Seattle Kraken Draft Profile: Simon Nemec
Ciara Durant
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Ron Francis may want to change things up and select a defenseman with the Seattle Kraken’s 4th overall pick. Simon Nemec is the best defenseman of the draft.
Last year, General Manager Ron Francis utilized the Seattle Kraken’s first ever, first round pick to draft center Matty Beniers. Trying to build a new prospect pool for his young team, Francis may want to change things up and go in the other direction with this year’s early first-rounder.
Quite frankly, the Seattle Kraken could use players at any position. Adding a well-rounded two-way defenseman alongside last year’s second-round selection, Ryker Evans could be a smart and safe move after such a rough season. Olympic bronze medalist, Simon Nemec, is a player who fits in well with the Seattle Kraken’s system.
With an average player age of 27 years old, the Kraken only has a few years before its current blueline reaches peak performance. The team is also likely to see many changes in the next few seasons, with five of their currently signed defenseman hitting free agency in the next two years.
Francis tried to build his team to be good defensively, emphasizing drafting players capable of playing a physical game. While the defensive unit wasn’t awful, there is still plenty of room for improvement. We saw how much the Colorado Avalanche thrived when they were bolstered by their defense in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It is players like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes that GMs are hoping to find to bolster up their own blue line. It remains to be seen whether Simon Nemec is that player, but it is worth looking into.