Several months ago, I went with a couple of friends to attend a meet and greet, information session with the Seattle Kraken at the Pacific Science Center. It was good to hang out with my friends, as well as to catch up with an old friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. I was a bit hesitant in going, but it seemed like an interesting event, and I wanted to get to know this team a little better.
I remember the Kraken’s crew was really gung-ho about the NHL Expansion Draft. They were really passionate about that, and they had their front office, scouts, and main analytics’ member on the panel. Curiously, very little if any mention of the NHL Draft was made, as that didn’t really ever seem to come up.
I wanted to see who they would take in the July 21st, 2021 expansion draft, to compare their approach with how the Vegas Golden Knights did it. When Vegas made their selections, they were aggressive, both in making selections of top players and prospects, and they were wheeling and dealing in freely making trades to acquire a haul of players and draft picks to stockpile their team, which turned out to be a smart strategy. After all, their process helped them get to the Stanley Cup Finals in the same year.
The Kraken’s approach seemed much more conservative in their team-building process. They didn’t make any trades, and they tended to draft plenty of young players that most of the public had not heard of that are on cheap contracts. The Kraken did draft some skilled veterans, and they also drafted RFAs and UFAs, as they signed Chris Driedger, Jamie Oleksiak, and Adam Larsson to lucrative contracts. We’ll get to that later.
Seattle tended to shy away from picking players on big contracts, and it was a shock to the system that they avoided picking Carey Price, Shea Weber, or Jonathan Drouin entirely. With other picks, some of them were sensible, like selecting Jordan Eberle, Calle Jarnkrok, Yanni Gourde, and Mark Giordano.
Overall, some of the picks were good, a few looked to be very good, and others appeared to be not nearly as good as it could’ve been. They managed to get the Fleury brothers, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good thing. I’ll look to breakdown my opinion of their selections, pick-by-pick, to give you a snapshot of how they may have fared overall with their expansion draft.
(Photo: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press, via USA Today)
Seattle Kraken’s 2021 NHL Expansion Draft Results (Actual)
1. Jérémy Lauzon, D, Boston Bruins
2021 (BOS): 41 GP, 1 G, 7 PTS, 8 PTS, +8, 40 PIM, 18:43 Ice Time, Even Strength Corsi: 51.4%
Other Info: Age 24, $850k, RFA 2022
This pick made plenty of sense to me. Maybe I wouldn’t have used the first pick on him per se, as it may not exactly be a slam dunk pick (I also thought they’d make Driedger the first pick, since that was who I heard they were picking yesterday), as Boston had several other worthy candidates in their pool, but there is plenty to like about drafting Lauzon for your team.
Lauzon is a young defenseman that moves the puck and defends well, and he is on a very manageable contract. He’s yet to translate his skills into more offensive production, but his defense and ability to play two ways while being under a relatively cheap contract makes him a quality pick here.
Projected 2022 Role: Third-Pairing Defensive Defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: Second-Pairing Two-Way Defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
2. Will Borgen, D, Buffalo Sabres
2021 (BUF): 10 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, -4, 4 PIM, 16:16 Ice Time, Even Strength Corsi: 41.3%
AHL Career: 140 GP, 4 G, 21 A, 25 PTS, +14, 132 PIM
Other Info: 24, RD, $864k, RFA 2021
I didn’t really feel this pick. Borgen may be a relatively cheap contract, and he is a right shot defenseman, but he’ll be a restricted free agent, and he hasn’t really done much at the NHL or AHL level. He has not scored in 14 career NHL games, and he only has 25 career points in 132 career AHL games.
He’s shown that he can be a back pairing, defensive defenseman in the AHL, but he doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of offensive skills. I’m also not sure if he has what it takes to be a quality NHL defenseman in this league. Best case scenario, maybe this pick keeps the cost down, and finds a way to surpass my expectations.
Projected 2022 Role: 2nd pairing AHL defenseman
Future Role: 2nd pairing AHL defenseman/fringe or depth defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D-
3. Dennis Cholowski, D, Detroit Red Wings
2021 (DET): 16 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS, -1, 4 PIM, 15:54 Ice Time, Even Strength Corsi: 43%
2021 (AHL): 13 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS, -5, 6 PIM
Other Info: 23, LD, $894k, RFA 2021
In looking at his past two seasons, Cholowski showed some promise in 2020, as he showed some puck control and passing skills then, but he and his team also really struggled defensively when given extended ice time.
He’s an impending restricted free agent (RFA), so the Kraken may have to pay him more money to keep him, or the same amount. He may have enough offensive skills to be a back-pairing defenseman and he is on a manageable contract, but he hasn’t really done much more in this league yet.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st pairing AHL defenseman/fringe or depth defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd pairing defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C
4. Chris Driedger, G, Florida Panthers
2021 (FLA): 23 GP, 14-6-3, 2.07 GAA, 92.7 SV%, 1362 MIN
Other Info: Age 27, 6-4 goalie, was previously a UFA 2021, signed a 3-yr, $10.5M (avg $3.5M), will now be a UFA in 2024
Driedger was about to become an impending unrestricted free agent, so that would’ve made this pick a bit risky, given the uncertainty. The Seattle Kraken went in to negotiate his new contract when they told him that wanted to pick him, and they agreed to terms. In looking at all of the information, this appears to be a very solid pick.
Chris Driedger is a tall goaltender that did a great job of making saves as Florida’s backup in 2021. He’s more than ready to be a full-time starter in the NHL. It’s a bit of a gambit to pay him a significant increase compared to what he was making previously, but Driedger’s very strong numbers in a backup role and potential could make him well worth giving him the contract to and substantially more playing time, as he could end up being a solid starting goaltender for the Kraken this season.
Projected 2022 Role: #1 Goaltender/Netminder for the Seattle Kraken
Future Role: #1 Goaltender/Netminder for the Seattle Kraken
Expansion Pick Grade: A-
5. Cale Fleury, D, Montreal Canadiens
2021 (AHL): 22 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 PTS, +9, 2 PIM
NHL Career: 41 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, -4, 6 PIM, 14:21 ice time, 50.1 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: 22, RD, $772k, RFA 2021, right handed defenseman
This was another surprising pick, as they had passed on Carey Price, Shea Weber, and also Jonathan Drouin to make this selection. I thought the other three had considerably way more talent, and while they were considerably more expensive, I felt picking one of the other three could help anchor Seattle’s team, or they could be flippable and net a ton of assets back.
Fleury is a right shot defenseman that can move the puck and defend some, but he’s done very little at the NHL level, as he has one career point in 41 NHL games. He’s also an impending RFA, so they may have to pay him more money to keep him.
Maybe he’ll develop into a two-way defenseman that can consistently bring solid puck movement and defensive skills one day in the NHL, but drafting a back pairing-caliber defenseman here was hardly what most people would’ve wanted, considering the high-end talent they could’ve drafted with someone else from Montreal’s pool.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st pairing, defensive defenseman in the AHL/fringe or depth defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: Third pairing, defensive defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D+
6. Joey Daccord, G, Ottawa Senators
2021 (OTT): 8 GP, 1-3-1, 3.27 GAA, 89.7 SV%
2021 (AHL): 2 GP, 0-2-0, 5.00 GAA, 86.7 SV%
Other Info: Age 24, 6-3 goalie, catches Left, $750k, 2023 RFA
He’s a cheap, young goalie that has NHL experience. He hasn’t played too well at the NHL level, but he did play well in the AHL in 2020, as he had a 91.5% save percentage there that year. Given that Seattle also drafted Driedger and Vitek Vanecek, Daccord is most likely going to be their AHL goalie.
While this may not be a horrible pick, the Kraken could’ve swung for a more talented player such as Evgenii Dadonov or Chris Tierney if they were willing to pay a steeper price to get one of them. They also could have aimed to pick a right shot defenseman in Josh Brown, or take a fairly talented back-line center in Michael Amadio.
Projected 2022 Role: #1 AHL Goalie, emergency goalie in the NHL
Future Role: Backup goalie in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C
7. Yanni Gourde, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
2021 (TBL): 56 GP, 17 G, 19 A, 36 PTS, +10, 44 PIM, 17:04 ice time, 55.6 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 29, C, $5.167M, UFA 2025
Gourde played very well for the Lightning, as he excelled as an all-around player to help lead them to win another Stanley Cup. The Lightning had a very strong pool of players to pick from, and the Kraken got a very good one here as they selected Gourde, and they will be able to keep him for a long time.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st line center on the Seattle Kraken
Future Role: 1st line center in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A
8. Jared McCann, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021 (PIT): 43 GP, 14 G, 18 A, 32 PTS, +17, 8 PIM, 14:07, 53.6 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 25, LW, $2.94M, RFA 2022
McCann played terrific hockey when healthy, and he put up strong numbers all-around for the Maple Leafs this past season. He was tremendously productive when active, and he is on a very reasonable contract, which makes this a very good pick.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st line winger on the Seattle Kraken
Future Role: 1st line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A
9. Morgan Geekie, F, Carolina Hurricanes
2021 (CAR): 36 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 PTS, +1, 10 PIM, 9:47 Ice Time, 53.4 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 23, C, $763k, RFA 2022
Time for Seattle-ites to geek out for Geekie, folks! Morgan Geekie is a young, two-way forward that can score, move the puck, and defend. He’s a talented, young center that has been in definite need for more ice time, and he is a talented forward that may have top two-line potential in the NHL.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd line center on the Seattle Kraken
Future Role: 2nd line center in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A-
10. Gavin Bayreuther, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
2021 (CBJ): 9 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, -1, 7 PIM, 15:23 Ice Time, 52.3 Even Strength Corsi%
2021 (AHL): 14 GP, 3 G, 9 A, 12 PTS, -5, 18 PIM
Other Info: Age 27, LD, $710k, UFA 2021
He is an offensive-minded defenseman that has been shuttling back and forth from the AHL to the NHL and back for a while, now. Bayreuther is a proven scorer at the AHL level, and it could be a very good gambit to draft him. On the other hand, he just hasn’t found a way to translate that into consistent production in the NHL. He’s also an impending UFA, so he may command more money, as the Kraken will likely need to pay him more to keep him on their team.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd pairing, offensive-minded defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 2nd pairing, two-way defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B-
11. Nathan Bastian, F, New Jersey Devils
2021 (NJD): 41 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS, +0, 21 PIM, 12:37 Ice Time, 48.7 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: 23 RW, $714k, RFA 2023
Nathan Bastian is a cheap young forward that has two-way potential, and he could be a productive back-line forward in the NHL. Considering that there weren’t many options to choose from New Jersey’s pool, this was a solid pick here.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd or 4th line winger for the Seattle Kraken
Future Role: 3rd line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B
12. Jordan Eberle, F, New York Islanders
2021 (NYI): 55 GP, 16 G, 17 A, 33 PTS, +9, 16 PIM, 16:45 Ice Time, 56.5 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 31, RW, $5.5M, UFA 2024
Eberle is a solid winger that does everything well on the ice. He does make quite a bit, but he is a good hockey player, and the Kraken will be able to have him on their team for a long time.
Projected 2022 Role: Top two-line forward in the NHL
Future Role: Top two-line forward in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
13. Colin Blackwell, F, New York Rangers
2021 (NYR): 47 GP, 12 G, 10 A, 22 PTS, +2, 15 PIM, 14:00 Ice Time, 44.1 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 28, C, $725k, UFA 2022
Blackwell is a solid two-way forward that can score and defend, but he didn’t quite move the puck as well this year. He’s on a cheap contract, and he looks to be an underrated pick in this expansion draft.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd line center in the NHL
Future Role: 2nd or 3rd line center in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
14. Carsen Twarynski, F, Philadelphia Flyers
2021 (PHI): 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, -3, 2 PIM, 8:51 Ice Time, 27 Even Strength Corsi%
2021 (AHL): 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, -1
Other Info: Age 23, LW, $776k, RFA 2021
I’m not sure if I really get or understand this pick, either. Honestly, this pick makes absolutely no sense to me. Why draft an impending RFA who at best may fill a fourth line role in the NHL, when they can swing for the fences and draft a very good player in either Jakub Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, or James van Riemsdyk. There’s the idea of saving cap space, and there’s going overboard with this. Twarynski is nowhere near as skilled as those guys or on their class level, and there’s a very good chance that he will never remotely be as good as them.
On the plus side, Twarynski has flashed some two-way skills in the AHL, and he scored a goal in the NHL in 2020. However, Twarynski hasn’t been very productive in the NHL at all, as he has 1 career point in 22 NHL games, and he will be an impending RFA, so they may have to pay him more money to keep him. The Kraken do seem to love drafting impending restricted free agents, though.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd Line AHL forward
Future Role: 2nd Line AHL forward/fringe or depth NHL forward
Expansion Pick Grade: F
15. Brandon Tanev, F, Pittsburgh Penguins
2021 (PIT): 32 GP, 7 G, 9 A, 16 PTS, +12, 22 PIM, 14:26 Ice Time, 48.9 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 29, RW, $3.5M, UFA 2025
I think this is a good pick. Tanev is a solid two-way forward that had a good 2021 season when healthy. He is on a fairly lucrative contract, but he’s a gritty winger that can score and defend when he is on the ice.
Projected 2022 Role: 2nd or 3rd line forward in the NHL
Future Role: 2nd or 3rd line forward in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
16. Vitek Vanecek, G, Washington Capitals
2021 (WSH): 37 GP, 21-10-4, 2.69 GAA, 90.8 SV%, 2115 MIN
Other Info: 25, 6-1 G, $717k, RFA 2022
This was a very good pick here. Vanecek is a cheap, young goalie that played fairly well in the NHL this past year, and he’s proven that he can play in this league. There were other goalies that could’ve been had, like Ben Bishop, Carey Price, Braden Holtby, or Kaapo Kahkonen, but Vanecek is a starter-caliber goaltender that could be a very good backup to Chris Driedger for the Seattle Kraken.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st or 2nd goalie in the NHL
Future Role: 1st string goalie/netminder in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
17. Tyler Pitlick, F, Arizona Coyotes
2021 (ARI): 38 GP, 6 G, 5 A, 11 PTS, -1, 16 PIM, 16:22 Ice Time, 47.4 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 29, RW, $1.75M, UFA 2022
Pitlick is a defensive minded forward that saw plenty of ice time with the Arizona Coyotes, and he has flashed some offensive skilled over the years. He’ll most likely be a back line forward for the Seattle Kraken for the upcoming season.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd or 4th line winger in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd or 4th line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C+
18. John Quenneville, F, Chicago Blackhawks
2021 (AHL): 16 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, -6, 23 PIM
NHL Career: 42 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, -4, 6 PIM, 12:02 Ice Time, 47.9 Even Strength Corsi%
AHL Career: 190 GP, 60 G, 83 A, 143 PTS, -37, 193 PIM
Other Info: Age 25, LW, $750k, UFA 2021
This is a bit of a head-scratcher, but this pick also may not be as bad as it initially seems. John Quenneville’s had a solid track record in the AHL, but he didn’t play well there in 2021, and he also has not played well in the NHL. He also will be a free agent as he is an impending UFA, so it’s uncertain if Seattle will keep him. Chicago’s pool of players didn’t seem to be very good though, so it may not be nearly as bad because of that.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st or 2nd line AHL winger/Fringe or depth winger in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd or 4th line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D+
19. Joonas Donskoi, F, Colorado Avalanche
2021 (COL): 51 GP, 17 G, 14 A, 31 PTS, +14, 10 PIM, 14:32 Ice Time, 55.6 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 29, RW, $3.9M, UFA 2023
Joonas Donskoi is a skilled, speedy winger that is a good, two-way forward in the NHL. He does just about everything well in the NHL. He’s actually on a fairly reasonable contract compared to other forwards his skill level, so this makes this an all-around good selection here for the Kraken.
Projected 2022 Role: Top two-line winger in the NHL
Future Role: Top two-line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A-
20. Jamie Oleksiak, D, Dallas Stars
2021 (DAL): 56 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 PTS, -3, 35 PIM, 20:29 Ice Time, 52.6 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 28, 6-7 LD, prv a UFA 2021, will sign a 5-yr, $23M (avg $4.6M) deal, now will be a UFA 2026
Jamie Oleksiak is a big, hard-hitting defenseman that can move the puck, and he also played well in the 2020 NHL playoffs. On the other hand, he usually doesn’t score very often in an NHL season, and he’s considered to be more of a third-pairing, defensive defenseman in this league. At his former price level of $2.14M, drafting him would’ve been fine. Now that he’ll make more than twice that rate, it seems that the Kraken overpaid him to join their team.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd pairing, defensive defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd pairing, defensive defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D+
21. Carson Soucy, F, Minnesota Wild
2021 (MIN): 50 GP, 1 G, 16 A, 17 PTS, +22, 51 PIM, 15:17 Ice Time, 42.2 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 26, 6-5 LD, $2.75M, UFA 2023
He is a solid, two-way defenseman that passes and defends well. He struggled more in the puck possession metrics and is on a fairly lucrative contract, but his ability to make plays on both ends of the ice could make him a decent addition to the Kraken’s team.
Projected 2022 Role: 2nd pairing defensive defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 2nd pairing defensive defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B-
22. Calle Jarnkrok, F, Nashville Predators
2021 (NSH): 49 GP, 13 G, 15 A, 28 PTS, +13, 14 PIM, 16:48 Ice Time, 47.3 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 29, LW, $2M, UFA 2022
Calle Jarnkrok is a good, all-around winger that played well on both ends of the ice this past season. He may have struggled more in the puck possession metrics this year, but Jarnkrok is a productive player that is on a much more sensible contract than some of the other higher names that was on his team. That makes this a very good and logical pick for the Seattle Kraken.
Projected 2022 Role: Top two-line winger in the NHL
Future Role: Top two-line winger in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A-
23. Vince Dunn, D, St. Louis Blues
2021 (STL): 43 GP, 6 G, 14 A, 20 PTS, -8, 18 PIM, 19:15 Ice Time, 50.9 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 24, D, $1.875M, RFA 2021
As tempting as it would’ve been for the Kraken to take Tarasenko, they simply resisted the temptation to do so. While Tarasenko would’ve been the glitzy pick that could have been the marquee player for this team, as he’s a former superstar that can really score goals when healthy. Tarasenko definitely has the most upside amongst any of the players among those the St. Louis Blues exposed in this draft. However, he hasn’t been fully healthy in the past two seasons nor played in many games, and that combined with his high salary along with his reported trade demands probably scared the Kraken away from the idea of taking him. So they didn’t, and they took Vince Dunn instead.
Therefore, selecting Vince Dunn was a much more sensible and logical move for the Seattle Kraken. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman that skates well, and he also can score goals and moves the puck well. He also has first pairing potential as a defenseman in this league. While Dunn will be an RFA, he’ll likely command money that would still be reasonable enough for the Kraken to pay him and keep him under contract for a long time.
Projected 2022 Role: 2nd pairing offensive defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 1st or 2nd pairing, two-way defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: B+
24. Mason Appleton, F, Winnipeg Jets
2021 (WPG): 56 GP, 12 G, 13 A, 25 PTS, +11, 14 PIM, 14:25 Ice Time, 47.1 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 25, RW, $900k, RFA 2022
Appleton is a young, two-way forward that played well for the Winnipeg Jets this past season. He is also on a cheap contract, and he is a talented player that may have two-line forward potential as a winger in the NHL.
Projected 2022 Role: 2nd or 3rd line winger in the NHL
Future Role: Top two-line forward in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A
25. Haydn Fleury, D, Anaheim Ducks
2021 (CAR/ANA): 47 GP, 3 G, 1 A, 4 PTS, -12, 8 PIM, 15:24 Ice Time, 52.2 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 25, 6-4 D, $1.3M, RFA 2022
He is a tall, young defenseman that can control the puck, but he hasn’t really been able to translate his potential into solid statistics elsewhere. GM Ron Francis drafted him before in the first round, and did so again in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.
However, they did pass over a more talented, veteran defenseman in Kevin Shattenkirk (who had a solid 2019-20 season with the Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning team), and it may be uncertain at best if Fleury can be an upper-tier defenseman in this league.
Projected 2022 Role: Fringe/depth defenseman in the NHL, or 1st or 2nd pairing AHL defenseman
Future Role: 3rd pairing, offensive defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C-
26. Mark Giordano, D, Calgary Flames
2021 (CGY): 56 GP, 9 G, 17 A, 26 PTS, +5, 14 PIM, 22:57 Ice Time, 53.8 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 37, LD, $6.75M, UFA 2022
Giordano has been a very good defenseman in the NHL for quite a while, and he is a proven player and veteran leader that consistently plays well on both ends of the ice. He’s been a team captain, and he knows how to lead and make very good plays out there. He’s on quite a lucrative contract, but he also is a good defenseman that may be the best available at his position in this expansion draft.
Projected 2022 Role: 1st pairing two-way defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 1st pairing two-way defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: A-
27. Adam Larsson, D, Edmonton Oilers
2021 (EDM): 56 GP, 4 G, 6 A, 10 PTS, +2, 24 PIM, 19:39 Ice Time, 45.9 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 28, 6-3 RD, previously a UFA 2021, agreed to a 4-yr, $16 million (avg $4M) deal, will be a UFA 2025
This is a very curious, head-scratcher of a move that was made by the Kraken. He is a tall, right shot defenseman that can defend and hit, but he doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of offensive skills, and he was way too overpaid for someone who contributes marginal production in this league. The other options to choose from Edmonton’s pool were not exactly amazing, but it’s still a considerable overpay for a third-pairing defenseman.
Projected 2022 Role: 3rd pairing, defensive defenseman in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd pairing, defensive defenseman in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D
28. Kurtis MacDermid, D, Los Angeles Kings
2021 (LAK): 28 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS, -14, 36 PIM, 13:21 Ice Time, 43 Even Strength Corsi%
Other Info: Age 27, 6-5, 240 lb D-Man, $875k, UFA 2022
Kurtis MacDermid is a big defenseman that has previously shown some puck control skills in the past, and he is also on a cheap contract. On the other hand, he just didn’t play well at all in the NHL this past season.
MacDermid doesn’t score much or defend well at this level. I feel like 23-year old center, Blake Lizotte’s solid production in the past two seasons likely would’ve made him a much better pick here than MacDermid.
Projected 2022 Role: Fringe or depth defenseman in the NHL, or 1st or 2nd pairing AHL defensive defenseman in the AHL
Future Role: Fringe or depth defenseman in the NHL, or 1st or 2nd pairing AHL defensive defenseman in the AHL
Expansion Pick Grade: D-
29. Alexander True, F, San Jose Sharks
2021 (SJS): 7 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PTS, +1, 6 PIM, 9:59 Ice Time, 44 Even Strength Corsi%
2021 (AHL): 27 GP, 9 G, 11 A, 20 PTS, -4, 14 PIM
Other Info: Age 24, 6-5 C, $763k, RFA 2021
True is a tall, young center that hasn’t played much in the NHL, but he’s shown the potential to be a decent two-way forward in this league. He is an impending RFA, so he may command more money for the Kraken to keep him, but True could be worth keeping around, if at least for depth purposes.
Projected 2022 Role: 4th line center in the NHL
Future Role: 3rd line center in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C+
30. Kole Lind, F, Vancouver Canucks
2021 (VAN): 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, -4, 0 PIM, 13:09, 44 Even Strength Corsi%
2021 (AHL): 8 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 8 PTS, -3, 8 PIM
Other Info: Age 22, RW, $892k, RFA 2021
Lind is a young forward that has excelled as an AHL scorer in the minors, but he has yet to translate that into useful production in the NHL yet. Lind will be an impending RFA, so he might command more money for the Kraken to keep him. He’s more of a prospect, or a project player more so than anything. While he’s not a bad pick, there were other more proven players they could have drafted, such as Madison Bowey, Jake Virtanen, or Braden Holtby.
Projected 2022 Role: 4th line forward in the NHL, or 1st line winger in the AHL
Future Role: 3rd line forward in the NHL
Expansion Pick Grade: C
The 2021-22 Seattle Kraken’s Overall NHL Expansion Draft Grade: B-
Best picks of the night:
Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde, and Mason Appleton
Worst picks of the night:
Carsen Twarynski, Will Borgen, Kurtis MacDermid
The Seattle Kraken spent reportedly just around $30 million of the $81.5 million available in cap space in making their picks in the expansion draft. The Kraken made some good picks, but there probably were also plenty of teams that were relieved to see some of their more talented, but also expensive players not taken as frequently in this draft. If the Kraken really wanted to, they could’ve drafted impending UFA Alex Ovechkin with the hopes to drop a big bag at his feet, but there’s no guarantee that he would sign, and goalie Vitek Vanecek was a solid pick made by the Kraken.
(Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images, via MyNorthwest.com)
It was an entertaining and interesting draft that had some hits and misses. They brought out Seattle sports’ legends, such as Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Marshawn Lynch, Sue Bird, as well as celebrities such as Macklemore, and it was a huge spectacle.
Seattle Seahawks' legendary running back, Marshawn Lynch announcing the selection of former Nashville Predators' forward, Calle Jarnkrok was one of the highlights of the night.(Source: YouTube/NHL)
Marshawn Lynch had trouble pronouncing Calle Jarnkrok’s name. We also had doctors and a scuba diver announce picks in the expansion draft, too. It was a quite an interesting event overall.
Here’s my projection of the 2021 Seattle Kraken’s Depth Chart before free agency (red means minors):
Here is the projected 23-man NHL roster as of right now.
(Photo: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press, via Sports Betting Dime)
The 2021-22 Seattle Kraken (23-man roster, as of 7/22/21)
LW
Jared McCann, 1st line winger
Calle Jarnkrok, top two-line forward
Mason Appleton, 2nd or 3rd line forward/top 2 line forward (initially a RW)
Nathan Bastian, 3rd or 4th line winger/3rd line upside (initially a RW)
John Quenneville, 1st or 2nd line AHL forward/3rd or 4th line upside
Carsen Twarynski, 3rd line AHL forward/fringe upside
C
Yanni Gourde, top 2-line center/1st line center upside
Colin Blackwell, 3rd line center/2nd or 3rd line center upside
Morgan Geekie, 3rd line center/2nd line center upside
Alexander True, 4th line center/3rd line center upside
RW
Jordan Eberle, top 2 line forward
Joonas Donskoi, top 2 line forward
Brandon Tanev, 2nd or 3rd line forward
Tyler Pitlick, 3rd or 4th line forward
Kole Lind, 4th line forward/3rd line upside
LD
Carson Soucy 2nd pairing
Vince Dunn 2nd pairing/1st or 2nd pairing upside
Jérémy Lauzon 3rd pairing/2nd pairing upside
Gavin Bayreuther 3rd pairing/2nd pairing upside
Dennis Cholowski 1st pairing AHL/3rd pairing upside
Kurtis MacDermid Fringe D-Man
RD
Mark Giordano 1st pairing (initially a LD)
Jamie Oleksiak 3rd pairing (initially a LD)
Adam Larsson, 3rd pairing
Haydn Fleury Fringe D-Man/3rd pairing upside (initially a LD)
Cale Fleury 1st pairing AHL/3rd pairing upside
Will Borgen 2nd pairing AHL/Fringe upside
Goalie
Chris Driedger #1 goalie
Vitek Vanecek, #2 goalie in the NHL
Joey Daccord, #1 AHL Goalie
So, in short...here is the Seattle Kraken's projected lines:
1st Line (Projected):
Jared McCann-Yanni Gourde-Jordan Eberle
2nd Line (Projected):
Calle Jarnkrok-Colin Blackwell-Joonas Donskoi
3rd Line (Projected):
Mason Appleton-Morgan Geekie-Brandon Tanev
4th Line (Projected):
Nathan Bastian-Alexander True-Tyler Pitlick
1st Pairing Defense (Projected):
Carson Soucy-Mark Giordano
2nd Pairing Defense (Projected):
Vince Dunn-Jamie Oleksiak
3rd Pairing Defense (Projected):
Jérémy Lauzon-Adam Larsson
Goalies (Projected):
#1. Chris Driedger
#2. Vitek Vanecek
There were an uneven number of left and right wingers, and left and right handed defensemen, so I had to move things around to make the depth chart work for projecting the Seattle Kraken for the upcoming season.
In total, I picked 8 players in my mock expansion draft that the Seattle Kraken ended up actually taking. I guess there may have been some similarities in some of the thought processes in some of the selections, and considerably divergent with plenty of the other picks.
So in total, 8 of the 30 players that were selected in the Kraken's Expansion Draft, I also had drafted in my mock expansion draft post I posted a couple of days ago, which were Jérémy Lauzon, Chris Driedger, Jared McCann, Morgan Geekie, Jordan Eberle, Colin Blackwell, Calle Jarnkrok, and Mark Giordano.
I will be rooting for my hometown team, the St. Louis Blues, but I will also keep tabs on how the Seattle Kraken will fare, since they are a new team and I live in this city. It will be a very interesting NHL hockey season, and the season will start in a couple of months, on October 12th, pending approval of cross-border travel, according to Wikipedia. Thanks for reading.
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