Expansion Draft Post-mortem

 

The expansion draft happened Wednesday, and now, we know who will be taking the ice for the Seattle Kraken. Little happened of note, as teams were reluctant to trade in order to get contracts off their books. As far as who will be on the team, here's some of the notables:

• Mark Giordano from the Calgary Flames is near the end of his career, but is still a solid defenseman and is likely the first captain in franchise history. 
• His defense partners include Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson, both solid in their own end, with Oleksiak being the better shot blocker and Larsson the more responsible in his own end.
• Up front, Jordan Eberle is the Kraken's top scorer, though he is also decent playing defense.
• The forward core is pretty much full of solid two way players, headlined by Brandon Tanev, Jared McCann, and Mason Appleton.
• Goaltending is still largely unproven, but young enough to reach full potential. Chris Driedger goes in as the starter, but Vitek Vanecek and Joey D'Accord will get looks, too.
• Vince Dunn, Mason Appleton, and Carson Soucy stand to benefit the most, as all three will have expanded roles. Calle Jarnkrok and Joonas Donskoi are players to watch up front, as they too, will have bigger roles as the veterans to lead the younger players.

The basis of the Kraken squad is a team of players that will make the opposition have to play the full 60 while they still have cap room, meaning they may go for a bigger name or two. We find out starting Wednesday whether they can attract a Gabriel Landeskog or not.

Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft predictions

 The team that the Seattle Kraken will be putting on the ice will be known after Wednesday, and the protected lists for every team other than Vegas was released Sunday, and some notable names are on the exposed list. Armed with that knowledge, I take a crack at who I think the Kraken will take, complete with some level of explanation. If you're interested in trying your hand at predicting the team, I used CapFriendly for assistance, and I'll post the screenshots of the picks I made. 

I said I would explain the picks, so I will go down the line, in accordance with the list.

• Nashville is wanting either Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene to be picked, and I can see them throw in another player plus either a draft pick or lower end prospect to make this happen. I think it will be Johansen, since he has a shorter term than Duchene, albeit by a year.
• Yes, I know Carey Price is available, but I get the feeling Montreal will want the Kraken to take Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens have a lot of picks in the draft, so I can see them use a couple of them as a lure for that, plus give Drouin a fresh start.
• Tampa Bay needs to get under the cap, and Tyler Johnson is buried on the depth chart. Tampa could add another player to convince the Kraken to take him, if not either Alex Killorn or Yanni Gourde.
• There's not a great amount of players available for the Avs to lose, though the depth means they're still losing a quality player. Joonas Donskoi is that player, unfortunately, and the Kraken are getting a middle six winger.
• Pittsburgh needs to shed salary, and Jason Zucker is certainly an option. I went with Brandon Tanev because he can provide more than just goals. It comes down to term versus cap hit, as Zucker has the higher cap hit while Tanev has the longer term remaining. 
• Ottawa has little to pick from, as Evgeni Dadonov, Chris Tierney, and Matt Murray are the biggest name options. Since there are better goalie options available, Murray is unlikely to be picked, so it's either Dadonov or Tierney. Tierney has the lower cap number, shorter term, and is younger, but is unlikely to remain a Senator in the long run, so I went with him as the pick from Ottawa. 
• Toronto is another team that could use some cap relief. The problem is that their biggest contracts either had to be protected or are free agents. That leaves Alex Kerfoot or Jared McCann, and I went with McCann, as he is the better player for the Kraken middle six and they can at least, retain his rights after next season, as he's still an RFA.
• Los Angeles is not a cap ceiling team at the moment, as they are embarking on a youth movement. However, their dream scenario is more of a pipe dream, as Jonathan Quick was left exposed. Beyond him, the only players that make sense to be selected are Olli Maatta and Austin Wagner, and Wagner is picked here because he's younger and can set the pace as needed.
• Arizona is another team with slim pickings for Seattle, as half of last year's roster was either traded (Adin Hill) or are UFAs. Of this list, it could make sense to pick Ilya Lyabushkin, as he's quality depth on the blue line. I went with Christian Fischer, as he's still young enough to expand on his potential as a power forward type.
• Calgary has options, but I'm simply looking to fill out forward depth, and Brett Ritchie was the pick.
• The same can be said for Julien Gauthier, Morgan Geekie, Cliff Pu, Dominik Kahun, and Kieffer Bellows, although those players are young enough to still have potential. 
• Yes, the Islanders would like to see the Kraken take either Jordan Eberle or Josh Bailey, and that's a strong possibility. This is my opinion, and I opt to go with mostly younger players.
• Defensively, I went with guys who could use fresh starts (Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakub Zboril, and Colin Miller), depth players (Radim Simek, Carson Soucy, and Troy Stetcher), players there just for filling out rosters (Joel Hanley and Nathan Beaulieu), and a decent top pair potential in Kevin Shattenkirk and Vince Dunn. Shattenkirk isn't the player he was in St. Louis, but he's been there and can be a leader on the defense while Dunn is still yet to reach his full potential, but is already a good defender. 
• In goal, Braden Holtby gets another chance to redeem himself while Chris Driedger is likely a 1B goalie that appears to have a deal in place. Vitek Vanecek is the bridge goalie between the NHL and minors, and would be the first call up while Malcolm Subban is simply depth that could get flipped in a trade.

That is how I think the expansion draft will go, and there are sure to be a few surprises, but it will be interesting to see how the Kraken look after Wednesday. 

2021 NHL Draft: Needs and mock draft, part 1

 The 2021 NHL season came to an end last night, which means the offseason officially begins now. In 13 days, the Seattle Kraken draft their team while the entry draft will be a few days later. To that end, it's time to examine each team and their needs going into the draft. Since there are 32 teams, this will be broken down into sections, and it will be in order of original draft placement. 

1. Buffalo Sabres 

The owners of the first overall pick, the Sabres have needs almost everywhere, but especially up front. Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel are both looking to leave, and it is possible that Rasmus Ristolainen also goes. With no clear top prospect in the draft, it is possible they go with Owen Power, a defenseman from Michigan. They also have eight other picks, so they can load up to give themselves more prospects for what is likely a rebuild of a rebuild that never got off the ground. 

Projected pick: Owen Power, D, Michigan

2. Seattle Kraken 

The Kraken are in position to pick the best available player here, and are likely to accrue another first round pick or two, as teams will try to get them to select a player to work under the cap. Odds are they will load up on veterans to give the drafted players time to develop, ala Vegas in their first year.

Projected pick: Matty Beniers, C, Michigan

3. Anaheim Ducks

The third overall pick in the draft, they have loads of prospects, but little veteran leadership, particularly if Ryan Getzlaf leaves. With Trevor Zegras pencilled in next season, it may benefit the Ducks to pick a player that can step in a year or two from now, given the development of Jamie Drysdale, among others. 

Projected pick: Simon Edvinsson, D, Frolunda

4. New Jersey Devils 

Experience, experience, experience. That is issue surrounding the Devils, especially since PK Subban keeps declining in skill. That also raises an issue on the blue line, where there is still a hole or two to be filled. Luke Hughes can be seen as a reach here, but reuniting him with older brother Jack may be a draw.

Projected pick: Luke Hughes, D, US NTDP

5. Columbus Blue Jackets 

Offense has been an issue since Artemi Panarin left. However, with Seth Jones not wanting to commit after next season, when he becomes a free agent, defense could be an issue, too. They have cap to work with, but Columbus has rarely been a destination for the bigger names.

Projected pick: Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL)

6. Detroit Red Wings 

They're still likely going to go with veterans on one year deals to help the kids along, and Moritz Seider is likely going to make the jump next season, giving Detroit their likely top defender. Goalie help is in short supply, and I can't see them reaching for Jesper Wallstedt this early. A trade down could happen here.

Projected pick: Brandt Clarke, D, Nove Zamky

7. San Jose Sharks 

A team in desperate need of prospects, defense is their biggest need, particularly since their top four average 32 years of age. Goalie help is also needed, but I think that gets answered via cheap FA pick up for now. If they need someone to step in now, William Eklund appears to be the most ready of the available talent, according to me.

Projected pick: William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden

8. Los Angeles Kings

Loaded with prospects everywhere but in goal, I get a feeling Los Angeles goes with the best available goalie here, the aforementioned Wallstedt. Beyond that, it's likely short term veterans filling out the roster to give a few prospects time to develop. 

Projected pick: Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea