Brandon Tanev has been traded to the Winnipeg Jets, per @DarrenDreger pic.twitter.com/QGuUSdVJVf
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 7, 2025
Ladies and gentlemen, fire up the mullets and prepare for some absolute chaos because Brandon Tanev is heading back to Winnipeg. That’s right, Seattle’s favorite bug-eyed lunatic has been traded to the Jets in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick. Somewhere in Manitoba, a die-hard fan is dusting off their old Tanev jersey, while some poor soul in Seattle is crying into a Starbucks cup.
For those of you living under a rock (or just not paying attention to the Kraken, which is completely understandable), Tanev has been a core piece of Seattle’s forward group since being swiped from Pittsburgh in the expansion draft. The dude plays like he’s being chased by a swarm of bees at all times, throws his body around like a crash-test dummy, and has a stare in his team headshots that suggests he’s either seeing the future or having an out-of-body experience.
Winnipeg fans already know what they’re getting. Tanev was a fan favorite during his time with the Jets from 2016-2019, where he perfected the art of grinding, penalty-killing, and looking like he just saw a ghost in every team picture. The dude plays with the energy of a guy who chugs like six Red Bulls before warm-ups and just lets it ride. If you need a guy to sprint into the zone, hammer a defenseman, and immediately go to the penalty box for “too much hustle,” Tanev is your guy.
For the Kraken, this move is probably just about getting something for a guy who was heading toward free agency anyway. A 2027 second-round pick is basically a scratch-off lottery ticket that you hope turns into something useful by the time AI refs are ruining the sport. For Winnipeg, they get a guy who will immediately inject life into their bottom six, kill penalties, and possibly set a new franchise record for most shocked expressions in a single season.
But the real winners here? The fans. Winnipeg gets back a lunatic who plays the game like he’s being controlled by someone mashing the speed burst button in NHL ’24, and the Kraken get a second-round pick to draft some kid who’s currently 15 years old. Circle of life.
Best of luck in Winnipeg, Turbo. May your stare forever haunt the league’s headshot database.
The Morning Skate 