Seattle Kraken: Seattle Thunderbirds alumni who could come back to the Pacific Northwest
Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights. (Photo by Michael Miller, via Wikimedia)
Young and unavailable
We won’t know until the 2020-21 trade deadline passes if forward Keegan Kolesar, or defenseman Shea Theodore, will be available to the Kraken. As of now, they and all of the Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the 2021 expansion draft. That doesn’t mean either can’t come to Seattle in a trade. It’s doubtful Vegas would part with Theodore, especially after the great run he had in the playoffs this year. Kolesar isn’t one of Vegas’ top prospects. He could come to Seattle as part of a bigger trade.
Then there is center Alexander True, from the San Jose Sharks. Big and strong at 6-5, 205-pounds, True is a regular visitor to the penalty box. That’s because his play lacks discipline at times and is also why the power forward isn’t a full-time NHLer yet. He hasn’t qualified for the expansion draft with only 12 NHL games under his belt. But San Jose might sacrifice True in a trade to protect someone else.
Too good to lose
The next two players are also T-Birds alumni. However, they are very valuable to their current teams and prime candidates to be protected. Kraken fans can still hope.
Mathew Barzal, C, New York Islanders. The New York Islanders first-round pick in 2015 (16th overall), Barzal has led the Isles in scoring for three straight seasons. He plays on New York’s top line, and his team is currently in the Eastern Conference Finals. A former Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year in 2018, Barzal is a dangerous scorer, even on Barry Trotz’s defense-first team. He has 207 points in 234 NHL games. More than 60 percent of those games were under Trotz.
Barzal’s entry-level contract is up this year, making him a restricted free agent. If he and the Isles can’t come to a long term solution…
During his time with the Thunderbirds, Barzal earned MVP of the WHL playoffs by scoring 25 points in 16 games, taking the T-Birds all the way to win their first championship in 2017. He was also the Western Conference Player of the Year, with 79 points in only 41 regular-season games.
Ethan Bear, D, Edmonton Oilers. Barzal’s teammate in Seattle, defenseman Ethan Bear was chosen in the fifth round by the Oilers in 2015. As a rookie this year, Bear plays quite a bit on Edmonton’s top defensive pair and averages almost 22 minutes of ice time per night. He has played 89 NHL games and scored 25 points.
There are several former T-Birds players, in and around the NHL, who are worth more than a passing glance come expansion time.