With the hockey world focused on the start of the NHL season, the Seattle Kraken snuck over the finish line of their season ticket sales process. Being that the team had 35,000 season ticket deposits for an arena that holds 17,000, it was just a matter of time before this happened. But now that it has, there are surely some disappointed Kraken fans. The good news for people that never got the call is that the Kraken are proposing options to enable depositors to buy individual tickets to regular season games. Please kindly note that this story was first reported by SOUND OF HOCKEY’S ANDY EIDE!
Seattle Kraken License Plates are coming soon for Washingtonians. The Kraken announced that they need 3,500 “signatures” on a petition for team-themed license plates to get produced in Washington State.
The Seattle Kraken practice facility experienced a bit of a mishap last weekend when part of an adjacent building that was getting knocked down… uh… fell on the practice facility. Oopsy daisy!
Word around the campfire is that the damage will not delay the opening of the facility, but nonetheless, it’s an unfortunate setback for the team. Miraculously, nobody was injured in the accident.
NEW: Construction accident near @SeattleKraken training facility causes damage to future team headquarters.
Early indication is that crews demolishing old Nordstrom building allowed debris to fall on Kraken site.
The story of Oscar Lindblom fighting Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer – took the hockey world by storm last season. He did return for two games in the bubble, but made his first appearance in regular season play this week and scored for the first time since November 2019. Meanwhile, teammate Nolan Patrick – who missed all of last season with migraines – also returned and scored for the first time since March 2019. The Flyers beat their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins twice in three nights to start the season.
It’s not all rainbows and lollipops in Philadelphia, though, as apparently Jake Voracek is less than thrilled with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Mike Sielski.
Patrik Laine might want out of Winnipeg, but he showed in the Jets’ season opener that he won’t be phoning it in to force a trade à la the NBA’s James Harden.
Laine’s overtime winner was his second of the game, and he added an assist in Winnipeg’s 4-3 home victory Thursday night over the Calgary Flames. His lethal shot is as dangerous as ever, and he deserves credit for his professionalism and grit. Laine said he was “pissed off” about being denied a Gordie Howe hat trick because he received only a roughing minor for a skirmish with Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk.
“That one time when I drop my gloves, I get a two-minute penalty. So that’s kind of embarrassing,” Laine told TSN.ca.
Laine, who is due to be a restricted free agent after this season, also has the extra motivation of looking for a long-term contract worth more per year than the $6.75 million he’s getting this season.
Some have even speculated that Laine could end up with the Seattle Kraken. It’s far too soon to tell whether the Kraken could put a package of assets together that would appeal to the Jets, but it’s in Winnipeg’s best interests to get a trade done before Laine goes unsigned into next season’s training camp or beyond.
Seattle has a better chance than many other teams that are up against the cap and navigating through this revenue-battering COVID-19 season. (By the way, one of Laine’s agents – Mike Liut – happens to be a former Hartford Whalers teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis.)
Ironman streak in jeopardy
Keith Yandle has played 866 consecutive games, dating back to March 2009. According to TSN, the veteran puck mover has “fallen out of favor” with the Florida Panthers organization and was not included in the main group of six defensemen at practice on Friday.
With Yandle holding a no-movement clause, the only thing new general manager Bill Zito can do to not play Yandle is healthy scratch him. Yandle cannot be traded or put on waivers without his permission.
Yandle, 34, is still a productive player and has been a huge part of Florida’s power play. Being healthy scratched after battling through everything that comes with playing that many games in a row would be a real kick in the nether regions, though it sounds like there’s still a chance Yandle plays in the team’s opener on Sunday (the Panthers have not yet played due to COVID-related postponements).
Quinn Hughes, one of the most exciting young defensemen in the league, tallied an assist on opening night against the Oilers from his knees. That’s pretty cool!
Watch poor Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare lose his childlike enthusiasm for the Avalanche’s Feb. 20 outdoor game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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.
A few days ago, we stepped through all the “Eastern Conference” teams (yes, we recognize there are no conferences this season) and identified some of the major storylines that could impact the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft in July.
Today, we look to the teams that typically play in the conference formally known as the Western Conference.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks added Kevin Shattenkirk this offseason, and if he plays to his expected level, Anaheim might be forced to protect four defensemen (Shattenkirk, Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, and Josh Manson) in the Expansion Draft. This could expose Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, and Adam Henrique.
Arizona Coyotes
Adin Hill (G) of the Arizona Coyotes
The best thing to come out of Arizona in the Expansion Draft will likely be a goalie —specifically, Adin Hill or Darcy Kuemper. The question is: do the Coyotes hold onto Kuemper or do they trade him before the Expansion Draft?
Kuemper was one of the top goalies in the league last year — his .928 save percentage was third in the NHL among goalies with at least 20 games played — so the thought of trading him seems a bit outrageous. However, the Coyotes are thin on draft picks and prospects after the Taylor Hall trade and the sanctions taken by the league last season for illegally working out prospects.
Calgary Flames
The burning question is if Milan Lucic will waive his no-move clause or not. If he does not waive his NMC, the Flames could expose Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett which will create good options in the forward position. There is also a scenario where Lucic waives his no-move clause and Calgary subsequently offers draft picks to the Kraken to take Lucic and his $6 million dollar cap hit.
Chicago Blackhawks
Similar to Lucic’s situation in Calgary, the same can be asked about Brent Seabrook in Chicago. Will he waive his no-move clause for the Expansion Draft? If he does, this does not mean Seattle will take him. We are projecting Connor Murphy, Lucas Carlsson, and Calvin De Haan to all be exposed by Chicago, but if Seabrook waives his NMC, one of them will be protected. This question should be answered in April.
Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Jost #17 – Colorado Avalanche
Any uncertainty in Colorado surrounds pending UFAs Brandon Saad, Gabriel Landeskog, and to a lesser extent Philipp Grubauer. If any or all those players are signed to a contract extension before the Expansion Draft, they will be protected. Signing Saad and Landeskog will expose young center Tyson Jost, a name we have had circled for a while. Signing Grubauer would eliminate the opportunity for the Kraken to talk with him during the exclusive (to the Kraken) UFA discussion window before the expansion selections are due to the league. If they were to convince Grubauer to sign with Seattle, he would be the Kraken’s starting goalie in year one.
Dallas Stars
Dallas’ player pool is thin as far as the Expansion Draft. The ideal scenario is that veteran Stars, Anton Khudobin and Joe Pavelski, continue to play at a level beyond their age would suggest. They might create an opportunity for Seattle to select either of these players in the Expansion Draft and immediately trade them to another team that could use their veteran presence.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ approach to the protected list in the Expansion Draft hinges on Oscar Klefbom’s status. He is already out for the season, but it’s worth wondering if the Oilers will still protect him. If they do opt to protect him, it is a safe assumption that they will protect four defensemen (Ethan Bear, Darnell Nurse, Caleb Jones, & Klefbom) which will force them to only protect four forwards. This would most likely expose Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyler Benson. Whichever player of that duo shows the most promise this year would be a good candidate for the Kraken.
Los Angeles Kings
The biggest flier for the Seattle Kraken to consider off the LA Kings roster would be Lias Andersson. The road to the NHL for the No. 7 overall draft pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft has been anything but smooth. The change of scenery to LA might be just what he needs but there is no guarantee the Kings protect him. If Andersson shows promise this season, the Kings might feel the need to protect him in lieu of protecting Blake Lizotte or Austin Wagner.
Minnesota Wild
Matt Dumba has been rumored to be on the trading block all offseason. The Wild already possess three defensemen with no-move clauses that they are required to protect in the Expansion Draft. Protecting a fourth defenseman in Dumba would expose a young promising forward like Jordan Greenway. The general thought is that instead of losing him in the Expansion Draft, they trade him. A Dumba trade would greatly impact who is available for the Kraken.
Nashville Predators
Ryan Johansen’s productivity has dipped, and the 28-year-old center has not lived up to his $8 million cap hit. If Johansen sees another down year, there is a scenario where the Predators expose the former Portland Winterhawk. Even if he is exposed, it does not mean Seattle will necessarily select him in the Expansion Draft.
A bad year by Johansen could open the door for a possible side deal.
San Jose Sharks
There is speculation that San Jose might expose Brent Burns in the Expansion Draft, but the players I am keeping an eye on are Bonney Lake’s Dylan Gambrell and former Seattle Thunderbird Alexander True. Gambrell has a significant opportunity to establish himself as an everyday NHL forward while True, who is a year younger than Gambrell, might spend another season in the AHL. Both players will have a lot to prove regardless of where they play, and Ron Francis might consider taking one of these younger depth forwards for the Kraken.
St. Louis Blues
Vladimir Tarasenko was placed on long-term injured reserve and is going to be re-evaluated in May. That is pretty much the whole season. If Tarasenko does not play during this truncated campaign, the Blues could expose Tarasenko to dare Ron Francis to take a chance on the injury prone winger. Exposing him will enable St. Louis to protect Sammy Blais or Ivan Barbashev.
Vancouver Canucks
I have seen a lot of people penciling in Braden Holtby as the Seattle Kraken’s starting goalie in the inaugural season, but I am not so sure. Holtby will need to show significant improvement from his career worst .897 save percentage last year before Seattle considers selecting him out of Vancouver. Keep an eye on him this season.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are not participants in the Expansion Draft, but they could certainly be a major participant in the trade market that would impact other teams’ protected lists. Keep an eye on any big moves that involve Vegas.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have yet to re-sign restricted free agent and former first-round draft pick, Jack Roslovic. He was projected as a bubble protected/exposed player in the upcoming Expansion Draft, but now he could be on the move. No matter what, Roslovic’s status will impact the Expansion Draft scenarios coming out of Winnipeg.
Sound Of Hockey is here to bring you fully up to speed in preparation for the wild ride that will be the shortened 56-game NHL season, which is now officially underway. In this episode, John, Andy, and Darren go through each of the four newly-formed divisions to set expectations for which players and teams will be worth watching.
Also in this episode, the guys give a quick Seattle Kraken update, specifically regarding the recent accident at the team’s under-construction practice facility. And Andy gives a WHL update on the league’s plan for a very short season.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner (featuring this mask and this mask), Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
SEATTLE — Before playing a game the Seattle Kraken are already the hottest ticket in town as the team appears to have sold out its season ticket plans.
The team says that they will still work with the remaining depositors on their list to get them into Climate Pledge Arena during the team’s first season in 2021-2022.
In a statement to Sound Of Hockey, a Kraken spokesperson says “We are approaching the final stages of our general seat selection process. We are calling each and every deposit holder to discuss membership and seating options. Each depositor will have the opportunity to access tickets.”
Every depositor will receive a call from ticket representatives to offer membership plans. These plans will allow members to have access to a number of single-game tickets as well as other perks that are still being developed by the team. There will be tiers for these plans, some offering more perks than others. Depositors will be allowed to keep their priority number on the list to use if season packages become available.
On March 1, 2018, the team collected 35,000 deposits for season tickets in a matter of hours. It was a banner day for the hopeful franchise and showed the NHL that there was a passion for NHL hockey in Seattle. The momentum from that day helped Oak View Group receive approval from the City of Seattle to build what is now Climate Pledge Arena and the NHL to approve Seattle for expansion in December of that same year.
In September the Kraken began contacting its depositors to sell season ticket packages. The process was virtual due to caution concerning the COVID pandemic and the team experienced a high retention rate from the start. The building will hold a capacity of 17,100 but not every seat was reserved for season ticket packages. The Seattle Kraken planned on holding out 9,000 seats for partial season ticket plans and individual game availability.
The Kraken experienced higher retention rates from those initial depositors than they had anticipated and are pivoting in order to include all the fans that helped launch the franchise.
The Seattle Kraken almost surely will have a chance at a veteran ready to contribute right away from the Washington Capitals in the Expansion Draft.
The Capitals already possessed a roster in win-now mode with several veteran contributors. And then, for good measure, the Capitals signed 43-year-old behemoth Zdeno Chara to a one-year contract. What does this have to do with Expansion? Well, not much, but we just wanted to mention that they signed a 43-year-old behemoth.
Offseason wild cards and assumptions
Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year mega contract runs out after this upcoming season and the Russian superstar will be a free agent for the first time since he was 22 years old. He’s expressed interest in ending his NHL career in Washington before then ending his overall hockey career with Moscow Dynamo, the KHL team he played for growing up in Russia.
Even so, the Capitals are going to leave Ovechkin unprotected during the 2021 Expansion Draft.
Yes, I know that sounds crazy. But hear me out.
With no expressed interest in playing for anyone other than the Capitals in the NHL, there’s no rush for Ovechkin and the Capitals to agree to a contract before next summer’s free agency window and can instead devise a handshake agreement.
It’s a bit of a risk because Ovechkin can turn around and sign with the Kraken in the 48-hour negotiating window before the Expansion Draft, which is highly unlikely, but it’s one Washington may be willing to take to protect a player it wouldn’t be able to keep otherwise.
And besides, handshake deals happen quite often in the NHL and this particular deal behooves both parties.
Outside of Ovechkin, the Capitals have defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forward Conor Sheary as unrestricted free agents, and perhaps more importantly, three key pending restricted free agents — forward Jakub Vrana, 24, defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, 23, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov, 23.
Protected list
Forwards:
Niklas Backstrom (lock)
Evgeny Kuznetsov (lock)
Tom Wilson (lock)
Lars Eller
Jakub Vrana
Richard Panik
Daniel Sprong
Defensemen:
John Carlson
Dmitry Orlov
Jonas Siegenthaler
Goaltender:
Ilya Samsonov
The final two forward spots and the last defenseman spot will be areas to watch for Kraken fans.
For now, we’ll go with Sprong — a 23-year-old winger that figures to stick on the Capitals roster this season — and Panik. That leaves TJ Oshie unprotected, and we’ll get into that later.
The final spot on the blueline comes down to Siegenthaler and Brenden Dillon, and the former’s youth is the tiebreaker. Even though the Capitals signed Dillon, a former Seattle Thunderbird great, to a four-year contract worth $3.9 million per season, both players have similar roles and impacts on the ice as bruising defensemen that can play on the penalty kill.
Washington Capitals Expansion Draft candidates for Seattle
Forwards:
TJ Oshie
Garrett Pilon
Defensemen:
Brenden Dillon
Nick Jensen
Justin Schultz
Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room.
Oshie was born in Mount Vernon and grew up in Snohomish County before moving to Warroad High School in Minnesota to ignite his hockey development. But before that, Oshie developed through the Seattle Junior Hockey Association. Oshie, 34, is perhaps the Pacific Northwest’s foremost local product and would be a hometown favorite immediately if the Kraken selected him.
Along with Oshie’s local ties, his $5.75 average annual value contract could be appealing to the Kraken, who need to surpass the $60.24 million salary cap floor. There are far worse players than Oshie that can help Seattle reach that threshold.
As far as his impact on the ice, Oshie’s profile is a little tricky to evaluate. The winger’s corsi-for percentage at 5-on-5 has hovered just over 50 percent every year since Washington brought him over from St. Louis, which is average. He’s proven to be a lethal offensive player for a lot of his career, but his 10.6 expected goals above replacement last season, per Evolving Hockey, is his lowest since 2013-14.
It leaves one to wonder how many uber-productive years are in Oshie’s future, but for now, Oshie can be counted on as a consistent offensive contributor.
If Seattle wanted another younger forward, there happens to be another option with local ties that will be available in the Expansion Draft from the Washington Capitals.
Garrett Pilon, who the Everett Silvertips traded for at the WHL trade deadline during their Western Conference championship season in 2017-18, put up good numbers with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears last season. The 22-year-old, who is a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, doesn’t likely project as a top-six forward at the highest level, but he may be an NHL contributor soon.
Dillon would be a good option for Seattle if he’s available, not just for his local ties, but because of his sound game in the defensive zone and because he’s signed through the 2023-24 season.
Justin Schultz, 30, a second-pairing type of rearguard with offensive flair, is another option. Nick Jensen, 30, would also be worth a look for Seattle.
Side deal scenarios
With a litany of salary cap issues looming, the Capitals are potentially ripe for a side deal.
CapFriendly.com projects Washington to possess just over $12 million of cap space entering the next offseason. Assuming Ovechkin demands a contract with an AAV of around $9-10 million, Washington will have around only $5 million to sign Vrana, Siegenthaler, and Samsonov.
That probably won’t get it done.
The Capitals don’t have a very deep farm system — The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked Washington No. 30 in his organizational rankings this offseason — but perhaps it might not take much to ensure Seattle selects a player like Oshie, who the Kraken may be interested in taking anyway, and his cap hit off the books.
Of course, this all may be for not if Ovechkin signs a backloaded deal or Washington uses long-term injured reserve to save cap room. But until then, the Capitals need to do some cap gymnastics or risk losing a promising young piece.
Previous Sound Of Hockey Expansion Draft Team Previews
The NHL is blessed with highly skilled and entertaining young stars. Every season a new crop dazzles and this year will offer more of the same starting Wednesday night. At the end of each season, the league recognizes which one of the new kids is the best by awarding the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year.
Winning the Calder Trophy by no means guarantees a successful NHL career but the list of past winners is impressive. There are some all-time names like Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Teemu Selanne, and Alex Ovechkin who have won.
Most of the winners are forwards but defensemen and even goalies have received the award. New Jersey Devils great Martin Brodeur won the Calder Trophy in 1994. Since then he has been prone to leaving the trophy in random rental cars, but that doesn’t diminish the honor.
Who will win this year? Here are the players to watch in this season’s Calder Trophy race.
The top Calder Trophy contenders
Kirill Kaprizov – LW – Minnesota Wild
The Wild used a fifth-round pick to select Kaprizov in 2015 but had not been able to convince him to sign and play in the NHL until this past summer. General manager Bill Guerin got him locked up – with a two-year entry deal – just before the league resumed its postseason. He wasn’t able to play in the postseason but the expectations are nonetheless high.
Kaprizov has played in the Russian KHL for CSKA the past three years. The last two of those years saw him tear the league up, scoring 30 and 33 goals respectively. While it might be easy to dismiss that due to it being a non-NHL league, he compares well to other Russians who have come over. New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin played in the KHL at the same age and never scored more than 26 goals.
He’ll join a Wild team that is still searching for some consistent play at center – having a winger like Kaprizov should help any center – but Kaprizov is going to slide into their top six and their power play and get plenty of opportunity to score. We at Sound Of Hockey think that’s going to be enough for him to pile up points and end up winning the Calder Trophy.
Juuso Valimaki – D – Calgary Flames
He’s not a household name – although here in Washington State he’s well known for his days with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans – but he’s on his way. Valimaki was a first-round pick of Calgary in 2016 and will be a big part of its quest to conquer the new Scotia North division this season.
In his first pro year in 2018-2019, he split between the NHL (24 games) and the AHL’s Stockton Heat, where he recorded 18 points in 20 games. Primed to play with the Flames full-time last year, a knee injury that required surgery caused him to miss the season entirely. He rehabbed and was ready to play as the Flames entered the Edmonton Bubble last fall, but Calgary, in a shrewd move, kept him out to limit his games played in pro hockey and exempting him from the Kraken Expansion Draft. The Flames most likely would have protected him but that would mean someone else would have been exposed.
After a great stint in Finland in the fall, #Flames blueliner Juuso Valimaki is feeling confident heading into the 2020-21 NHL season! pic.twitter.com/lJLlTbGOaR
Valimaki is healthy now and started the year playing for Ilves Tampre in his native Finland. To assuage any worries about his knee, he lit up SM-Liiga by scoring at a point-per-game pace in 19 contests. He can skate and has an offensive mind always looking to quickly transition and lead the rush. His skill set should lead him to the point on the power play as well. Look for speed and end-to-end rushes in Calgary for Valimaki this year.
Igor Shesterkin – G – New York Rangers
The Rangers goalie of the future is going to get his shot now. Shesterkin has been on the come up and a big reason why New York was willing to let all-time great Henrik Lundqvist walk in the offseason. The 25-year-old Russian only has 12 games of NHL experience but has a strong track record in the KHL.
During his last three seasons with St. Petersburg SKA his lowest save percentage was .933 and his last season, 2018-2019, he posted an incredible 1.11 goals-against. But that was the KHL and things ramp up in North American pro hockey. Shesterkin adjusted well on this side of the globe and spent the 2019-2020 season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack where he was just as dominant. With Hartford, his record was 17-4-3 with a .934 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average.
He’s been consistent wherever he plays and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue. He will split time with the returning Alexandar Georgiev, but with this year’s compact schedule, Shesterkin will be in net enough to be in the Calder race.
If he were to win, Shesterkin would be the first goalie to win the Calder Trophy since Steve Mason won in 2009 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The best of the rest Calder Trophy candidates
Alexis Lafreniere – C- New York Rangers
The number one pick in October’s Draft will head straight to the NHL with the Rangers. He hasn’t played an NHL game yet, but his record in the QMJHL where he piled up 297 points in three seasons suggests he’ll be ready from day one. Toronto’s Auston Matthews was the last No. 1 overall pick to win the Calder Trophy the following season. Can Lafreniere do the same?
Tim Stutzle – C – Ottawa Senators
Taken two picks after Lafreniere, Stutzle is coming off an incredible performance with Germany in the World Junior Championship. An argument could be made he was the best player in the tournament and willed his team into the quarterfinals for the first time ever. He joins an up-and-coming Senators team which should put him in position to have an offensive impact.
Cozens is another player who dominated the World Junior Championship in January and can jump right into the NHL. Cozens was a first-round pick of the Sabres in 2019 after productive years in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He’s 19-years-old but at 6-foot-3 and 188 pounds he has the size to compete at the next level. Cozens has to make the Sabres roster first, but if he does, look out.
Gabriel Vilardi – C – Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have a loaded prospect pool and Vilardi may be the closest to popping in the NHL. Los Angeles drafted him in 2017 with the 11th overall pick and he’ll be a big part of their rebuild. He got a brief, 10-game look with the Kings last season and was impressive while scoring three times with seven points.
Ilya Sorokin – G – New York Islanders
Another stellar goalie out of Russia, Sorokin fever is ready to hit the Island this year. Sorokin, 25, played the past six seasons with CSKA Moscow in the KHL and routinely flirted with a save-percentage in the .930 range. He has a shot to end up the Islanders top goalie and with New York’s defensive style of play, he could end up with big numbers.
Trevor Zegras – C – Anaheim Ducks
Zegras delighted for the gold-medal-winning Team USA at this year’s World Junior Championship and the Ducks had to be drooling, or quacking, or whatever Ducks do. He can distribute the puck and showed off his deadly shot this winter. A key cog in Anaheim’s future, he should get plenty of ice time, though the Ducks apparently are not including him in their lineup on opening night.
The best part of this ridiculous Trevor Zegras snipe from last night is that he tried it a first time and then pulled it off on the second try like 10 seconds later pic.twitter.com/asQiZ2O6I5
The former Tri-City Americans goal scorer has scored in the AHL and will be making the next step with a loaded Carolina team this year.
Ty Smith – D – New Jersey Devils
He lit up the stat sheet with the Spokane Chiefs and now Smith will have a shot to crack the Devils roster this year. Can he use his high-end skating to help jump-start the New Jersey offense?
Jake Bean – D – Carolina Hurricanes
The reigning AHL Defenseman of the Year, Bean has a chance to contribute with the Hurricanes. Carolina’s depth on the blue line, however, makes him a long shot at the Calder Trophy.
As the NHL season kicks off this week, here are some storylines Seattle Kraken fans should keep an eye on with the teams from the conference formerly known as the Eastern Conference.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins do not have many questions leading up to the Expansion Draft this summer. The Kraken will probably focus on evaluating the skill level of some of the younger options in that organization.
Specifically, Trent Frederic, 22, and Jakub Zboril, 23, who played 99 percent of their games in the AHL last season.
Buffalo Sabres
Is Buffalo a playoff team? Once we know the answer to that, we will get a better read on what they do with Taylor Hall. Hall signed a one-year deal this summer, but if Buffalo is out of the playoff race around the trade deadline, the Sabres might salvage his value by trading him for draft picks. Assuming Hall does not sign a contract extension in Buffalo (or with another team), he won’t be protected and the Kraken will have the opportunity to sign Hall during the club’s 48-hour exclusive free agent negotiating window.
Carolina Hurricanes
I have a huge bias for young players when looking at the Expansion Draft and two names that I have had circled for a long time are Morgan Geekie and Jake Bean.
Both players are 22. Geekie played two games in the NHL last year while Bean was in the AHL the entire season. The question is how much do we see them this year and what type of steps do they take in their professional careers?
In case things don’t go well for either of these guys, Haydn Fleury, 24, is the next one on deck.
Dubois projects to be an elite center in the NHL, but he recently expressed interest in getting traded out of Columbus. If they do trade him, the questions become who they get in return and how does that player impact who they protect in the Expansion Draft.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is not a team Kraken fans should be overly excited about right now, but one to monitor for the Expansion Draft is how good Danny DeKeyser looks since undergoing back surgery early in the 2019-20 season.
Florida Panthers
There aren’t a whole lot of open questions in Florida. If I am isolating a few players to put on a Kraken watch list in Florida it is Markus Nutivaara and MacKenzie Weegar. At least one of them will be exposed in the Expansion Draft.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal possesses a glut of quality forwards on expiring contracts. Joel Armia, Phillip Danault, and Tomas Tatar are all notable forwards that Montreal would love to keep beyond this season. If the Canadiens sign any of these players to extensions, they will want to protect them in the Expansion Draft.
I love the former Everett Silvertip and I am absolutely rooting for him to have a great season. Staying healthy has been a huge challenge for the 27-year-old blue liner, though. If he stays healthy and has a solid season, he could be protected in New Jersey which will expose PK Subban, though Subban also needs to have a bit of a rebound season to be considered by the Kraken next summer.
Additionally, Kyle Palmieri is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and if they resign him, it will impact the Devils protected list.
New York Islanders
Do the Islanders expose Josh Bailey or Jordan Eberle? And what kind of season do we see out of Otto Koivula and Kieffer Bellows? It is likely that only one of the four players mentioned can be protected, so we should keep an eye on all of them.
New York Rangers
Will Ryan Strome maintain his playing from last year when he was close to a point-per-game player? Or will he play at a level more in line with his career? And not that this has anything to do with the Kraken, but we’re all curious to see how Alexis Lafreniere fares as a rookie.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators won’t offer a large selection to choose from come the Expansion Draft, but they might have a goalie of interest. They added Matt Murray from Pittsburgh this offseason, and if he delivers on his expectations, he will be the protected netminder. That would expose Joey Daccord, a highly respected 24-year-old goalie prospect, for the Kraken.
Philadelphia Flyers
Nolan Patrick, who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to migraine issues, is forecasted as one of the protected forwards in Philadelphia. He is at camp and is reportedly moving full steam ahead for the coming season, but there is still questions about whether he can fight off the health issues that kept him out last year.
If he is healthy and can perform, then he will be protected, exposing Nicolas Aube-Kubel or Jakub Voracek.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh will more than likely expose two of the three forwards of Brandon Tanev, Teddy Blueger, or Jared McCann. Ideally all of them have great years to provide Seattle quality options.
Tampa Bay Lightning
If the Lighting protect four defensemen in the Expansion Draft it will come down to their confidence in 2017 first-round draft pick, Cal Foote. Foote is expected to make his NHL debut this year and should be able to showcase his long-term potential in the NHL.
If Foote lives up to expectations, the Lightning will protect him with fellow defensemen Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak. Protecting four defensemen will force the Lightning to expose forwards Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde, and Alexander Volkov.
Toronto Maple Leafs
There is not much debate on who the Maple Leafs will protect in the Expansion Draft. Travis Dermot should be exposed on defense. In the forward group, Kraken fans might want to keep an eye on pending UFA Jimmy Vesey to see if he shows any promise for Seattle.
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin is on the last year of his contract with the Capitals. There is no doubt in my mind that Ovi will play in Washington next season, but it seems to me they could save a valuable spot in their protected list by waiting for him to get to free agency and then signing him.
Those are just some of the storylines to keep an eye on in the Eastern Conference this year.
The storm surges, the Bunch of Jerks t-shirts, and the snarky twitter feed all make the Carolina Hurricanes a fun team. But beyond all that, they happen to also be a good hockey team. After a nine-year absence from the playoffs, they’ve qualified the last two seasons and made a run to the conference finals in 2019. They have depth which means they will have a tough time protecting everyone from the Seattle Kraken at the NHL Expansion Draft.
Don Waddell is the general manager who will have to sort it out and make a tough choice because he’s going to lose a quality player. Seattle general manager Ron Francis is familiar with the Hurricanes roster. He drafted a number of these guys and it will be interesting to see which of his former players he brings to Seattle.
The Hurricanes have under a million dollars in cap space and have some important players who are going to be re-signed as both Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton’s contacts expire after the coming season. Both of those players are key pieces and most likely will be re-signed, but that means Carolina will have to shed some salary, and the Expansion Draft could be a way to do so.
Assumptions
Svechnikov is a lock to be re-signed by the Hurricanes. He’s one of the brightest up-and-coming players in the NHL and for this exercise we’ll assume that he will be re-signed and protected. Hamilton is most likely in the same boat. There is a remote chance that Waddell could risk waiting to sign him until after the Expansion Draft. That would be interesting as Seattle would have the ability to negotiate him prior to the draft and the Hurricanes could end up losing him.
That scenario is unlikely however, so we’ll assume that Hamilton is not available to the Kraken.
Carolina Hurricanes Expansion Draft protected list
Forwards
The Hurricanes have a decision to make with former Portland Winterhawk Nino Niederreiter. He has two years left on a contract that earns him $5.4 million per season and that money could go towards re-signing other, more valuable players. Niederreiter, 28, didn’t produce last year, only scoring 11 goals. That’s a low number for a guy who’s perennially flirting with the 20-goal mark.
That doesn’t mean he’s done, however. Niederreiter posted one of his career-worst shooting percentages (9.6 %) and could rebound. He still drove play for the Hurricanes and was a 56-percent Corsi-for player, meaning Carolina typically benefited while he was on the ice. A rebound season is within reach for Niederreiter and if he does perform, he’ll play himself into protection.
What Waddell does with Niederreiter will impact the final forwards that the Carolina Hurricanes will protect for the Expansion Draft.
If they leave Niederreiter exposed, they will likely protect Jesper Fast. For our purposes here, we’ll protect Niederreiter but it will be a position to watch.
Hurricanes protected forwards
Sebastian Aho
Jordan Staal (NMC)
Andrei Svechnikov
Teuvo Teravainen
Warren Foegele
Vincent Trocheck
Nino Niederreiter
Defense
The Carolina Hurricanes blue line is the most intriguing area when it comes to looking at the Expansion Draft. Jacob Slavin is the one player in this group that is certain to be protected, but Carolina has a lot of depth here, which will benefit Seattle.
If Hamilton is re-signed he will also be a lock. However, if the Hurricanes don’t protect him then Jake Gardiner will join Brett Pesce as protected defenseman.
Hurricanes protected defensemen
Jacob Slavin
Brett Pesce
Jake Gardiner
Goalie
The Hurricanes return James Reimer and Petr Mrazek as the goalie tandem this season. Those two have left a lot to be desired and its surprising that Carolina did not add a goalie this offseason.
Entering the new season, Carolina has no goaltenders signed beyond 2020-2021. They will need to expose a goalie so obviously there are moves to make. Mrazek is the younger of the two returners so we’ll protect him here and wait to see who they add.
One long shot at being protected is youngster Alex Nedeljkovic. The 24-year-old has only six NHL games on his resume but has turned in four strong AHL seasons. If he continues, he might be an option to step up if both Reimer and Mrazek are let go.
Hurricanes protected goalie
Petr Mrazek
Carolina Hurricanes Expansion Draft targets
Forwards
Morgan Geekie
Jesper Fast
Nino Niederreiter (if left exposed)
Defense
Haydn Fleury
Jake Bean
Brady Skjei
Goalie
Alex Nedeljkovic
Thoughts
Defense feels like the best bet for Ron Francis and the Kraken here.
That being said, forward Morgan Geekie would be a quality pick. Francis drafted him when he was running the Hurricanes from the Tri-City Americans in the 2017 NHL Draft. Geekie, 22, was a late-season call-up this past year and shined. He scored three goals in two games and that came after a stellar 22-goal campaign in the AHL. He’s young, has promise, and Francis is familiar with him.
Francis is also familiar with his two best options on defense. Fleury, 24, was a first-round pick by Francis but has yet to have the impact you’d expect in a first rounder. Last year was his best in the NHL though, and if Francis still believes in him, he could be looking at a new situation with the Kraken.
Another Francis first-round pick is Jake Bean who could end up being the best play. Bean, who finished his WHL career in Tri-City, led AHL defensemen in scoring last season and if not for Carolina’s NHL depth at the blue line, he’d have already been up with the big club. He’s an offensive threat from the back end and in his two full AHL campaigns he’s put up 44 and 48 points. The upside is there, Francis knows him, and he’d be a valuable addition to the Seattle Kraken.
Side deal scenarios
If Niederreiter is left exposed, there could be a deal to be struck. Francis may prefer one of the defenders that Carolina has available, but if Waddell wants to unload Niederreiter’s contract he might be willing to give up something to do so. It is hard to see the Hurricanes offering both Niederreiter and a player in such a deal, but Francis might be able to get a high draft pick out of Carolina if he’s willing to take on Niederreiter’s salary. This would likely mean that Francis is OK passing on Bean or Fleury, though.
This has been a very bizarre week. From the highest of patriotic highs as Team USA shocked Team Canada for gold in the World Junior Championship to… well… everything else, 2021 is off to a roaring start. But one thing is certain: NHL hockey is so totally legitimately officially BACK, and that is AWESOME!
Training camps are in full swing across the league—except for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins for COVID-19-related reasons—and play is scheduled to start on Wednesday. So begins four consecutive months of at least one hockey game to watch every single day.
Hydrate and limber up, folks. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride.
The league’s plan has always included flexibility built into schedules in case of positive tests, and we are already seeing that come into play. In Dallas’s case, the league announced that six players and two staff members had tested positive. The team now will not start its season until at least January 19th.
This was a good representation of how these issues will be handled during this 56-game season. It became clear that the Stars were dealing with positive tests, but they did not officially announce anything, instead allowing the league to handle the official communications.
League Intrigue
Two budding superstars signed extensions with their respective teams this week, with former Seattle Thunderbird Mathew Barzal re-upping with the New York Islanders and Pierre-Luc Dubois returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets… for now (INTRIGUE!).
Barzal wasn’t in camp for the first few days, as negotiations on his new deal went on. Per Darren Dreger, the plan was to sign Barzal to a six-year contract, but they couldn’t sort it out quickly enough, and the Isles wanted to get their star back into camp. So, the two sides agreed on a shorter bridge deal that pays Barzal at an average annual cap hit of $7 million. The contract is worth $21 million in total.
Trouble In Paradise
On the Dubois front, things are a bit more tenuous. The 22-year-old former No. 3 overall draft pick of the the Blue Jackets agreed to a two-year deal at $5 million AAV. However, there’s trouble in paradise (and by “paradise,” we mean Columbus).
According to Pierre Lebrun, Dubois has requested a trade out of Columbus.
A center with elite skill and still oodles of upside, Dubois would help every team in the NHL both now and in the future. Making him an even more attractive asset, when his new deal ends, he will still be a restricted free agent, meaning that a team that trades for him now will have exclusive negotiating rights for another extension.
Columbus has essentially bought itself time to get the best possible return for Dubois with this extension.
In that Lebrun article, there’s also discussion of Patrik Laine, who has long been rumored to want out of Winnipeg. Again, there’s trouble in paradise, and by “paradise,” we mean Winnipeg this time.
Laine, 22, is a very different player than Dubois, more of a one-dimensional guy. But that one dimension is to score goals practically at will, and there’s definitely value in a player of Laine’s age and offensive ilk.
Laine has scored 138 goals in just four NHL seasons and has plenty of upside.
NHL Notes
Corey Crawford
On Friday, the New Jersey Devils announced that Corey Crawford would be given an indefinite leave of absence.
“I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I’ve given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire. I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream. I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago. Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family.”
Crawford, 36, has had a brilliant ten-year career despite battling some serious off-ice challenges, including multiple concussions. Sound Of Hockey wishes Crawford nothing but the best in retirement.
Sami Vatanen
Sami Vatanen was the highest-profile unrestricted free agent left on the market. The Devils brought him back on a one-year, $2 million deal.
Sonic Boom
A few weeks after the official announcement that Seattle would be granted the 32nd NHL franchise, I recall eavesdropping on a neighboring table at a restaurant in Capitol Hill discussing the decision. The group was oddly furious about it.
“How could hockey be coming to Seattle before basketball?” one of the diners asked. “Yeah, seriously, f*** off with that s***,” said another with unnecessary vulgarity.
What these basketball-loving-and-apparently-hockey-hating diners clearly didn’t understand is that the hockey team and its ownership group represented (at least in my mind) the absolute fastest ticket to seeing the SuperSonics reborn.
Oak View Group is building a $1 billion+ arena with NBA basketball in mind. Why would they do that if they didn’t also intend for that arena to house an NBA team? The NHL was the first to show legitimate interest in expanding to Seattle, and that interest gave the ownership group an opportunity to get an arena deal through the city council.
This is somewhat conjecture, but we believe that the NBA was always a key part of the plan. If you build it, they will come, and it suddenly sounds more likely that the SuperSonics will come.
Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, there are lots of interesting nuggets in this story from King 5. Among those nuggets, Kraken ownership is unsurprisingly the key player in the plan for NBA expansion, and the groundbreaking for the AHL Palm Springs arena—which will be the home for the Kraken’s top minor league affiliate—is now expected to happen in April.
WHL Update
The WHL announced this week that it will play a season, but it will be dramatically abbreviated. The league has committed to its teams playing a minimum of 24 games, but has given no start date or playoff format.
There’s still plenty of uncertainty here, but at this stage, the fact that playing any games whatsoever is still on the table feels like a positive.
Sound Of Hockey’s own Andy Eide wrote a full breakdown of the announcement and what it means on ESPN 710’s website.
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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.
Although the Columbus Blue Jackets are a notoriously defensively-oriented team that flies under the radar in a small market, drama never fails to follow the Buckeye State’s NHL team. Seattle Kraken fans should keep a keen eye on the theatrics.
Recent rumors have swirled that young star center Pierre-Luc Dubois sought a trade out of Columbus. Although the 22-year-old signed a two-year, $10 million bridge contract — a smaller-term deal many players sign after restricted free agency and before reaching true unrestricted free agency — almost immediately after The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Dubois wanted out, the rumors are still blistering.
It’s yet another tricky situation for Columbus, which has struggled to retain young and promising forwards — see: Artemi Panarin and Ryan Johansen.
With Johansen, the Blue Jackets traded the centerman to Nashville and landed young defenseman Seth Jones in return. That worked out well.
With Panarin, Columbus never traded him and he jumped ship to the New York Rangers once he reached free agency. Although Columbus upset the Tampa Bay Lightning in a stunning playoff sweep in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, that one did not work out as well.
Seattle Kraken fans should keep a keen eye on that situation, because if Dubois is traded — and if so, for whom — it would impact the Columbus Blue Jackets’ protected list.
Offseason Wildcards
After the Blue Jackets signed Oliver Bjorkstrand to a five-year, $27 million extension, there aren’t many question marks looming with Columbus, aside from the situation with Dubois.
But Nick Foligno is someone to keep an eye on. The 33-year-old team captain is an unrestricted free agent but could be in play for protection if he’s re-signed.
Assumptions
Until Dubois is traded, we will put Dubois on our initial protected list.
Key Exemptions
Alexandre Texier, Liam Foudy, and Emil Bemstrom — three promising forwards who are expected to be NHL regulars this year for the Blue Jackets — are exempt because they haven’t accrued more than two professional seasons.
The same goes for goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Even though Merzlikins is 26, he’s played only one NHL season and doesn’t need to be protected.
Protected List
Forward:
Cam Atkinson (lock)
Oliver Bjorkstrand (lock)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (lock, if not traded)
Max Domi (lock)
Boone Jenner (near lock)
Gustav Nyquist
Eric Robinson
Defense:
Seth Jones (lock)
Zach Werenski (lock)
Vladislav Gavrikov (near lock)
Goaltender:
Joonas Korpisalo
Columbus’ forward group is not as deep as other teams, which is why the situation with Dubois is so important to monitor.
If Dubois is traded, and there isn’t a forward returning that warrants protection, Columbus may elect to protect eight total skaters instead. The Blue Jackets boast a couple of interesting options on the blue line, which we’ll delve into below, so they could protect a fourth defenseman over someone like Gustav Nyquist.
Expansion Draft Candidates
Forwards:
Cliff Pu
Kole Sherwood
Kevin Stenlund
Calvin Thurkauf
Defensemen:
Gabriel Carlsson
Dean Kukan
Goaltender:
Matiss Kivlenieks
The two trendiest names on Columbus as far as the Seattle Expansion Draft are Carlsson and Kukan, and for good reason.
Carlsson, 24, is 6-foot-5 and comes with a first-round pedigree (the Blue Jackets took him No. 29 overall in the 2015 NHL Draft). The Orebro, Sweden native is regarded as a stay-at-home defenseman with great size, but Carlsson hasn’t stuck full-time in the NHL yet.
After Columbus traded defensemen Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara in the offseason, the logjam in front of him dissipated and he should stick with Columbus this season.
If Seattle is seeking a more veteran presence, Kukan is a fine option.
Kukan, 27, showed some offensive upside last year when he drew into the lineup with five points in 33 games, as well as two points (1-1-2) in 19 career playoff games.
While Kukan and Carlsson are the trendy candidates for selection, don’t sleep on Kivlenieks.
The 24-year-old netminder has been the No. 3 in Columbus behind Korpisalo and Merzlikins but has some prospect appeal. If Seattle’s scouting staff holds Kivlenieks in high regard, this is a good option to fill a goaltender spot on the Kraken’s initial roster.
Pu, Thurkauf, Stenlund, and Sherwood would all be young organizational depth pieces from the Blue Jackets and probably nothing more for the Seattle Kraken. Stenlund, a former second-round pick, is the most interesting of that quartet.
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