2021 NHL Expansion Draft: Date, Time, TV, Livestream, More
Today’s the day as the hockey world turns its attention to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.
After months and months of anticipation, the Seattle Kraken will finally get to build the first roster in franchise history at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft tonight, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
It is the first marquee event of what is a crazy week in the NHL with the 2021 NHL Entry Draft taking place on Friday and across the weekend, and tonight will be the official birth of the Kraken ahead of their inaugural season.
With the Protected Lists released on Sunday, speculation has been rife as to what approach Seattle General Manager Ron Francis will take when building his team, and all will be revealed later.
Put simply; it is a huge night for both the NHL and the Kraken so, without further ado, let’s delve into everything you need to know…
What you need to know ahead of the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken
Date:
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Time:
8:00 P.M. Eastern Time
Where:
Gas Works Park, Seattle
TV Broadcast:
ESPN2, SN, SN NOW, TVAS
Livestreaming
fuboTV has live NHL games on NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, and USA in which you can stream from your phone, television, and all your favorite devices. This is a service that broadcasts live TV over the internet, no cable required. Watch your favorite teams, network shows, news, and movies on 100+ channels. Plus on-demand entertainment including full TV series. fuboTV is currently available in the United States, Canada, and Spain.
Why To Watch
While many of the picks tonight have been leaked on social media – expect for the Detroit Red Wings – there’s still plenty of reasons to watch the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft tonight.
For starters, there are a plethora of creative thinkers behind the scenes in Seattle so the show put on tonight should be entertaining, and guests with links to the city such as Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm and Seattle Seahawks icon Marshawn Lynch will be on hand to help announce some of the picks.
Secondly, while some of the excitement has been taken out of the process because of the leaks, it will still be great to see the Kraken put their roster together in live time, and it will be intriguing to see what players will be in attendance.
Plus, it is also important to remember that any trades or side deals the Kraken has in place with other teams can’t be announced until the Expansion Draft, so it will be worth tuning in to see if Seattle will spring a surprise and swing a big trade with another team.
The Vegas Golden Knights pulled the trigger on 10 trades way back at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, so there could still be an element of surprise throughout tonight’s proceedings.
Headliner
Of all the picks that have been leaked so far, the most interesting is the one that appears to confirm that the Kraken will be selecting Calgary Flames Captain Mark Giordano.
Left unprotected by the Flames, Giordano will now head to Seattle and the veteran defenseman could well become the first Captain in franchise history for the Kraken, while also becoming one of the faces of the organization.
What To Look Out For
As we pointed out above, the majority of Seattle’s picks have been leaked – see Frank Seravalli’s Twitter page for all of the leaks – but there could be some surprises in store in the form of trades.
The Kraken front office could have a number of deals in place with other teams to either take on salary in exchange for Draft capital or for not taking a certain player, so that should ensure there is still some intrigue around the event.
dark. Next. Each team's best Draft pick of all time
With some big names available in Free Agency, what Francis and Seattle does tonight could give us some idea what they plan to do for the rest of the offseason with the Kraken likely to have a boatload of cap space to play with.