Calle Jarnkrok, Nashviile Predators. (Photo by Michael Miller, via Wikicommons)
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken has a name, next they need a team to defend the ice at Climate Pledge Arena. Much of that first squad will come from next year’s expansion draft. Kraken General Manager Ron Francis and his staff have their hands full as they scout players from around the world.
Until this season finally ends and the National Hockey League goes through its free agency and arbitration periods, sometime this fall, mock drafting a team is exceedingly tricky. There are lots of potential difference-makers whose contracts are up. Teams must lock up unrestricted and restricted free agents before the expansion draft picture becomes clearer. Fortunately, for fans scouting potential players can be both fun and interesting.
As part of their “return to action” plan, the NHL invited 24 teams to two different sites, Toronto and Edmonton, Canada. Beginning August 1, teams ranked between 5th and 12th in the respective conference standings when play stopped due to COVID-19 will play in a best of three “play-in.” Winners of those series will advance to the actual Stanley Cup playoffs, where the top eight teams will be waiting for them.
Playoff hockey brings out the best in players. Exhibition games have been going on for the past week, so most everyone should be in decent shape. By the time the puck drops for real, next Saturday, fans will see the NHL players at a near-peak level.
Here is a look at three players from each team Western Conference play-in team who could be available for the Seattle Kraken to select in the expansion draft. One more note, Toronto and the New York Islanders had the deepest potential player pools in the east. In the Western Conference, the team to keep an eye in terms of talent depth are the Calgary Flames.
Adam Lowry, Winnipeg Jets. (Photo by Lisa Gansky, via Flickr)
This will be the best series of the play-in round. Winnipeg has been disappointing this year, but they have plenty of firepower on the roster. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has faced plenty of rubber and re-established himself as one of the top netminders in the west. It’s finally time for Calgary to put it all together and win a postseason series. But can they put it all together?
Andrew Copp, F – He struggles to get prime minutes on a team with many outstanding forwards. He could become a decent top-six player.
Brian Little, C – There isn’t much tread left on the tires at this point, but lots of mileage left on the contract. The oft-injured 32-year-old center comes with an Average Annual Value of $5.3M through 2024.
Adam Lowry, C – Lowry is in the same bind Copp is. And Just like Copp, he is strong in the faceoff circle. Both players won over 53 percent of their draws.
Sam Bennett, C – The talented center might be a long shot for expansion exposure. Then again, the Flames might be able to talk Milan Lucic into waiving his “no movement” clause so they can protect Bennett.
Dillon Dube, F – Too many Young talented forwards in Calgary for Dube to be protected.
Mark Giordano, D – He’s 36 and comes with a $6.7M per season price tag through 2022. he would make a heck of a first captain, though.
Jordan Greenway, Minnesota Wild. (Photo by surveytrevor, via wikicommons)
The Canucks have been slowly building a good team. On the other side, Minnesota seems rudderless on many nights, and their goalies have been bad all year. I can’t believe I’m putting this in print, but Vancouver can win this series.
Jordan Greenway, LW – The former 2018 Team USA Olympian has struggled with consistency since jumping to the NHL three years ago. On the bright side, Greenway is only 23-years-old.
Luke Kunin, F – A good looking young player who would look even better on a team the had its act together. Minnesota’s 2016 first-round pick is a sniper with excellent abilities in several different aspects of the games. If he’s available in the expansion draft, Francis has to take him.
Victor Rask, C – Rask only gets 10:29 of ice time per night, yet makes $4M per season. Yeah, he won’t be protected.
Loui Eriksson, W – Father time has not been kind to the three-time 70 point scorer. Right now he gets too much pay for far too little production, Eriksson might get bout out before the expansion draft.
Micheal Ferland, LW – He is a solid veteran forward who parlayed two 40-point seasons in Calgary into a four-year, $14M contract last summer. A nasty concussion sidelined him since mid-December, but Vancouver expects Ferland to be back for this series.
Antoine Roussel, LW – If the Seattle Kraken wants an enforcer to keep their younger player safe, Roussel is their man. Given the opportunity, he can also put up 30 points in a season.
Calle Jarnkrok, Nashville Predators. (Photo by Michael Miller, via Wikicommons)
Nashville has a solid lineup and iffy goaltending. Arizona has a suspect lineup and strong Goaltengs. Coyotes netminder Darcy Kuemper has been sensational this season. They could pull an upset if the real Taylor Hall, not the cardboard cutout version that’s been impersonating him, shows up.
In this series, Nashville has too many good players and should win this series. This might be the time when the Predators’ goalie torch gets passed from Pekka Rinne to Juuse Saros.
Christian Fischer, RW – As Arizona has improved over the last two years, Fischer’s ice time and production went in the other direction.
Conor Garland – Arizona lists Garland at 5-10, 165-pounds. They must have done the measurements with him standing on the scale and an old dictionary. Size might not be a factor for the Seattle Kraken. Francis won’t be fooled! The diminutive wing can put up points.
Antti Raanta, G – If the Seattle Kraken are looking to land a veteran goalie and can’t get their number one choice Carey Price, Raanta is a good plan B. All he has to do is finally stay healthy.
Dante Fabbro – This up and coming young defenseman will be squeezed out by one of the NHL’s best group of defensemen.
Colton Sissons, C – He’s a classic bottom-six player with an occasional offensive uptick. He’s a hard-nosed player and not afraid to do the dirty work to make his team successful.
Austin Watson, LW – See Colton Sissons.
Connor Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks.
These are two teams with suspect goaltending. When the season opened in November, Blackhawks fans would have been shocked to find their team in position to make 16-team Stanley Cup Playoffs, but here they are. Edmonton has too much firepower for young Chicago to handle. The only way the Oilers lose the series is if their goaltending totally collapses.
Calvin de Haan, D – de Haan has been out since December with a shoulder injury. In his eight seasons of NHL hockey, he has posted a negative +/- only once. He’ll be 30 at draft time and can be the veteran leader of Seattle’s blueline group.
David Kampf, RW – After 179 NHL games, he is a fourth-line forward on a below-fringe playoff team.
Connor Murphy, D – While not quite as steady as his defensive partner, Murphy is two years younger and slightly cheaper. For the $700K difference, I’d rather have de Haan.
Zack Kassian, RW – He is a wild man on the ice. Kassian is better known for the bad penalties he takes than his talent. It’s too bad he couldn’t control himself better in his NHL career, he could have been a consistent 20 goal per year scorer.
Jujhar Khaira, LW – A bottom-six forward in Edmonton, maybe a new team would help.
James Neal, W – The 32-year-old is a streaky goal scorer on a big contract, $5.75M through 2023.
If you missed our 3 players to watch from each Eastern Conference play-in team, you can read it here.