This week, the Sound Of Hockey Podcast goes deep into the world of the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft.
As you may have seen on soundofhockey.com, John, Andy, and Darren (with help from Josh and Jim) have been taking deep dives into NHL teams to try to understand which players each one may expose in the 2021 Expansion Draft. On the pod, the guys have a hearty discussion about the teams covered so far and whether or not some of the bigger names out there may actually be feasible for the Kraken. There are definitely some interesting nuggets, and a fair dose of #Minnutiae.
Also on this week’s episode, the guys do a Mailbag segment to answer listener questions.
They then move onto You Don’t See That Every Day (view the clips they discuss here and here), Weekly One-Timers, and finally Tweets of the Week.
Starting an NHL franchise from scratch? You’re going to want to first find a top-line center who can score, drive the play, and make those around him better. The Seattle Kraken are hoping to find someone to fill that role right away in next summer’s Expansion Draft. But the need for a star center goes beyond just the team’s inaugural season. With so much focus on the Expansion Draft, it’s easy to forget that that will quickly be followed by the NHL Entry Draft. The Seattle Kraken hope to find their star center for the long term in that Entry Draft, and Kent Johnson could be their man.
Johnson will be on the Kraken radar as the season progresses towards Draft day as offensive threat and dynamic scorer. The University of Michigan freshman recorded four assists in his first collegiate game and eight points through the Wolverines first six contests.
It’s a great start for Johnson and comes after a monster junior season in 2019-2020 with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL where his 101 points in 52 games led the league by an impressive 30 points.
I know I'm supposed to be focused on 2020, but get excited for North Van-native, Kent Johnson in '21.
Johnson’s scoring prowess in Trail was noticed, and the 18-year-old showed up on last month’s NHL Central Scouting initial watch list as an ‘A’ ranked skater. That rating projects Johnson as at least a first-round pick, but other NHL Draft prognosticators rate him as a potential top-ten pick in 2021.
The 2021 NHL Draft will be the first for Seattle, and the Kraken will get the same odds in the lottery as the third-worst team this upcoming season. This means they will end up with a pick somewhere within the top six overall selections. By comparison, Vegas had the sixth overall pick in its first Draft.
Kent Johnson will be in the mix when the Seattle Kraken pick.
“He has high-end stick skills and creativity,” one NHL scout says about Johnson. “Great offensive instincts and for a young forward in the BCHL, had an impact every shift. I have seen his offensive flair only a few times in my 18 years of scouting.”
Johnson Dominated the BCHL
On his way to leading the BCHL in points, Johnson scored 41 times to go with 60 assists. His rookie campaign the season before was also efficient as he scored 20 goals that year.
While the BCHL is considered a small step down from major-junior leagues like the Western Hockey League, it is filled with high-end prospects, and Johnson’s numbers should not be discounted. Alex Newhook led the league with 101 points for the Victoria Grizzlies the season prior.
Newhook would go on to be a first-round Draft pick in 2019 by the Colorado Avalanche, and Johnson will be the next first-rounder to come out of the BCHL.
“I think the BCHL was a great league for me,” Johnson, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, said during Michigan’s media day. “Nice and close to home as a 16-year-old. Just to get my feet wet. My coach was really good and helped me improve my offensive game. (It gave me) more confidence and I worked on my offensive skills and tactics. Just being on the ice on so many offensive situations. A lot of work on goal scoring. There’s nothing like doing it in a game so that league was good for me.”
Johnson was coached in Trail by Jeff Tambellini, a veteran of 242 NHL games and a former first-round NHL Draft pick himself. Tambellini, who now scouts for the Tampa Bay Lightning, helped Johnson hone his already high hockey IQ and skills, giving him the freedom to cash in on his creativity.
That creativity included multiple lacrosse style goals Johnson scored with Trail.
“I think just like any other skill, it’s just practice,” Johnson said of the lacrosse goals. “I did it first in a roller hockey league I play in and that gave me the confidence to do it in an actual game.”
Johnson played in every situation for Tambellini and 14 of his goals came on the Smoke Eaters power play. He ended the season with 39 points on the manpower advantage, along with one short-handed goal. He’s already become a staple on Michigan’s power play unit this season.
From Port Moody to Ann Arbor
Johnson grew up in Port Moody, British Columbia and found the NCAA route an easy choice after his Bantam team took a trip to Penn State.
“I thought the Big 10 and college hockey was really cool,” Johnson said. “My brother went through that so I’ve always liked college hockey.”
Johnson’s older brother Kyle came up through the same Burnaby Winter Club that Kent did as a youth and also played in the BCHL. He is now in his third season at Yale. Kent Johnson says the two brothers are close, albeit competitive, and Kyle had a big influence on his game and the decision to play college hockey.
The younger Johnson’s interest in the NCAA route was well known, and that led to WHL teams staying away from him during the 2017 Bantam Draft. The Everett Silvertips took a flier with a 10th-round pick just in case the high-scoring center changed his mind.
Johnson honored his commitment to Michigan and is part of an impressive freshman class of Wolverines. Along with Johnson, Michigan defenseman Owen Power and center Matthew Beniers are also ‘A’ ranked prospects, according to NHL Central Scouting.
Like most players, Johnson was unable to get the ice time he’s used to during the quarantine. Knowing that he was making a big jump in competition, Johnson said he spent a lot of time shooting pucks in his garage this summer and feels that he has improved his wrist shot and backhand as a result. His stick skills and shot were already a strong part of his game, and he’s been showing off the improved tools early on this season.
The Seattle Kraken will have to find ways to get live viewings of Kent Johnson and other Draft prospects. NHL scouts are not allowed at Michigan home games due to Covid protocols but there will be chances to see Johnson on the road or on television. If the Kraken are impressed with what they see, he could hear his name called as the first ever Seattle pick.
Michigan is must-see television this season, and you can watch Kent Johnson and his fellow highly-rated prospects for yourself this week as the Wolverines take on Penn State.
The hockey news has been dominated over the past month with cancellations of seasons, teams, and tournaments. But, there was good news this week as the NWHL announced it will conduct an abbreviated season starting in late January, and the games will be played entirely in a bubble.
The six NWHL clubs are heading to one of the most iconic hockey locations in the United States for its bubble, starting on January 23rd, to play a five-game schedule. That will determine the four playoff teams who will duke it out for a chance to advance to the Isobel Cup Final, which will be played on February 5th.
All games in the NWHL bubble will be played at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, NY — the same rink where the US Olympic team made us all believe in miracles during an upset of the Soviet hockey team on the way to gold in 1980.
A game schedule is still to be released. The same is true for broadcast information, and hopefully the NWHL can find a partner to carry these games because a two-week run to the Isobel Cup is must-watch television.
A big issue for the NWHL has always been its ability to pay players a livable wage. This challenge still very much exists, but the league has made it clear that despite the very short duration of this campaign, the players will receive what they normally receive for a full season.
Here is the full statement on this topic, which definitely sounds like a step in the right direction for the NWHL.
“All of the professional players who signed contracts this year for the NWHL season will be compensated in full, despite the condensed game schedule. Players were given the opportunity to opt-out of the tournament and still receive their complete salaries. At this date, more than 95 percent of the players have committed to the competition, giving each team a full playing roster for Lake Placid – the site of the iconic “Miracle on Ice” by the U.S. Olympic Team in 1980. Following local and national health guidelines, NWHL teams began voluntary workouts in September and started official practices and workouts in October.“
Fred Sasakamoose played 11 NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1953-1954 season. He didn’t register a single point over that time but is a revered hockey legend because of the barriers he burst through.
A member of the Cree nation, Sasakamoose was the first Indigenous player to make it to the NHL. He overcame many obstacles along the way and served as an inspiration to Canadian First Nation youth for the rest of his life. Sasakamoose would later return to his Saskatchewan, Ahtahkakoop reserve where he would use hockey to inspire Indigenous youth throughout Canada.
Young Indigenous players today are aware of Sasakamoose and his journey, and he is considered a legend in that community. His passing won’t change his status.
After 725 NHL games, Johnny Boychuk called it a career this week. Boychuk played with the Islanders over the past six seasons after a stint in Boston that saw him win a Stanley Cup.
Boychuk’s retirement was due to a scary eye injury just prior to the NHL’s pause. On the play, Boychuk was struck by the skate blade belonging to Montreal Canadiens Artturi Lehkonen. He was able to return for the NHL’s postseason, but only played three total games due to yet another upper body injury.
Johnny Boychuk gets emotional when talking about his time with the Islanders:
"There's been so many good memories that it's just tough to process everything at one time" pic.twitter.com/YOuNpVdjsv
Liked by every team he played for, Boychuk’s retirement solicited a number of responses from his former teammates. Anders Lee summed it up pretty well.
Anyone who knows JB knows he is one of a kind in every way. He is a selfless teammate, who never backed down, shot every rimmed puck, has a heart of gold, and touch of moderns top customer. But above all he is always there for you.I’m lucky you call you my friend, Love you Beezy pic.twitter.com/qhS8Kkkm5g
The University of Wisconsin swept Penn State this past week and Montreal prospect, Cole Caufield, was front and center. The 2019 first-round pick sparked the Badgers to the sweep with a hat trick in the second game.
You need more proof that Caufield is good? How about the four-goal, eight-point start he has over Wisconsin’s first six games? That’s decent.
Michigan Dresses Cones and Loses, Boston College Wins
After a 4-0-0 start following sweeps of Arizona State and Wisconsin, Michigan took its first loss of the season against Notre Dame on Friday. The 3-2 loss at famed Yost Arena came after the Fighting Irish jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period. The Wolverines fought back, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
The loss doesn’t discount the fact that the Wolverines are the real deal this season, buoyed largely by their young stars. Sportsnet lists three of Michigan’s players as potential top-ten picks in next year’s NHL Entry Draft.
If you’re reading this on Saturday, you can watch the second game of Michigan’s series with Notre Dame on Big Ten Network at 4PM Pacific. There may not be fans in attendance, but Michigan faithful will still find a way to harass the opposing netminder.
Boston College finally opened its season with high hopes on Friday, carrying a pre-season ranking of second in the country. The Eagles skated to a 4-3 win over seventh-rated UMass, thanks to three combined goals from Minnesota Wild prospects Jack McBain (2) and Matt Boldy (1), and one from Mike Hardman.
BC is starting the season without its best offensive player – Colorado Avalanche prospect, Alex Newhook – who is taking part in Team Canada’s World Junior Championship selection camp.
Spicy Sauce
Speaking of Boston College, check out this sauce from Willow Corson over on the women’s side. Hannah Bilka received this exquisite dish and made no mistake in depositing it in the back of the net in BC’s season-opening 4-1 win over UNH last weekend.
It was very unnecessary by BC’s social media person to leave in Bilka’s fall at the end of the video, though.
Seattle Kraken Aim to Help Washington State Ice Rinks
On Wednesday, the Seattle Kraken launched a fundraising campaign to help out Washington State ice rinks impacted by the global pandemic. It should be no surprise that a lot of the local hockey rinks have been hard hit by the economic impacts of Covid, and the hockey community certainly feels the strain as well.
The Kraken are offering up an autographed jersey signed by general manager Ron Francis for $1500. If you think that price is a little steep for your blood, you can also donate in smaller amounts.
Our local rinks are the heartbeat of hockey in WA and, like so many in our community, have felt the impact of COVID-19.
It’s the holiday season, so hoop dee doo and dickory dock. Don’t forget to purchase some socks. Welcome to the Seattle Hockey Shopping Guide, presented by the very good people at Sound Of Hockey.
If you’re reading this, it means you did not get trampled trying to get your hands on the same off-brand TV that is available for purchase all year round at your local Wal-Mart, so kudos to you! Although having said that, with Covid raging across America, getting trampled at a Wal-Mart was probably a bit less likely on the 2020 version of Black Friday, so with that in mind, your kudos have been revoked.
BUT! You get those kudos back again because you’re here reading this definitive guide to holiday shopping for the hockey fan in your life, regardless of if they are the most seasoned of puck watchers/players or just picking up the game for the first time.
This Seattle hockey shopping guide may not be the result of hours of scientifically crafted market research, but rest assured that the writer of this article knows a thing or two about receiving hockey gifts. He also knows which hockey gifts he would like to receive this year, so if you’re looking for something special to get him, you can choose pretty much anything from the list below. (Well, you can get him anything except the baby robe. The author of this article would have no use for a baby-sized robe.)
For the Young Hockey Player (or Young-At-Heart Hockey Player)
Mini hockey, knee hockey, mini sticks, whatever you want to call it, it’s great. Like all things in hockey, though, the technology has improved dramatically in the last twenty years.
Gone are the days of the little plastic paddles, emblazoned with team logos, that more closely resembled fly swatters more than they did useful pieces of hockey equipment. Here are the days of the perfect replica one-piece composite sticks designed for peak knee-hockey performance.
The version we’ve chosen here is a Bauer-branded stick, but every popular stick manufacturer sells these for about the same price.
**A quick personal story from the author** I coached a squirt team in Coney Island, New York one season. We did a few out-of-town tournaments, and knee hockey was omni-present at the hotels amongst the kids. When they hit their curfew, we coaches would send the kids to bed, but make them leave behind their knee-hockey sticks. Then it was parents versus coaches in a no-holds-barred fight to the mini-hockey death that resulted in bruised knuckles, rug burns on every inch of our respective bodies, and multiple calls from the front desk asking us to keep it down at 4AM. I’m telling you, knee hockey is for everyone.
For the Passionate Hockey Player
From HockeySauceKit.com, it’s the Original Sauce Hockey Game! It’s basically cornhole with sticks and pucks.
The beauty of this game is that not only is it extremely fun and can be played anywhere, but it also improves your ability to handle the puck and drop it on your teammate’s stick from afar. This is the most costly item in our guide, but we think it’s worth the pennies and your hockey player will love it.
When the receiver of this gift gets back on the ice, he or she will be serving up the spiciest of sauce.
From office décor to pajama pants, this website has it all, so a new-found love of the Seattle Kraken can always be put on display.
As far as what specifically to buy off the site, well, let’s just say that if you buy your new lover of all things Kraken *anything* with a Kraken logo on it, they will like it, because their logos are incredible.
Oatmeal Crewneck Sweatshirt – Who doesn’t love a good crewneck? Plus, the off color on this one is a nice touch.
Kraken Scarf – **A quick personal story from the author**I once received a scarf as a gift, and thought, “That’s silly. I never wear scarves.” Then I wore it, and I’ve been a scarf man ever since. The scarf is the thing that everyone needs but nobody knows they need it. A classic “Don’t knock it ’til you try it” scenario.
For the Brand-New Hockey Fan
THE PERSONALIZED BABY KRAKEN ROBE! As long as we’re at the Fanatics site anyway, we wanted to make sure you knew about this insanely cute robe for the newest of hockey fans out there. The infant in your family will not look more adorable than he or she does when he or she gets out of the bath and throws on this cuddly little number.
**A quick personal story from the author** My wife and I bought this as a baby gift for our friends who are new parents, and we can confirm that said baby looks incredibly cute when wearing this robe.
For the Next Cammi Granato
The NWHL has had an interesting couple of years, but there is some fantastic hockey that gets played in that league. They’re also going to be playing their upcoming season in a super-short bubble format at the end of January in Lake Placid. So, here’s a great opportunity for the hockey fan in your life to rep his or her favorite women’s team.
Four of the six member teams – the Buffalo Beauts, Metropolitan Riveters, Connecticut Whale, and Minnesota Whitecaps – are now selling shirseys of all their players, and they are awesome.
Help the next Cammi Granato in your life find a role model. At $25, you can’t go wrong here.
For the Old Hoser
Those that know will know. Basically, if you have a hockey lover in your life that has played or watched the game with any kind of consistency since… say… the 90’s, you can pretty much buy them anything off the Koho Pro Shop site and they will think you’re the coolest.
Koho, Jofa, and Heaton (Heaton made goalie gear only) are all defunct equipment manufacturers that once outfitted everyone who was anyone in the NHL from Peter Forsberg to Martin Brodeur.
By the way, if you have a goalie in your life, they will love you forever if you buy them this hat.
For the Student of the Game
Why not consider gifting a good book?
**A quick personal note from the author** I haven’t read a hockey-specific book in a LONG time, so I enlisted the help of John Barr and Andy Eide on this one.
It’s a fun read that will take you through the most bizarre stories rarely told in the NHL. There are so many comedic nuggets in this league’s history, it is your duty to read this book and share with the masses. You will read about earmuffs, how the Black Hawks became the Blackhawks, the true humorous origins of the NHL, and many many more stories that you will be telling for years. – John Barr
Whether you’re new to the game or a lifelong fan, ‘Hockey Plays and Strategies’ is for you. It dives into explaining the swirling chaos on the ice, which will change the way you watch the game.
The two authors are experienced hockey guys and each has a Northwest connection. Ryan Walter scored 54 goals for the inaugural Seattle Breakers club in 1977 and would go on to play 1000 NHL games. Mike Johnston serves as head coach, general manager, and president of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, and has turned them into one of the most consistent junior franchises in North American hockey. – Andy Eide
For All Hockey Fans Everywhere
SOUND OF HOCKEY MERCH! The Seattle hockey shopping guide obviously would not be complete if we didn’t include our beautiful new threads, available now in the SOH store.
What’s not to like? Seattle references, shopping local, cool style, and the shirts are super soft and comfortable. It’s win-win-win all the way around!
Sure, the Kraken could get somebody like Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, or Jonathan Quick from the Kings in the Seattle Expansion Draft, but that seems unlikely.
It’s been a tough couple of years for Los Angeles Kings fans, who are still not that far removed from witnessing their club lift hockey’s greatest prize twice in three seasons between 2012 and 2014.
It must be difficult to see their team plummet from the cream of the crop all the way down to cellar dwellers in such a short time, although perhaps there is some overlap between Kings fans and Lakers/Dodgers fans, which would diminish the sour taste of not winning a championship for a few years.
What’s happened with the Kings is not unlike what has happened in places like, say, Chicago, where the central characters have remained on long, lucrative contracts, and as they age, the organization is attempting to rebuild around that same group through drafting and developing.
STATE OF THE TEAM
The old guard – Anze Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Drew Doughty, and Quick – have all reached their 30s, and in varying stages of the twilights of their respective careers find themselves stuck in the mud of a rebuild. Veteran feelings aside, L.A. seems to very much be on the right track to becoming a difficult Pacific Division foe for the Seattle Kraken within a few years.
Prospect experts indicate that Los Angeles had one of the deepest pools in the NHLbefore trading for Tyler Madden and drafting an elite talent in Quinton Byfield with the second overall selection in October’s NHL Entry Draft. This is obviously great news for Kings fans but confirms that this is a franchise that will certainly be a thorn in Seattle’s side for years to come.
Making things worse for Seattle, the Kraken will not have much to choose from off the coveted Kings’ prospect list, as the vast majority of their youth movement will not meet the exposure eligibility requirement of two professional seasons. So, if you think the Kraken will have a chance at guys like Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, Gabe Vilardi, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, or Samuel Fagemo, you would be incorrect.
ASSUMPTIONS
The Kings are one team that we at Sound Of Hockey predict will protect eight total skaters, rather than seven forwards and three defensemen, in the Seattle Expansion Draft. This is because we think they will want to protect an additional defenseman, pushing Seattle to choose one of their interchangeable forwards, of whom they have several.
We are assuming that L.A. will not be good again next season. Byfield has a solid chance of playing right away and being impactful, but coming out of junior hockey, it is unlikely he will be able to move the needle enough to get the Kings back to being competitive. Additions of guys such as Olli Maatta and Lias Andersson will also fall short of putting L.A. back into contention, and the team’s deep well of youngsters is not quite ready to be tapped and labeled the new core of the team.
We also believe at least some of the veterans of the past Stanley Cup runs will be exposed in favor of maintaining the future. Doughty — the youngest of the old core at 30 years old — is the only one of the group with a no-movement clause, so he is guaranteed to be protected. Otherwise, one can imagine a world in which all the remaining players of yore could be there for the taking.
But does Seattle want one of those veterans? We doubt it (unless Kopitar somehow becomes available, which feels like a long shot).
OFFSEASON WILDCARDS
There’s still time for things to change for this roster before puck drop in … well … January … ish? But with the free agent market all but stalled, unless L.A. for some reason pulls off a whopper of a trade, it feels like the front office is prepared to stink for another year.
PROTECTED LIST
FORWARDS
It crossed our minds at Sound Of Hockey that the Kings could expose Kopitar to Seattle in the Expansion Draft, being that he will be 34 when the Kraken start playing, and his contract runs all the way until 2024 at a $10M annual cap hit… But we thought better of it. Unless he has a terrible season, Kopitar will be protected. He is still their best player.
Anze Kopitar (Lock … ish)
Adrian Kempe (Lock)
Alex Iafallo (Lock)
Blake Lizotte
DEFENSE
One question mark here didn’t exist for L.A. two months ago. The Kings took Olli Maatta’s salary off the hands of the cap-strapped Blackhawks at the beginning of October in a move that cleared $3 million from Chicago’s books through 2021-22.
Sean Walker had previously been slated as the last guy protected on L.A.’s blueline, but does Maatta’s addition to the lineup change this? While both players are 26 years old, Maatta has way more service time than Walker with 427 career games, 124 points, and two Stanley Cups.
The two had similar stats this past season, and while Walker has a better contract ($1.4 million lower cap hit for two years longer than Maatta), we will give the protection edge to Maatta, based on a stronger long-term resume.
Drew Doughty (NMC – Lock)
Kale Clague (Lock)
Matt Roy (Lock)
Olli Maatta
GOALIE
Quick, turning 35 in January, is flat out too old to protect and has lost whatever the goalie version of “a step” would be. Jack Campbell was traded away to Toronto during the season. That leaves only one in L.A.’s crease that shall be protected.
Cal Peterson
TOP KINGS TARGETS FOR SEATTLE EXPANSION DRAFT
FORWARDS
Austin Wagner
Lias Andersson
Martin Frk
Carl Grundstrom
Matt Luff
Trevor Moore
Andersson is a very interesting case and another one of those assets that wasn’t something for the Kings to worry about in expansion two months ago. He had a tough go in the Rangers organization, eventually asking for a trade, leaving the team, and returning to Sweden.
New York did officially deal him to L.A. on draft day, giving Andersson a fresh start on the opposite coast. He so far has not lived up to his No. 7 overall selection, but the kid has oodles of talent and is still just 21 years old. Seattle could do much worse than landing a young player with this much upside this early in his career.
Wagner, 23, is the other most intriguing choice here. With probably less upside than Andersson, Wagner has a ton of speed and has proven himself a useful NHL player, though mostly in a checking role. In 127 career games played, Wagner has 18 goals and 14 assists.
DEFENSE
Olli Maatta
Sean Walker
We talked previously about the decision to be made between Maatta and Walker, and that’s assuming that Los Angeles does take the route of protecting eight total skaters in favor of holding onto four of their defensemen. Should the Kings go with the seven/three/one protection list, then Seattle would be able to choose from Maatta and Walker if one of those is more appealing than an Andersson or Wagner up front.
GOALIE
Jonathan Quick
… But we don’t think this will happen.
SIDE DEAL SCENARIOS
Brown and Carter are signed through 2021-22 and Quick is signed through 2022-23, all at $5M+ cap hits. With the Kraken needing to hit the cap floor, one could see the Kraken taking one of those players if Los Angeles can do enough to sweeten any such deal. Taking any of those players would not be done with the intent of building the Kraken roster around them, but rather to get the Kings to throw in useful assets and get a year or two of service from an aging but respected veteran.
Check out our previous articles looking at likely Seattle Expansion Draft scenarios for the Red Wings, Senators, and Sharks.
This is a fun episode that features Spokane, Washington’s own Derek Ryan! The Calgary Flames center has had a fascinating journey to get to the NHL, and his story will leave you feeling inspired to keep grinding to achieve your dreams.
Also on this episode, plenty of discussion about some of the latest content at SoundOfHockey.com, including John’s idea about a low-price ticket lottery and Andy’s Reverse Retro Jersey Awards. The guys shed some more light on those topics and rip on the Detroit Red Wings for their very poor entry into the Reverse Retro pool.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
