Once more, it’s that time of year. With only a few days remaining before the NHL Trade Deadline, players refrained from playing to ensure they were fit enough to be trade candidates.

Due to “trade-related difficulties,” forward Alexander Wennberg was not allowed to participate in the morning skate and will not be available for the Seattle Krakens’ game against the Calgary Flames on Monday, head coach David Hakstol announced to the media.

In his third season in Seattle, Wennberg has been playing well and is putting up more production than he did in his first two Kraken seasons. Considering that he did not miss many games prior to being traded, the 29-year-old has nine goals and 16 assists in 60 games and is on track to eclipse his 38-point total from the 2022–2023 campaign.

The three-year contract that the Stockholm native signed with the Kraken in July 2021 is already in its last season. Although there is a $4.5 million cap impact, Wennberg has filed a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team no-trade list.

The former Columbus Blue Jacket would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to any team vying for a postseason berth. The former Florida Panther is good in the faceoff circle and is capable in his own zone, despite clearly demonstrating his ability to provide secondary scoring.

In the event that Wennberg were dealt, it would be the first time in his career.

This would indicate that Kraken is deciding to let go of players as their chances of making the playoffs get slimmer. Seattle (26-23-11) is nine points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Wild Card berth in the Western Conference, ten points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for third place, and sixth in the Pacific Division.

When former Arizona Coyote Jakob Chychrun was kept out of the lineup for weeks before being traded to the Ottawa Senators, the practice of benching players for “trade-related objectives” gained traction. In the final few days leading up to Friday’s deadline, it will be interesting to see if this starts a chain reaction.