Seattle Kraken acquires Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks
The Seattle Kraken acquired defenseman Jaycob Megna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick.
Megna, 30, has played 48 games this season with the San Jose Sharks. He scored one goal and 12 points with a +6 differential. The 6’6, 220-pound defenseman ranked 27th on Frank Seravalli’s most recent trade target chart.
Megna played most of the season in the best duo with Erik Karlsson. He averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time per night in San Jose and made up half of the pair that had an xGoals of 54.3%. It was the first full season of Megna’s NHL career. He played 87 games in four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and Sharks, respectively.
The 30-year-old is a decent defenseman who doesn’t back down to opposing NHL talent. He probably won’t play many, if any, minutes down the stretch in Seattle. As a southpaw, Megna sits behind Vince Dunn, Jamie Oleksiak and Carson Soucy on the left side of Kraken’s d-core. He’s an insurance option for Seattle if one of their most established defensemen gets hurt between now and the playoffs.
The Sharks currently have two 2023 fourth-round picks, one of their own and one from the Colorado Avalanche. Under the terms of the trade, the Sharks can choose which of the two fourth-round picks they want by June 15, 2023.
The Sharks are a rebuilding team that no longer needed Megna on their roster. Rotation and trading started early for them with nearly a month to go until the March 3 trade deadline. They currently sit second to last in the Pacific Division with a 15-25-11 record.
The Kraken are looking to strengthen every part of their roster for the potential first playoff series in franchise history. They have a 29-15-15 record and are in first place in their division.
