Seattle Kraken Veteran And Potential Trade Deadline Target Undergoes Surgery
Yanni Gourde was firming as a top trade candidate ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, but now he'll miss significant time after undergoing surgery.
This season has been another solid one for Yanni Gourde, but with the Seattle Kraken set to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs again, the understanding around the league is that their veteran forward could be available ahead of the trade deadline.
Unfortunately for the team and the player, there's been an unfortunate setback as of late, as the team announced that Gourde underwent successful surgery on Friday, confirming that he'll be out of action between five and seven weeks.
The surgery was to repair a sports hernia injury that's been bothering him for quite some time, as it clearly effected his play throughout the season, with just 6 goals and 16 points scored in 35 games.
Over the past two years, Gourde has been a very solid bottom-six forward in the NHL, and while he's never taken the leap to be a genuine points producer, he's been very solid in his role, even winning two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a result.
That timeline may mean that Gourde doesn't get back on the ice before the March 7th trade deadline, but with years of proven consistency in his role under his belt, teams will know what they possibly have in him, and with the 33-year old set to hit free agency in the summer, he may be a cheap option for contending teams.
Ultimately, this won't change his market ahead of the deadline, as many teams including the Oilers, Golden Knights and Maple Leafs have all been linked to the former undrafted forward, and now, we will wait and see how this latest injury effects his price.
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