The Seattle Kraken acquired left winger Tomas Tatar from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday in exchange for a fifth round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Kraken announced on Friday.
Tatar, 33, who has over 800 games and seven NHL seasons of cracking the 20-goal mark, will make Seattle his sixth NHL stop. He carries a $1.5 million hit on the salary cap after joining the Avalanche via free agency on a one-year deal.
Tatar has a long resume of offense with a hunger to shoot the puck, though he struggled to fit in offensively this season in Colorado, and wound up as a healthy scratch recently before the trade. Tatar though was a model of durability and production last year with New Jersey, scoring 20 goals without missing a single game while the Devils returned to the postseason for the first time in five years.
Where he fits in is a matter of question still yet to be answered. The Kraken sent down winger Tye Kartye to Coachella Valley of the AHL hours before the trade, also recalling center Shane Wright while placing injured forward Jaden Schwartz on long term injured reserve, a move visibly designed to fit Tatar's salary on the roster. He has experience playing both left and right wing, and joins a cast that is missing Schwartz and Andre Burakovsky to injuries.
To make room on the roster, the Kraken re-assigned forward Marian Studenic to Coachella Valley.
The Kraken will return on Saturday to end a six-game homestand against the Los Angeles Kings at Climate Pledge Arena, 7pm PT (93.3 KJR / Kraken Audio Network).