Seattle Kraken: 4 players from each Round-Robin team to watch
T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals (Photo by Michael Miller, via Wikicommons)
West 3 – Vegas Golden Knights
Yes, Vegas is exempt from this expansion draft. They will, however, have players whose contracts will expire at the end of next year. Seattle can sign as many of them as they like. If they are on the ice, why not scout them?
Nick Cousins, F – Cousins seems destined to bounce around the NHL for another few seasons as a third/fourth line player.
Alec Martinez, D – He’s an old school stay-at-home blueliner. He went to Vegas from LA at this year’s trade deadline. Martinez now plays with Knights Captain Derek Engelland. By the time Seattle starts signing players, maybe the defenseman can be to the Kraken what Engelland is to Vegas, the team leader.
Brandon Pirri, F – He’s been a fringe-NHL player since breaking into the league in 2011. He’s not likely to see much action unless one of the Knights forwards gets hurt.
Paul Stastny, C – By the time his current deal expires, Stastny will be six months on the wrong side of 35. He won’t get a big-money deal next time out, but he could help a young team. Stastny is one of the NHL’s best faceoff men.
East 3 – Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin will be a free agent after next season. Relax Kraken fans, he’s chasing history and won’t sign with an expansion team.
Carl Hagelin, LW – Hagelin is an outstanding defensive forward, with high-end wheels. He has a very reasonable $2.75M per year through 2023.
Garnet Hathaway, RW – He’s one of many bottom-six forwards available in this draft. The biggest thing that makes him attractive to the Seattle Kraken is that they can flip his reasonable $1.5M annual salary to a team that needs forward depth in exchange for a draft pick.
Nick Jensen, D – A bottom pair stay at home defender.
T.J. Oshie, RW – Oshie grew up near Everett and played his early junior hockey in Seattle. He’s a popular choice among Kraken fans to become a member of this team. It won’t be as simple as Washington exposing him in the expansion draft.
Watching Oshie in a shutout is like watching a master craftsman do his job. For all his offensive talent, however, he’s only scored 30 goals and 60 points once each in his 12-year career.