With that in mind, let’s veer off the ice and into the minutiae of game presentation for some of the most important decisions the club will make before its first game: selecting the correct arena music.
After going without fans – or few fans in some cases – in NHL arenas for more than a year, generating maximum energy in home rinks will be vital components to team success next season. We know Seattle fans can be loud, but a good soundtrack will help produce a top-notch sports atmosphere when the Kraken hit the ice.
Certain songs are inextricably associated with sports teams, producing a signature sound that defines a club and becomes a part of their identities. “Gloria” became the St. Louis Blues’ victory song after it represented a key moment in their turnaround from last place team to Stanley Cup champions in 2019. Every visiting team loathes to hear “Chelsea Dagger” play in Chicago because it means the Blackhawks scored again. Manchester City fans sing “Hey Jude” before games and after victories at Etihad Stadium. “Sweet Caroline” gets Boston Red Sox fans singing along in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. West Ham has “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.”
While we trust the folks at KEXP to be up to the task, Sound of Hockey’s writers have some sound opinions about what the Kraken should play for their pregame introductions, goal celebrations, victory revelry and more.
Everyone appreciates good music curation. Consider this to be a carefully crafted mixtape we’re sharing with you. So let us know what you think of our playlists in the comments area at the bottom of this page, and tell us what songs you believe the Kraken should use to get Climate Pledge Arena rocking.
Introduction song: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
I know it’s been struck down by some on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, but this one’s a no-brainer to me. “Can’t Hold Us” will get the audience fired up like no other song and blow the old roof off The Pledge. The music video even has a winter motif and ends up atop the Space Needle. The punchy “nah, nah, nah, nah, nah-na-na-na” parts just invite fans to sing along with all the gusto of European football fans. Macklemore is a part owner of Seattle Sounders FC and a loyal fan of all Seattle sports teams, although he might have some explaining to do about the jersey he wore at a 2017 concert up in Vancouver.
Goal song: “Everlong” by Foo Fighters
A goal song will, hopefully, be played a lot. It needs to be an appealing earworm that people won’t get sick of. If I was sentimental for a hockey-themed song, I might lean toward something from the Tragically Hip or Warren Zevon’s “Hit Somebody.” Despite the nostalgia of Seattle Thunderbirds fans, going the Gary Glitter “Rock ‘n’ Roll Part 2” route won’t fly even with a chorus that has some na-nas or yeah-yeahs to sing or chant with.
I considered Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and other Seattle music greats but kept coming back to “Everlong.” You get about 35-40 seconds to use after the red light flashes, which is perfect for the guitar and drums build-up near the end and through the last chorus:
“And I wonder “If everything could ever feel this real forever “If anything could ever be this good again “The only thing I’ll ever ask of you “You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when”
Victory song: “We Win” by Duff McKagan’s Loaded
This one is a little obscure, but it’s a catchy sports anthem that is Seattle in its heart. McKagan is a class act and a hardcore sports fan (full disclosure: I was his editor when he wrote a column for ESPN.com) who bursts with civic pride for his hometown. I admire and respect McKagan immensely for surviving his own incredible personal comeback and for being a man of character. And this song kicks ass. Forgive me for going a little Ron MacLean on you again:
“Some day “We might find “The victory “Is well worth the bitter fight”
Just imagine fans filing out of The Pledge into the streets of Lower Queen Anne after another Kraken victory singing together, “We win, we win, we win, we win, yeah we win.”
I hate clichés and always look for a different approach. My choices are not going to be popular, but that is precisely the point. I want Seattle to have a truly unique experience. My desire is that these songs are distinctively Seattle across all of hockey. I do not hate Macklemore’s music, but the fact I hear him in literally every hockey arena I visit including Angel of the Winds Arena for Silvertips games and accesso ShoWare Center for Thunderbirds games disqualifies him from my list, regardless of his Seattle roots.
Introduction song: “You On The Run” by The Black Angels
For the intro song, I want something dark and ominous as the legend of the Kraken. It will be loud, and I want it to strike fear in the opposing team’s hearts and minds. I want the visiting team to be defeated before the puck is even dropped.
Honorable mention: “Wolf Totem” by The HU, “Angel” by Massive Attack
Goal song: “Turnaround” by Nirvana
The goal song needs to hit you right away with no build up. It also needs to be fun and might unknowingly get people moving when they hear it.
The victory song gets people moving and shaking. The right song could get some fan participation. Imagine a fan chant of “Oh yeah, all right, hell yeah, that’s right” after the Kraken seal the victory.
I hate most popular music so I’m going to go off the board but still try not to venture too far out into left field for Kraken songs. Hate is probably too strong of an emotion, but I find most pop music boring and its use at hockey arenas is overdone and obvious. We have a chance to tap into some great bands that don’t get regular airplay. So, let’s do that.
Introduction song: “The Nights of Wine and Roses” by Japandroids
This could be the ultimate get hyped song by a pair of Canadian maniacs. Yes, just two guys make all this beautiful noise. But what else to get the crowd going than a line like “We yell like hell to heavens.” Japandroids are from Vancouver, B.C., which could be problematic because the Canucks have used some of their music in the past. But Seattle is obviously better.
Goal song: “Uncontrollable Urge” by Devo
Most people know Devo from “Whip it” and nothing more. That was probably their least interesting song. “Uncontrollable Urge” is one of their better tunes. It’s fast, upbeat and imagine the Climate Pledge crowd all yelling “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” along with this classic track. It has goal song written all over it.
Victory song: “Everyday Sunshine” by Fishbone
We all like sunshine. We’d all love it every day. What a happy, uplifting song to celebrate winning. It’s got horns, bass, funk, ska, and most importantly, it’s fun. This tune starts strong and builds up to pure joy by the end.
A Seattle band with a fun little song that would be the perfect soundtrack to a tilt on the ice. It’s fast paced, and when they chant “one hit” it will perfectly frame any scrap on the ice that usually ends with one hit.
Unlike some of my fellow Sound Of Hockeyers, I’m not too concerned with picking “popular songs” as long as they fit the situation. Several of these songs feature ties back to the Seattle music scene and they all, in my humble opinion, kick ass.
Introduction song: “Cochise” by Audioslave
Tipping a cap to Seattle’s music history with legendary frontman Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog fame, this song from Audioslave features a perfect build-up, is extremely upbeat and would set the tone in the arena before Kraken home games. Ignore that the song is about an Apache chief, I think it’s a good fit for a team introduction that isn’t very cookie cutter.
What it probably will be: Some intense mashup from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Goal song: “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine
In this scenario, Tom Morello – who is also the lead guitarist of Audioslave – will be prominently featured at Seattle home games. In this instance, this iconic guitar riff from Morello would be a treat to hear after the Kraken’s goal horn.
What it will probably be: Something by Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl Jam.
Victory song: “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix
This groovy guitar riff from Seattle icon Jimi Hendrix would be a perfect fit at Climate Pledge Arena. The song is catchy, upbeat and popular enough to hold the distinction of the Kraken’s victory song, but the lyrics may be a dealbreaker (not sure what Purple Haze has to do with a sea creature – or hockey for that matter).
Introduction song: “Guerrilla Radio” by Rage Against the Machine
Picture this: The lights go down in Climate Pledge Arena. A hype video plays on the state-of-the-art triangular scoreboards, with “Guerrilla Radio” blasting. Then, in sync with the 2:58 mark of the below video, the screens go black. The arena is filled with complete darkness.
Zack de la Rocha whispers into the tension of the crowd, “It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?” Then, BANG! Explosions! Fireworks! Goal horn!
“AW! HELL! CAN’T STOP US NOW!” de la Rocha screams, with Rage blasting away in the background.
“Please welcome to the ice, YOUR SEATTLLLLLLLLLLLE KRAAAAAAAAAAAKEN!!”
Goosebump City, population 17,000.
Goal Song: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Screw it, I’m doubling down.
I’ve taken a lot of heat on the “Sound Of Hockey” podcast for my opinion that this should be the goal song, with John and Andy claiming that it’s far too common in sports arenas. Fine. But you know what? It gets the people going! And other arenas don’t have the local ties to Macklemore that Seattle does. Yes, it’s a bit cliche. But also, yes, it would work great as a goal song. There’s literally a clap-and-sing-along portion built in.
I was running the Disney World Marathon at the beginning of 2019, struggling mightily around mile 18. I heard “Can’t Hold Us” playing as I shuffled through a miserably long stretch between Disney’s Wide World of Sports and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Suddenly, my feet were hitting the ground to the beat of the music, and I was back in the game in every way. If that’s not proof that it gets the people going, then I don’t know what is.
And if you’re among the poo-pooers of this fine ditty, then go listen to John’s selections in this post and good luck cleaning up the blood that will surely come out of your ears.
Victory song: “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles
Why not? A victory song should just be fun. Ringo’s songs are generally the less-beloved of Beatles songs, but this one is a banger. And how many songs are out there about cephalopods?
Loyal Sound Of Hockey readers will know that we have been publishing a synopsis on every NHL team participating in the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft this summer. We identified open issues facing the clubs, potential protected lists, and who the Kraken might keep an eye on from the respective clubs. We started with the Detroit Red Wings in November and finished with the Tampa Bay Lighting earlier this month.
Since then, several events have impacted these projections. There were trades, waivers, and our opinions on players changed through the first month of the NHL season.
This week we will roll out our updated projected protected lists and watchlists for all teams. The first division up is the Scotia North Division.
Calgary Flames
Flames Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
Sam Bennett reportedly wants out of Calgary. If he continues to be unproductive and is still around by the Expansion Draft, it doesn’t make sense for Calgary to protect him over others who want to be there. He should still have a chance to redeem himself in the playoffs, when he usually puts in his best work. – Jim(original post here)
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
We now project the Oilers to pursue the 7-3-1 protected list route with Caleb Jones playing his way out of protection. Jones has frequently been a healthy scratch this season and it’s likely more important for the Oilers to protect someone like Jesse Puljujarvi, a well-regarded prospect that’s playing high in the lineup for Edmonton this season. – Josh(original post here)
Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
Tomas Tatar was a healthy scratch against the Maple Leafs on Saturday which cast doubt on my earlier assumption that he would sign an extension and be protected. I am bumping him off the protected (if signed) list and down to the watchlist. Under this scenario he will likely be unsigned, and therefore the Kraken would need to sign him in their exclusive 48-hour free agent window. Jonathan Drouin moves up to the protected list to take his spot. Jake Evans also moves up on the Kraken watchlist. – John (original post here)
Ottawa Senators
Senators Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
Murray becomes available because of an awful start combined with a $6.25 million per year cap hit through 2023-24. Defenseman Josh Brown has struggled this season and dropped down the depth chart after frequent healthy scratches. – Jim (original post here)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
I am not changing my earlier lists. But if you watched or read Toronto-centric Canadian sports media last week, you’d think Justin Holl was the reincarnation of Bill Barilko. That’s what scoring your first goal in 350 days can do for you in hockey’s Center of the Universe.
Even without his “Hammer Time” shot, Holl was having a good season. But his solid play should not force the Leafs to protect eight skaters instead of the seven forwards and three defensemen option. That would give the Kraken more great options at forward: Zach Hyman, Alex Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall. Either way, the better the Leafs do this season, the possibility for side deals increases so Toronto can keep more core players. – Jim(original post here)
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
Vancouver has been playing so poorly that no one has stepped up significantly to unseat infrequently used forward Jake Virtanen or defenseman Olli Juolevi. Keep an eye on right winger Kole Lind in Utica once the AHL season starts. Goalie Braden Holtby looks less appealing for the Kraken after his rough start, but he hasn’t had much support in front of him.– Jim (original post here)
Winnipeg Jets
Jets Protected List
Expansion Draft Watchlist
Losing Adam Lowry to Winnipeg’s protected list after the Jets’ two-for-one blockbuster trade with Columbus may sting a bit for Seattle. Mason Appleton and Jansen Harkins — the other two forwards on Winnipeg’s watchlist — have yet to register a point this season. – Josh (original post here)
Well, gang, it took three whole months, but we finally did it. We successfully profiled all 30 of the teams that will be participating in the 2021 Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft.
We at Sound Of Hockey have put our blood, sweat, and tears into this thing, and we’re very proud of the product. It’s been a true labor of love. But while we’re all happy to have made it to the end of this arduous journey, we also are left wondering, What the hell do we write about now? After all, players won’t be selected for another 163 days according to @KrakenCountdown, the Twitter-based authority on such matters.
Fear not, faithful readers, for we shall milk this Expansion Draft for every last drop of delicious content until the inaugural Kraken roster is officially selected on July 21. And after that? Oh, you better believe we will break down each selection from every angle until we’re deep sea blue, ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue, and red alert in the face (those are the official Kraken colors in case you weren’t following).
Jokes aside, we recognize that our projections are subject to change in their feasibility. A simple flick of the pen on a new contract, an injury, a trade, or even poor or exceptional play from an individual can drastically alter a team’s plan going into the Expansion Draft. That’s why we will continue to monitor and update our projections right up until the eleventh hour.
For now, we thought it would be a good idea to wrap up this massive project with some highlights for the too-long-didn’t-read folks, of whom there are certainly many.
**Editor’s Note: We have not included any goalies here, because there will be yet another article updating the Expansion Draft netminder landscape in the coming weeks.**
Veterans
The Kraken will need to look for a mix of older veterans with minimal term remaining on their contracts, players in their primes on reasonable deals, and young guys with oodles of upside.
There will be at least a couple higher-priced veterans selected because Seattle has to hit a minimum of 60% of the $81.5 million salary cap. So the Kraken need to select at least $48.9 million worth of contracts, and they simply can’t reach that number by picking 30 players making the league minimum.
Here’s a list of some of the biggest and most fascinating veteran names that Sound Of Hockey identified as perhaps being available to Seattle in July. If any seem far-fetched, click on their team’s link at the bottom of this story to understand our reasoning for why they may be available.
Some of the above will be unrestricted free agents after the 2020-2021 season, and including such players on the “available” list is frankly a bit of a stretch. If we were the Kraken, we would be focusing on players with term left on contracts that carry reasonable cap hits, rather than using up our selections on free agents that will want top dollar to lure them to forgo the open market.
Even so, there are a few UFA’s who—if still unsigned by their current teams on July 19—would be worth considering.
Taylor Hall is a great example of this. Hall is a bona fide star in the prime of his career. He signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres during the offseason. For Kraken general manager Ron Francis to select him, Hall needs to remain a free agent at the end of the current season, then agree to a deal with Seattle in the team’s 48-hour exclusive negotiating window just before the Expansion Draft. If Francis can sign Hall, then the Kraken would use their Buffalo selection on Hall.
Like all other UFA’s, Hall can sign an extension at any time with his current team. If that happens, then Buffalo will surely protect him from the Expansion Draft, and this all becomes moot.
Young(ish) guns
Seattle has not been shy about its quest to build the NHL’s best analytics department to work hand-in-hand with what it hopes is the league’s best pro scouting staff. Being that players early in their careers inherently have smaller bodies of work, the young players that the Kraken select in the Expansion Draft is where those departments will really show their mettle.
As Vegas proved in 2017, there are diamonds to be found in the rough.
Here are some of the younger players we projected to be available.
Speaking anecdotally, one thing we noticed in this exercise is that the better the team—or perhaps the more challenged a team is by the salary cap—the less obvious it is which players will be good picks for the Kraken from that roster.
A great example is the Detroit Red Wings. They have been terrible the last few seasons and are in the midst of a full rebuild. There really are no veterans that will be both exposed and worth taking for Seattle, so the Kraken will be trying to find a guy with upside that either hasn’t been given a real chance at the NHL level or has been miscast when called upon.
At the other end of the spectrum is a team like Carolina. Unlike the Red Wings, the Hurricanes have exceptional depth. Look for the Kraken to get a guy who may not be a household name now, but could play a big role on a team with fewer skilled players. These are the types of players that could develop into cornerstones for Seattle.
Local ties
Here are a few players that we identified as potential Kraken targets that have ties to the Pacific Northwest.
TJ Oshie (WAS) – born in Mount Vernon, WA, raised in Everett, WA
Dylan Gambrell (SJS) – from Bonney Lake, WA
Alexander True (SJS) – played in WHL for Seattle Thunderbirds
Brenden Dillon (WAS) – played in WHL for Seattle Thunderbirds
Tyler Johnson (TBL) – born and raised in Spokane, WA, played in WHL for Spokane Chiefs
Jake Bean (CAR) – played in WHL for Tri-City Americans
Here are all of our Expansion Draft profiles. Thanks again for riding along on this journey. There will be more to come as we prepare to welcome the inaugural Kraken roster to Seattle.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves in a tough spot this offseason in regard to salary cap compliance heading into the 2020-21 season.
They were already against the salary cap when they signed restricted free agents Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, and Anthony Cirelli in the offseason. In an effort clear cap space, the team put Tyler Johnson on waivers hoping that another NHL team would claim the 30-year-old veteran and his $5 million cap hit. Johnson would go slip through unclaimed, directing the team elsewhere in clearing cap space.
They would go on to trade Braydon Coburn and Cedric Paquette to Ottawa to shed $3.4 million in cap space for essentially nothing in return. Then right before the season would begin, Nikita Kucherov would have hip surgery that would keep him out all regular season. This would move the elite forward to long-term injured reserve and move his salary off the books, freeing up an additional $9.5 million and bringing cap compliance.
Assumptions
They may have dodged a bullet to be cap compliant this season, but the Lightning are going to be in a challenging position next offseason as well. This could lead to some roster movement leading up to the Expansion Draft, but it is anyone’s guess on how that might play out. For the purposes of this exercise, we are assuming the roster stays consistent in the lead-up to the Expansion Draft.
Additionally, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow are playing on the last year of their current contracts. Both contribute and are valuable in the roles that they play, but because of limited cap space, we do not anticipate Tampa Bay will be re-signing these two players for next season.
Tampa Bay protected list for Expansion Draft
Defense
Victor Hedman
Mikhail Sergachev
Erik Cernak
Cal Foote
The Lightning are stacked up and down their roster. We are confident that they will protect four forwards, four defensemen, and one goalie as opposed to the more common 7-3-1 scenario. Hedman is a perennial contender for the Norris Trophy. Even without his no-move-clause, he would be protected. Sergachev and Cernak both are under 23 years old and signed new contracts this past offseason, so the Lightning have signaled that they are significant pieces of the team’s long-term plans. Cal Foote was a first-round draft pick in 2017 and made his debut during this 2020-21 season. Although we have not seen much of Foote’s capabilities in the NHL, we would find it hard to believe the Lightning would expose a player with his potential.
Forwards
Steven Stamkos
Nikita Kucherov
Brayden Point
Anthony Cirelli
Stamkos and Kucherov both have no-move clauses, but would still be locks without them. Brayden Point is an elite forward in this league and averaged just about a point per game last season. He is another lock. A 23-year-old Anthony Cirelli rounds out the forward protection list as another lock, as far as we are concerned. Cirelli put up 44 points in 68 games and is way ahead of schedule from a player development perspective.
Goalie
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the league and is not going anywhere.
Tampa Bay targets for Expansion Draft
Defense
Ryan McDonagh
If the Lightning do protect 4 defensemen in the Expansion Draft, then Ryan McDonagh could be a candidate for selection by the Kraken. Offensively, McDonagh’s numbers do not jump off the screen, but he remains a premier shutdown defenseman that can put up big minutes in that role. He had a drop-off in point production last year but contributed 10 points over 22 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Forwards
Alex Killorn
Alexander Volkov
Boris Katchouk
Mathieu Joseph
Ondrej Palat
Taylor Raddysh
Tyler Johnson
Yanni Gourde
The list of possible forwards that could be selected is long. The Kraken will have options. There is a case to be made for each one of these players. Killorn, Palat, Gourde, and Johnson are all productive middle-six forwards that could step into an elevated role with the Kraken. Joseph, Katchouk, Raddysh, and Volkov appear to be primed to be everyday players in the NHL very soon. In the case of Joseph and Volkov and also Mitchell Stephens, Ron Francis and team should be able to get a good look at these players in the NHL this season. Katchouk and Raddysh are expected to play most of their current campaign with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL.
Side deal scenarios
Side deals are tough to predict, particularly when the narrative appeared to be that NHL teams learned their lesson in the Vegas Expansion Draft and would not be doing any side deals with Seattle. That might have been the case before the pandemic flattened the salary cap, but now those cap projections teams were using are out the window.
Tampa Bay will be the most vulnerable to get cap compliant heading into the 2021-22 season. What better opportunity to shed some cap space than to get Seattle to take some bigger contracts off their hands? At the very least, the Lightning will need to find an additional $9.5 million in cap space for Nikita Kucherov next year. Killorn, Palat, Gourde, and Johnson all carry about a $5 million cap hit. Seattle could select one of the players on an entry deal in Joseph, Katchouk, Raddysh, and Volkov, but that will not help Tampa Bay at all. This scenario seems prime for a side deal. We should expect it.
Spokane Native Tyler Johnson (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)
The new home for the Seattle Kraken has reached a major milestone. Friday morning, the last steel beam was installed at Climate Pledge Arena. The ceremony took place in front of construction workers from Mortenson along with Kraken and City of Seattle staff.
It took 2,500 craftworkers to reach this point in the arena construction. A total of 147,430 bolts were used to secure the 8.9 tons of steel and 1.3 million craft hours have been put into the project so far.
The final beam was signed by workers and onlookers before being hoisted up and in place.
Climate Pledge Arena is on track to be open in the fall of 2021 in time for the Kraken inaugural season in the NHL.
– Andy Eide
Fans loving the John Forslund news…
On Tuesday, the Kraken dropped a news bomb that the legendary John Forslund had been hired by the team to be its play-by-play announcer.
Seattle, you've got an incoming call – and trust us, you'll want to answer this one. 😏 pic.twitter.com/XRlCkgzDNw
Forslund is truly one of the all-time greats at this particular trade. So when the Carolina Hurricanes cut his pay in July, we at Sound Of Hockey had already begun clamoring for the Kraken to bring him into the fold.
“That’s Crapweasel Hockey, baby!” – John Forslund, October, 2021
We and many other Kraken fans got our wish, and now we can’t wait to hear Forslund whisper sweet hockey-related nothings into our ears for years to come.
This is entirely anecdotal. BUT… It seems like the general reaction from Seattle faithful has been less than favorable about the Kraken’s revelation—announced in tandem with the Forslund news—that their broadcast partner will be ROOT Sports.
This tweet from the Seattle Kraken Troll sums up the sentiment nicely:
Let it be known that we at Sound Of Hockey do not hold any strong opinions here, and we’re just sharing what we’ve seen on social media, on Reddit, in the comment section on our site, and pretty much anywhere else that Kraken fans gather online.
From our in-depth and very scientific investigative reporting, the consensus for why some fans are upset is that ROOT Sports currently does not have a streaming option for folks who do not subscribe to cable. Obviously, there has been a big shift into digital streaming platforms like Hulu, Sling, and YouTube TV, but ROOT cannot be found on any of those.
We conjectured (conjected? conjec…shed?) privately that there might be more news coming about a separate streaming partner. But Reddit user Olbaidon sent concerns to the Kraken and then shared the team’s response publicly.
“At this time games will be available through ROOT SPORTS distribution channels exclusively.” So, that settles the idea of a separate streaming partner, which apparently is not coming.
We understand the frustration from those who don’t want to pay for cable, and we do wonder if this alienates some potential new hockey fans that will end up missing the boat because of a lack of exposure. And this does feel like the very first thing the Kraken have done that hasn’t wholeheartedly put first the interest of the fans and the desire to grow the game in the Pacific Northwest. But we also assume that the Kraken received an enormous bag of money from ROOT Sports, and at some point they do also need to make some decisions that benefit them financially.
We’ll have plenty of discussion on this topic on the next Sound Of Hockey Podcast, so tune in!
WHL coming back (sort of)
The WHL has long said it plans to play this season in some form, despite the many challenges and setbacks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The province of Alberta has granted permission to the teams based within its borders—the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Calgary Hitmen—to begin play on Feb. 26.
Does this mean the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips are coming back soon too? Well, not necessarily.
“The WHL continues to work with government and health authorities in each provincial and state jurisdiction to establish a start date for the WHL’s East Division, B.C. Division and U.S. Division. Approval from the health authorities is required in each jurisdiction for the balance of the WHL Divisions to return to play.”
Read the full statement here, which gives some interesting details about the lengths to which the league will go to be able to get at least some of its teams playing.
NWHL Whubble broken
There was some disappointing news out of the Whubble, which has been underway for a week now. The Metropolitan Riveters withdrew from the tournament in Lake Placid after several members of the organization tested positive for COVID.
On the bright side, there’s still a great tournament in progress with regular season games for the five remaining teams continuing on Saturday, all of which are streamable on Twitch.
The Minnesota Whitecaps lead the standings with a perfect 3-0-0 record, but the expansion Toronto Six are hot on their heels at 2-1-1.
Remember, the Isobel Cup Semifinals and Final will be shown nationally on NBCSN on February 4th and 5th.
Rutherford retires abruptly
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford abruptly retired on Wednesday, citing personal reasons. Newly-hired Seattle Kraken AGM (and friend of the SOH Pod) Jason Botterill’s name is notably being bandied about as a replacement for Rutherford, who had held the role since 2014.
This is all still fresh but would be surprising if former Pens AGM Jason Botterill wasn’t a candidate in some form. Just took a job with Seattle. https://t.co/DLVge5lnAG
Botterill did work in Pittsburgh’s front office for many years and served as the team’s associate general manager, winning three Stanley Cups along the way.
For now, Patrik Allvin assumes the role with an interim tag, making him the first Swede to serve as GM of an NHL team.
That’ll leave a mark
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Walker took a slapshot to the face off the stick of Minnesota’s Matt Dumba on Friday.
In this same game, Matt Roy also took a very dangerous Kevin Fiala hit from behind, which resulted in an injury for Roy and a three-game suspension for Fiala.
Both Roy and Walker were allowed to travel back to Los Angeles with the team, so it sounds like the very serious types of injuries that could have occurred in both cases were thankfully averted. Nonetheless, it was a rough night for the Kings.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The New York Islanders, to many’s annoyance but to some’s enjoyment, made a deep run in the NHL’s Playoff Bubble with good ole-fashioned defensive hockey. It’s a style of play that worked quite well for the Eastern Conference Finalists, but didn’t inspire much enthusiasm among the hockey-watching public. For Seattle’s purposes, will the defensively-focused Islanders possess many options for the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 Expansion Draft?
Oh, you bet.
The flat cap might not impact a team in the NHL more than the Islanders when it comes to the Seattle Expansion Draft. General manager Lou Lamoriello built a competitive roster for head coach Barry Trotz, but the Islanders also have a projected cap hit of over $77 million next season, nearly $4 million away from the upper limit of the salary cap.
Along with that, you don’t advance to the Eastern Conference Finals without talented players, so even without cap considerations, there should be a quality selection available for the Kraken.
Islanders protected list for Seattle Expansion Draft
Forwards
Mathew Barzal (lock)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (lock)
Anthony Beauvillier (lock)
Anders Lee
Brock Nelson
Jordan Eberle
Kieffer Bellows
The Islanders’ forward group features plenty of veterans on big contracts. Not every one of those forwards will be protected.
Young phenom and Seattle Thunderbird legend Mathew Barzal won’t come back to the Pacific Northwest during the Expansion Draft. Nor will promising 23-year-old Anthony Beauvillier, who was terrific for the Islanders during the 2020 playoffs. Nor will Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who Lameriello paid a pretty penny for in a trade with Ottawa and in turn gave him a six-year, $30 million contract extension.
Three veterans and a promising rookie round out the protected list. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson are pretty safe bets for protection and Jordan Eberle gets the nod for his ability to drive offense on a team that’s offensively challenged at times.
Kieffer Bellows, who played one season of junior hockey for the Portland Winterhawks in 2017-18, secures the seventh and final spot. Even though Bellows was suspended last year for violating the AHL’s Performance Enhancing Substance program, he has remained in favor within the organization and has played in six games thus far for the Isles.
Defense
Ryan Pulock (lock)
Adam Pelech (near lock)
Scott Mayfield
After shipping Devon Toews to the Avalanche this offseason, the Islanders’ situation on defense is much clearer.
Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech are safe bets to land on New York’s protected list. The 26-year-old blueliners are playing big minutes for the Islanders in 2020-21.
Scott Mayfield secures the final spot. The 28-year-old offers stable play in the defensive zone with some offensive upside, and more importantly, comes at an affordable $1.45 million cap hit per year.
Goalie
Semyon Varlamov
This is a bit of a complicated situation, but for now, Semyon Varlamov is the choice. Varlamov has been fantastic early on, posting a .936 save percentage in five games.
But keep an eye on what the Islanders do with Cory Schneider — or any other goalie. Right now, Varlamov is the only goalie eligible for the Expansion Draft on New York’s roster, and if the Islanders don’t sign another goalie past 2021-22, Varlamov will be exposed — at least one goalie needs to be exposed, per the Expansion Draft rules.
Top Islanders targets for Seattle Expansion Draft
Forwards
Josh Bailey
Otto Koivula
Casey Cizikas
Michael Dal Colle
Defense
Nick Leddy
The Islanders present two plug-and-play options that would land high in Seattle’s lineup in year one in Bailey and Leddy.
Bailey, 31, is an experienced winger who is coming off a huge 2020 playoff performance with 20 points (2-18-20) in 22 games. Bailey has underperformed in 2021 so far with just one point in six games, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to imagine him returning to that playoff form soon.
Leddy, 29, is a second-pair defenseman that’s produced well early on. His 0.42 individual expected goals created per 60 is 11th among NHL defensemen — it’s a small sample size, but it’s an encouraging sign. If Leddy keeps playing like that, he should be protected over Mayfield, especially with his presence on the Isles’ power play.
Koivula, 24, is an intriguing young player with loads of potential. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound center is entering his fifth professional season but hasn’t broken into the Islanders lineup yet after a productive year (9-13-22) in the American Hockey League in 2019-20.
For the Islanders’ No. 5-ranked prospect — according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler — behind four other centers on the organizational depth chart, the path to jumping off the taxi squad and into the Islanders’ everyday lineup is filled with obstacles. But an expansion franchise like Seattle would have plenty of room for him.
Cizikas is worth mentioning because many believe, like Arthur Staple at The Athletic, he will be protected by New York. The pending unrestricted free agent carries a lot of value because he plays center, but is there value in protecting a fourth-line center?
Michael Dal Colle, 24, could be an interesting reclamation project for the Kraken. The fifth-overall selection in the 2014 Entry Draft has only played in 86 NHL games and hasn’t broken through to be an NHL regular yet.
Side deal scenarios
The Islanders are ripe for the picking when it comes to potential side deals.
Not only does New York have to worry about clearing up cap space for 2023-24 when Barzal’s bridge contract is up, but Beauvillier is also a restricted free agent in 2021-22. With just under $4 million in projected cap space next season, the Islanders almost certainly need to move a big contract.
What better team to help them move a big contract — with the right compensation, of course — than Seattle, which is building a team from scratch?
Does that mean the Islanders throw in a sweetner so Seattle takes someone like Bailey, Leddy, or Varlamov and shed their contracts? Bailey is signed through 2023-24 at $5 million per year, Leddy is inked through 2021-22 at $5.5 million per year, and Varlamov carries a $5 million cap hit through 2022-23.
Or, does New York throw even more down on the table so Seattle takes a veteran like Cal Clutterbuck or Leo Komarov? Both are signed for the next two seasons, Clutterbuck at $3.5 million per year and Komarov at $3 million.
Better yet, the Islanders could dangle an enticing draft pick or prospect in exchange for Andrew Ladd, who’s currently buried in the minors, and the rest of his two-year, $8.75 million contract off the books.
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and former Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.
Previous Sound Of Hockey Expansion Draft Team Previews
