Seattle Expansion Draft Prediction: Post Protection Lists

Earlier this month, I released my prediction for both the protection lists and expansion draft. Now that teams have submitted their protection lists and the NHL has approved them, there is a much clearer image of what could happen when Seattle GM Ron Francis takes the stage. There are a few surprising names that were left exposed. Among them are Carey Price, Vladimir Tarasenko, Vince Dunn, and several others. These are caused in part by several factors such as players having falling out with teams, bad contracts, or just teams prioritizing protecting younger players over veterans. It’s also worth noting that if Seattle drafts a player that’s a pending UFA, there is no guarantee that player signs with them. That’s why many teams aren’t protecting their unrestricted free agents because they can then use that protection slot for another player. This explains why other stars like Ryan Getzlaf, Dougie Hamilton, and Gabriel Landeskog have been left exposed . There’s a low chance that ll. wastes their selections on replayers they might not get to keep, but there’s a good possibility they take a few restricted free agents. With so many stars or former stars available, Seattle has a chance to build a solid foundation. It's possible that Seattle goes heavy with drafting big names, but I think it’s more likely that the Kraken take a mixture of well priced veterans and younger players with potential.

Key:

Indicates UFA

Indicates RFA

* = Player has a NMC and has waived it for the expansion draft

F= Forward

D= Defenseman

G= Goalie

Anaheim Ducks

Players available for selection:

Ryan Getzlaf (F), Adam Henrique (F), David Backes (F), Danton Heinen (F), Sonny Milano (F), Derek Grant (F), Carter Rowney (F), Vinni Lettieri (F), Andrew Agozzino (F), Sam Carrick (F), Chase De Leo (F), Andrew Poturalski (F), Alexander Volkov (F), Nick Sörensen (F), Kevin Shattenkirk (D), Haydn Fleury (D), Jacob Larsson (D), Brendan Guhle (D), Andy Welinski (D), Josh Mahura (D), Trevor Carrick (D), Anthony Stolarz (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Haydn Fleury (D)

Notes:

Fleury is a solid defenseman that will be a nice young piece to Seattle. While taking a good forward like Henrique could be a decent move, I think his cap hit and term on his contract makes it a little less enticing. Ryan Getzlaf could also be an option but there’s not a lot of security in that pick because he’s set to hit the open market.

Arizona Coyotes

Players available for selection:

Andrew Ladd (F), Tyler Pitlick (F), Derick Brassard (F), Christian Fischer (F), Brayden Burke (F), Tyler Steenbergen (F), John Hayden (F), Dryden Hunt (F), Michael Bunting (F), Hudson Fasching (F), Blake Speers (F), Lane Pederson (F), Michael Chaput (F), Frédérik Gauthier (F), Alex Goligoski (D), Niklas Hjalmarsson (D), Jason Demers (D), Jordan Oesterle (D), Ilya Lyubushkin (D), Jordan Gross (D), Cam Dineen (D), Aaron Ness (D), Dysin Mayo (D), Vili Saarijärvi (D), Antti Raanta (G), Josef Korenar (G), Marek Langhamer (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Christian Fischer (F)

Notes: The Coyotes don’t have a lot of quality players that aren’t UFAs here. Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Antti Raanta are solid players but their contracts are up so Seattle will likely look to draft a younger player or someone on a cheap contract. Christian Fischer fits this bill as he’s still young and could develop into a decent bottom 6 forward for the Kraken. A chance of scenery could help him revitalize his career.

Boston Bruins

David Krejci (F), Taylor Hall (F), Ondrej Kase (F), Nick Ritchie (F), Chris Wagner (F), Sean Kuraly (F), Curtis Lazar (F), Cameron Hughes (F), Joona Koppanen (F), Karson Kuhlman (F), Greg McKegg (F), Anton Bidh (F), Zach Senyshyn (F), Alexander Khokhlachev (F), Peter Cehlárik (F), Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (F), John Moore (D), Mike Reilly (D), Kevan Miller (D), Clifton Connor (D), Jérémy Lauzon (D), Steven Kampfer (D), Jakub Zboril (D), Jarred Tinordi (D), Linus Arnesson (D), Tuukka Rask (G), Jaroslav Halák (G), Callum Booth (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Nick Ritchie (F)

Notes:

Nick Ritchie not being protected came as somewhat of a surprise to me. He’s only 25 years old and has a load of potential. His point totals don’t jump out at you but he doesn’t get much ice time in Boston. If he can get closer to 18-20 minutes of ice time a game instead of just 15 I think there would be a good jump in his production. He could become a cornerstone player for Seattle if they give him the chance to prove himself.

Buffalo Sabres

Players available for selection:

*Jeff Skinner (F), Kyle Okposo (F), Cody Eakin (F), Zemgus Girgensons (F), Andrew Oglevie (F), Jean-Sébastien Dea (F), Steven Fogarty (F), Riley Sheahan (F), Drake Caggiula (F), C.J. Smith (F), Tobias Rieder (F), Colin Miller (D), Jake McCabe (D), William Borgen (D), Brandon Davidson (D), Matt Irwin (D), Carter Hutton (G), Dustin Tokarski (G), Michael Houser (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

William Borgen (D)

Notes:

Frankly, there aren’t many players of interest for Seattle to take. Many of the players are on bloated contracts, are free agents, or way past their prime. The only real selection here is William Borgen. Borgen is 24 and could prove to be a good bottom pairing or 7th Defenseman for the Kraken. Perhaps he could shine better with a better defensive partner if Seattle decides to take him

Calgary Flames

Players available for selection:

*Milan Lucic (F), Derek Ryan (F), Josh Leivo (F), Matthew Philips (F), Byron Froese (F), Glenn Gawdin (F), Zac Rinaldo (F), Justin Kirkland (F), Brett Ritchie (F), Buddy Robinson (F), Dominik Simon (F), Mark Giordano (D), Oliver Kylington (D), Michael Stone (D), Nikita Nesterov (D), Alex Petrovic (D), Tyler Parsons (G), Louis Dominque (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Mark Giordano (D)

Notes:

Initially, I thought the Kraken would pass on Mark Giordano’s talents in favor of Oliver Kylington because of Giordano’s age and cap hit. Some reports have surfaced, however, that Seattle is heavily interested in the Calgary Flames Captain. He’s still a very good defenseman and would provide veteran leadership to a group of players who won’t be used to playing with one another. If The Kraken really do draft Giordano, expect him to wear the “C” for their inaugural season.

Carolina Hurricanes

Players available for selection:

Nino Niederreiter (F), Brock McGinn (F), Jordan Martinook (F), Cédric Paquette (F), Morgan Geekie (F), Spencer Smallman (F), Steven Lorentz (F), Max McCormick (F), Sheldon Rempal (F), Dougie Hamilton (D), Jake Gardiner (D), Jake Bean (D), Jani Hakanpää (D), Maxime Lajoie (D), Roland McKeown (D), Eric Gelinas (D), James Reimer (G), Petr Mrázek (G), Jeremy Helvig (G), Dylan Wells (G), Antoine Bibeau (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Jake Bean (D)

Notes:

Before the news about Seattle being interested in Giordano surfaced, I had thought they would take Jake Gardiner here. With Gardiner’s contract it wouldn’t be easy to get both of them and resign their RFAs. So here I have Seattle taking Jake Bean, a young defenseman who doesn’t get enough playtime in Carolina due to a stacked defensive core. Bean has a ton of potential and he could add a lot to the Kraken down the road. He isn’t a finished product just yet, but with time he could realize his potential.

Chicago Blackhawks

Players available for selection:

Brett Connolly (F), Zack Smith (F), Ryan Carpenter (F), Vinnie Hinostroza (F), Adam Gaudette (F), Josh Dickinson (F), Brandon Pirri (F), John Quenneville (F), Calvin De Haan (D), Nikita Zadorov (D), Anton Lindholm (D), Collin Delia (G), Malcolm Subban (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Adam Gaudette (F)

Notes:

Adam Gaudette is a 24 year old center with q160 games under his belt. In those games, he has 52 points. His play doesn’t indicate he will be an all star but he seems to be a reliable bottom 6 guy for the future. He could even fill out the 3rd Center spot for Seattle depending on what depth they end up having after free agency.

Colorado Avalanche

Players available for selection:

Gabriel Landeskog (F), Brandon Saad (F), Joonas Donskoi (F), J.T. Compher (F), Matt Calvert (F), Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, T.J. Tynan (F), Sheldon Dries (F), Kiefer Sherwood (F), Travis Barron (F), Ty Lewis (F), Liam O’Brien (F), Michael Vecchione (F), Jayson Megna (F), Vladislav Kamenev (F), *Erik Johnson (D), Patrik Nemeth (D), Dennis Gilbert (D), Jacob MacDonald (D), Kyle Burroughs (D), Daniel Renouf (D), Devin Dubnyk (G), Hunter Miska (G), Jonas Johansson (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Travis Barron (F)

Notes:

Donskoi and Compher sounded like they might be good for Seattle but their cap hits are a little tough to swallow. The uncertainty surrounding Landeskog’s contract demands also mean he’s unlikely to be picked. If Seattle really wants him on their squad they can pursue him in free agency. Travis Barron is the puck for Seattle. He’s a young forward that could give several years worth of play for the Kraken. He’s looked solid in the AHL and he just needs extended NHL time to prove himself.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Max Domi (F), Mikhail Grigorenko (F), Kevin Stenlund (F), Zac Dalpe (F), Nathan Gerbe (F), Cliff Pu (F), Kole Sherwood (F), Stefan Mattheau (F), Ryan MacInnis (F), Calvin Thürkauf (F), Daniel Zaar (F), Dean Kukan (D), Scott Harrington (D), Gabriel Carlsson (D), Gavin Bayreuther (D), Adam Clendening (D), Michael Del Zotto (D), Cam Johnson (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Max Domi (F)

Notes:

After being traded to Columbus, Domi didn’t win the approval of then head coach John Tortorella. Domi had found his feet in Montreal again but lost it in Columbus. I think Seattle will give him another opportunity to prove the flashes of stardom were more than temporary. Domi is still relatively young and can reinvent himself for a brand new franchise looking for players to build around. I think it would be a perfect fit for both sides.

Dallas Stars

Players available for selection:

Andrew Cogliano (F), Blake Comeau (F), Adam Mascherin (F), Tanner Kero (F), Justin Dowling (F), Nicholas Caamano (F), Joel L’Esperance (F), Matej Stransky (F), Jamie Oleksiak (D), Sami Vatanen (D), Andrej Sekera (D), Benjamin Gleason (D), Mark Pysyk (D), Taylor Fedun (D), Julius Honka (D), Joel Hanley (D), Niklas Hansson (D), *Ben Bishop (G), Colton Point (G), Landon Bow (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Andrej Sekera (D)

Notes:

Andrej Sekera is nearing the end of his career but I believe he can still provide value for the Kraken. He could be a decent veteran depth defenseman. Seattle could also flip Sekera at the deadline for assets if they want to let some of their younger defenseman get ice time. Even though there are plenty of quality defenseman available, they can’t all play so some will have to be traded or sent down to the minors.

Detroit Red Wings

Players available for selection:

Frans Nielsen (F), Darren Helm (F), Valtteri Filppula (F), Vladislav Namestnikov (F), Luke Glendening (F), Bobby Ryan (F), Evgeny Svechnikov (F), Sam Gagner (F), Taro Hirose (F), Riley Barber (F), Hayden Verbeek (F), Dominic Turgeon (F), Turner Elson (F), Kyle Criscuolo (F), Marc Staal (D), Danny DeKeyser (D), Troy Stecher (D), Christian Djoos (D), Dennis Cholowski (D), Alex Biega (D), Dylan McIlrath (D), Joe Hicketts (D), Jonathan Bernier (G), Kevin Boyle (G), Calvin Pickard (G), Kaden Fulcher (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Troy Stecher (D)

Notes:

The Red Wings are another team with not many viable options for Seattle. They could invest in either Dennis Cholowski or Evgeny Svechnikov both of who were once highly rated prospects but haven’t panned out so far. Although, both have had glimpses of being NHL caliber players and there’s a possibility they could turn into contributors. Detroit did, however, leave Troy Stecher exposed. Stecher was easily Detroit’s best defenseman last season and he’s on a reasonable contract. He is a very capable bottom 4 defenseman and should be the easy pick for Seattle if they want to build to win sooner rather then later.

Edmonton Oilers

Players available for selection:

James Neal (F), Alex Chiasson (F), Kyle Turris (F), Jujhar Khaira (F), Tyler Ennis (F), Dominik Kahun (F), Cooper Marody (F), Tyler Benson (F), Alan Quine (F), Seth Griffith (F), Devin Shore (F), Joseph Gambardella (F), Patrick Russell (F), Bogdan Yakimov (F), Anton Slepyshev (F), Oscar Klefbom (D), Adam Larsson (D), Kris Russell (D), Tyson Barrie (D), Dimitry Kulikov (D), Slater Koekkoek (D), William Lagesson (D), Mikko Koskinen (G), Mike Smith (G), Alex Stalock (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Devin Shore (F)

Notes:

Here the Kraken take Devin Shore. He’s a semi-young Center who can help fill out a bottom 9 role for the team. He most likely won’t progress into anything crazy this late in his career but he could be a decent depth player with maybe some penalty kill time. The other option is Oscar Klefbom, but I’m not sure Seattle would be willing to pour more salary into their defensive core.

Florida Panthers

Players available for selection:

Frank Vatrano (F), Alexander Wennberg (F), Noel Acciari (F), Lucas Wallmark (F), Patrick Bajkov (F), Brad Morrison (F), Juho Lammikko (F), Ryan Lomberg (F), Scott Wilson (F), Aleksi Saarela (F), Anton Strålman (D), Brandon Montour (D), Markus Nutivaara (D), Radko Gudas (D), Lucas Carlsson (D), Tommy Cross (D), Ethan Prow (D), Brady Keeper (D), Kevin Connauton (D), Noah Juulsen (D), Chris Driedger (G), Philippe Desrosiers (G), Samuel Montembeault (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Chris Driedger (G)

Notes:

For most upcoming UFAs, Seattle won’t risk taking them without having contract talks beforehand. And it’s been reported that Chris Driedger and Seattle have been in heavy conversations. They have agreed on $3.5 million 3 year extension for Driedger once he is selected in the expansion draft. This is a great deal for the Kraken as Driedger is a solid goaltender and could potentially be their starter for a few seasons.

Los Angeles Kings

Players available for selection:

Brendan Lemieux (F), Andreas Athanasiou (F), Austin Wagner (F), Blake Lizotte (F), Bokondji Imama (F), Drake Rymsha (F), Carl Grundström (F), Martin Frk (F), Michael Eyssimont (F), Matt Luff (F), Olli Määttä (D), Christian Wolanin (D), Kurtis MacDermid (D), Kale Clague (D), Austin Strand (D), Jacob Moverare (D), Mark Alt (D), Daniel Brickley (D), Jonathan Quick (G), Troy Grosenick (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Andreas Athanasiou (F)

Notes:

While Seattle could benefit from a veteran goaltender like Jonathan Quick, his cap situation makes him less then desirable. And his play in recent years adds even more concerns for the former Stanley Cup Champion. Instead, the Kraken should draft Andreas Athanasiou. AA is still young and has been great with the Kings. His time in Detroit is really where Seattle hopes he can return to and I think that’s entirely possible if he gets the playtime. He would be a great 2nd or 3rd line forward for the Kraken should they take him.

Minnesota Wild

Players available for selection:

Marcus Johansson (F), Nick Bonino (F), Victor Rask (F), Nick Bjugstad (F), Will Bitten (F), Mason Shaw (F), Dmitry Sokolov (F), Joseph Cramarossa (F), Gabriel Dumont (F), Luke Johnson (F), Kyle Rau (F), Ian Cole (D), Carson Soucy (D), Brad Hunt (D), Matt Bartkowski (D), Ian McCoshen (D), Dakota Mermis (D), Louis Belpedio (D), Brennan Menell (D), Kaapo Kähkönen (G), Andrew Hammond (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Kaapo Kähkönen (G)

Notes:

Here the Kraken take their second goaltender. Kähkönen can be a solid backup or AHL goalie for the time being. He’s only 24 so he could develop more but there’s no guarantee he has starter potential. He has a career .904 Save % and 2.90 GAA in two seasons. Not great numbers but also not the worse. If he could become a solid backup that would be a huge addition for the Kraken.

Montreal Canadiens

Players available for selection:

Jonathan Drouin (F), Tomas Tatar (F), Paul Byron (F), Philip Danault (F), Eric Staal (F), Jordan Weal (F), Michael Frolik (F), Corey Perry (F), Michael Pezzetta (F), Laurent Dauphin (F), Joseph Blandisi (F), Lukas Vejdemo (F), Brandon Baddock (F), Charles Hudon (F), Shea Weber (D), Brett Kulak (D), Erik Gustafsson (D), Jon Merrill (D), Cale Fleury (D), Gustav Olofsson (D), Xavier Ouellet (D), *Carey Price (G), Charlie Lindgren (G), Michael McNiven (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Jonathan Drouin (F)

Notes:

All eyes are on Montreal right now as Shea Weber and Carey Price both have serious injuries that could keep them sidelined for some time. As a result, they have been left unprotected in the expansion draft. Many people believe that Seattle will select Carey Price, but I don’t think Ron Francis wants to take on Price’s contract for another half decade. He has been stellar the last two postseasons but he has been very inconsistent in the regular season for years. He just screams risk to me so I would take Jonathan Drouin. Drouin is still young and has plenty of years of production left in his career. His contract isn’t bad for a player who is usually good for 40 points or more a season. I think he’s the obvious choice if I’m the Kraken just because of Weber and Price’s injuries/contracts.

Nashville Predators

Players available for selection:

Matt Duchene (F), Ryan Johansen (F), Mikael Granlund (F), Colton Sissons (F), Rocco Grimaldi (F), Calle Järnkrok (F), Erik Haula (F), Nick Cousins (F), Brad Richardson (F), Rem Pitlick (F), Anthony Richard (F), Yakov Trenin (F), Sean Malone (F), Michael Carcone (F), Michael McCarron (F), Erik Gudbranson (D), Mark Borowiecki (D), Matthew Benning (D), Frédéric Allard (D), Ben Harpur (D), Tyler Lewington (D), Josh Healey (D), Pekka Rinne (G), Connor Ingram (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Calle Järnkrok (F)

Notes:

There are plenty of options for Seattle here the only question is how much more salary are they willing to pay. Calle Järnkrok seems like the right choice here. He’s not too expensive and he’s a .42 PPG career player. He’s an underrated forward that can help boost production for the Kraken out of the game and they could flip him for assets if they want draft capital. He will have no shortage of suitors and he could fetch a decent hall.

New Jersey Devils

Andreas Johnsson (F), Nick Merkley (F), Marian Studenic (F), Ben Street (F), Brandon Gignac (F), Nathan Bastian (F), Brett Seney (F), AJ Greer (F), Christoph Bertschy (F), Ivan Khomutov (F), P.K. Subban (D), Ryan Murray (D), Will Butcher (D), Connor Carrick (D), David Quenneville (D), Matt Tennyson (D), Josh Jacobs (D), Colton White (D), Colby Sissons (D), Aaron Dell (G), Evan Cormier (G), Scott Wedgewood (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Will Butcher (D)

Notes:

Butcher can be a pretty lockdown defensive defenseman at times. He is someone you want on the penalty kill and who can eat minutes if you need him too. He will likely be a bottom 4 pairing defenseman with a lot of penalty kill time. Every team could use a player like Will Butcher.

New York Islanders

Jordan Eberle (F), Josh Bailey (F), Casey Cizikas (F), Leo Komarov (F), Travis Zajac (F), Kyle Palmieri (F), Richard Pánik (F), Ross Johnston (F), Kieffer Bellows (F), Otto Koivula (F), Austin Czarnik (F), Cole Bardreau (F), Tanner Fritz (F), Michael Dal Colle (F), Dmytro Timashov (F), Joshua Ho-Sang (F), Thomas Hickey (D), Braydon Coburn (F), Mitch Vande Sompel (D), Parker Wotherspoon (D), Sebastian Aho (D), Andy Greene (D), Ken Appleby (G), Cory Schneider (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Josh Bailey (F)

Notes:

Josh Bailey is a solid half a point per game player and will be a great top 6 forward for Seattle. He is making $5.0 Million the next several years which isn’t bad and he can provide some much needed offense. Bailey will also bring veteran leadership and there’s a good chance he will be an alternate captain if he is selected by Seattle.

New York Rangers

Barclay Goodrow (F), Julien Gauthier (F), Ty Ronning (F), Anthony Greco (F), Tim Gettinger (F), Colin Blackwell (F), Jonny Brodzinski (F), Gabriel Fontaine (F), Philip Di Giuseppe (F), Anthony Deangelo (D), Brendan Smith (D), Jack Johnson (D), Anthony Bitetto (D), Mason Geersten (D), Nick DeSimone (F), Brandon Crawley (F), Darren Raddysh (F), Keith Kincaid (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Julien Gauthier (F)

Notes:

There aren’t a lot of choices here since a lot of the Ranger’s best players are young so Seattle will more then likely select Blackwell or Gauthier. For me the tiebreaker between the two is age. Gauthier is 23 while Blackwell is 28. Gauthier probably won’t turn into a high end forward but the possibility of it is usually something you want to gamble on with these young guns.

Ottawa Senators

Players available for selection:

Derek Stepan (F), Evgeni Dadonov (F), Artem Anisimov (F), Chris Tierney (F), Ryan Dzingel (F), Jonathan Davidsson (F), Zachary Magwood (F), Jack Kopacka (F), Vitaly Abramov (F), Logan Shaw (F), Micheal Haley (F), Michael Amadio (F), Clarke Bishop (F), J.C. Beaudin (F), Matthew Peca (F), Joshua Brown (D), Cody Goloubef (D), Mikael Wikstrand (D), Matt Murray (G), Joey Daccord (G), Anton Forsberg (G), Marcus Högberg (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Chris Tierney (F)

Notes:

Chris Tierney and Evgeni Dadonov are the two logical choices here. By this point Seattle will be getting more selective in terms of how much salary they take on by this point in the draft. Just for that reason I think Tierney is the right choice as he’s similar in talent to Dadonov. He should be a good top 6 option for Seattle and there’s always the potential of flipping him for assets.

Philadelphia Flyers

Players available for selection:

Jakub Voracek (F), James van Riemsdyk (F), German Rubtsov (F), Pascal Laberge (F), Carsen Twarynski (F), David Kase (F), Andy Andreoff (F), Connor Bunnaman (F), Samuel Morin (F), Mikhail Vorobyov (F), Shayne Gostisbehere (D), Justin Braun (D), Robert Hägg (D), Derrick Pouliot (D), Tyler Wotherspoon (D), Nate Prosser (D), Chris Bigras (D), Brian Elliott (G), Felix Sandström (G), Alex Lyon (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Jakub Voracek (F)

Notes:

Initially, I thought Seattle would select James van Riemsdyk because he has a shorter and cheaper contract. However, there are rumblings that Philadelphia is trying to get Seattle to take Voracek to get his salary off the books. Philadelphia’s first round pick and more seem to be in play to try to convince the Kraken to lend a favor to the Flyers. Voracek is still a solid player so if the Kraken can get him and assets, that would be a big addition for Ron Francis.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Players available for selection:

Jason Zucker (F), Brandon Tanev (F), Colton Sceviour (F), Zach Aston-Reese (F), Sam Lafferty (F), Anthony Angello (F), Frédérick Gaudreau (F), Mark Jankowski (F), Sam Miletic (F), Evan Rodrigues (F), Pontus Åberg (F), Marcus Pettersson (D), Cody Ceci (D), Juuso Riikola (D), Jesper Lindgren (D), Mark Friedman (D), Chad Ruhwedel (D), Kevin Czuczman (D), Andrey Pedan (D), Casey DeSmith (G), Maxime Lagacé (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Marcus Pettersson (D)

Notes:

Pettersson can be a good addition for the Kraken. He’s a solid defenseman that can play bottom pairing minutes well. I am concerned about the term of his contract though. If he regresses the back end of that contract could be painful for the Kraken so they will have to decide if the risk is worth it.

San Jose Sharks

Players available for selection:

Ryan Donato (F), Marcus Sörensen (F), Alex True (F), Jayden Hailbgewachs (F), Maxim Letunov (F), Dylan Gambrell (F), Patrick Marleau (F), Matt Nieto (F), Kurtis Gabriel (F), Greg Pateryn (F), Radim Simek (D), Christian Jaros (D), Jacob Middleton (D), Nicolas Meloche (D), Martin Jones (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Ryan Donato (F)

Notes:

Donato is a forward looking to break out in the coming seasons. He’s hovering at just under a 41 point pace each year and I think he can surpass that. He may take a little bit of time but he’s still in his 20s so there’s time. Donato may not become a first line player but Seattle will need good depth too and I think he provides that.

St. Louis Blues

Players available for selection:

Vladimir Tarasenko (F), Jaden Schwartz (F), Tyler Bozak (F), Mike Hoffman (F), Zachary Sanford (F), Samuel Blais (F), Kyle Clifford (F), Mackenzie MacEachern (F), Tanner Kaspick (F), Sam Anas (F), Jacob De La Rose (F), Nolan Stevens (F), Curtis McKenzie (F), Nathan Walker (F), Austin Polanski (F), Marco Scandella (D), Vince Dunn (D), Robert Bortuzzo (D), Niko Mikkola (D), Mitch Reinke (D), Jake Walman (D), Steven Santini (D), Petteri Lindbohm (D), Evan Fitzpatrick (G), Ville Husso (G), Jon Gillies (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Vince Dunn (D)

Notes:

I realize Vladimir Tarasenko was once one of the best goal scorers in the NHL at one time, but I just see a lot of risk in picking him. He’s dealing with injuries and his cap hit is quite a bit if he doesn’t pan out to be the player he used to be. It is possible that Seattle drafts him and then tries to flip him to a team like the Flyers immediately after. However, if they can’t work out a trade before they have to submit their picks, I would take Vince Dunn. Dunn is a very good and young defenseman. He would be an absolute steal here and I think he has a better chance of giving Seattle long term gains.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Players available for selection:

Ondrej Palat (F), Yanni Gourde (F), Tyler Johnson (F), Alex Killorn (F), Blake Coleman (F), Patrick Maroon (F), Boris Katchouk (F), Taylor Raddysh (F), Otto Somppi (F), Alex Barré-Boulet (F), Mitchell Stephens (F), Mathieu Joseph (F), Cristoval Nieves (F), Gemel Smith (F), Ross Colton (F), Daniel Walcott (F), Luke Witkowski (F), Jan Rutta (D), David Savard (D), Cal Foote (D), Luke Schenn (D), Fredrik Claesson (D), Brian Lashoff (D), Sean Day (D), Ben Thomas (D), Andreas Borgman (D), Dominik Masin (D), Spencer Martin (G), Curtis McElhinney (G), Christopher Gibson (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Yanni Gourde (F)

Notes:

Seattle has a great few guys to decide between here and I don’t envy having to make that decision. Personally, I believe Seattle takes Yanni Gourde or Tyler Johnson. Gourde is a tough player and can add some grit to the Kraken. He’s also a great contributor from the 2nd or 3rd line which is hard to find in the NHL. If I’m Ron Francis, Gourde is a no brained pick for me.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Players available for selection:

Alexander Kerfoot (F), Jared McCann (F), Riley Nash (F), Zach Hyman (F), Wayne Simmons (F), Nick Foligno (F), Pierre Engvall (F), Alex Galchenyuk (F), Stefan Noesen (F), Nicolas Petan (F), Joey Anderson (F), Kenny Agostino (F), Adam Brooks (F), Jason Spezza (F), Joe Thornton (F), Scott Sabourin (F), Denis Malgin (F), Zach Bogosian (D), Ben Hutton (D), Travis Dermott (D), Calle Rosén, Frederik Anderson (G), David Rittich (G), Michael Hutchinson (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Alexander Kerfoot (F)

Notes:

Here Seattle will either take Kerfoot or McCann. Both are solid depth guys that can be contributors. There was a leaked video of Seattle announcing they had selected Alexander Kerfoot. So him and Driedger are the first Krakens selected that we know about.

Vancouver Canucks

Players available for selection:

Loui Eriksson (F), Brandon Sutter (F), Sven Baertschi (F), Jay Beagle (F), Antoine Roussel (F), Jake Virtanen (F), Jimmy Vesey (F), Kole Lind (F), Lukas Jasek (F), Petrus Palmu (F), Zack MacEwen (F), Jayce Hawryluk (F), Jonah Gadjovich (F), Justin Bailey (F), Matthew Highmore (F), Tyler Graovac (F), Travis Boyd (F), Alexander Edler (D), Madison Bowey (D), Travis Hanonic (D), Ashton Sautner (D), Guillaume Brisebois (D), Jalen Chatfield (D), Josh Teves (D), Brogan Rafferty (D), Braden Holtby (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Kole Lind (F)

Notes:

This is where the Kraken are once again looking for some talent for the future. Kole Lind isn’t going to be a superstar but if he can be a gritty bottom 6 forward the. I think he would help the Kraken a lot. Really the other option here is Braden Holtby if the team is looking for a decent backup or to have Holtby split starts with Driedger.

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin (F), Carl Hagelin (F), Garnet Hathaway (F), Michael Raffl (F), Axel Jonsson-Fjällby (F), Nic Dowd (F), Garret Pilon (F), Conor Sheary (F), Brian Pinho (F), Michael Sgarbossa (F), Shane Gersixh (F), Daniel Carr (F), Justin Schultz (D), Brendan Dillon (D), Nick Jensen (D), Michal Kempny (D), Zdeno Chara (D), Cameron Schilling (D), Paul LaDue (D), Lucas Johansen (D), Pheonix Copley (G), Vitek Vanecek (G), Craig Anderson (G), Zachary Fucale (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Vitek Vanecek (G)

Notes:

This is when Seattle gets its third required goaltender in Vanecek. He was solid last season for the most part, his GAA could use a little work but other than that not bad. Vitek is only 25 years old and his best playing days are in front of him if he wants to earn that backup spot for the Seattle Kraken.

Winnipeg Jets

Players available for selection:

Paul Stastny (F), Mathieu Perreault (F), Mason Appleton (F), Nate Thompson (F), Trevor Lewis (F), Skyler McKenzie (F), Jansen Harkins (F), C.J. Suess, Marko Dano (F), Dominic Toninato (F), Dylan DeMelo (D), Jordie Benn (D), Nathan Beaulieu (D), Derek Forbot (D), Tucker Poolman (D), Luke Green (D), Nelson Nogier (D), Sami Niku (D), Mikhail Berdin (G), Laurent Brossoit (G), Eric Comrie (G), Cole Kehler (G)

Seattle Kraken Select:

Mason Appleton (F)

Notes:

With their final pick, the Seattle Kraken select Mason Appleton. They add a little bit more youthful depth for the future. Appleton is again one of those guys who won’t be a star but he could be a decent player for the Kraken. They could potentially look at a goaltender here instead like Kehler or Comrie.