Sprong, Geekie to hit market as unrestricted free agents

Forwards Daniel Sprong and Morgan Geekie were not tendered qualifying offers by the Seattle Kraken on Friday, making them available to the open market as unrestricted free agents.

To no surprise, Vince Dunn, due to be free agent but also in a restricted category, received a qualifying offer which retains the Kraken as the team with first negotiating rights on a new contract. Additional qualifying offers were given to restricted free agent defensemen Will Borgen and Cale Fleury, and forward Kole Lind.

However, the potential to lose both Sprong and Geekie is liklier, with any team free to negotiate and sign them starting on Saturday, when NHL free agency opens for business. Sprong would leave a significant hole in the Kraken offensive plans, emerging to a new career high 21 goals and 46 points, however under limited ice time and as a power play option where his one-timer was effective from the left circle.

Sprong has 116 points and 67 career goals with Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Washington, and Seattle.

Geekie, an expansion draft pick of the Kraken from the Carolina Hurricanes, was a primarily a fourth line center but penciled into the lineup for 69 games, and recorded nine goals and 28 points. But with forward Andre Burakovsky lost for the remainder of the season after the All-Star break to a torn groin injury, Geekie became a viable option to take his place as a second line right winger and played in all but one playoff game, where he was absent from game three of the first round against Colorado for the birth of his daughter, Gabby. He earned two goals and two assists in 13 playoff games.

Geekie has 22 goals and 63 points in 180 career NHL games with the Kraken and Hurricanes.

Dunn is the obvious top priority for a new contract, earning the team's most valuable player honors while erupting a career-high 14 goals, 64 points, while performing as the primary point man on the Kraken power play and on their top defensive pair with Adam Larsson.

The Kraken have $20 million of cap space entering this summer, according to capfriendly.com.