Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft 2.0 – If We Knew Then What We Know Now
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Pick: Morgan Geekie, C – 23-years-old. 40 GP, 3 G, 8 A, 11 pts. $750K – RFA at the end of the 2022 season.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Jake Bean, D – 23-years-old. 41 GP, 4 G, 11 A, 15 pts. $2.33M, expiring in 2024. Traded from Carolina to Columbus two days after the expansion draft.
Reasoning: Jake Bean plays top-4 defensive minutes and is a strong skater who can move the puck and transition plays quickly. He is a former first round draft pick who is still very young and has a high ceiling of potential. He would essentially replace Giordano’s minutes at a much more affordable figure.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Pick: Gavin Bayreuther, D – 27-years-old. 23 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 pts. $750K expiring in 2023. Signed with Columbus as a UFA signed days after the Kraken selected him in the expansion draft.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Max Domi, C – 26-years-old, 34 GP, 8 G, 13 A, 21 pts. $5.3M – UFA at the end of the 2022 season.
Reasoning: Domi has grit and speed in his game which makes him desirable by many. He’s had up and down seasons in his career and has not found his game in Columbus after being traded by Montreal. A change in scenery could be good for him. With Max Domi comes a supportive father that many hockey fans grew up loving in the ’90s and 2000s – Tie Domi.
New Jersey Devils
Current Pick: Nathan Bastian, RW – 24-years-old. 40 GP, 9 G, 2 A, 11 pts. $825K, expiring in 2023. Claimed off waivers by New Jersey in November.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Nathan Bastian, RW.
Reasoning: There wasn’t much available from New Jersey. All other options were too expensive for their lack of production (P.K. Subban, Andreas Johnsson, etc.). Bastian shows youth and depth. Ideally, the Kraken would have assigned him to the AHL before the start of the regular season or used him as a depth forward. Unfortunately, NJD claimed Bastien off of waivers when the Kraken tried to send him down.
New York Islanders
Current Pick: Jordan Eberle, RW – 31 yrs old. 44 GP, 12 G, 14 A, 26 pts. $5.5M, expires 2024.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Jordan Eberle, RW.
Reasoning: Eberle was present during the original expansion draft, scored the first-ever Kraken hat trick, was the first All-Star selection in franchise history, and has embraced the Pacific Northwest. Don’t let the fact that he doesn’t like the rain deter you from his proven production. Seattle’s top-line right wing played with the likes of Connor McDavid when in Edmonton and Mathew Barzal in New York. This guy is the real deal.
Related Story: PNWS Exclusive interview with Jordan Eberle
New York Rangers
Current Pick: Colin Blackwell, C – 28-years-old. 23 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 pts. $725K – UFA at the end of the 2022 season.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Tony DeAngelo, D – 26-years-old. 37 GP, 8 G, 28 A, 36 pts. $4.8M, expiring 2023 (bought out by NYR, signed for $1M with Carolina)
Reasoning: This is a controversial pick. Everyone thinks that DeAngelo is a cancer in the locker room because of his mishap in New York last February, where he punched teammate Alexandar Georgiev. New York put him on waivers shortly after and bought him out at the end of the season. This summer, Carolina took a low-risk-high-reward gamble by signing him to a one-year contract to prove himself.
The result? DeAngelo sports the best stats of his career. His teammates enjoy having him around as he has embraced the change of scenery. Seattle could have had this had the offensive defensemen they longed for had they taken this gamble.
Philadelphia Flyers
Current Pick: Carsen Twarynski, LW – 24-years-old. (AHL) 41 GP, 3 G, 11 A, 14 pts. $750k – RFA at the end of the 2022 season.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Derrick Pouliot, D – 28-years-old. (AHL) 28 GP, 0 G, 8 A, 8 pts. AHL Contract with Las Vegas.
Reasoning: Pouliot is a former first round draft pick who is very familiar with the PNW, having played his junior hockey for the Portland Winterhawks. He has played professional hockey for eight years, bouncing between the NHL and AHL. His defensive experience would prove to be beneficial for the development of prospects while also providing the Kraken with depth on defense in the event of injuries.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Current Pick: Brandon Tanev, LW – 30-years-old.. 30 GP, 9 G, 6 A, 15 pts. $3.5 million, expiring 2025.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Brandon Tanev, LW.
Reasoning: Turbo has been a fan favorite since Day 1 of the expansion draft. He was one of the six players present for the expansion draft and is well known for his ghostly headshots. He went undrafted, grinding his way through the BCHL, NCAA, AHL, and up to the NHL. While Tanev is not known as a perennial goal scorer, he put career-high numbers before going down with a season-ending ACL injury. At an affordable $3.5 million for four more years, no better selection is available.
Washington Capitals
Current Pick: Vitek Vanecek, G – 26-years-old. 24 GP, 10 W, 6 L, 5 OTL, 2.39 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO. $716K – UFA at the end of the 2022 season. Traded back to Washington for a 2023 second round pick seven days after the expansion draft.
Kraken Draft 2.0: Zach Fucale, G – 26-years-old. (AHL) 15 GP, 7 W, 4 L, 6 OTL, 2.68 GAA, .890 SV%, 0 SO. $750K, expiring in 2023.
Reasoning: After leading the Halifax Mooseheads to the 2013 Memorial Cup Championship and setting franchise and QMJHL single-season records, Fucale represented Canada in the World Junior Championship and Spengler Cup. He was buried in the Montreal Canadiens organization due to their depth at goaltender. Montreal gave up on Fucale, and Washington signed him as a free agent, where he has thrived.
In 2020, he and Pheonix Copley combined to win the Aldege Bastien Memorial Award, awarded to the AHL goaltending duo that allows the fewest goals against in a season. Earning a callup to the Capitals this year, he set the NHL record for longest shutout streak to begin an NHL career. Fucale held opponents scoreless until 138:07 into his career! By drafting him, the Kraken create a goaltending duo in the AHL that would compete for playing time and provide a healthy depth that many teams desire.