Jordan Eberle (USA Today)
A year ago, the majority of the hockey world was dissecting the Seattle Kraken. Expectations were rampant for Ron Francis' squad, as they were hoping to live up to their wildly successful predecessors, the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, following the draft, there seemed to be a different feeling with the Kraken. Their draft was a bit underwhelming. With options such as Carey Price, Vladimir Tarasenko and Matt Duchene on the board, Francis played it safe and went for what seemed like a risk-averse team with potential to exceed expectations.
Over a year after the Kraken officially became the 32nd NHL franchise, I thought it would be an interesting subject to review what Seattle did. Frankly, we're in the part of the year in which NHL content is getting low, but I thought this would be a creative article.
I will be looking at the 30 teams that got raided by Seattle and seeing if the Kraken made the right pick or the wrong pick. I wanted to mention that at the end of the article, I will actually be building a team. Thus, I'm not just going to pick the best player that was available from every team. The point is to actually use the benefit of hindsight to upgrade the Kraken.
With that being said, let's get started.
Anaheim Ducks
Who the Kraken picked: D Haydn Fleury
Who I would have picked: F Sonny Milano
While Sonny Milano still isn't signed by an NHL team, he is the most appealing option for the Kraken in this redraft. Milano is a young, charismatic winger who possesses elite playmaking abilities. In terms of projected 5v5 assists per 60, Milano is 11th in the league, ahead of established superstars like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Patrick Kane. With some real snipers available to be drafted, Milano would be a prime choice to break out in Seattle.
Haydn Fleury hasn't found his home in Seattle. He has been scratched at times and when he has played, Fleury hasn't looked like much more than a bottom-pairing defenseman.
Other possible options for Seattle in this redraft would be veteran Adam Henrique or cheap goalie Anthony Stolarz.
Arizona Coyotes
Who the Kraken picked: F Tyler Pitlick
Who I would have picked: G Josef Korenar
Pitlick was the only player that the Kraken flipped on draft night. While a fourth-round pick isn't nothing, I would have selected a more immediate answer.
Korenar flashed promise with the San Jose Sharks before being acquired by the Yotes in last year's Adin Hill trade. Korenar is an erratic goalie, so he could probably benefit from a slower upbringing. There are more than enough goalie options in this draft to make sure that Korenar isn't forced into NHL games immediately. If he gets the appropriate development at the AHL level, Korenar would be a worthy bet and he'd provide much more value than a fourth-round pick.
Pitlick wasn't a terrible choice and he would be an honourable mention. Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is tempting, but since there are so many blueliners available, I can't justify picking him above the other options.
Boston Bruins
Who the Kraken picked: D Jeremy Lauzon
Who I would have picked: D Jeremy Lauzon
At the time of the draft, I thought Connor Clifton was a better bet than Jeremy Lauzon. But the Kraken nailed this pick. Lauzon wasn't great for Seattle in his brief tenure, but he stunningly netted a second-round pick in a trade with the Nashville Predators. Nobody else on Boston would have landed that type of value.
Getting a second-round pick out of the Boston selection is a best-case scenario, but you could make an argument that center Curtis Lazar could be justified. Seattle didn't draft enough centers, so Lazar would make sense.
Still, Lauzon is the most valuable piece that Boston had to offer.
Buffalo Sabres
Who the Kraken picked: D Will Borgen
Who I would have picked: D Will Borgen
You can't always swing for the fences in expansion drafts. Sometimes, a cheap, low-risk defenseman is worth a flyer. Borgen is a big player who can play mean. He's a surprisingly quick skater. With Owen Power in Buffalo's prospect system, Borgen isn't needed in Buffalo, but he fulfills a niche with Seattle. He'd probably be an AHL guy for my team, with the ability to play light NHL minutes in case of an injury.
Buffalo had a lot of forwards on expiring deals that weren't worth a flyer. Thus, Borgen was a fairly obvious candidate. If I was pursuing a rebuild with my Kraken team and I had to reach the cap floor, I could have taken a look at Kyle Okposo, a savvy, hard-working veteran winger. However, Okposo didn't fit the team I was hoping to build.
Calgary Flames
Who the Kraken picked: D Mark Giordano
Who I would have picked: D Mark Giordano
I was contemplating defensemen Oliver Kylington for a long while. He had a strong season for Calgary, he's significantly cheaper than Giordano, and he can play on the right side.
However, I needed a legitimate power play quarterback. I'm much more confident that Gio can accomplish that, as Kylington has never had to fulfill that type of role.
Giordano brings a calming veteran influence that would be necessary if my Kraken squad made the playoffs. If our team sucks, he'd have been a marketable figure and he would fetch us some draft picks at the trade deadline.
While Kylington is a good option, Giordano is very safe and likely the best choice.
Carolina Hurricanes
Who the Kraken picked: F Morgan Geekie
Who I would have picked: F Morgan Geekie
I'm starting to see that maybe Seattle did a decent job after all. Of the 6 picks so far, I've only changed 2.
This one was really close for me. Jake Bean is a better player than Morgan Geekie and he would have fetched a valuable draft pick. But I need forward depth and Geekie is a forward, whereas Bean is not.
Geekie wasn't brilliant in Seattle, but I still think his potential is quite high. I'm not saying that Geekie is a more promising NHL player than Jake Bean; rather, I'm insinuating that Geekie fits the type of team that I want to build.
If there was a cheap, young bottom-six center who wanted to sign with me in free agency, maybe I would have picked Bean. But in this case, Geekie fits a need that my team will soon have. This may be my worst example of asset management so far, but I think a young, cost-controlled center is more helpful for my playoff contender than a second-round pick.
Chicago Blackhawks
Who the Kraken picked: F John Quenneville
Who I would have picked: F Ryan Carpenter
Picking former first-round pick John Quenneville seemed questionable at the time and a year later, it hasn't been justified.
Chicago was loaded with viable NHL depth players. It's wild that Seattle didn't grab Calvin de Haan, Vinnie Hinostroza, Adam Gaudette or Nikita Zadorov. However, in my mind, the biggest miss was Ryan Carpenter.
Carpenter is just that player that you want on your team. Unlike the other players I just mentioned, he wouldn't need an extension. He plays the type of game that would be perfect as a plug-in option on our fourth line. We've seen that he could gather a fifth-round pick at the trade deadline, so in the worst-case scenario, my team would still get a draft pick out of this choice. Quenneville, now playing in Switzerland, wouldn't provide that value.
Colorado Avalanche
Who the Kraken picked: F Joonas Donskoi
Who I would have picked: F JT Compher
Donskoi had a bit of a nightmare stint in Seattle. I thought he was the right pick at the time, but he has utterly flopped. Compher is a safer option for my Kraken squad.
He is more versatile, cheaper and younger than Donskoi. I would really like him as a third-liner, as he is a very decent two-way player with a penchant for clutch goals. His $3.5 million salary might be a little high, but I've been flexible enough with the cap that this should work.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Who the Kraken picked: D Gavin Bayreuther
Who I would have picked: D Gabriel Carlsson
No, I'm not going to take the overly expensive Max Domi, despite his heroic playoff exploits. Nor am I going to take Gavin Bayreuther who contributed absolutely nothing to the Kraken organization. To me, Gabriel Carlsson is the right choice.
I am not planning on giving Carlsson significant minutes, but he is an NHL-caliber defenseman who shoots left. If he plays on the third pairing in Seattle, I'd consider this pick a win, as the Jackets didn't have much value to offer.
Mikhail Grigorenko was available as a cheap depth center, but considering he is now playing in Russia, Carlsson has had the better career trajectory since the expansion draft.
Dallas Stars
Who the Kraken picked: D Jamie Oleksiak
Who I would have picked: F Joel L'Esperance
Oleksiak was probably the right pick on paper from Dallas. He signed long-term with the Kraken after being selected and he had a very decent season on their blueline. He brings a physical presence that would be very valuable for the new kids on the block.
However, my plan from the beginning was to save cap space to spend on star forwards. Seattle really struggled to produce offense, so Oleksiak doesn't fit the profile of player that I was eager to select. I will have enough NHL quality on my left side to ignore Oleksiak here.
This is the right time to help boost our AHL squad. Joel L'Esperance is a center who can produce between 50-60 points in a full-time AHL role. He isn't good enough for the NHL, but he won't cost much against the salary cap and he can hopefully be a part of a Calder Cup run for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, our AHL affiliate.
Detroit Red Wings
Who the Kraken picked: D Dennis Cholowski
Who I would have picked: F Vladislav Namestnikov
Namestnikov is my ideal Seattle fourth-liner. He can play on both wings or at the center position. He is a decent defender who can produce offense and even munch minutes on our PP2 unit. He's a really good two-way player who would fetch a third or fourth-round pick if I decided to trade him at the deadline.
Considering Cholowski didn't stick in the NHL, I think Namestnikov is the obvious choice here. I'm already imagining chemistry between Namestnikov, Morgan Geekie and Ryan Carpenter. That's a tough fourth line right there.
Edmonton Oilers
Who the Kraken picked: D Adam Larsson
Who I would have picked: D Adam Larsson
The Oilers did a really good job of protecting their top assets. Other than Larsson, the only other players I considered were AHL forwards Cooper Marody and Tyler Benson.
Larsson is an alternate captain in Seattle and he has been chipping in offensively for the first time in his career. The advanced stats don't love him, but I'm not expecting Larsson to be a top-pair defenseman. In more sheltered minutes, I think he could really thrive.
Thus, I'm sticking with Ron Francis' original pick.
Florida Panthers
Who the Kraken picked: G Chris Driedger
Who I would have picked: F Frank Vatrano
Frank Vatrano exploded onto the scene with New York. While my Kraken team isn't as fast or transition-reliant as the Rangers, I still think Vatrano could star in a limited role for the Kraken. He's actually a pretty decent defensive player and if I can surround him with the right players, he'll be an annual threat for 20 goals.
Considering Chris Driedger's struggles in Seattle, I would consider another forward to be more useful than an expensive backup goalie. From my view of the trade market, Vatrano would fetch more value than Driedger regardless.
To summarize, Vatrano is the easy choice here.
Los Angeles Kings
Who the Kraken picked: D Kurtis MacDermid
Who I would have picked: G Jonathan Quick
Philipp Grubauer was the wrong choice to man Seattle's crease. I think Quick would be the smarter option to start in net.
Frankly, $5.8 million for a talented goalie with Stanley Cup experience isn't much of an overpay. Quick's numbers were really good for the Kings this year as he helped them to a playoff berth. He may start to decline in his old age, but if I target more young goalies like Josef Korenar, I will have a way to replace Quick. I want my Kraken team to compete immediately. If that's the case, I think Quick might actually be the best goalie option available to me immediately.
MacDermid was a weird pick at the time, but he did fetch a fourth-round pick a week later from the Colorado Avalanche. Still, Quick is far more promising as a selection than a physical defenseman.
Minnesota Wild
Who the Kraken picked: D Carson Soucy
Who I would have picked: D Carson Soucy
If you read all my Leafs takeaways articles this year, you may remember my admiration of Carson Soucy. He was one of my top targets for Toronto at the trade deadline. My gospel of the player shows why I am willing to choose him here again.
He can play both sides of the blueline. He is physical, but his breakout passes are underrated. I think he is fairly cheap and that he brings a lot offensively. He could even be a sneaky PP2 quarterback.
Young goalie Kaapo Kahkonen captured my attention, but picking 3 NHL starting goalies would just be bad asset management. Maybe he has more trade value than Soucy, but I'm willing to stick with my strategy of loading up on defensemen.
Montreal Canadiens
Who the Kraken picked: D Cale Fleury
Who I would have picked: D Brett Kulak
This was a massive miss for Francis. Kulak became one of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL this season, due to his excellent chance prevention metrics. Fleury, by contrast, didn't build the expected duo with his brother Haydn. Cale was largely fine in the AHL, but when Kulak was right there for the taking, it shows the missed potential that was available here for Ron Francis.
The Habs were actually loaded with options. Philipp Danault would have been a really interesting fit, though it's worth noting that selecting him would only have meant getting his UFA rights. With such a good defenseman available for the year, it would have been too risky for my team to go after Danault. It's also worth noting that Kulak is significantly cheaper than the contract that Danault received, so picking the center would have messed with our balance.
What is easy to acknowledge is that Cale Fleury was the wrong pick.
Nashville Predators
Who the Kraken picked: F Calle Jarnkrok
Who I would have picked: F Matt Duchene
Yeah, I'm going to do it. It may be risky to pick an $8 million player who hadn't lived up to his contract for the early stages. However, this is our best chance to pick an actual star forward. With all due respect to Jared McCann, he can't be our leading scorer in this Kraken redraft.
Duchene was brilliant in 2021-22, scoring 43 goals and 43 assists for a whopping 86 points. At the center position, in today's climate, nobody can tell me that his season wasn't worth his cap hit. While Duchene may not be a generational player who we can build around, I suspect that his contract will age well enough that he will still be an impact player by the time Matty Beniers is capable of taking over his role on the top line.
Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok are both decent forwards who are much cheaper than Duchene. However, by picking the riskiest option here, we get an All-Star talent for the Kraken forward group.
New Jersey Devils
Who the Kraken picked: F Nathan Bastian
Who I would have picked: F Nathan Bastian
Bastian was picked by Seattle and waived, before he was immediately picked back up by New Jersey. In my hypothetical Kraken-verse, I would give Bastian a chance. He's got potential as a feisty, scoring winger; he just needs an opportunity. While I wish to be a contender in our first season, we can certainly squeeze Bastian into the lineup in case of an injury.
I actually considered a couple of other options for New Jersey. Andreas Johnsson can produce offense, but he's a bit too expensive for my plans. Scott Wedgewood was also a consideration, but I don't think third goalie is important enough to avoid taking a flyer on a player of Bastian's caliber.
New York Islanders
Who the Kraken picked: F Jordan Eberle
Who I would have picked: F Jordan Eberle
Here's another pick that I think Seattle got right. Eberle was one of the few legit point-producers for the Kraken, playing top-six winger duties better than many people expected. Since Lou Lamoriello chose to leave a solid producer in Eberle for us in favour of protecting some physical veterans, I feel comfortable taking advantage of the Isles GM.
Josh Bailey would have been an option, especially considering he's a certified Bowmanville Boy, but he doesn't possess the dynamism that Eberle can bring to a power play unit. I do think that Eberle is the best player available to us here. We are severely lacking in right wingers who can play top-line minutes, so Eberle will be a seamless fit.
New York Rangers
Who the Kraken picked: F Colin Blackwell
Who I would have picked: F Colin Blackwell
Yet another correct selection for GM Ron Francis. Even with hindsight, I still think Colin Blackwell was the right pick for Francis. I may be a bit biased, as I really enjoyed how Blackwell played during his stint with the Leafs last year, but as a cheap bottom-six forward, he does seem like the right pick here.
Fair play to the Rangers. I wasn't intrigued by too many of the options here. UFA rights for Tony DeAngelo were tempting, but I'm still not convinced that his personality would be a great fit for a new franchise. Also, we were blessed with right-handed defensemen who could play in their own end, so we didn't need the high-risk play of DeAngelo. I thought about cheap, young winger Julien Gauthier, but Blackwell is more established and versatile. He's the right pick.
Ottawa Senators
Who the Kraken picked: G Joey Daccord
Who I would have picked: G Anton Forsberg
Oh, Francis was so close. He picked a Senators goalie in the expansion draft, just not the right one.
Daccord is still young, so Seattle shouldn't give up on him yet. But Forsberg was ripe for the pickings. He developed into possibly the best value goaltender in the league for Ottawa last season, posting a .917 SV%, while making just $900k per season. For a team like Seattle that had a brutal .891 team save percentage, Forsberg would have been a godsend, especially now that we have Quick.
While it's hard to make these predictions, I assume a Quick-Forsberg tandem would have been more effective than Grubauer-Driedger, while also being cheaper. Immediately, I've improved Seattle's disastrous crease situation with this pick.
Philadelphia Flyers
Who the Kraken picked: F Carsen Twarynski
Who I would have picked: G Alex Lyon
There are options from the Flyers, but upon further reflection, none of them are that intriguing. Justin Braun wouldn't fit in on our logjam of a defense. Shayne Gostisbehere is too expensive. James van Riemsdyk is too expensive. Jakub Voracek is too expensive. None of the other options really move the needle. Carsen Twarynski never appeared in a game for the Kraken, so I'd rather have somebody who could contribute in the present. I pondered German Rubtsov, a former top prospect, but his NHL career has been filled with so much instability and so many injury woes that I would pass.
It's not going to turn the needle, but veteran goalie Alex Lyon might be my favourite option. Having 4 NHL goalies might not be the most advisable move, but Lyon is likely an AHL goalie for a good team. If he splits starts with Josef Korenar, our AHL team would have a good defensive record. In case of injury, Lyon would be good depth.
Usually I wouldn't target another goalie at this point of the draft, but since Philly don't have any intriguing options, I will take Lyon.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Who the Kraken picked: F Brandon Tanev
Who I would have picked: F Brandon Tanev
Look, I know that Tanev is a bit expensive for what he brings to the table. But is he?
His contract is too long, but I personally think he's worth every penny on an AAV basis right now. He's the perfect glue guy for our bottom-six. He has underrated hands, a good shot and he instantly slots onto our top penalty kill unit. For under $4 million, that's not the worst contract of all time.
Any of my longtime followers know how much I like Zach Aston-Reese, but I needed a third-liner here. I would always prefer Aston-Reese on the 4th line, especially if my Kraken team is built to compete in the playoffs. Right now, I have more than enough cap space to tale the more expensive Tanev.
San Jose Sharks
Who the Kraken picked: F Alexander True
Who I would have picked: D Jacob Middleton
Alexander True definitely wasn't the right choice for the Kraken. The Sharks had quite a few NHL-caliber players that Francis could have taken, but he ignored them for a cheap forward in Alexander True. True was good in the AHL, but being good in the NHL is more important than being good in the AHL.
Ryan Donato was available for the Kraken to pick. Funnily enough, Seattle ended up with him anyway, so maybe it was wise to leave him be, as he wasn't qualified by the Sharks. The real commodity here was Jacob Middleton.
Middleton broke out, playing a stout defensive game in the top-4 on a really cheap contract. Our blueline depth is so strong that Middleton may even be playing on our third pairing, which would give my Kraken squad multiple options on D.
St. Louis Blues
Who the Kraken picked: D Vince Dunn
Who I would have picked: F Vladimir Tarasenko
My roster building has allowed for the selection of a couple star players on expensive contracts. Right now, Jordan Eberle is our best right winger. Vladimir Tarasenko is available. All the signs point to picking the Russian.
I'm still confused as to why Ron Francis picked Vince Dunn at the expansion draft. Tarasenko immediately tore apart all skepticism of his game following a shoulder injury in 2021-22. Tarasenko had one of his best seasons last year.
While players like Duchene and Giordano are really good, Tarasenko is a page-turning talent. He can take over a game. We have now selected a deadly power play weapon and a top-line talent while remaining cap compliant. This has to be seen as a win.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Who the Kraken picked: F Yanni Gourde
Who I would have picked: F Yanni Gourde
Gourde is just a player that you want on your team. Ondrej Palat made this a difficult decision, but we have really solidified our winger depth recently and the 2022 UFA likely would have left to seek more money after just 1 year in Seattle. Alex Killorn is a good player, but I think Gourde would provide more long-term value. Cal Foote was actually the player that made this decision difficult. On a cheap contract, the young blueliner really improved this past season. However, I need a second-line center more than I need a D-man.
Gourde is the only center of those four options which boosts his value. He brings a leadership element, which should help other players ease in. He scores and is comfortable defensively. In my opinion, Gourde was the right pick from the Lightning.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Who the Kraken picked: F Jared McCann
Who I would have picked: F Jared McCann
McCann is obviously the right pick from Toronto. The winger was one of the few players to exceed expectations in a Kraken uniform. He would have scored 30 goals if he played all 82 games for Seattle. No matter what your goals are in the NHL, a player who can score 30 goals in your top-six is valuable.
Alex Kerfoot's versatility is tempting, but McCann is younger than Kerfoot and he has arguably more scoring upside. As helpful as Kerfoot is as a plug-and-play option, I'd rather secure our second-line left winger who will stay useful for longer.
Vancouver Canucks
Who the Kraken picked: F Kole Lind
Who I would have picked: F Matthew Highmore
I think the right choice for my Kraken team is an AHL forward. Ron Francis got that right, taking Kole Lind. I personally think he took the wrong one.
Matthew Highmore seems like he could succeed more than Lind if he is forced into NHL minutes. He's a speedy, disruptive fourth-liner with 25-goal potential at the AHL level. Our team is strong enough to keep him off of the NHL roster, which I think is probably best. As a 14th forward, we can do a lot worse than Highmore.
Washington Capitals
Who the Kraken picked: G Vitek Vanecek
Who I would have picked: D Nick Jensen
Picking Vanecek and then immediately flipping him for a second-round pick was poor asset management by the Kraken.
Picking Nick Jensen, a really effective defensive defenseman who immediately slots into my top-4 is a much better decision. He set a career high in goals last year, which means he can bring a hint of offense. He plays physically and he is very smart with his stick. We only really have 2 NHL-caliber right-handed defensemen, so Jensen fits one of the few holes we have on our roster.
This is a perfect pick and one of my favourite ones so far.
Winnipeg Jets
Who the Kraken picked: F Mason Appleton
Who I would have picked: D Dylan DeMelo
When in doubt, pick a right-handed defenseman. RHDs provide value just by waking up in the morning, whether it be by trade or filling a need in the lineup.
DeMelo had a strong season in Winnipeg. He's a decent defensive player who does a good job in his own zone. This is not a risk. I know what DeMelo will provide: steady play and the ability to eat up about 17 minutes per game on the third pair. If we don't need him, I can easily flip him for a second-round pick and call it a day.
New Kraken Roster
Forwards: 16
Defense: 10
Goalies: 4
Salary Cap Space: $17.7 million***
Sonny Milano-Matt Duchene-Vladimir Tarasenko
Jared McCann-Yanni Gourde-Jordan Eberle
Brandon Tanev-JT Compher-Frank Vatrano
Vladislav Namestnikov-Morgan Geekie-Colin Blackwell
Mark Giordano-Nick Jensen
Brett Kulak-Adam Larsson
Jacob Middleton-Dylan DeMelo
Jonathan Quick
Anton Forsberg
Healthy Scratches: F Ryan Carpenter, F Matthew Highmore, F Joel L'Esperance, F Nathan Bastian, D Carson Soucy, D Will Borgen, D Jeremy Lauzon, D Gabriel Carlsson, G Josef Korenar, G Alex Lyon
***After signing every 2021 UFA and inking their pending RFAs to deals that would mirror what they received on the open market in the real timeline, Seattle's remaining salary cap space would be $2.4 million, but they would have every player signed for the season
I like this team a lot. This Kraken team would have to gel well. If I were the hypothetical GM of Seattle in this alternate universe, I would probably think twice about appointing Dave Hakstol as head coach, as I am still skeptical that his vanilla personality was enough to get the team to work well together. Instead, I'd go guns blazing after Gerard Gallant, one of the top head coaches in the league and a manager who is evidently very proficient at getting the best of expansion teams, due to his experience with Vegas. With Gallant at the helm, team chemistry issues would be a thing of the past.
Firstly, this forward group is a massive improvement over what the Kraken had this past season. A fully revamped first line of Sonny Milano-Matt Duchene-Vladimir Tarasenko would be a great mix of playmaking and scoring abilities. Defense might be a concern for that trio, but we have players lower down in the lineup who can handle those tough matchups. The second line isn't quite as flashy, but all three players have been quietly productive throughout their recent NHL careers. I'd expect them to match up well with most middle-six units around the league. The third line is a fun creation. All of these players are plus-defenders, while they all bring something offensively. I'm particularly intrigued how Compher could fare as the center of his own line, as he is currently more of a winger. Our final trio is the perfect modern fourth line. The NHL seems to be going in a direction in which fast, smart, versatile forwards who can forecheck reign over everything. While none of these guys are lightning-quick, they each have excellent hockey IQs and they can chip in offensively.
The Kraken's new defense corps is so deep. Each of these pairs is capable of making a positive impact against high-level competition. Though Francis focused on chance prevention during his expansion draft, I can't help but acknowledge that my units look much more complete. Mark Giordano was one of the few players available who could run a power play unit, so he must be on the first line. Nick Jensen is an elite defensive defensemen who would let Giordano be a bit more risky with the puck. Adam Larsson is a polarizing player, but with an effective safety blanket like Brett Kulak beside him, Larsson could thrive. This pair of former Oilers is a duo that I think would do well. Jacob Middleton and Dylan DeMelo both had great seasons last year. They might be one of the best third pairings in the entire NHL. Both of these defensemen deserve to be playing in the top-4, but since our blueline is so deep, they will have to settle for third pair duties.
Perhaps the worst decision that Ron Francis made last year was signing goaltender Philipp Grubauer to a very expensive deal. The German netminder did not live up to his contract and he massively underperformed. A tandem of Jonathan Quick and Anton Forsberg would be cheaper than what Seattle had last year, but based on the stats, would be much more effective. Quick would be eager to prove that he is still a top-class goalie; he unexpectedly kept the starter's role in L.A. last year. Forsberg was one of the breakout stars between the pipes in 2021-22, becoming an above-average starter for Ottawa. As a backup option making $900k, he would be really good for my Kraken team.
But that's not all. My Kraken team has some NHL quality that doesn't even get a chance to start. Ryan Carpenter could fetch a fifth-round pick or be a decent back-up option for our fourth line. Matthew Highmore would also fetch a late draft pick or he could tear it up in the AHL to try and prove his talent to another NHL team. Joel L'Esperance is a somewhat young AHL-caliber forward who I would like to keep to help our affiliate. Nathan Bastian could be an option for the waiver wire or we could float him on the middle-six in case of an injury, since I know he has potential. I'm a huge Carson Soucy fan, but he doesn't get into our defense. He's far too good for the AHL or to go on waivers, so I would try to trade him for a third-round pick and/or a middling prospect to boost our pipeline. Jeremy Lauzon is in a similar boat. I would try to trade him, considering he was worth a second-round pick at the trade deadline. Gabriel Carlsson would be a nice 7th D-man, so if Soucy and Lauzon both get dealt, I would try to hold onto him. If not, Will Borgen could accomplish that role nicely. Maybe I could keep both and have a D corps with plenty of options. Korenar is a young, promising goalie. I want to keep him, as Quick is getting old and he won't be around forever. Korenar will be our AHL starter. Alex Lyon has had a distinguished AHL career. He is worthy of being an AHL starter, but I can't complain with him as our backup option. I'd be glad to have him as a mentor to Korenar and to prevent any weird EBUG situations. Lyon would probably be our third goalie in the first season.
This Kraken team won't have nearly as much cap space as the real-life version. However, following possible trades of Soucy, Lauzon and Carpenter, my Kraken would have close to $7 million in cap space. I could try to weaponize that to bring in some late draft picks. But since $7 million might not be enough to pursue a truly bad contract, I might go after a third-line center or an offensively-inclined, young defenseman in unrestricted free agency. For the center, I would look at somebody like David Kampf or Nick Bonino. For the defenseman, I would take a flyer on Sami Niku or Jalen Chatfield.
All in all, I think this is a major improvement on the actual Seattle Kraken. Maybe it's just the benefit of hindsight or maybe I have a future in roster management?
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