The Kraken really can’t go wrong with any player they take from Carolina. Taking Giordano carries some risk, but the potential reward is there if Giordano can put together a couple of serviceable seasons. Giordano’s offensive production has really fallen off over the past two seasons, but defensively, he still has quite a bit in the tank. With Giordano’s cap hit of $6.75 million next season and at age 37, Kylington seemed like the more reasonable pick.īut after the Minnesota Wild bought out Ryan Suter to protect Matt Dumba, and after the Avalanche traded Ryan Graves (who I had pegged to be Seattle’s top defenseman next season), Seattle takes advantage where they can get it and takes someone who could be their captain in Year One. He’s a younger player, an RFA, and someone who has top-six defenseman upside. At 6’3”, 205 lbs, Borgen is no stranger to the scrap and can throw hands when he needs to.Īll week, I was convinced Seattle would go with Oliver Kylington at this pick. He won’t light up a scoreboard but he can energize the team in other ways. While Borgen may not have the same appeal as a prospect as some of the others on this list, he does add an element of toughness. In 61 games with AHL Rochester in 2019-20, he scored one goal with 10 assists and had 76 PIMs. The 24-year-old right-shot blueliner has played in only 14 NHL games. It’s important to have good center depth, but the higher ceiling for Lauzon makes him the smart selection here.īuffalo didn’t have much to offer during the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, but defenseman William Borgen is at least an interesting prospect. There’s a ton of upside here, and Lauzon should be a solid player for the Kraken for the next few seasons.Ĭenter Curtis Lazar is an interesting option here as well, following his steady play in the bottom six for Boston during the playoffs. He played nearly 19 minutes per game in 41 games for the Bruins last year and had just two penalty minutes in that span. Lauzon was taken in the second round of the 2015 Draft and has played three seasons so far in his NHL career. He becomes a restricted free agent (RFA) following the 2021-22 season, but at $850K next season, there’s a ton of upside to this pick. Lauzon can play either side, and that roster flexibility is important. Jeremy Lauzon is a solid pick for the Kraken and he slots in as a top-four defense option for Seattle. He stepped in while fellow Coyotes netminders Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta were injured and because goaltenders tend to take longer to develop, the 25-year-old Hill is just starting to break into his prime.ĭefenseman Ilya Lyubushkin showed some signs of progress last season and as a right-handed defenseman, he’s got some upside, but Hill has the higher ceiling and is a better all-around value. Hill had a 9-9-1 record in 19 games (17 starts) last season, along with a 2.74 GAA, a. Hill is an exciting prospect and should be competing for a spot on the roster from the jump, but he could also be a trade chip for a team in need of goaltending help. The first goaltender off the board is Adin Hill of the Arizona Coyotes. However, at 23-years-old, Steel is just getting started in his NHL career, and a change of scenery could be just what he needs to jumpstart his game.Īdam Henrique could be an option here, but with a $5.8 million cap hit, his cost becomes too much for Seattle to take. In 129 career games, Steel has just 18 goals and 27 assists. The 30th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Steel has played up and down the Anaheim lineup, yet to find a true fit and establish a role for himself. Sam Steel’s career with the Ducks has yet to take off. Here are the players I’m predicting will be selected during the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft: says as of now, the ask to stay off an unprotected player from #SeaKrakenis a 1st and 3rd round draft pick.Īlso, one last giant Thank You to CapFriendly, whose free-to-use Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft Simulator tool helped me put this project together. That’s a tall order depending on player availability and which teams have the assets necessary to defend those players if they so choose. And for good reason.Īccording to multiple sources, the asking price for Seattle to stay away from exposed players is a first and third round pick. As a reminder, while I expect some teams will work on side deals during the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, either to stay away from key prospects or to take certain exposed players for roster or salary cap relief, this mock decided not to address those possibilities.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |