The 3 biggest needs for the Seattle Kraken to address in the Draft and Free Agency
These are the three biggest needs for the Seattle Kraken to address in the Draft and Free Agency.
We’re right in the middle of what is rapidly proving to be a chaotic offseason in the National Hockey League, and a lot of that is down to the Seattle Kraken as they prepare for their inaugural season in 2021-22.
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After constructing their roster at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on Wednesday, there is still plenty of work to be done by Kraken General Manager Ron Francis and the rest of his front office, and a lot of that groundwork will be done over the coming days.
It starts with the First Round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft where Seattle holds the No. 2 overall pick, and they also have six other picks through Rounds 2-7 which means that they can really start to build their farm system.
Then, once the Draft is in the books, the Kraken will look to weaponize their treasure chest of cap space in Free Agency and they could look to make a splash with a big addition, or spend their money wisely on a number of different needs.
With all that in consideration, it is going to be a huge few days for Seattle and we’ve taken a closer look at the three biggest needs they will need to address…
The 3 big needs the Seattle Kraken will need to address in the Draft & Free Agency
3. Skill
The Seattle Kraken acquired a lot of grit and toughness at the 2021 Expansion Draft, selecting a lot of players that will ensure this team is incredibly hard to play against on a night-to-night basis.
From amassing a number of human wrecking balls on the backend to picking checking forwards who will be able to shut down opponents’ top lines, the Kraken have a roster that will play a hard-nosed brand of hockey in all three zones.
However, you need speed and skill in order to succeed in the National Hockey League and outside a handful of players, including top-six forward Jordan Eberle, the Kraken are lacking in the skill department in particular.
The good news is that they hold the No. 2 overall pick in the Draft – more on that later – and have just under $30 million in cap space, so they should be able to acquire or add a few difference makers that can ensure this lineup has balance come Opening Night.
2. Center
It is no secret that you build down the middle if you want to be successful in the NHL, and having high-end centers is just as important as having an elite goaltender.
At the time of writing, the Kraken have a handful of solid pivots and a heart and soul player in Yanni Gourde, although the two-time Stanley Cup Champion will miss the first two months of the 2021-22 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
In fact, when you study their roster right now, they don’t really have a natural center and three of their four forward lines don’t have a pivot and that will be a big problem for Francis, who knows how important that position is having played it himself during his Hall of Fame career.
However, there could be help on the way given that the Kraken hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and most Mock Drafts – including ours – have Seattle taking Michigan pivot Matthew Beniers with that selection.
Beniers is considered the best two-way forward in the Draft, and the 6-foot-1, 175 pound center is formidable on both the forecheck and the back check and he will contribute at both ends of the ice.
Whether Beniers will be NHL ready in 2021-22 is another question, of course, but Seattle could look to add a legit NHL center in Free Agency with the likes of Phillip Danault, David Krejci and Paul Stastny all set to hit the open market, while there will be plenty of depth options available too.
1. Goalscoring
We’re aware that all three of the needs we’ve listed relate to mostly forwards, but that’s mainly because the Kraken have a plethora of defensemen and their top six figure to form a very good blueline unit.
Anyway, arguably the biggest need for Seattle to address over the next few days is goalscoring given that you aren’t going to achieve anything in the National Hockey League if you can’t light the lamp.
At the moment, the Kraken only have one real proven goalscorer in Jordan Eberle, who scored 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games for the New York Islanders in 2020-21, while Yanni Gourde scored 17 goals and 36 points last season while playing on the third-line, so his production could increase playing top-six minutes.
However, outside of Eberle and Gourde, Seattle crave a legitimate goalscorer or two and that should be their main focus heading into Free Agency, with the Draft only likely to produce long-term answers.
The biggest name available – aside from Alex Ovechkin who will re-sign with the Washington Capitals – is Gabriel Landeskog and it will be interesting to see if the Kraken are willing to commit to $8-$9 million a year to make the wing their marquee addition.
Landeskog would certainly provide a hell of an offensive punch but, if the front office are reluctant to commit that much money to one player in their first year, they could go after cheaper options like Brandon Saad, Tomas Tatar and Mike Hoffman.
Next. 2021 NHL Draft Primer. dark
Goalscoring is the biggest need for the Seattle Kraken to address over the coming days, but if they can also add more skill and find a center or two, then the the NHL’s newest franchise will be in good shape heading into their inaugural season.