The Seattle Kraken began Day 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft Saturday with the sixth pick in the second round (No. 38), but they didn’t wait that long to grab a player they had highly rated on their board. The Kraken traded their two second-round picks (Nos. 38 and 57) to Philadelphia for pick No. 36 and a third-round pick (No. 68). The trade may have been an ever-so-slight overpay based on our trade market value chart, but Seattle got a hulking, right-shot defenseman in Blake Fiddler that few anticipated to still be on the board at this point in the draft. By trading, Seattle effectively jumped over Philadelphia and Washington, one of which took another right-shot defenseman in Carter Amico.
At the top of the third round, Seattle then took another defenseman in Will Reynolds at No. 68 overall. What are the Kraken getting in Fiddler and Reynolds? Let’s dive in.
Round 2, Pick 36: Blake Fiddler, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 209 | Shot: Right
Big Board: 27th | Data Score: 33.74 (94th) | Games: 64 | Goals: 10 | Assists: 23 | PPG: .52
With the No. 36 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Seattle Kraken selected defenseman Blake Fiddler from the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound, native Tennessean brings a physical element, as well as strong speed and agility for his size. He also has NHL experience in the family; his father Vernon Fiddler played 14 years in the NHL as a forward for the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, among other teams.
Beyond size, speed, and bloodlines, Blake Fiddler brings significant upside as a shutdown top-four defenseman. “With three-zone skills and unusual mobility for a player this size, it’s impossible not to see Fiddler’s potential,” says Elite Prospects. “In a single shift, he dangles through the opposition for an entry, blows up an opposing rush, and then stretches the ice with a long-range breakout pass while fending off pressure. … Fiddler is highly creative, manipulating defenders with fakes before pulling the puck through them, beating them off the point, drawing pressure before passing through them on the breakout, and patiently waiting for the perfect lane to open. Many plays don’t quite click, but that he’s willing to experiment and push bodes well for his future.”
For his part, Fiddler compared his own game to Moritz Seider in a post-draft press conference with the Seattle media.
The defenseman scored 10 goals and added 23 assists in 64 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings, a .52 point-per-game pace. His 33 points ranked fifth among all first-time eligible WHL defensemen in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Fiddler was viewed by most scouts as a late-first-round talent. He was No. 27 overall on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. Of the sources we gathered, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News was the highest on Fiddler, ranking him No. 17 overall. Elite Prospects had him ranked No. 23 overall, and McKeen’s had him at No. 22.
What Fiddler does for Seattle is fill a glaring hole in the Kraken organization: a blueliner who could conceivably fill a top-pair role for the team once the current NHL players atop the depth chart start to age out. He may not project as a true offensive No. 1, but his all-around profile could compliment a more offense-oriented pair partner. The Kraken have a number of intriguing defense prospects, from Caden Price to Tyson Jugnauth, but each projects into more of a support or one-way role at this point. If it all comes together, Fiddler could be an alpha on the blue line long term.
If he’s going to reach his upside, the hockey sense and consistency needs to develop, “particularly reading the play,” says Elite Prospects. “Achieving a top shutdown projection will require better timing on his pivots, a consistently tight gap, and more physicality. An occasional lack of awareness and a plethora of miscues with possession will have to be cleaned up to translate his puck-moving to the NHL, too.”
As a July, 2007 birthday, Fiddler is a young draft entry. There is a long development runway ahead. We should not expect Fiddler on the roster in the next couple years, but his frame and style of play could have him knocking at the door thereafter if things coalesce quickly for him.
Round 3, Pick 68: Will Reynolds, D, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 192 | Shot: Left
Big Board: 137th | Data Score: 11.74 (1995th) | Games: 64 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 10 | PPG: .22
For the second-straight draft, the Kraken departed from (some) public analyst consensus to select a QMJHL defenseman whose calling card is defensive play at the top of the third round. Last year it was Alexis Bernier. This year it is Reynolds, a young (August, 2007 birthday), big and mobile left-shot defenseman.
“There’s potential for growth in Will Reynolds’ game,” says Elite Prospects. “One of the youngest players in the draft, with room to fill out, Reynolds already boasts a few professional-level defensive abilities. Reading opposing breakouts and timing himself with the play, he pinches on opponents as they receive the puck, nullifying rushes. His aggressive approach does lead to some misses, but Reynolds has the edgework needed to catch up to attackers and push them to the outside anyway.”
The defenseman scored four goals and added 10 assists in 64 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. In 2021, the Kraken selected Jacob Melanson out of Acadie-Bathurst.
Reynolds was viewed by most scouts as a mid-round talent, checking in at No. 137 on the Big Board. McKeen’s thought Reynolds should be picked in this range, ranking him No. 75 overall. NHL Central Scouting had Reynolds No. 63 among North American skaters.
“The next step for Reynolds is developing his puck-moving game,” says Elite Prospects. “He can separate opponents from the puck, but extends his time spent defending when he can’t pass it around the forecheck to open teammates. If he can develop his poise, handling, and passing skills, he could become a bottom-pairing NHL insulator.”
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Seattle has two picks left in the 2025 NHL Draft, one in the fifth round (No. 134) and one in the seventh round (No. 198). Seattle added a creative, right-shot center on Day 1 in Jake O’Brien. The team then added size, mobility, and defensive upside to the prospect pool on Day 2 with Fiddler and Reynolds.
What do you think of the picks? Any players you’d have preferred to see Seattle select? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or BluSky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
I these cases, time will only tell because they are youngest and it takes time to develop young talent at defensemen
Now these are some exciting picks, and they satisfy my jones for defenseman prospects. They’re both long-term projects that are full of promise, kind of like Ryker Evans was. I know that folks are thinking that Reynolds in particular was a reach, but so was Evans. Botterill would not have picked him if the scouts hadn’t seen something that they liked in the kid. The second round is a good time to go for those swings at high upside, I imagine.
I believe a lot of times when fans believe picks are reach, they are basing that on poor information. A few players are likely to be graded comparatively poorly in the public arena compared to how teams view them. If the Kraken thought they could have got Reynolds significantly later in the draft, they likely trade out of the pick.
Wish we had more picks, but I’m happy with the guys they took. Hopefully not getting a top 5 pick, like we seemed destined to for a while, won’t be a sore point when looking back on this draft.
Even though we didn’t get a top 5 pick, Jake O’Brien is arguably top 5 material. 6’2, RH C (which also means he can play wing) with elite play making potential. Second to Schaefer, he was the youngest guy in the top 8. He is 8 months younger than Martone, for example. 8 months of development for a 17-18 year old is a lot of time.
There is going to be quite a logjam at RD potentially, as the prospect list there is long: Ottavainen, Nelson, Dragicevic, Hammell, Bernier, Fiddler, Agafonov, and Annborn, in addition to Fleury. At LD, they only have Price, Jugnauth, Fibigir, and Reynolds.
With Oleksiak likely gone at the trade deadline, organizationally they seem a bit short on the left side, leaving a left side of Dunn, Evans, Mahura, which does not feel anywhere strong enough and only Price seems like a potential NHLer in the future. So what comes next to address that need?
Also, did not see a goalie drafted for the first time. Certainly looks like they have three good prospects in Kokko, Saarninen, and Vyanovoy, so I am wondering if this is a statement that they believe the G pipeline is good for now?
I would think that Dunn, Evans, and Mahura are all young enough to have several good years to hold down the left side. They are all either in their primes or just entering it in the case of Evans. To your second question, at a press conference today Botterill was asked that very question about not taking a goaltender, and he responded that he thinks that the goalie prospects already in the system are looking quite good at the moment. It sounded to me like a very positive assessment of the development of Saarinen, Vyazovoy, and Kokko. He mentioned that he expects this to be Vyazovoy’s last season in the KHL before moving to North America, which is not surprising given the remarkable season he just had in Ufa as the backup goaltender.
We don’t have to use a prospect on the left, given the other ways you can get players. In any case, I don’t know how Oleksiak is likely gone at the trade deadline when the season doesn’t get underway until October and no one knows what’s going to happen. The nearer possibility is Oleksiak gets traded to New York in some kind of deal for K’Andre Miller before the season starts.
Speaking of defensemen…
With the Islanders having a new GM who traded away Dobson for a prospect and two firsts in this draft… is the rebuild on in New York? If so, is Barzal available? If he is, should the Kraken be in on him?
He missed most of last season with injuries, but it sounds like he’s fully recovered. Under Lambert he was near a point a game player and his on-ice GF% of 61.97 (all situations) and 59.20 (5v5) both led the team.
He turned 28 one month ago and has six years remaing at $9.15m.
The fit would seem to be on the right side considering how loaded Seattle is down the middle, but again, you can never have too many centers. If the Isles are truly retooling, the price might be heavy on picks which is something the Kraken are in a position to do.
I like the idea of possibly looking into adding Barzal at the understanding it would be at some sort of cost for sure. I’ve always liked his play and think he could be a great fit for the Kraken!
He also seemed to really click under Lambert in the past.
Go Kraken!!!
From the Athletic Hockey Show Prospects Series – Corey Pronman and Max Bultman:
Max: We’re going to play a little game here. I want each of you to tell me the pick you loved the most on Day 2 of the draft. Corey, we’ll start with you.
Corey: Mine would probably be Blake Fiddler, who Seattle took in the first 10 picks of the second round (No. 36). He was a guy we thought could have gone in the late first but he didn’t end up going that high, and I think teams were pretty concerned about his hockey sense. But I still see a 6-foot-4 — and at the combine he actually measured closer to 6-foot-5 — mobile defenseman who I thought was one of the USA’s better players at the World U18 Championships. He’s not super physical but he competes well enough, and there’s enough skill there that I see a path for him to become a four or five defenseman in the league.
I think Seattle made the right decision taking Jake O’Brien at eight and not going to a Radim Mrtka or a Jackson Smith, because that would have been a significant drop-off in talent. But after that when you look at the system, there is a desperate need for a top defense prospect. And I’m not saying he’s a premier defense prospect, but he’s something they really needed. So they got a fit on need, and on talent for me it was a really good spot to get him because I think he’s going to play in the NHL.