The 6 players the Seattle Kraken must take in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft

5. Brenden Dillon – Washington Capitals

You can’t win with star power alone in the NHL – just ask Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers – and toughness, grit and substance still plays a major role in being a Stanley Cup contender, as the Tampa Bay Lightning discovered on their way to winning back-to-back championships.

Therefore, the Seattle Kraken would be wise to consider taking Washington Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon on Wednesday, with the 30-year-old a solid and tough top-four defenseman that could also act as a mentor to a young player on the third-pairing depending on who else the Kraken select.

Dillon has consistently gone to the postseason with both the Caps and the San Jose Sharks, he can play big minutes, he can play on the penalty kill and he would bring a bucketload of grit and tenacity to the table for Seattle.

In 654 career NHL regular season games, Dillon has racked up a total of 1,518 hits in addition to 854 blocked shots, and he would provide a reliable and intimidating presence on the blueline for the Kraken.

He’s also not shy when it comes to dropping the gloves and he plays the game the right way, which would please his General Manager, and he would give the Kraken a considerable tough underbelly from the word go.