Here we go with Sound Of Hockey’s fourth mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. Queue the blaring horns and confetti cannons.
Like the previous three that were written by colleagues John Barr, Josh Horton, and Darren Brown, I found the exercise fun and harder than it would appear. It turns out that it’s easier to mock other people’s drafts than it is to mock your own Expansion Draft.
Also, this gives me the chance to do two things I don’t actually enjoy – writing in first-person and doing a mock draft. But I’m a team player and so here my neck is, out and exposed.
When doing this I tried to put myself into the head space of Kraken general manager Ron Francis to figure out how he would go through the Expansion Draft process. I also imagined what it was like to win the Stanley Cup, which Francis has done twice. It seems like it would be nice, so let’s hope that is what he ends up doing here in Seattle.
I tried to balance youth with experience for my first Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. I say ‘my first’ but let’s face it, nobody is going to ask me to participate in a real one, ever. Finding that balance is harder than it seems. It’s also made harder since we are tied to the rules we established. Trust me, I tried to make an exception or two, but was told I couldn’t.
These mocks come after a great deal of effort and – I think – level-headed guess work, as we tried to predict how the protection lists of the other 30 teams would look. You should definitely check those out at some point; they are worth your while.
After a brief look at those rules, we’ll get into it with my team. A feisty, scrappy, and hard-working group that will win at least 20 games, year one. Plan a parade.
Rules of the Sound Of Hockey Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft
Protection lists are based on latest projections on Sound Of Hockey (Central, East, West, North).
You are allowed one UFA draft-and-sign selection. This selection should pass the sniff test of being a legitimate option (i.e. expecting to draft and sign Alex Ovechkin does not feel legitimate).
No side deals. Although we are aware that this will be a major part of the actual Expansion Draft, we don’t have enough insider knowledge about what could be done here or what the Kraken would actually try to pull off. So for the purposes of this Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, we’re keeping this off the table.
The Expansion Draft picks
Anaheim: Danton Heinen (LW) – The Ducks have a couple of veteran defensemen who could make intriguing picks, but I felt I could get defensemen elsewhere so went with winger Danton Heinen. I don’t expect scoring from a guy who will be a depth winger, but I want him to win shifts and his career positive Corsi and expected goal numbers show he can do that.
Arizona Coyotes: Adin Hill (G) – Hill, who played for the Portland Winterhawks, is a promising 24-year-old goaltender. He has the potential to be a number one but may still need some seasoning as a backup for a year or two. More on that later in this draft.
Boston Bruins: Nick Ritchie (LW) – Another young forward, Ritchie drives the play and could end up in the Kraken’s top six. If the Kraken can get players like that in the Expansion Draft then they will be in good shape.
Buffalo Sabres: Cody Eaken (C) – There is not a lot to choose from off of the Sabres roster as things are not going so well in Buffalo. I nabbed Eaken here as a veteran of over 600 games who could provide experience in the bottom six.
Calgary Flames: Sam Bennett (C) – Bennett has recently begged out of Calgary so lets get him a new home and hope he can bring his playoff success into the regular season.
Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Bean (D) – The Hurricanes have a number of good players who will be exposed and I’m picking up Bean here. A former first-round pick of Francis, he’s coming off a season where he won the AHL’s Defenseman of the Year award and should work his way into a top-pairing role with the Kraken.
Chicago Blackhawks: Brandon Hagel (LW) – Hopefully Hagel doesn’t play himself into being protected by the Blackhawks, but he’s 22 and only getting better. He will probably end up protected, but within the rules of this Mock Draft, I’m taking him.
Colorado Avalanche: Devon Toews (D) – An obvious choice here and Seattle will add a top-pairing defenseman. If the Avalanche choose to protect him, it will open up other nice options for Francis and the Kraken.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Eric Robinson (LW) – Speed is the name of the game in today’s NHL and Robinson has it. That’s enough for me to add him here.
Dallas Stars: Jason Dickinson (C) – Watch veteran Joe Pavelski here. If he’s exposed by the Stars, which could free them of his high salary, he might be the pick. But we have him protected so I’m going with Dickinson who is a possession center.
Detroit Red Wings: Troy Stetcher (D) – The picking is slim with the Red Wings but I like Stetcher as a bottom-pairing defenseman. He won’t be flashy but plays a solid game.
Edmonton Oilers: Tyson Barrie (D) – Barrie is having a strong resurgence this season and will be a nice, puck-moving defenseman for the Kraken. His underlying numbers are solid, and I’m using my one UFA allowance here, which won’t break the bank.
Florida Panthers: Anton Stralman (D) – I’m going with a veteran two-way defenseman, but I’m interested to see if the Panthers expose Patric Hornqvist. If they do, I might be tempted to add him and his offense.
Los Angeles Kings: Olli Maatta (D) – I wasn’t blown away by what the Kings have to offer, and I went with Maatta who’s better days may very well be behind him. I like him for depth and the Kraken would only need to pay him for one more season.
Minnesota Wild: Matt Dumba (D) – This is a no-brainer pick as Dumba is a top defenseman and still early in his career. There are rumors out there that the Wild could move him before the Kraken can get their mitts on him. If that’s the case, then I’d go with another defenseman in Carson Soucy.
Montreal Canadiens: Jake Allen (G) – It is becoming more and more clear that Allen is destined for Seattle in the Expansion Draft to become Seattle’s starting goalie. I like him to serve as a mentor for the younger, less proven, goalies I’m stocking up on.
Nashville Predators: Connor Ingram (G) – Speaking of unproven goalies, I’m taking a swing at one with Ingram. He’s put up great AHL numbers but has yet to play an NHL game. If all goes well, Ingram and Hill take over the crease in a couple of seasons.
New Jersey Devils: Miles Wood (LW) – Wood has a glue-guy type of game and every team can use on of those, so welcome to Seattle, Miles.
New York Islanders: Josh Bailey (RW) – Another veteran who does a little of everything. You can’t go wrong with Bailey in your lineup.
New York Rangers: Brendan Lemieux (LW) – Boy, most of the Rangers’ interesting players are not available in the Expansion Draft so come to Seattle, Lemieux, here’s a nice Kraken jersey for you.
Ottawa Senators: Chris Tierney (C) – Another veteran from a team without a lot of exciting options. He can play and is having an OK season for a bad Senators team.
Philadelphia Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere (D) – I like defensemen who can score so I’m taking the ‘Ghost Bear’ from the Flyers. There are other options here up front and keep an eye on Jakub Voracek. Gostisbehere is not the best defensive defenseman but he’ll be my power play guy.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Teddy Blueger (C) – I like Blueger’s game. He won’t light up the scoreboard but can kill penalties and give you good minutes every night.
San Jose Sharks: Alexander True (C) – It came down to the two hometown guys with the Sharks. I took True over Bonney Lake’s Dylan Gambrell because he’s younger, bigger, and I like big centers.
St. Louis Blues: Zach Sanford (LW) – I wanted a power forward up front and Sanford gives me that.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Ondrej Palat (RW) – The Lightning have a number of options and are probably primed for a side deal with the Kraken that will give Seattle an Expansion Draft bounty of sorts. I’m taking Palat here as he has the potential to be a staple in the Kraken top six.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Adam Brooks (C) – I’m taking another swing here at future potential with Brooks. He’s scored at the lower levels. Can he in the NHL? Let’s find out.
Vancouver Canucks: Kole Lind (LW) – Perhaps the Canucks’ top prospect, Lind is knocking on the NHL door and we could strike gold here.
Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie (RW) – Honestly, I wanted to avoid being the Kraken message board hero here. I don’t believe in drafting guys with local ties to breed excitement amongst the fans. I only want productive players. Turns out, Oshie is still productive, so let the reunion begin.
Winnipeg Jets: Logan Stanley (D) – If he’s exposed, I like Stanley. He’s huge and physical and will anchor what will now be known as the “imposing Kraken blueline”.
Overall Thoughts
The thing that jumps out at me when trying to predict who the Seattle Kraken select in July’s Expansion Draft is that centers are at a premium.
Most of the talent available to Francis is on the wing and on defense. Center is important so it will be a position that may need to be addressed in free agency or in the NHL Draft. It may also be something the Kraken can fill through side deals or trades.
Do you like NHL players? Are you interested in NHL players that may be available to the Seattle Kraken in July’s Expansion Draft? Would you like to know when some of those players will be on the ice for your viewing pleasure?
Then you’re in luck because this week’s Games on the Radar focuses on the Mass Mutual East Division and four teams that have NHL players available. Give them a watch, and while you’re watching, take a brief moment to close your eyes and picture them hitting the ice at Climate Pledge Arena with an ‘S’ on their chest and some sort of catchy song blaring from above.
Here are this week’s Games on the Radar:
Philadelphia Flyers versus New York Islanders
When: Thursday, 4 PM, NBC Sports, NHL.TV free game
The Flyers came into the season as a hot pick to contend. They haven’t quite done that but are in striking distance of a playoff spot despite shaky defense and goaltending. They do have interesting Expansion Draft options for the Kraken, however, and that’s all we care about right now.
Dealing with little to no cap space, the Flyers most likely will expose a veteran player who could step in and play right away. One potential to keep an eye on is Jakub Voracek whose contract of $8.25 million a year could lead Philadelphia to expose him. Voracek is a productive scorer and finding goal scoring for the Kraken in the Expansion Draft could prove difficult. His numbers are down a bit this year – with just four goals and an expected goal percentage of 41 percent – which makes his exposure more likely. He’s not the only vet that Philadelphia could expose, however. James van Riemsdyk is a veteran scoring forward who is having a big year and could fit in well with the Kraken. On defense, keep an eye on Shayne Gostisbehere who has had productive seasons in the past but has fought injuries and could be risky.
The Islanders find themselves on top of the East Division somehow, but they too have some cap constraints that could lead to tasty Kraken Expansion Draft picks. Perhaps the top player in the Kraken crosshairs is Josh Bailey. He’s 31 – which feels super young to those of us who have passed that milepost – and is a productive two-way player. If you like expected goal percentage as a gauge, his is 51 percent and Islanders goalies have a collective .944 save percentage when Bailey is on the ice which suggests he takes care of his own end. Not too shabby. A younger guy to watch is Kieffer Bellows who is on the bubble to be protected. Bellows, 22, is a former first-round pick who has yet to catch on in the NHL, although he is coming off a two-goal performance last week. The one-time Portland Winterhawk is still young, which may lead New York to protect him, but he’s worth checking out.
When watching the Islanders, you should always keep an eye on Mathew Barzal who will not be available to the Kraken in the Expansion Draft but is a dangler and worth the price of admission.
New York Rangers versus Washington Capitals
When: Friday, 4 PM, NHL Network
The Rangers aren’t all that good of a hockey team and the players the Kraken have to choose from in the Expansion Draft are not guys that will knock your socks off. So why do we care? Because they do have players who can be depth guys. The glue guys that help a team win. Every team needs them despite their lack of marquee appeal.
Brendan Lemieux is one such player on the Rangers roster. He’s 25 years old and his numbers won’t impress you, but he could be a bottom-six guy for Seattle and will chip in from time to time. Brett Howden, 22, also won’t make you jump out of your seat but he’s young and did score in junior. He has yet to find the net this year but at that age could be a guy to groom in the minors and hope to cash in. We admit this is getting a little depressing, but you could also eyeball Julien Gauthier who is a former first-round pick by Ron Francis. Again, he’s young, just 23, and the potential as a goal-scorer is there. He’s scored in the AHL and that combined with his age may lead him to be protected.
By contrast, the Capitals are a very good team and fighting for first place in the Mass Mutual East Division. It appears that most Kraken fans, based on message board comments, tweets, and all other social media have already figured out who Seattle is going to select in the Expansion Draft. That would be center T.J. Oshie. Did you know he grew up in the area? While the local tie is a fun story, is he worth a pick? He’s aging but his 19 points in 27 games is decent and he has plus-50 numbers in both Corsi-for and expected goals percentage so it appears the production is still there. If you like the local tie but prefer defense, then watch former Seattle Thunderbirds captain Brenden Dillon. He’s not going to score a lot of goals from the backend, but the Kraken could do worse than snaring a physical, shut-down guy in the Expansion Draft.
The NHL trade deadline on April 12th will certainly bring us some exciting deals that can and will impact some teams’ Expansion Draft protection lists as well as shift some players of interest for the Seattle Kraken. Here are five teams that Seattle Kraken fans should keep an eye on as the NHL trade deadline approaches.
Before diving in, you may want to check out our latest protection projections that we completed a few weeks ago (Central, East, West, North).
Nashville Predators
The Predators are sitting in seventh place in the competitive Discover Central Division. It would take a minor miracle for the Preds to contend for a playoff spot at this point. With a relatively old core of players, they will likely be looking to shed some assets in return for draft picks to begin the rebuild process.
There are several players that could be on the trading block, but the names Kraken fans should focus on are defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Both are projected to be protected with Nashville probably going with the eight total skater protection scheme, rather than seven forwards and three defensemen.
It has been a popular opinion that Nashville will protect four defensemen in the upcoming Expansion Draft, which would mean they could protect only four forwards. However, if either Ellis or Ekholm is traded before the Expansion Draft, then this will enable the Predators to protect only three defensemen and seven forwards, thus limiting the options Seattle will have from Nashville.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild also have a wealth of riches on the blue line. Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Suter, and Jonas Brodin all have no-movement clauses and will be protected in the Expansion Draft. This will either leave Matt Dumba exposed or they could elect to protect him as the fourth defenseman. Protecting four defensemen would then expose either Jordan Greenway, Marcus Foligno, or Joel Eriksson Ek. The trade talk on Dumba has been quiet, but the Wild will probably do something with the right-shot offensive defenseman before the Expansion Draft. Other options would be to get one of their NMC forwards, Zach Parise or Mats Zuccarello, to waive their NMC or they could offer Seattle a decent side deal.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have a highly competitive team and could look to add some firepower heading into a battle for the Central Division against the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the high-powered Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes could offer up some of their youngsters like Jake Bean or Morgan Geekie that the Kraken have likely circled on their Expansion Draft board.
Jake Virtanen has been on the perpetual trade block for the last couple years. If Vancouver finally moves on from “Shotgun Jake,” you can bet on the Canucks protecting 22-year-old Kole Lind who has 8 points in 8 games for the Utica Comets, the team’s AHL affiliate. Lind would certainly be shortlisted by Ron Francis and team.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have a pretty strong team right now and could end up being quiet in the trade market as we get closer to the NHL trade deadline. Per the Expansion Draft rules, Vegas will not be participating in the Expansion Draft this summer. We will be less interested in the players traded to Vegas and more interested in the players traded out of Vegas. Any significant player with term left that gets traded out of Vegas will either need protection by their new team or will be added to Seattle’s watchlist.
It is important to note that all trades could impact the Seattle Kraken’s Expansion Draft options in some way or another. We will be keeping an eye on all of them here at the Sound Of Hockey.
Great news, Seattle hockey fans! It’s another week, and we have seven more action-packed days of NHL hockey ahead of us. This week at Games on the Radar headquarters we decided to mix things up a bit. Instead of focusing on teams we’re going to shift to players.
Which players are in action this week that could potentially be in the mix when the Kraken decide who they want to bring to Seattle at the Expansion Draft on July 21? You can pretend you’re in general manager Ron Francis’s war room and do some scouting, while also enjoying some fun hockey.
This week we’ll be keeping our radar focused on the Honda West Division which is top-heavy in the standings but does offer some intriguing Expansion picks.
Here are this week’s games on the radar:
Colorado Avalanche versus Los Angeles Kings
When: Friday 6 PM, ESPN+, NHL.tv
The Avalanche are not only an entertaining team, even with their unmatching blue pants, but their depth will lead to some interesting options for the Kraken at the Expansion Draft. Defense is where Seattle may strike gold and it could come in the form of Devon Toews. He’s in his first year with the Avalanche after coming over from the New York Islanders and would slide in as a top-pairing blueliner with the Kraken. At 27, he’s still relatively young and is routinely logging 25-plus minutes a night for Colorado. His possession numbers are strong, with a Corsi-for of 58 percent which would be hard to find elsewhere. He’s solid in his own end and is chipping in offensively with four goals in Colorado’s first 20 games this year.
Up front, an interesting option for Seattle at the Expansion Draft is Joonas Donskoi. The former San Jose Shark is off to what could be a career year. He has six goals so far and is shooting a scorching 28 percent, far and away his career-best. Donskoi is a glue player who may not be on the top line but can provide consistent minutes in a second- or third-line role.
The Wild are in the hunt out West. Yes, Minnesota is in the West which, well, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but what does this year? They also have some tough choices to make with their protected list.
Minnesota has three defensemen with no-move clauses in their contracts which means the Wild may be forced to watch a player like Matt Dumba go to the Kraken in the Expansion Draft. Dumba would be a great haul for Seattle as he is a top-pairing defenseman with a solid track record in the NHL already. He can be physical as well as drive play. His underlying numbers are all positive and match his offensive output. Dumba, 27, is in his eighth season after playing junior in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels and Portland Winterhawks. He’ll be on the Wild power play and when he does, watch for the bomb of a clapper he possesses.
Dumba is a big piece for a Wild club that is contending this year. They know he may be lost to the Kraken for nothing in the Expansion Draft and may attempt to assuage their losses by trading him at April’s trade deadline. If they don’t, Seattle will have to look elsewhere from Minnesota. So, when your eye is not trained on Dumba firing slap shots, watch fellow defenseman Carson Soucy. While not the offensive threat that Dumba is, Soucy is a solid player in his own end. He wouldn’t project as a top-pairing defenseman for Seattle, but the Kraken could use a guy like Soucy at the bottom of their rotation.
There are several NHL players with local ties that are possible draft picks for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, but I wanted to see if it was possible to build an entire team with connections to the Pacific Northwest. Against my better judgement, I went on an endeavor to create the most local expansion team possible that was still compliant within the rules of the upcoming Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft.
Rules of the Sound Of Hockey Mock Expansion Draft
The rules of the hyper-local Expansion Draft are the same as our other mock drafts that we have been completing at Sound Of Hockey over the past couple of weeks.
Protection Lists are based on latest updates on Sound Of Hockey (Central, East, West, North).
You are allowed one UFA-and-sign selection. Selection should pass the sniff test of being a legitimate option. (i.e. expecting to draft and sign Alex Ovechkin does not feel legitimate).
No side deals. Although we are aware that this will be a major part of the actual Expansion Draft, we don’t have good knowledge about what could be done here. So for the purposes of this mock draft, we’re keeping this off the table.
Rule addendums for the Hyper-Local Mock Expansion Draft
To make it hyper local, however, we have added a few additional stipulations.
Any available Washington State natives that are eligible for the NHL Expansion Draft must be drafted.
You must have a representative from each US Division WHL team.
You must draft one former BCHL player.
You must draft one Alaskan native.
You must draft one former Idaho Steelhead.
If there are no available players from Washington State or US WHL Division on an existing NHL team, then and only then can you select players from other WHL teams.
Washington State natives
This is the easiest part of the draft. We take Dylan Gambrell (SJS) from Bonney Lake, Derek Ryan (CGY) from Spokane, T.J. Oshie (WSH) from Mt. Vernon, and Tyler Johnson (TBL) from Spokane. Ryan is a pending free agent so he takes our UFA spot. That might put us in a bind later, but he is an obvious selection.
US Division WHL team
Spokane is covered with Ryan and Johnson so we need to make sure Seattle, Everett, Tri-City, and Portland have representation. We also need to make sure we have the positional requirement of 14 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders. I am going to prioritize goalies first since that is allegedly an important position (though I don’t really buy that).
Adin Hill (ARI) played for the Portland Winterhawks for two seasons and is probably one of the best goalies we can get right now.
Eric Comrie (WPG) will be our Tri-City Americans representative. He played 168 regular season games over four seasons for the Americans.
Calvin Pickard (played for Seattle) and Chris Driedger (played for Tri-City) are both pending UFAs. We cannot select them due to already using our UFA signing on Derek Ryan.
The only US Division goalie left is Landon Bow in Dallas. Bow played 23 regular season games for the Seattle Thunderbirds.
We still do not have the Everett Silvertips represented, but there are two available in Florida, Radko Gudas and Noah Juulsen. Neither is having a very strong year, but I am going to select Juulsen because he is young and has potential.
BCHL, Alaskan and Steelhead player requirements
Now that we have our US Division WHL players selected, let us identify our BCHL player, our Alaskan native, and our Idaho Steelhead.
For our BCHL player, we are going to select Troy Stecher (DET). Stecher played for the Penticton Vees for three seasons before playing collegiately in North Dakota. Coincidentally, Stecher could be the best player available from the Red Wings.
Alaska. This one is challenging. Right now there is only one NHL player from Alaska, former Seattle Thunderbird Nate Thompson. He would be perfect and would check multiple boxes. The issue is that he is a pending UFA and we already selected our UFA signing in Derek Ryan. We could go after Washington Capital Pheonix Copley, but we select T.J. Oshie from the Caps. Digging deeper, I also scoured the alumni from the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks with no luck. Colton Parayko played at University of Alaska Fairbanks, but we are projecting him to be protected and therefore cannot draft him. We thought we were out of luck, but in the eleventh hour, we appealed to the league and received a waiver for this rule under the condition we hire Scott Gomez as one of the first assistant coaches of the Seattle Kraken….or we hire him for our digital media team.
Sam Carrick of the Anaheim Ducks played most of his first pro season for the Idaho Steelheads. Carrick is a pending UFA so per the rules, he will not be re-signed and enter free agency.
Low-hanging fruit
We have met all the core requirements across geographies and leagues, so now we need to fill out the rest of the team. I will now need to focus on WHL US Division players that I know off the top of my head could be available. Matt Dumba (MIN/Portland), Jake Bean (CAR/Tri City), Caleb Jones (EDM/Portland), and Ryan Johansen (NSH/Portland) will fit in nicely with the hyper-local Kraken.
The rest of the squad
Anaheim has several WHL players that will be available but only one from the US Division. As a policy of the Hyper-Local Mock Expansion Draft, we must pick him. Chase De Leo is joining the Kraken.
This might be a deep cut but the Boston Bruin with the closest tie to the Pacific Northwest is Cameron Hughes. Hughes played two seasons with the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL).
Buffalo has a few WHLers on its roster but only one US Division player. Dustin Tokarski will be joining the team as a fourth goalie.
In Chicago we are going to select 22-year-old left wing Brandon Hagel who played four years with the Red Deer Rebels.
Colorado has a few options, but we like the thought of former Penticton Vees center, Tyson Jost.
There aren’t a lot of options in Columbus, but Calvin Thurkauf played two years in Kelowna so we are picking him.
From Los Angeles, we will take former Seattle Thunderbird defenseman Austin Strand.
Shea Weber played 190 games for the Kelowna Rockets. He is our pick out of Montreal.
As much as I loved Thomas Hickey when he played with the Seattle Thunderbirds at Key Arena, I need to select Kieffer Bellows from the New York Islanders. Bellows played one year in Portland.
Pretty deep cut here as well, but the New York Rangers only have two WHL players that are projected to be exposed in the Expansion Draft. Mason Geertsen is our pick. He played with the Edmonton Oil Kings and Vancouver Giants, but has yet to play a game in the NHL. Rules are rules.
Derrick Pouliot played four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks and is our pick from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Colton Sceviour also played in Portland for two years and is our only option out of Pittsburgh. Sceviour is another pending UFA so he will not be re-signed and will enter free agency.
For the life of me, I could not find a WHL player on the Ottawa Senators that is exposed and not a pending UFA, so we are going to draft pending UFA and former Portland Winterhawk, Braydon Coburn with the expectation that he walks to free agency.
St. Louis does not have many players with northwest ties, but Tanner Kaspick played four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings and one season with the Victoria Royals. Kaspick has yet to play a game in the NHL but is only 23, so he still has a shot.
Toronto is another team with very few players with northwest ties, but we found one! 24-year-old forward Adam Brooks played five seasons with the Regina Pats.
Rounding out the roster is Vancouver Canucks prospect Kole Lind, who played three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets.
…and I am utterly exhausted from looking at literally hundreds of hockeydb.com player profile pages.
Let’s see how we did.
We seem to be a little heavy at the center position and a little light at left wing, but we’re hoping some of the centers we took can shift over.
Even with the constraints of the rule addendums for the Hyper-Local Mock Expansion Draft, there are some players that could be candidates for the Kraken. Hill, Bean, Jones, Stecher, Oshie, Gambrell, and Bellows are probably on a short-list at Kraken HQ.
I hope you enjoyed a lighter look at the Expansion Draft.
Let’s get something out in the open right now: The Seattle Kraken’s Expansion Draft strategy is going to look a lot different from this mock version. You bet your bottom dollar that Kraken general manager Ron Francis is going to work the phones, especially with cap-strapped franchises, and see what they can land as sweeteners.
But hypothetically, if Seattle didn’t make any side deals, this is my closest guess on what might happen.
In addition to every pick, I’ll explain my thought process and offer a “confidence rating,” meaning how confident I am in this player being destined for Seattle.
Here goes nothing.
Rules of the Sound Of Hockey Mock Expansion Draft
Protection lists are based on latest updates on Sound Of Hockey (Central, East, West, North).
You are allowed one UFA-and-sign selection. Selection should pass the sniff test of being a legitimate option (i.e. expecting to draft and sign Alex Ovechkin does not feel legitimate).
No side deals. Although we are aware that this will be a major part of the actual Expansion Draft, we don’t have enough insider knowledge about what could be done here or what the Kraken would actually try to pull off. So for the purposes of this mock draft, we’re keeping this off the table.
The Expansion Draft picks
Anaheim: Josh Mahura — I love the idea of Mahura and the 22-year-old puck-moving blueliner is worth a look here. Confidence Level (CL): 8 out of 10
Arizona: Adin Hill — Hill is a trendy choice and for good reason. Young and capable goaltenders are hard to find and Hill has been terrific in his two starts this season for the Coyotes, who don’t boast the most inspiring potential exposure list. CL: 9
Boston: Jeremy Lauzon — I’m really bullish on Lauzon’s potential. At just 23 years old, he’s worth a sniff for Seattle, even with the Bruins’ pretty healthy list of potential players. (CL): 7
Buffalo: Henri Jokiharju — The former Portland Winterhawk star hasn’t broken out quite yet, but there’s still plenty more time for the 21-year-old to develop. His offensive upside is worth a peek. CL: 8.
Calgary: Sam Bennett — Bennett’s 2020-21 season has been nothing short of a disaster, but for now, his pedigree is worth a look. With reported trade requests, there’s a strong chance Bennett isn’t in the Flames organization by the Expansion Draft. CL: 6.
Carolina: Jake Bean — Bean is a Sound Of Hockey favorite and I’m firmly on the bandwagon. The former Tri-City American rearguard is playing regular minutes as a 22-year-old and he’s someone you could build the defensive corps around. CL: 9.
Columbus: Kevin Stenlund — To me, it’s between Stenlund and defensemen Gabriel Carlsson or Dean Kukan, but Stenlund’s progression this season is too encouraging to pass up. His ability to play center is a huge plus, too. There is a chance, however, that he’s playing his way into protection with seven points in 13 games. CL: 7.
Colorado: Devon Toews — Toews is a slam dunk choice for the Kraken. However, I doubt the Avalanche will let one of their best blueliners go for nothing. Colorado screams side deal. CL: 7.
Chicago: Nikita Zadorov — Zadorov is a rather large defenseman who’s a good plug-and-play option on Seattle’s blueline. CL: 7.
Dallas: Julius Honka — Honka’s professional career hasn’t gone well, but maybe the first-round pick in 2014 still has more to give. CL: 5.
Detroit: Troy Stetcher — Stetcher is the best player available from Detroit, and even though there are a lot of great options for defensemen in the Expansion Draft, nabbing Stetcher who can contribute from the get-go is a good proposition for Seattle. He’s also a good candidate to be flipped. CL: 6.
Edmonton: Tyler Benson — Quite frankly, there aren’t a ton of great options in our Edmonton projection and Benson is a good depth option with some upside. CL: 6.
Florida: Chris Driedger — Is Driedger the Kraken’s goalie of the future? Driedger, 26, never broke through with Ottawa, but he’s been nothing short of fantastic for Florida this season, with a .818 quality starts percentage. We’ll see how that number changes when the sample size grows, but I love taking a stab at someone like Driedger, who even posted good numbers last season. His contract is up after this season, so this would be my one UFA signing, as allowable by the SOH rules. CL: 7.
Los Angeles: Trevor Moore — The 25-year-old would be a good depth piece for the Kraken with room to grow. CL: 7.
Minnesota: Matt Dumba — I’m skeptical that Dumba will be left exposed. But he is a great selection if he’s available as an instant impact option on the blueline with star potential. CL: 6.
Montreal: Jake Allen — I’ve been infatuated with the idea of bringing Jake Allen in a goalie tandem for quite some time. With good periphery numbers with Montreal thus far, Allen and Driedger are the product of that vision. CL: 9.
Nashville: Matt Duchene — Sure, Duchene may be on the second half of his prime and carries a bloated $8 million average annual value (AAV), but finding a potential No. 1 center is too good to pass up. I’m not sold Duchene will be available, though, with trade rumors swirling around the Predators since a slow start. CL: 7.
New Jersey: Miles Wood — For a rebuilding team, New Jersey boasts some interesting options. Yegor Sharangovich and Janne Kuokkanen have both played decently high roles for the Devils this year, but Wood, who is tied with former Spokane phenom Ty Smith for the team scoring lead with 11 points, plays a rugged game and could be an identity-type player with the potential to produce offensively. CL: 8.
New York Islanders: Nick Leddy — Leddy is someone I’ve always enjoyed while watching the Islanders play and I love the idea of his smooth skating and offensive upside playing on a second- or third-pairing role in my hypothetical Kraken squad. What’s more, you’d think a Barry Trotz-coached defenseman has good defensive habits drilled into him, right? CL: 8.5.
New York Rangers: Brett Howden — With plenty of hockey left ahead of him and the ability to play center, Howden is a relatively easy choice from the Rangers, who are bereft of many exciting options. CL: 9.
Ottawa: Nicholas Paul — Paul is the choice here because he’s relatively young and has been decently productive for the Senators this season. CL: 9.
Philadelphia: James van Riemsdyk — Similar to Duchene, van Riemsdyk’s instant impact is too significant to pass up. CL: 8.5.
Pittsburgh: Teddy Blueger — While Blueger isn’t a sexy choice, centers are not easy to find. CL: 7.5.
San Jose: Dylan Gambrell — Gambrell is the choice because he’s ready immediately to contribute in a bottom-six role. The Bonney Lake, Wash. native’s local angle is a nice plus. CL 9.
St. Louis: Oscar Sundqvist — Ivan Barbashev and Sammy Blais are decent choices as well, and so is veteran defenseman Justin Faulk, but this theoretical exercise’s quest to acquire center depth favors Sundqvist. CL: 7.
Tampa Bay: Mathieu Joseph — The Lightning offer a robust group of players for selection, but when are productive 24-year-old forwards with upside available without giving something up in return? One could envision Joseph blossoming into a top-nine consistent contributor from his fourth-line role in Tampa. CL: 7.
Toronto: Denis Malgin — Malgin might be a bit of an off-the-wall pick, considering he’s playing this season in Switzerland. He’s still just 24 years old and three years removed from a 22-point season. CL: 4
Vancouver: Kole Lind — Lind is a great organizational depth pick with the upside to turn into more. CL: 8 .
Washington: TJ Oshie — No, I’m not taking Oshie because he’s Seattle’s preeminent local hockey connection. I’m taking him because he’s still damn good at hockey. And also because the Kraken will need to get to the salary floor and his $5.75 million AAV salary will help with that.
Winnipeg: Sami Niku — I went back and forth between Niku and Mason Appleton, but young rearguards’ upside couldn’t be ignored with this choice. Plus, he’s slowly earning more playing time. Winnipeg might be ripe for a side deal in order to keep players like Appleton and Niku. CL: 8.
Overall thoughts
As we see it, there are going to be terrific options to build a really exciting blueline. While the forwards aren’t super inspiring, and Jake Allen and Chris Driedger are a bit of a gamble as a goalie pairing, this team could be decent from the jump.
But, as we’ve discussed: Keep an eye on side deals.
Sound Of Hockey will have additional versions of the Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back regularly!
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.
