Fantasy Take: Wennberg Looking to Expand Role in Seattle

Seattle remains maybe the most mystifying team of the offseason. They did not make a single trade at the Expansion Draft, and it seemed they shot themselves in the foot by asking for too much in return. That is a huge mistake because teams are dumping good players left and right *with* draft picks in order to clear cap space. Why the Kraken weren't in on players like Shayne Gostisbehere is beyond me.

The head-scratching continues:

Wenneberg will be signing for three years and $4.5M AAV with the Kraken https://t.co/d1hgawl3ZX

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 28, 2021

Not that Wennberg is a bad player or anything. But why sign him for three years at $4.5M a season when they could have traded *for* Tyler Johnson at a similar cap hit (which is irrelevant for them anyway) *and* receive a draft pick for their troubles? No? Just sign a middling free agent for some reason? Ok.

Anyway, I called him a middle free agent for a reason. According to HockeyViz, his offensive and defensive impacts are the very definition of middling:

Alexander Wennberg (3×4.5m with Seattle) is an average forward with a weak pp impact and a very good shot. pic.twitter.com/T4zCU6RVKT

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 28, 2021

In that sense, this isn't a terrible deal. The Kraken get a guy who can competently play 3C for three years while the team is building. But again, why not just go get Tyler Johnson and a draft pick?

Does he