Kraken make Michigan center Matthew Beniers 1st NHL entry draft pick in franchise history
Matthew Beniers struggled to describe what it meant to be the first NHL entry draft pick in Seattle Kraken history.
With a new, white Kraken hat on his head, Beniers joined a Zoom call with media members shortly after Seattle took him with the No. 2 pick in Friday’s draft. He hardly stopped smiling as he answered questions. And when he was asked what it meant to make history as the franchise’s first selection, that grin grew a little bigger.
“There’s so many words I could use to describe it,” he said. “It’s surreal. It’s honestly amazing. I could not be happier.”
Two days after selecting the foundation of its roster in the NHL expansion draft, Seattle turned its attention toward the future. The Kraken took Beniers ‚ a 6-foot-2, 175-pound center — with their first-round pick. Rounds 2-7 will take place Saturday.
“I definitely liked the Kraken a lot, doing the interviews with them and throughout the whole process, I liked them a lot and I felt they liked me lot, too,” Beniers said. “They were talking a lot to my old coaches, my trainers, a lot of different people they reached out to. Kind of got a feeling (they might pick me) from that. Obviously, it wasn’t set in stone and wasn’t really sure, but I’m ecstatic that that ended up to be the case.”
Beniers scored 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games during his first college season at Michigan, which led first-time NHL Draft-eligible players. He was also named to the Big Ten’s All-Rookie team. Now, he’ll have to decide whether to return to the Wolverines for another season or join the Kraken.
“I really don’t know exactly what the best thing is for me next year whether it’s going back or going to play for the Kraken,” Beniers said. “Obviously, I think that would be really exciting going to play for the Kraken. I think going back for another year (at Michigan), I would keep building confidence.”
For Beniers, there’s also a sense of unfinished business at Michigan. Not only was the 2020-21 season shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Wolverines were forced to withdraw from the NCAA Tournament due to positive tests within the program.
“I want to have a real year,” Beniers said. “I want to try to make a run at the national championship. Obviously, if that’s not the best decision for my development as a hockey player, so be it. But I think those are kind of some perks and something I kind of want to do. At the end of the day, it’s kind what is the right thing for me to do as a hockey player and as a person.”
Beniers played against NHL players at the IIHF World Championship in May. He also won a gold medal with Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship in January.
“For me, it was kind of seeing where I fit when I was at each level,” Beniers said. “I think I have pretty good confidence and a good feel of where I was at and kind of how far I was from playing in the NHL if I could. I think I did pretty well at World Juniors and Michigan. Obviously, Men’s World was a little harder, but I think it was a good mark for where I was at and what I needed to do.
“I think for me it’s continuing to get bigger, stronger. I think that’s what I focused on at the University of Michigan as well as producing offensively and playing my two-way game. I’m not totally sure on how far out I am (from being NHL ready) but I think I’m pretty close. I’ll keep working hard and I’ll be there soon enough.”
Ranked sixth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting Services, Beniers was widely considered one of the top three players in the draft. Heading into Friday, Tony Ferrari of Dobber Prospects called Beniers “the most complete forward” available.
“Beniers has been a monster with the Michigan Wolverines,” Ferrari wrote. “He affects the game in so many ways from scoring at an impressive rate to turning play around in his own zone. Beniers is an incredibly intelligent and cerebral player who attacks the opponents at their weaknesses.”
The Buffalo Sabres took Beniers teammate, defenseman Owen Power, with the No. 1 overall pick. The pair became the first teammates to go first and second in the NHL Draft since 1969. Center Keith Johnson, another Michigan product, went to the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 5 pick.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 5:33 PM.
