The 3 biggest needs for the Seattle Kraken to address in the Draft and Free Agency

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.