventually shipped to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin.
Following his time with the Panthers, Marchment would sign with the Stars, with whom he would make the biggest impact in his NHL career. He would help the Stars reach the Western Conference Final in three consecutive seasons, scoring a total of eight combined goals during those three runs. He also enjoyed productive output in the regular season with Dallas, establishing a new career-high in points by scoring 22 goals with 31 assists during the 2023-24 campaign, and then following that up by scoring 22 goals with 25 assists last season.
He wasn’t as productive with the Kraken, scoring just four goals while adding nine assists during the 29 games that he played for the team before being traded to the Blue Jackets.
With the Blue Jackets, he’ll be playing for a new contract, as he’s currently in the final season of the four-year deal that he inked with the Stars in 2022 that carries a $4.5 million cap hit.
Seattle Kraken grade: C
© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
For whatever reason, Marchment just didn’t work out with the Kraken, who freed up nearly $5 million worth of salary cap space. But they also gave up on him relatively quickly, an odd turn of events after he was considered a prize offseason acquisition by Botterill. He was originally acquired on June 19 from the Stars for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
There is also the possibility that Marchment would not commit to signing a long-term extension with the Kraken, and they ultimately chose to receive assets in return for him rather than risk losing him on the open market this coming offseason for nothing.
Regardless, their choice to cut ties with him not even 30 games into his time with the franchise is an interesting one. It’s also one less player that the Kraken have at their disposal while veteran winger Jaden Schwartz continues to recover from an injury.
Columbus Blue Jackets grade: B
It’s a low-risk move for the Blue Jackets, who are currently on the outside looking in at the postseason picture. The Blue Jackets are a team that is desperate to return to the playoffs themselves, having not played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season since 2020. With Marchment’s experience, they’ve added another player who knows what it takes to be successful beyond the regular season.
Even after adding Marchment, the Blue Jackets still have just over $15 million worth of cap space to utilize for future additions.
For Marchment, it’s a change of scenery that was likely needed. For whatever reason, he wasn’t meshing with his new Kraken teammates and was on pace for his lowest goal output since his first season with the Stars in 2022-23 (though he missed over a dozen games because of injury that year).
He’ll get the chance to prove that he’s worthy of a new contract, and will need to take advantage of the opportunity. He’s already made the most of his first game since joining the Blue Jackets, scoring a goal in their 4-3 loss against the Anaheim Ducks.