Keeping the introduction short and sweet, I have created my own Seattle Kraken mock draft ahead of their expansion draft being held on July 21st. To make my own life easier, I have also drafted a limited amount of UFA’s and RFA’s who no longer have active contracts beginning next season.
Unlike the Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft, I have drafted the Kraken roster for the future rather than the present. My focus was to draft younger players that have solid potential for future seasons instead of this upcoming season.
I have also broken down my roster logistics, big players in the mock draft, and potential lines below.
Roster Logistics:
Players Drafted: 30/30
Forwards: 16/14
Defense: 11/9
Goalies: 3/3
2021-22 Contracts: 23/20
Maximum Cap Hit: $73.4/81.5 Million
Remaining Kraken Salary: $8.1 Million
Expansion Draft:
Anaheim Ducks – Haydn Fleury
Arizona Coyotes – Christian Fischer
Boston Bruins – Jeremy Lauzon
This past season with the Boston Bruins has been Jeremy Lauzon’s breakout season in the league. Lauzon, one of the Bruins up and coming prospects, made quite the name for himself this past season as he played with Charlie McAvoy. The last player who played with McAvoy was future hall-of-famer, Zdeno Chara. While those are some massive skates to fill (no pun intended), Lauzon has risen to the challenge through his physicality and valuable hockey IQ. Lauzon has also played a primary role on the Bruins special teams, playing over 125 shorthanded minutes in just 41 games. Look for Lauzon to be in the Kraken’s top D-pairing in future seasons.
Buffalo Sabres – Colin Miller
Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano
Easily one of the bigger names in this year’s expansion draft, Mark Giordano should be an easy pick for the Kraken. Despite being 37 years old, Giordano still brings incredibly value assets to the table, including his 15 years of experience in the NHL, his leadership, and his scoring touch. During his entire career with Calgary, Giordano has become a fan favorite with the C of Red due to his reliable playstyle and what he has done for the community. Aside from his Norris Trophy, Giordano also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2020 for his tremendous leadership in Calgary. The Kraken will be getting an unbelievable player on the ice, and a generous and kindhearted person outside. You cannot go wrong with this pick.
Flames' captain, Mark Giordano, is expected to be taken
by the Kraken during their expansion draft.
(Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
Carolina Hurricanes – Jake Bean
Chicago Blackhawks – Vinnie Hinostroza
Colorado Avalanche – J.T. Compher
Columbus Blue Jackets – Max Domi
Another notable name on this mock team is Max Domi. Domi, who can be a very hot or cold player, may be looking to get away from a dicey Columbus Blue Jackets roster in order to have a fresh start with Seattle. When on top of his A-game, Domi can be an elite level forward who is capable of being a game changer for his team. Considering Domi has a year remaining in his contract, Seattle can use this upcoming season as a “prove me” period for Domi and whether he deserves an extension with the team.
Dallas Stars – Nicholas Caamano
Detroit Red Wings – Troy Stecher
Edmonton Oilers – Slater Koekkoek
Florida Panthers – Frank Vatrano
Frank Vatrano put his name on the map in his last three years with the Florida Panthers. Vatrano has been a consistent goal scorer for the Panthers having notched 58 goals in the past three seasons. This year, Vatrano tied Carter Verhaeghe for 3rd in team goals, just behind Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.
Los Angeles Kings – Brendan Lemieux
Minnesota Wild – Kaapo Kahkonen
Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price
Arguably the biggest surprise in the mock draft, Ron Francis needs to look at picking goaltender Carey Price. While his contract is massive ($10.5 AAV for five more seasons) the Kraken receive a hall of fame caliber goaltender. Due to the Canadiens postseason cinderella run, Carey Price has proven and solidified that he is still an elite level goaltender in the NHL. Along with Price’s talent in the blue paint, he will also be able to mentor both Kaapo Kahkonen and Vitek Vanacek as they are set to take the reins after Price. While the price is high (again, no pun intended), I feel the Kraken will immensely benefit from a move like this. Look at what happened to Marc-Andre Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nashville Predators – Colton Sissons
New Jersey Devils – Will Butcher
New York Islanders – Kieffer Bellows
Kieffer Bellows is obviously a strange pick, especially since both Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey were left unprotected by the Islanders, however I did have a motive behind the selection. If either Eberle or Bailey were selected, the Kraken would have under $5 million remaining in cap space. While Eberle and Bailey would add a veteran presence and additional scoring to the team, there are other players who will be available in free agency that the Kraken can also pursue. By selecting Bellows, the Kraken have more cap space available for free agency while selecting a young prospect filled with untapped potential.
New York Rangers – Colin Blackwell
Ottawa Senators – Chris Tierney
Philadelphia Flyers – Robert Hagg
Pittsburgh Penguins – Brandon Tanev
Every team needs a few “mesh guys” for their locker room. Brandon Tanev is that guy for the Kraken. While Tanev isn’t expected to get many points, he is expected to lock down the opposing team’s offense through his physicality and defensive awareness. Tanev also brings a sense of tenacity on the ice which many players feed off. Tanev is a glue guy, and exactly what the Kraken need.
San Jose Sharks – Dylan Gambrell
St. Louis Blues – Vince Dunn
Sticking with the young team dynamic, Vince Dunn is yet another defenseman who is at the beginning of a lengthy and successful career. While the St. Louis Blues left players like Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz available, picking Dunn makes more sense financially. Jaden Schwartz is an UFA this offseason and the Kraken may look at signing him after the draft. On the other hand, Vladimir Tarasenko has been known to be injury prone. At $7.5 million, Kraken management need to determine whether it’s worth picking a player who has been known to miss lengthy stints due to injuries.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Yanni Gourde
The Tampa Bay Lightning unprotected list is the gift that keeps on giving. From Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson to Yanni Gourde and Alex Killorn, the Kraken can’t necessarily go wrong with any of these selections. Out of the four unprotected players, my first choice is Yanni Gourde. Gourde, who is the youngest of the four, has become a familiar face in Champa Bay after his two championships with the team. The Quebec native was set to put up 52 points in a full 82-game season and has slowly been increasing his point totals in the last three years. Gourde can be a useful top 6 forward for the Kraken and has potential to be the teams 1st line center in the future.
Toronto Maple Leafs – Alexander Kerfoot
Vancouver Canucks – Jalen Chatfield Washington Capitals – Vitek Vanacek
Winnipeg Jets – Mason Appleton
Potential Lines:
Forwards
Domi – Gourde – Compher
Lemieux – Tierney – Vatrano
Kerfoot – Appleton – Hinostroza
Fischer – Sissons – Tanev
Extras: Bellows, Blackwell, Caamano, Gambrell
Defense
Giordano – Dunn
Butcher – Stecher
Hagg – Miller
Lauzon
Extras: Bean, Chatfield, Fleury, Koekkoek
Goaltenders
Starter: Price
Backups: Kahkonen, Vanacek
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