The Seattle Kraken selected one player from 30 NHL teams on Wednesday in the expansion draft, filling out the roster as the 32nd team in the NHL. The theme behind the selection of a roster that was young and under the salary cap was physicality on the ice and character off the ice.
Like how the Golden Knights drafted in 2017 when Vegas selected 14 forwards, 13 defensemen, and three goaltenders, the Kraken selected 15 forwards, 12 defensemen, and three goaltenders.
The similarities continued in that both teams chose 20 players that were under contract for the following season. The Kraken picked seven restricted free agents, and the Golden Knights chose six. The biggest difference is that the Kraken cap hit for the 20 players was over $14 million less than that of the Golden Knights. This leaves the Kraken with around $30 million in cap space, with many moves likely to be made over the next month.
Seattle Kraken 2024 NHL Roster
Some of the top names selected by the Kraken at the 2024 NHL Expansion Draft include former Islanders winger Jordan Eberle, goaltender Chris Driedger, former Calgary captain Mark Giordano, former Penguins captain Brandon Taney, defenseman Adam Larsson, and Yanni Gourde, a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
| No. | Player | Pos | Drafted from | CAP HIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremy Lauzon | D | Boston Bruins | $850K |
| 2 | Will Borgen | D | Buffalo Sabres | RFA |
| 3 | Dennis Cholowski | D | Detroit Red Wings | $894K |
| 4 | Chris Driedger | G | Florida Panthers | UFA |
| 5 | Cale Fleury | D | Montreal Canadiens | RFA |
| 6 | Joey Daccord | G | Ottawa Senators | $750K |
| 7 | Yanni Gourde | C/LW | Tampa Bay Lightning | $5.17M |
| 8 | Jared McCann | LW/C | Toronto Maple Leafs | $2.94M |
| 9 | Morgan Geekie | RW/C | Carolina Hurricanes | RFA |
| 10 | Gavin Bayreuther | D | Columbus Blue Jackets | UFA |
| 11 | Nathan Bastian | RW | New Jersey Devils | $825K |
| 12 | Jordan Eberle | RW | New York Islanders | $5.5M |
| 13 | Colin Blackwell | C | New York Rangers | $725K |
| 14 | Carsen Twarynski | LW | Philadelphia Flyers | RFA |
| 15 | Brandon Tanev | LW | Pittsburgh Penguins | $3.5M |
| 16 | Vitek Vanecek | G | Washington Capitals | $717K |
| 17 | Tyler Pitlick | C | Arizona Coyotes | $1.75M |
| 18 | John Quenneville | C | Chicago Blackhawks | $750K |
| 19 | Joonas Donskoi | RW | Colorado Avalanche | $3.9M |
| 20 | Jamie Oleksiak | D | Dallas Stars | UFA |
| 21 | Carson Soucy | D | Minnesota Wild | $2.75M |
| 22 | Calle Jarnkrok | RW | Nashville Predators | $2M |
| 23 | Vince Dunn | D | St. Louis Blues | RFA |
| 24 | Mason Appleton | C | Winnipeg Jets | $900K |
| 25 | Haydn Fleury | D | Anaheim Ducks | $1.3M |
| 26 | Mark Giordano | D | Calgary Flames | $6.75M |
| 27 | Adam Larsson | D | Edmonton Oilers | RFA |
| 28 | Kurtis MacDermid | D | Los Angeles Kings | $875K |
| 29 | Alexander True | C | San Jose Sharks | RFA |
| 30 | Kole Lind | RW | Vancouver Canucks | RFA |
Giordano, a 37-year-old veteran, was the league’s best defenseman in 2019. He was originally not a drafter and enjoyed the idea of being selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft.
Seattle bypassed several veterans such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Carey Price, Ryan Johansen, Jakub Voracek, Jason Zuker, and Adam Henrique, favouring younger, cheaper players.
For now, one of the top players on the Kraken is goalie Chris Driedger, a 27-year-old who opened eyes with the Panthers last season. He posted a smooth .927 save percentage, the fifth-best in the entire league. The Kraken signed Driedger to a three-year deal and will have Vitek Vanecek and Joey Daccord as his backups.
Another apparent strength from this draft is on the blue line, where Giordano will be joined by Vince Dunn, former St. Louis Blues. The Kraken had several group options from the Lightning, including Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, and Ondrej Palat, but opted for Gourde.
Perhaps the most confusing pick was the selection of Gavin Bayreuther from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bayreuther played only nine games less season, while Max Domi (24 points in 54 games) and Dean Kukan (35 games) were also available for selection.
The most feel-good selections by the Kraken were the Fleury brothers, Cale and Haydn. Cale had a single goal and no assists in 41 games last season, while Haydn had four points in 47 games with Carolina and Anaheim.
The inaugural season for the Kraken is set to begin on October 12 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the NHL odds seem bright. For those that wish to attend the Kraken home opener at the Climate Pledge Arena, set your calendar to October 23 against the Vancouver Canucks.