After years of speculative protection lists and reading hundreds of mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Drafts, it is your turn to predict who the Kraken will select! This is your chance to fill out an Expansion Draft roster based on the actual protection list that was published on Sunday.
The concept is simple. Pick one player on every team, and the fan that has the most accurate draft based on what the Kraken actually select will win “valuable prizes” (or just a t-shirt).
To help you with navigating the players available, I have made an Expansion Draft tool kit for you to reference when selecting your team.
Use the survey below to submit your own mock Seattle Expansion Draft:
Done and Done!
I sent in my picks, but it doesn’t allow for side deals, of which there could be as many as three to four. I could see Philly, Toronto and T.B. wanting to do side deals, for sure, but I had to pick and choose with what I was dealt. I was torn on some, like with the Devils, with Bastian and Suban and my choice was Suban, with one year left on that contract. Boston was between Richie and Lauzon and I selected the defender. The Isles came down to Bailey or Bellows and I selected Bellows, because of his youth and upside. Philly was JVR, but there were a couple others there, I could have selected and I think a side deal could be had. I took Tarasenko from S.L., although Dunn is attractive. IF healthy, Tarasenko could be a steal. T.B. is ripe for a side deal. I selected Gourde, but they will want to get Johnson off their books, so the kraken could very well walk out of there with Johnson, one other good player and possibly a pick or two. Toronto may not want to loose McCann and work out a side deal, but I would hold firm on McCann, because he has so much upside. Remember, he was down the depth chart in Pittsburg and when Malkin was out, McCann filled in very well. Plus he plays with sand and mines gold along the boards. I was torn between Gauthier and Blackwell, but chose Gauthier because of his speed and potential and Wilson is familiar with him. Blackwell plays with determination and is versatile, but he’s a Ranger through and through and may not play the same here. He was motivated, playing at home in NY. Carolina was a tough one, lots to choose from there, but I took the young Jake Bean, because he could work his way into a top pairing D.
Great Resource, John! Thanks!
Done. Took P.k. Subban, since $9 mil in cap space next offseason will be nice after you’ve seen your team on the ice for a year. Had to pass on Bean in Carolina and took Niederreiter for his goal-scoring. I have enough other young D, but need a scorer.
Took Foote off of Tampa, since I don’t believe you take a contract off of Tampa without them giving you something else. Ideally Foote is that price for taking one of their contracts off their hands.
Took 5 goalies. Price, DeSmith, Subban, Kahkonen, Vanecek. Flip a couple, and you have younger guys to eventually take the reins from Price. I think Carey would do well here after getting out of Montreal. The team has usually been mediocre in front of him, the media there is way tougher on him than it would be here, along with the fresh slate here and being to closer to home.
Price is my only contract that goes beyond next season. A lot of guys with something to prove, and a new environment to try to do it. If they succeed, they become part of the future. If not, you’re not on the hook for long.
That was fun! I can’t wait for tomorrow and this weekend’s picks, go Kraken! Cheers