3 best players the Seattle Kraken can pick in the expansion draft

The seemingly inevitable became official Sunday, as the Flames left Giordano unprotected for the Kraken in the expansion draft. The 2019 Norris Trophy winner’s production has dropped off since that great season (74 points, +39 plus/minus), with a total of 57 points in 116 games, and he’ll turn 38 in October. But let’s be willing to give some benefit of the doubt after two uniquely interrupted and constructed seasons, and Giordano has still been a positive-impact player for Calgary based on traditional and deeper metrics.

Giordano’s shooting percentages (3.2 in 2019-20; 6.3 this past season) have been below his career shooting rate of 7.0. Is that a product of bad puck-luck? Or quickly advancing age? Last season’s positive correction is telling, though his overall shot volume is edging downward.

Giordano has one year left on his contract, with a $6.75 million cap hit. So he won’t require a multi-year commitment for Seattle, while he’d provide instant credibility and leadership for their blue line to build from.

He’s probably no longer a No. 1-pairing guy in the most ideal situation. But putting him with a younger guy who is firmly in his prime could be quite good for Giordano and the Kraken. From the Flames’ short list of notable unprotected players, he is an easy choice for Seattle to take.