The Seattle Kraken have reshaped their roster through a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings, general manager Ron Francis announced Wednesday.
The deal sends forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, along with a 2026 fifth-round pick, to Tampa Bay in exchange for two top-10-protected first-round picks (2026 and 2027), Toronto’s 2025 second-round selection (via Tampa Bay), and forward Michael Eyssimont.
Gourde was initially traded to Detroit before being redirected to Tampa Bay with 50% of his salary retained.
The first-round picks come with conditions: If either the 2026 or 2027 pick falls within the top 10, it will shift to 2028, and Seattle will receive an additional third-round pick that year. If both picks are pushed back, the Kraken will receive third-round selections in both 2028 and 2029.
“Oliver and Yanni were tremendous players for our organization who led by example on and off the ice, and I wish them all the best in their next chapter with the Lightning,” Francis said. “Decisions like these are never easy, but creating this valuable cap space and draft capital allows us to be active in improving our team moving forward. In addition, we welcome Michael Eyssimont to the group. He’s a versatile, hardworking forward who can join our lineup immediately.”
Eyssimont, 28, joins the Kraken after recording 10 points (five goals, five assists) and 44 penalty minutes in 57 games with Tampa Bay this season. He registered a career-best three-game point streak from Feb. 9 to 25 and scored in consecutive games on Nov. 25 and 27, 2024.
The Colorado native has played 193 career NHL games across stints with Tampa Bay, San Jose, and Winnipeg, accumulating 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists). He also has eight Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, with one goal and one assist.
Initially drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Eyssimont now brings depth to Seattle’s forward lineup.
Bjorkstrand, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2022, departs Seattle after producing 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 61 games this season. His offensive contributions placed him among the team’s leaders, ranking third in goals and fourth in assists and points.
Last season, he set career highs in assists (39), points (59), and power-play points (25) while leading the Kraken in assists and power-play production. He was selected to represent Seattle at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, becoming the third player in franchise history to earn that honor.
One of Bjorkstrand’s most memorable performances came in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he scored both goals in Seattle’s Game 7 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on April 30, 2023.
That feat made him just the 18th player in NHL history to score all of his team’s goals in a Game 7 win. He leaves Seattle with 141 points (56 goals, 85 assists) in 224 games, ranking among the top five in several franchise offensive categories.
Gourde, an original Kraken player selected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft from Tampa Bay, played 36 games this season, recording 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) and 36 penalty minutes. Over his 271-game tenure in Seattle, he ranked fourth in assists (94), points (146), and total games played, while placing sixth in goals (52).
Known for his defensive work, Gourde also leads the franchise in shorthanded points (8) and is second in shorthanded goals (4). In Seattle’s 2023 playoff run, he led the team in assists (9) and points (13) over 14 games.
The Kraken’s latest trade provides the organization with key draft assets while creating salary cap flexibility for future moves.
©2025 Cox Media Group
