Seattle Kraken: Five breakout candidates to watch
Ed Stein
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5 – Nathan Bastian, wing
Seattle Kraken fans will love this guy. Nathan Bastian is both big (6-4, 205-pounds) and a badass. His 138 hits last season is warning to potential opponents that there are no easy plays when he’s on the ice.
With New Jersey, Bastian played on the fourth line, specializing in defensive zone starts and the penalty kill. Expect him to be a big part of Seattle’s PK as well. But Bastian should also see some time on the second power-play unit. For all his size and grit, he does a nice job with the puck on his stick.
4 – Jared McCann, forward
A veteran of 353 NHL games, it’s hard to believe that Jared McCann turned just 25 in May. He’s been with three organizations so far but has rarely had an opportunity to shine as he does in Seattle.
Sometimes being a solid two-way player is a bit of a curse. In McCann’s case, teams he played for chose to take advantage of his skills in a defensive-oriented role, and he exceeded expectations. McCann spent plenty of time defending the opposition’s scorers since he came into the league and is still a career +26.
When he did have opportunities to play top-six minutes, McCann didn’t look out of place. Despite injuries last season, the versatile forward had 32 points (10 power play) for the Pittsburgh Penguins.