NHL insider Chris Johnston believes $21,000,000 Kraken veteran's trade to Golden Knights "not difficult to imagine"

According to NHL pundit Chris Johnston, the Vegas Golden Knights would be a good fit for Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev. In an article for The Athletic he co-wrote with Pierre LeBrun, Johnston said the Golden Knights might be looking to beef up before the trade deadline.

Tanev, 32, is set to become a UFA in 2025 once his six-year, $21 million contract that he signed on July 1, 2019. Jonhston opined that the Kraken veteran would help round out the Las Vegas team as a bottom-sixer.

"It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Golden Knights pursue two forwards – one with more offensive ability, and a bottom-sixer to round out other elements of the team. Tanev falls into the latter category and may end up being the strongest player with that skill set available,” Johnston wrote.

He added that the forward’s gritty playing style and work ethic would see him slot right into the Golden Knights’ roster.

“A high-end skater who plays the game hard, it’s not difficult to imagine him fitting in with a team accustomed to using all four lines to win," he added.

The winger has registered 14 points for the Kraken so far in 2024. Being in the final year of his contract and a pending unrestricted free agent, makes him even more marketable from the Kraken's perspective.

Seattle’s unlikely chances of making the playoffs are also a factor. The team has a 15-19-2 record 36 games into the season, sitting eight points short of a playoff spot. By contrast, Vegas went into the NHL’s holiday break with the league’s best points percentage, and are on top of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.

LeBrun thinks Devils might be a better fit than the Golden Knights

Johnston’s fellow pundit Pierre LeBrun agrees that Tanev will likely be moving on but has a different destination in mind for the 32-year-old. His understanding is that several teams want the first crack at the Kraken forward if he goes on the market as “he brings the kind of grindy game most playoff teams are looking for”.

He also feels that Tanev might be the missing piece that the New Jersey Devils are looking for.

“I like the Devils as a fit. They’re looking for a bottom-six boost, and I can picture Tanev finding a nice spot in that Cup-contending lineup that has no shortage of offensive talent but could use a little more sandpaper,” he wrote in The Athletic.

Like the Golden Knights, the Devils are sitting comfortably at the top of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference under first-year head coach Sheldon Keefe.