3 Game Essentials | Kraken at Jets | May 1

One: The Long View, Trading Places

Those March trades were predominantly about acquiring draft capital for GM Ron Francis and the scouting staff with 12 picks this year, 13 next year and nine picks in 2024. Right now, the Kraken have five picks in the top two rounds of this summer's NHL Draft.
But Francis did acquire two players, Daniel Sprong and Victor Rask, at the deadline. Both have produced for the Kraken as the team played .500 hockey for the past month. Rask has four goals and four assists, Sprong has bagged five goals. Of the players traded, Marcus Johansson has three while Mark Giordano and Mason Appleton have scored two apiece. Overall, Sprong and Rask have scored nine goals to the traded group's eight. It should be noted that Giordano is flourishing on the Toronto blue line with 10 assists in 20 games.

Two: Gourde Encore

Kraken supporters voted in center Yanni Gourde to receive the inaugural Fan Favorite award. After Friday's win, Gourde was effusive, as per usual, about the level of fan support and decibels. He was also asked about getting the fan fave nod when lots of his teammates are popular too.
"I'm not trying to do that," said Gourde, grinning slightly. "I guess it's the way I play, the way I smile at opponents [after a scrap] more times than not. It means a lot. I plan to keep doing that next year. It's the way we play."

Three: Winnipeg Jets (38-32-11, sixth in Central Division, did not make playoffs)

Long-time Jets coach Paul Maurice stepped down earlier in the season, citing his rationale as the players needing a different voice. The resignation didn't pan out the way Maurice hoped with assistant Dave Lowry stepping in. The Jets record is 22-20-6 since the coaching change.
Former Kraken forward Mason Appleton has two goals and an assist in 18 games. He scored in Winnipeg's 3-1 home win over Calgary Friday. The Jets are on a three-game winning streak.