3 key takeaways from the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft
The expansion draft has come and gone, and the Seattle Kraken’s roster is falling into place.
There are still moves and trades to come, so every player taken on Wednesday night will take the ice for the Kraken in October. But many of the key pieces were announced at Gas Works Park, and we’ll run through a few of those in just a moment. Before we get there, here’s a glance at what comes next.
▪ July 23: Round 1 of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft
▪ July 24: Rounds 2-7 of the entry draft
▪ July 8: Free agency opens
Now, here are three takeaways from the expansion draft.
1. The biggest names
The Kraken left plenty of the biggest names on the table — more on that to come — but a few names stood out from the rest. Here’s a closer look at a few of them:
Goalies Chris Driedger (Florida Panthers) and Vitek Vanecek (Washington Capitals): Seattle passed on Montreal Carey Price and his lofty price tag to bring in this promising tandem instead. Driedger, 27, went 14-6-3 in 23 games for the Panthers in 2020-21 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.07 goals-against average. Vanecek, 25, moved from third goalie to the starter last season due to injuries. He earned NHL Rookie of the Month in January and finished the season with a 21-10-4 record, a .908 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average.
Center Yanni Gourde (Tampa Bay Lightning): Gourde won’t be able to contribute immediately as a shoulder surgery will keep him out for several months, but he’ll be worth waiting for. A key piece on Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup teams, he finished the 2020-21 season with 17 goals and 36 points in 56 games. He added six goals and one assist in the playoffs. In 2019-20, Gourde had 10 goals and 30 points in 70 regular-season games.
Right wing Jordan Eberle (New York Islanders): Eberle, 31, was a top-line right wing for the Islanders. He had 33 points and 16 goals in 55 games in 2020-21 — on pace for 49 points and 24 goals in a full season. He played in 272 in four games with New York, recording 76 goals, 93 assists and 169 points.
Defenseman Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames): Could this be the Kraken’s first captain? He filled the role for Calgary, so it seems likely the 37-year-old veteran will be tapped in Seattle, too. A Norris Trophy winner in 2019, Giordano was one of the top defensive options available in Wednesday’s expansion draft. He had 26 points in 56 games last season.
Defenseman Adam Larsson (Edmonton Oilers): Larsson agreed to a four-year, $16 million deal with the Kraken before the expansion draft. He still counts as Seattle’s pick from the Oilers. Larsson spent five years with Edmonton and finished with 16 goals, 52 assists and 68 points in 329 games. He battled injuries in 2019, but played in 56 games for Edmonton during the 2020-21 season and averaged just less than 20 minutes per night.
2. Plenty of cap space
The Kraken’s current roster size estimate is 19 with a cap hit of $52.6 million, according to CapFriendly. By electing to take a less expensive road, Seattle left its options open. There could be side deals announced later that will add depth in the form of draft picks and prospects. Those deals, if they exist, will be announced when the trade freeze is lifted on Thursday at 10 a.m. PT.
With $29 million worth of cap space available, the Kraken have the money available to make a splash in free agency. Two names to watch for: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Colorado Avalanche center Gabriel Landeskog. The market opens on July 28.
3. A defensive focus
Defense has the potential to be a strength for the Kraken. Even most of the forwards Seattle selected are strong two-way players.
Giordano and Larsson are two of the most exciting defensemen, but the Kraken also added Jamie Oleksiak from the Dallas Stars. Oleksiak, 28, played a top-four role with the Stars last season. He averaged more than 20 minutes a game for the first time in his career and finished with six goals and 14 points in 56 games. He also averaged almost 22 minutes for Dallas in the 2020 playoffs.
Also of note: Defenseman Vince Dunn (St. Louis Blues), who has some offensive skill. He’s played in 267 games in four seasons, recording 32 goals and 70 assists while averaging more than 17 minutes a night. He played in 43 games last season, recording six goals, 14 assists and 20 points. Players like Haydn Fleury (Anaheim Ducks), Cale Fleury (Montreal Canadiens), Will Borgen (Buffalo Sabres) and Carson Soucy (Minnesota Wild) add depth.
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
