Seattle Kraken trade for Marchment step in right direction?

There is no “one way” to win – history has taught that all sports have championship teams built in a variety of ways. But generally, there are some non-negotiables.

Football teams have to get quality play at quarterback. Baseball teams need starting pitching. And hockey teams need strength up the middle, top-end scoring talent, and a physical presence.

Hockey rides into the NHL offseason full of buzz

It’s what made this Stanley Cup Final so fun to watch (at least for the first few games). The Edmonton Oilers were built around their offensive skill, specifically the incomparable skating talent of Connor McDavid paired with Leon Draisaitl. They were ultimately overmatched by a Florida Panthers squad that had some star power, but relied on depth and physicality to wear down their opponents.

You may have seen the (NSFW) viral video of Panthers coach Paul Maurice shouting at his team to (forget) the pretty play and instead concentrate on hitting the opponent as often as possible. As he says in the clip, the physicality will affect them over the course of seven games, and eventually they won’t want to go after those loose pucks with such gusto.

The strategy has worked in each of the last two seasons as his team has won two straight Cups despite finishing fifth and 11th in the league during the regular seasons. It works because of great coaching, but also because of the types of players they have on the team. Alexander Barkov has twice won the Selke Trophy as the game’s best defensive forward. Pests like Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk come to life in this style of play. And their defensive crew is willing to hit you, over and over again.

Those first few games against Edmonton may have been close (just as they were against Toronto in the conference semifinals), but there was no doubt who was superior by the end.

Now, the Seattle Kraken don’t have big stars. They don’t have anyone comparable to McDavid or Draisaitl. But Jared McCann is’t that far off of Florida’s Sam Reinhart in terms of scoring ability (at least the 2023 version of McCann). And other than Reinhart, the Panthers didn’t have anyone score more than 25 goals this season. They were just deeper, more physical, and more aligned in their vision for how to play the game.

I think the Kraken have taken a nice step towards that objective in acquiring Mason Marchment from Dallas in a trade Thursday. He adds to that scoring depth (22 goals each of the last two seasons), but what he really brings is that physical, aggressive mindset that the team has been sorely missing since its inception.

Seattle Kraken trade two draft picks to Dallas for Mason Marchment

It’s not just the hits – Marchment would have ranked fifth among Kraken forwards in hits last year behind Tye Kartye, Eeli Tolvanen, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev – but the size associate with them. He is 6 foot 5, and his 212-plus pounds pack a wallop.

He is also in the Marchand category of pests that just get under the skin of their opponents. They are guys you hate to play against but love to have on your team. They give you a personality to accompany your talent, skill and identity.

A memorable 20th goal of the season for Mason Marchment in San Jose! pic.twitter.com/FFbjwScmkH

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 27, 2024

Marchment himself doesn’t put the Kraken over the top. He is a good player that the Stars had to move on from because they are in salary cap trouble. Even though his father played for years in the NHL, he didn’t play junior hockey until he was 19 and thus went undrafted before signing with the Leafs, coming of age with the Panthers (of course), and signing a free agent deal in Dallas. He is a gritty player who is willing to spend time in the difficult areas of the ice and bother opponents.

The Kraken still need more top-end talent. A true top-line center and another high-end defenseman would go a long way towards making this team more of a contender. But they have been way too easy to play against the last few seasons.

Marchment should signal a willingness to address and fix that problem. Physical play wins playoff series. Now they need to add some more scoring to help them get to those series in the first place.

Seattle Kraken trade for Marchment step in right direction?

Tags: