A Seattle Kraken fan reaction to the expansion draft and giving each pick a grade. Grades are based on the pick relative to other available options, not necessarily the quality of the player selected. What grades would you give?
UPDATE: LA Pick Kurtis MacDermid was traded to Colorado for a 2023 4th, a surprisingly good return that bumps that grade up to a B- for me. Still think I’d rather have Athanasiou.
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10 Comments
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I don't like Oleksiak's contract at all. Similar player and contract to Karl Alzner. I would've liked the gamble on a contract similar to what Montreal signed Chiarot or Edmundson, but at that price it seems on the riskier side.
With a few exceptions where I agree with you, a lot of the "better options" did not get qualifying offers and are set to become free agents tomorrow. It appears that even their own teams don't value them either.
Also, Seattle did have a minimum number if forwards they had to take. Yes, there were a number if D that were more attractive since you're bound to find better quality #4 D then #8 forwards. However, at some point forwards had to be taken just to reach the min.
As far as MacDermid is concerned, the 4th in a supposedly deep 2023 draft is probably better than him being a regular on the blue line. (Coming from a Kings fan 👑)
The expansion draft was alright eveb though the media leaked everything. Seattle seems to focus on free agency with the cap space. Overall grade: B-/B
While in the long run Dunn may prove to be the better pick, passing on Tarasenko is not the right move for the current roster. Ok you passed on Tarasenko, at least take JVR…nope.
First
Quenn, not Quinn
There's def a handful of kind of to absolute head scratchers with expansion draft especially with no side deals involved on them, only 1 player traded for decently solid 2022 4 R pick returns prior to entry draft and finally another trade made for OK I guess 2023 4 R pick in return.
For Mon, picking G Price even if Mon kept the max 5.25m/50% of AAV, and gotten a 1 R pick as well, still would've been idiotic all things considered with 5 years left at 5.25m AAV left. D man C Fleury was an OK pick, but much rather have gotten C P Danault.(3 yrs younger, healthy, nearly/just as elite of shutdown D ability and good amount bigger at 6'0-1" around 200 lbs to 31 yo & injured Gourde at 5'9" 173 lbs if only could afford 1 of the 2 if not both) or at least kicked the tires on where his personal issues situation was at and how interested he'd be in a fresh start in Sea with talented young (26 yo I think) LW Drouin, sure he'd be bit of a gamble & has a like 6m AAV contract for a couple more years but the payoff could've been pretty significant too. With Car there were a couple bit to much more well proven players of more value than F Geekie… of course the huge, very O productive star level 28 yo D man Dougie Hamilton, the solidly O productive 28? yo Winger Niederreiter, or young D man J Bean who Car got a 2022 & 2023 2 R picks from Tor for (I think we could've prob traded at most like a 2022 or 2023 2 R pick but prob a 3 R & 2023 4-5 R or a player with similar value of Pitlick to get Geekie… Or used 1 or both of Tor 2 Round picks in other player upgrade trades) just to name a couple of them.
Things that really frustrate & disappoint me with GM Ron so far are:
The reported ridiculous asking prices he had in side deal talks directly to take/not take player with that team as well as to select a specific player off 1 team for another team to trade to them immediately after expansion draft (heard 2× 1 R picks for 1, a 1 R & 2-3 Round picks plus a quality/higher end young player/prospect, etc… Dunno if any 2 players avail in exp draft are worth that much let alone 1 player).
Clearly showing his cards (along with ridiculous asking price to not select them) for who Sea would definitely take in exp draft before roster freeze went into effect when trying to ridiculously leverage side deals… So several teams were able to make moves to protect them or move them for solid trade comp that was far less costly for that team than GM Ron's asking price. Pretty naive & kinda stupid strategic move IMO costing Sea ample value.
GM Ron inability/unwillingness to weaponize effectively/well Sea cap space during exp draft, prior to and post rook entry draft (like AZ did with at least getting 2021 #9 1 R pick, taking on 1 year of additional like 4.74 mil in cap for 1 year taking on 3 players in last year of deals with 12m total AAV but also clearing 7.26 mil or so 2022-2026/27 season for sending a kind of sort of promising mid 20s low NHL exp RFA Forward and a high paid, underperforming, not giving high effort, 30 yo D man with 6 years at 8.25 mil left on contract which they only retained 990k of each of next 6 years. Pretty good value for AZ IMO. Or what AZ did taking on D man Gotisbehere like 4.5m AAV for 2? years & getting a 2 R pick for doing so)… And so far not done anything with ample cap space yet either… Whether trading for well paid good/great young isb player nor much in rumors around probable FA signings except for Winger J Schwartz who doesn't move the needle much and hope they don't pay him more than maybe 3 to maybe 3.75 mil for 1-2 years… And with Landeskog re signing with Col for like 8 years at only 7 mil AAV, there's not much of if anyone of interest left for longer term points generating sub 29 yo players and especially for potential stars or face of franchise Forwards. Not very much in way of plus quality 2 way or offensive D man for top 4 group sub 29 yo either… I.e. not much potential longer term bette quality O help in FA F or D man groups, still holding out hope they will land 28 yo FA D man Dougie Hamilton to help whomever our top scoring line & PP unit guys are, at least some hope for now.
Pretty disappointed Sea hasn't really if at all been rumoured to be involved at any point in trading for any of the young ish, better to star/super star type level players… Whether Seth Jones (plus his younger bro, would've been cool to have both Jones & Fleury bros D man on team) and especially for good youngish C Rinehart from Buf especially considering how weak our C group & points generating is. Buf younger star C Eichel prob costs far too much we don't really have and his current injury recovery & injury history are concerning, so prefer Rinehart of the 2. About the only remotely possible good younger F addition that would replace my great disappointment in not getting Landeskog, would prob require a bit sneaky of essentially pseudo 3 team trade, as SJ is a rival in Pacific Div, find a team we could convince with some of player assets & 2022 & 2023 prob non 1 R draft picks & picks we may still get trading some exp draft players, to trade for SJ 24 yo (pretty sure anyways) LW/RW Timo Meier (i think has potential to be face of franchise next 7-11 years with star/super star potential, has 2 yrs left at 6 mil AAV plus is a RFA after that, was #9 1 R pick a few years ago, is very very solidly built at 6'0" at 210 fricking pounds and has already shown he's a pretty capable better quality points generating Winger, could end up great longer term line mate with our #2 overall pick, Center Matty Bernier, or possibly 1 of other younger C/Winger types we already have if they develop well). Even though would have cost Sea bit over 2 mil AAV than current young #1 B NHL Goalie Vanecek plus probably additional trade capital, I would have liked to see Sea trade for the promising young RU goalie Car ended up trading to Det, while either sending Daccord or Vanecek to Car as part of trade comp or to another team to recoup draft pick & maybe player assets, or as part of another player/pos talent upgrade trade.
Also don't think they seemingly did that good of a job in rook entry draft with player selections especially/at least in regard to draft pick value, round & how early in round each pick was relative to generally perceived player value…. Seemed very much like the over drafting/reaching and philosophy or Pete Carrol/John Schneider the previous 8-9 years (which for most part especially 1-3 Rounds hasn't panned out very well at all most cases). #2 1 R pick C M Bernier was mostly consensus expected pick, considered a safe pick with high character & leadership potential (reminds me of Seahawks 2010 #4 1 R pick OLB Aaron Curry, who was a bust)… But he doesn't seem to have any truly top tier to truly special on ice skill sets/potential nor anything exciting as far as physical & athletic traits, and how hard it is for him at 6'2", even with support of top tier programs he's had support from & eating 5-6 meals a day, to get & keep his playing weight above 170 lbs, when at his height at min prob needs to regularly play at 185 lbs if not more ideally play at 190-200/210 lbs range. IMO I think of players avail, C/Wing Mason McTavish prob would have been a better pick, or even possibly going with a thinner current physique like Bernier guy, is go with the electrifying reg highlight reel playmaking Center Kent Johnson. #35 2 R went with yet another bigger, more physical, quality D ability but not much O ability nor any good athletic traits, tad older for entry draft D man prob easily gotten in top of 3 R prob even 4 R if not 5 Round… When should have been able to get 1 of several prospects many considered/ranked as likely 1 R caliber talents, particularly regarding plus to good O skill sets/abilities for NHL toolbox goal scoring, playmaking/play driving, creative and or points generating Forwards and probably quality to pretty good O skill sets/potential, modestly to fairly responsible on D, decent enough to modestly solid+ D abilities, bit more to pretty good athleticism, about avg to tad bigger size 2 way, puck moving or more offensively skilled/minded D man. For most part seems pretty similar story for 3 Round & later draft picks as well. It's one thing to reach a Round or maybe 2 for certain guys if fit a specific mold & skill sets type needed/wanted in player pipeline if already have a pretty decent to superb pool of young NHL & farm talent, are picking late/later in the rounds, can't trade back to comfortable enough spot to still get them especially if aren't many of that specific type & skills players you're seeking and or don't have any picks after that pick…. But def not when picking #3 in each Round, basically have no farm pool let alone a pretty solid to superb one, don't have a longer standing, well established, fairly well proven in developing prospects AHL/farm team with good to superb coaching staff, stopped off with a relatively low NHL HC & NHL coaching experience new HC of a brand new entering 1st season expansion franchise.
TBH I don't see HC Hakstol lasting more than 2-3 maybe 4 seasons, while probably 4 maybe 5 for GM Ron Francis (if he doesn't have any more concerning behavioral actions/inactions like part of reason he was replaced in Car as GM). I truly hope I eat crow regarding entry draft picks and with regards to both the HC and GM, and that GM Ron ends up making some fantastic vet FA/trade additions and big time faith restoring, grand slam at least 1 R & 2 Round picks especially in 2022 & 2023 rook entry drafts… Just doesn't seem all that likely with what I've seen & heard so far.
I think Bayreuther signed back with columbus too …