Three Destinations Sharks Could Trade Kaapo Kahkonen
Kaapo Kahkonen has proven that he is a capable goalie at the NHL level. Your San Jose Sharks have taken an approach to leave everyone up for trade. Where could he end up?
Right now, the goalie market around the NHL is a baron wasteland. There is no one on the block for most teams, and those that are available are not good enough to fill starting roles, and there is a lack of netminders available. With many teams struggling with netminding issues early in the season, the league is looking for more of a position where only one guy can go. It's a unique position.
This leads us to Kaapo Kahkonen. Kahkonen is an unrestricted free agent and a netminder who has been somewhat inconsistent for the Sharks. You obviously want to see him perform better than he has been, but he's in a situation where there is almost no one around to help him keep the puck out of his net. It means he's not the only one to blame for the poor performances from both netminders so far this season.
If we look around the NHL, there are several teams that could be interested in adding a goaltender because they are unhappy with the performances they are getting from their current tandem. It means that if San Jose cannot find a reason to keep Kahkonen around with the emergence of Eetu Makiniemi or Magnus Chrona, then maybe there is a reason to move the Finnish shot-stopper.
I mentioned teams could be looking for a goaltender, but where does it make sense for the Sharks to send him if they do decide to send him out of the Bay Area? As a pending UFA, you're not so worried about trading him to divisional rivals. If he re-signs, there's nothing you could really do. Teams across the league will be sniffing around, and it will be important for Sharks general manager Mike Grier to play his cards correctly. The market is there.
New Jersey Devils
Let's start with a General Manager Grier will already know very well courtesy of the deal that sent Timo Meier to the Garden State. The New Jersey Devils have to be a team that is among the front runners for a netminder. What they have gotten from Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid this year has not been good enough to have them live up to the expectations that were placed upon them in the preseason.
As a team, the New Jersey Devils have a .884 save percentage. To put that into perspective, that is the third lowest in the NHL. San Jose has spent so many assets on trying to go for the Stanley Cup this window that they cannot really afford to wait. Getting a stopgap that will allow them to contend for the playoffs while not committing anything to the salary cap in the years after this one could be a big advantage.
It is actually in the Sharks' interest to try and help the Devils get to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. San Jose will receive the 2024 first-round pick of the Devils if they do because of the aforementioned Timo Meier deal. Kaapo Kahkonen has a better save percentage than the Devils team does, so while he may not be a great fit long term, he could certainly help them get to the playoffs.
New Jersey has assets to offer, too. This won't be a return like the Sharks got for Meier, but to suggest something like the Devils' 2024 third-round pick for the netminder? That could be used as a starting point, with the Devils adding if they need money retained on the contract of Kahkonen, or if they want to send money back to San Jose. Maybe that pick and a fourth or a fifth for the difference in cap space.
Edmonton Oilers
This one is probably a little less likely because they are a divisional rival, but the Edmonton Oilers are a team that is known to be desperate for a netminder. They have had their fair share of problems trying to keep the puck out of their net in spite of the recent renaissance of Stuart Skinner. With Calvin Pickard currently backing up in Northern Alberta, the Oilers could still be looking for a replacement.
Why this is probably more valuable for the Sharks is that there would be a good justification to ask for an extortionate amount in return if you agree to take on Jack Campbell's contract. Campbell is in year two of a five-year deal, seeing him make $5 million yearly. Eating that and playing him to try and get his value up while getting an extortionate amount in return for a netminder that you know you probably will not be able to re-sign.
Knowing what we do about the Oilers management right now, they understand that their core will not be around forever. That team needs to try and compete while it has two of the best players in the NHL. Their defense and goaltending has not been up to speed, and Kahkonen will at least give them a better option in goal. Then, taking Campbell back would give Edmonton the cap space to go and trade for another defenseman to bolster that club.
Edmonton's situation is not as urgent as New Jersey's, but the idea of being able to demand a lot appeals to me. For Kahkonen alone, maybe the 2025 third-round pick since they do not own their 2024 one, and the 2024 sixth-round pick they got from Nashville. To take Campbell too, I would be asking for the 2024 first-round pick and Philip Broberg, a defensive prospect who reportedly wants to move away from the Oilers organization.
Carolina Hurricanes
If you want to talk about a team desperate for netminding improvements, the Carolina Hurricanes will be towards the top of any list. This is a team with a cup window right now desperate for someone who can make a save for their hockey club. With almost half their roster needing a new contract in the summer, this is the last chance the Hurricanes organization is going to have with that bulk of players.
Carolina's starting netminder is Frederik Andersen, but he has been dealing with a blood clotting issue. You never want to see that, and you have to hope for the best for the Danish goalie, but there is no timetable on the return of Carolina's ace netminder, if he returns at all. That hole in the Canes lineup has left the organization in Raleigh fighting hard to stay above .500 on a week-by-week basis.
Antti Raanta is a capable backup netminder, but he set an NHL record for the lowest single-game save percentage in a game the Hurricanes lost 8-1, where he only faced 14 shots. He has not been the answer for the Hurricanes. Youngster Pyotr Kochetkov came up from AHL Syracuse because the Canes do not have their own AHL affiliate and looks like a goaltender being rushed into the big leagues.
You could probably nab a 2024 second-round pick from this Carolina team for Kahkonen. Carolina has two, including one from the Philadelphia Flyers. Depending on which pick the Sharks want to target, perhaps the Canes could even send money back in the form of Raanta. If that was the case, San Jose could even potentially explore moving him to a new home and getting another draft pick in exchange.
Question for Blades of Teal Readers: Where would you like to see Kahkonen traded to and what for?