Seattle Kraken: 4 players from each Round-Robin team to watch
Seattle Kraken
Now that the team has an official name, the Seattle Kraken turns their full attention to scouting players in for the 2021 expansion draft. Here are four players to watch from each round-robin team.
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. As a matter of fact, they had to hire a ton of new scouts and executives.
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 plenty of potential difference-making talents 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 the top 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.”
Seeding format
Winners of those series will advance to the actual Stanley Cup playoffs, where the top four teams from each conference will be waiting for them. Each of the top four teams plays a three-game round robin with the other teams in their conference to determine seeding for the following rounds.
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, fans will see the NHL players at a near-peak level.
Here is a look at four players from each team in the round-robin who could be available for the Seattle Kraken to select in the expansion draft. Among play in teams, Calgary has the deepest group of potential players in the west. Meanwhile, Toronto and the New York Islanders are the deepest in the east.
As expected, the best teams likely have the deepest groups of players. Here are four players to watch from each round-robin team that Kraken fans could see in the expansion draft.