Seattle Kraken mock draft: Who will be selected in Expansion Draft?

Metropolitan

Carolina Hurricanes- D Jake Bean

Kraken GM Ron Francis was the GM of the Hurricanes when they drafted Jake Bean 13th overall in 2016, and now that he’s just started to break out into the league in Carolina, odds are he’ll take a chance on Bean once again. Bean has the potential to be a lesser version of Shea Theodore for the Kraken, and be a solid contributor for years to come. If Seattle is prioritizing year one success, Nino Neiderieter is an excellent top six option for an increased cap hit.

Columbus Blue Jackets- C Max Domi

Max Domi has had a rough go of it as of late since be trading to Columbus from Montreal, and clearly both sides are ready to move on from each other. Seattle would be smart to jump in here, as centers are going to be a premium for Seattle in this expansion, especially good ones, and Domi can easily plug into a top six role next season. If Domi turns out to be a fit in Seattle, they’ve got themselves a top six center for the next little while.

New Jersey Devils- D Will Butcher

Butcher has taken a step back since his rookie season, but is an overall solid defenseman as long as he plays in a system that plays to his strengths as a defender. His lack of speed limits his ability to play a larger defensive role, but he’s still worth taking a flyer on if he rekindles the talent that made him the Devils see him a piece of their future after his first two seasons.

New York Islanders- C Keifer Bellows

The Islanders have both Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey exposed here, but at some point, the higher end players are going to have to be passed on for Seattle to weaponize their cap space like they plan to. Bellows was a highly touted in his draft year, but hasn’t been able to stick in the NHL yet. He’s an excellent development project for Seattle that can turn into a dangerous scorer if all goes well. But, if Seattle skips out on an expensive player like Tarasenko and has cap to spare, I’d expect Eberle to go here instead.

New York Rangers- RW Julien Gauthier

The Rangers have done a good job limiting their expansion draft options, but there’s still one that Ron Francis will likely zero in on with Gauthier. Like Bean, Francis picked Gauthier in the 2016 first round and still has some upside to his game that he hasn’t a ton of chances to prove yet with the Rangers. Regardless, he’s just about the only viable option outside of Colin Blackwell to pick here, and he’s far younger with more upside than Blackwell.

Philadelphia Flyers- LW James Van Riemsdyk

Somebody on this roster is going to need to score some goals, and Van Riemsdyk can do just that for the Kraken. His scoring has dipped the last two years as he gets older, but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s the kind of player that will thrive with Seattle and make a push for thirty goals once again with his net front skills. His contract is a little rich for the next two years at $7M, but if Seattle can make it work, I like the fit here.

Pittsburgh Penguins- D Marcus Pettersson

The Penguins have some interesting options like Jason Zucker and Zach Aston-Reese to choose from on offense, but Marcus Pettersson would be a slam dunk pick for Seattle on defense, that I’m frankly surprised is exposed at all in favor of Mike Matheson. Pettersson skates well and plays solid defense, and the four years left on his contract would be a staple on Seattle’s defense for years to come.

Washington Capitals- G Vitek Vanecek

Washington has some good options to choose from on all fronts including Conor Sheary and Nick Jensen, but Vanecek’s emergence with the Capitals last season makes him a solid goalie insurance for the Kraken. The Capitals could’ve fallen apart last season without Vanecek, and as a rotating backup goalie with Kahkonen, Seattle has themselves a capable and cheap trio between Driedger, Kahkonen, and Vanecek. This was a tough decision to make between Jensen and Vanecek, but Seattle does need to pick a third goalie, and this was the spot where they’d be getting the best option in goal without losing out an overly valuable skater.