NHL News: Top Trade Deadline Target Suffers Significant Injury, Out For Multiple Weeks
January 31, 2025
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The Seattle Kraken will have to rethink their strategy heading into the March 7 trade deadline.
Forward Yanni Gourde, who is ranked as the No. 8 overall name on TSN’s trade bait board, underwent sports hernia surgery Friday and is expected to miss 5-7 weeks, which will surpass the deadline per NHL insider Chris Johnston.
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The #SeaKraken announce that Yanni Gourde will be out five to seven weeks after having sports hernia surgery this morning. That likely means the pending UFA won’t play again before the March 7 trade deadline,” Johnston said on X.
The #SeaKraken announce that Yanni Gourde will be out five to seven weeks after having sports hernia surgery this morning.
That likely means the pending UFA won’t play again before the March 7 trade deadline.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 31, 2025
Gourde has been on injured reserve while nursing a lower-body injury since Jan. 2; the surgery is likely linked to it.
A team could still trade for the bottom-six center, but that’s if they will be willing to wait — and gamble — on having his services towards the end of the campaign.
With six goals and 16 points in 35 games, the 33-year-old’s defensive impact and role in the bottom six are unparalleled, filling a void that was missing in the Kraken’s makeup.
Having won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was selected by Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft. His championship experience made him an attractive addition for potential contenders.
VANCOUVER, CANADA – NOVEMBER 18: Yanni Gourde #37 of the Seattle Kraken is checked by Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena on November… VANCOUVER, CANADA – NOVEMBER 18: Yanni Gourde #37 of the Seattle Kraken is checked by Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena on November 18, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
If the Kraken cannot manage to pull off a trade, this puts them in a difficult position as they remain eight points out of the playoff race and were planning on acting as sellers at the deadline, marketing Gourde as their blue-chip asset.
With the injury now added to the picture, there was already some buyer beware on Gourde. His speed has declined since those Cup-winning years, affecting his impact on the ice.
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His skating and shot speed are down, and his ice time has decreased by nearly two minutes compared to last season. With his point production dropping, he’s on pace for his least productive season yet, with two of his six goals being empty-netters.
Concerns also arise from his shot selection, as he has only 71 attempts in 35 games, with more than half coming from mid to long range, which isn’t ideal for a player who typically scores close to the net.
Regardless, Gourde would have likely fetched something for Seattle general manager Ron Francis because his pedigree is valued once spring-time roles around regardless of age and stat regression.
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