It is very common for NHL trades to include clauses on draft picks. A fifth-round pick can become a fourth if the team that received the main piece goes deep in the playoffs, or if that player hits a certain benchmark in goals or points. While there are tons of possibilities, the one included in a trade between the New York Rangers and Seattle Kraken is possibly the first ever in the NHL that involved a player not suiting up for either team.
Alex Wennberg, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, was traded from the Kraken to the Rangers for a couple of draft picks, while Seattle retains 50 percent of his salary. The Rangers gave up a second round pick this year, and a fifth rounder next year to get Wennberg into the fold. However, Seattle has an opportunity to make the fifth a third round pick if a player that isn't on either team can hit a certain bench mark in points this season.
To clarify, Lundkvist is a former first-round pick of the New York Rangers, who's been playing for the Dallas Stars since being traded there in 2022. The return for Lundkvist was a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick.
If you're wondering what kind of chance the Kraken have of landing the third-rounder, very little would be the best way to put it. Lundkvist has played 45 games for the Stars this season, and he's a very good defenceman still developing his game. However, with 2 goals and 15 points so far in 2023-24, he would have to go on quite a run to hit 55 points in the final 18 games Dallas has left in the season.
