Mathew Beniers, Team USA.
The Seattle Kraken did well in the draft lottery, moving up to second overall. In most draft years, that would be a coup. Unfortunately, the top of this draft doesn’t stack up to recent ones. There isn’t a potential dominating talent such as Alexis Lafreniere, Jack Hughes, or Rasmus Dahlin.
There is good news. Even with a lack of elite players, there are some very good ones. This is the year of the Michigan Wolverines. UM will have three players in the top 10, and all could go in the top five. Defenseman Owen Power is the best of the trio and this year’s likely number one overall pick.
After Power, there is some debate over who is next. Here are the top five players the Seattle Kraken could take with the second overall selection. Rankings refer to where the player is on the evaluator’s draft board.
Matty Beniers sums up why this is such an intriguing draft. Looking over scouting reports and prospect rankings, he hasn’t sold a majority of scouts that he’s the second-best player. Most mock drafts, however, have the Seattle Kraken selecting him second overall.
Everyone agrees that Beniers has a high-end motor and some elite skills. He’s the kind of no-quit, high-compete player who will quickly endear himself to fans. For an 18-year-old, Berniers plays a strong two-way game. An added bonus is that he is very good in the faceoff circle.
While Beniers does many things very well, there is nothing in his talent arsenal that stands out. He projects as a low first line to a high second-line center.
Of all the prospects in this draft class, William Eklund has the highest offensive ceiling. Last season, the 18-year-old put up 25 points in 43 games for Djurgarden in the Swedish Elite League. He’s fast and elusive on his feet. At 5-10 (ish), he’ll need to be. Eklund can score, but he also does the little things to make himself and his teammates successful.
It’s a mixed bag on Simon Edvinsson. Some scouts love him, while others think he’s just outside the top-10 talents. At 6-4, 200-pounds, Edvinsson has great NHL size and the offensive skills to match. He’s still very raw and, for a big man, has a surprisingly weak shot from the point.
The offensive skillset is there. Dylan Guenther can handle the puck, lead the rush, and is big enough to crash the net at 6-2, 175-pounds (he’ll fill out). He impressed last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings posting 24 points in 12 games. While not an overwhelming offensive talent, he’s a potential first-line talent with good defensive abilities.
Luke Hughes is the younger brother of Jack (New Jersey) and Quinn (Vancouver) but is bigger than both. He’s electric on the ice with deft puck handling and smooth moves on his skates. There are still parts of his game that need refinement. A year of college would help. High upside.
Jesper Wallstedt is the best goalie in this class. Last season at Lulea, he proved himself against full-grown men in the Swedish Elite League. It would be a bit of a reach to take him second. Then again, he has the potential to be Seattle’s version of Andrei Vasilevski.
NHL central scouting has defenseman Brandt Clark as the draft’s second-best North American skater. He’s a very heady player who makes smart decisions. Brandt needs to improve his skating especially getting back on D after going into the offensive zone.
It’s really hard to nail this down because there is no consensus number two pick. As evidenced by the various ratings, opinions vary, sometimes by a wide margin. There is so much to consider before the Seattle Kraken step up to the podium to make their pick.
Matthew Beniers is not only the most consistent player in this group but also has the highest floor. He’s the type of all-around player and leader who could be in Seattle for 10 years, eventually wearing the captain’s “C” on his sweater. He would be my choice and is likely Seattle’s as well.
If the Kraken is looking for a more immediate bang, then William Ekland is their man. In the current NHL, lack of size is not as much of a disadvantage as it was 20 years ago. He’ll put pucks in the net but will need to overcome the league’s bigger, stronger players.
The chance that any of the other players aside from Beniers and Eklund goes second overall is doubtful, but the possibility is there. Also, if Buffalo passes on Owen Power at number one, it’s a no-brainer. This draft will say a great deal about how the Seattle Kraken scout and evaluate talent.
Who do you think the Seattle Kraken will draft with the second overall pick? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.