6 of the most intriguing names left exposed for Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft
The expansion draft is just days away, and now the Seattle Kraken have a complete picture of the available players.
On Sunday, NHL teams submitted their protection lists to the NHL and NHLPA, with teams able protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender or eight skaters and one goaltender. That brought the Kraken one step closer to selecting the first pieces of their inaugural roster.
The Kraken’s choices will be announced Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. live on ESPN. Seattle will select one player from 30 teams — the Las Vegas Golden Knights are exempt.
Before we get to some of the most intriguing names left exposed, here’s a quick refresher on the rules for the Kraken:
▪ Seattle must select at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies.
▪ At least 20 players must be under contract for the 2021-22 season and the total cap hit must call between 60% and 100% of the upper limit. The salary cap for the 2021-22 season is $81.5 million.
▪ Starting Sunday, the Kraken can exclusively negotiate with pending free agents who were not protected by NHL teams.
Now, here are six of the top players available:
Names to watch
Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price
Price, who helped lead the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, was one of the biggest surprises left available to the Kraken. But Seattle will still have a decision to make. The 32-year-old Price comes with a salary-cap hit of $10.5 million for five-more seasons, but he’s also a veteran goalie coming off an exceptional playoff performance. Taking a seasoned goalie certainly paid off for the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 when they selected Marc-Andre Fleury from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko
Tarasenko, 29, wasn’t happy with how the Blues handled his multiple shoulder surgeries and requested a trade. He has two cap years left on his contract at $7.5 million against the cap. He played in just 10 games in 2019-20 and 24 in 2020-21. Tarasenko was once an elite goal scorer, so the Kraken now have to decide if he’s worth the risk on the chance he regains his form. Tarasenko is worth $9.5 million in actual salary next season, but $5.5 million in 2022-23.
Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk
Riemsdyk, 32, is another intriguing — yet pricey — option. He carries a $7 million cap hit over two more seasons. He had a strong season in 2020-21, finishing with 17 goals, 26 assists and 43 points in 56 games. Riemsdyk, who tied for fifth-most in the NHL with 10 power-play goals, also averaged his second-most ice time since 2015-16. He also played under Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol when Hakstol was in Philadelphia.
Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano,
Giordano is 37 years old, but he recently won the Norris Trophy in 2019. One of the best defensive options available, the Flames’ captain had 26 points in 56 games last season. Giordano carries a $6.75 million cap hit for one year. He could bring a quality veteran presence to the Kraken or be a valuable trade option.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde
Gourde, 29, won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning. Gourde gave Tampa Bay quality depth and finished last season with 17 goals and 19 assists in the regular season before adding six goals and one assist in the playoffs. He has four more years remaining at just more than $5 million. Gourde also provides value on special teams.
Bonus
Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog
Landeskog, 28, is a different case than the rest. He’s an unrestricted free agent, which means Seattle now has exclusive rights to recruit him before free agency opens July 28. Potential free agents who were left unprotected for the expansion draft can exclusively interview and potentially sign a contract with the Kraken between Sunday morning and the draft Wednesday night. If the Kraken and Landeskog agree to a deal before then, he would count as the Kraken’s selection from the Avalanche.
Landeskog is reportedly looking for a salary in the range of $9-10 million on the open market. In his last complete season in 2018-19, Landeskog set career highs in goals (34), assists (41) and points (75). He totaled 46 goals and 96 points combined over the last two 54-game seasons.
