Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken.
No one knows yet who NHL teams will or will not expose to the Seattle Kraken in next year’s expansion draft. After the Stanley Cup Playoffs, free agency, arbitration, and the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, all of which will wrap up by November, will make the picture much clearer. Of course, those dates may still change due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s a good rule of thumb at this point.
Here is a brief recap of the rules in place when the Seattle Kraken make their selections in the Expansion Draft some time in early-to-mid-summer of 2021.
Spokane can boast of many alumni who made it to the NHL over the years. Unfortunately for the Seattle Kraken, there isn’t much of a chance that either Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon, Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan, or Edmonton prospect Kailer Yamamoto will be available to them. Neither Anderson-Dolan nor Yamamoto have played in enough NHL games to be eligible, but that could change for Yamamoto next season.
There are several former chiefs that could be available to the Seattle Kraken next summer, either in the expansion draft or as unrestricted free agents.
Michael Grabner, Arizona Coyotes.
At just 17-years old, he left his native Austria to play for the Chiefs. It’s a move that worked out well for him. Drafted 14th overall in 2006 by the Canucks, Michael Grabner just finished his 14th NHL season. He’s scored 276 points in 640 NHL games. At 33-years-old, Grabner isn’t the offensive threat he once was, but his outstanding defensive play and speed make him a weapon on the penalty kill.
The Spokane native was a star for his home town Chiefs from 2003-07. Undrafted, Derek Ryan took an unusual route to the NHL; he spent four years at the University of Alberta, followed by some very successful seasons in Austria and Sweden. A reliable member of Calgary’s third line, Ryan has become a consistent 30-point per season player. Although he may be slightly built (5-11, 175-pounds), Ryan is a beast in the faceoff circle. In four-plus NHL seasons, Ryan won 55.7 percent of his draws to go along with 136 points
An undersized, overachiever, Tyler Johnson is cut from the same cloth as former Lightning great Martin St. Louis. On many teams, the 5-8 pivot is talented enough to be a first/second line scoring threat. The Bolts have consistently been deep down the middle for the past half-decade, relegating him a middle-six role. Even without many prime time minutes, Johnson averages .63 points-per-game over an eight-year career. To show how valuable he is in Tampa, the Bolts signed him to a seven-year, $35M contract before the 2017-18 season. With so many talented forwards in Tampa, Johnson could be available to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.
Mike Babcock, Toronto Maple Leafs.
When healthy, Darcy Kuemper is a very capable NHL goaltender. The numbers back that up. In 215 NHL, Kuemper has a 2.46 Goals Against Average and .918 Save Percentage. The key lies in the first part of his bio, “when healthy.” Stuck behind Devin Dubnyk in Minnesota, he signed as a free agent with Los Angeles in July 2017. Kuemper was traded to the Desert Dogs eight months later where he has been in a time-share situation with Antti Raanta every since.
This is a bonus profile. Mike Babcock is under consideration by Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis to be the franchise’s first head coach. He was Spokane’s bench boss from 1994-2000 before joining the Ducks organization as the coach of their AHL affiliate in Cincinnati. In six seasons with the Chiefs, he went to the WHL Finals twice (1996 and 2000).
As an NHL head coach, Babcock is a proven winner. His resume includes a .649 career regular-season points percentage, three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, and a championship with Detroit in 2008. Babcock became available when he was let go by Toronto in mid-November after a 9-10-4 start to the season.
A hallmark of Babcock coached teams is their skill and ability to control the puck.
Which Chiefs alumni do you think will come back to the Pacific Northwest to play for the Seattle Kraken? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.