Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

[DrJones]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

No thanks. Nobody around here is ponying up a billion dollars US for a team that will never attract free agents. For a change, the NBA is going to follow the NHL's lead: Seattle and Las Vegas.

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

NHL announces dates for expansion draft.

July 17th is when teams need to submit their protection list.

July 21st is when the draft takes place

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

As we get closer to expansion draft, things start getting clearer as to who could be available.

I'd imagine ALL major names who've been on waivers at some point this year will be left unprotected.

And many bigger name goalies as well.

Everyone from Tyler Johnson on Tampa to Gostisbehere on the Flyers to Loui Eriksson on Vancouver should be available.

And goalie wise, I think Seattle will have some good options as well. Nothing will be as good as Fleury, but they probably end up with a better tandem than the average team in the league has.

Holtby might be the biggest name among goalies who'll be available for the draft.

[DrJones]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Holtby might be the biggest name among goalies who'll be available for the draft.

Although Holtby's cap hit is 4.3M, the Canucks deliberately backloaded his salary (2.9M this year, 5.7M in 21/22) so that Seattle wouldn't choose him.

Of course, since the Canucks are the last to discover that Holtby's .897 save percentage last year is more relevant to his current performance than being "a winner", Benning will now have to offer the Kraken a draft pick or two to take him off Vancouver's hands. True galaxy brain.

[nikethebike]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Yeah I would not want to touch Holtby if I was a GM. Jones in Sharks is another one. I'd almost rather go with rookie goalies than them tbh.

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Cheque cleared, Seattle is officially the 32nd franchise in the NHL.

They can start signing players and making trades.

I wonder who gets signed first.

They've also announced the expansion draft will be a made for TV event and will involve celeb appearances (virtually of course).

Tyler Johnson is the one player I do see them drafting. From Spokane, Washington, and Lightning probably don't protect him. Maybe a side deal even where Seattle takes some UFA in the draft from TB, but then deals with TB and gets Johnson with TB retaining 25% of his salary?

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Seattle has signed their first ever player.

Luke Henman. Former 4th round pick of the Canes in 2018.

Who knows if he'll ever make the NHL, or if he'll be like Reid Duke. May never make the NHL, but can always say his biggest claim to fame is being the first player in an NHL franchises history.

[rdnk]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Probably just AHL fodder. I wonder if Seattle will go after a big euro like Vegas did with Vadim Shipachyov.

If I'm Seattle, I'm not taking back Tyler Johnson unless TBL is throwing in their 2022 1st or such. 3 years at 5 M for a 30 point guy is just too much. Tampa is going to have to expose something good, there's no two ways about it. One thing Vegas did a good job with is putting the screws to teams in bad situations and Seattle needs to do the same.

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Probably just AHL fodder. I wonder if Seattle will go after a big euro like Vegas did with Vadim Shipachyov.

If I'm Seattle, I'm not taking back Tyler Johnson unless TBL is throwing in their 2022 1st or such. 3 years at 5 M for a 30 point guy is just too much. Tampa is going to have to expose something good, there's no two ways about it. One thing Vegas did a good job with is putting the screws to teams in bad situations and Seattle needs to do the same.

Don't forget, he's also playing under 15 minutes a game and would probably have close to 40 points if he played close to 82 games.

In Seattle, he'd be a top 6 guy getting 17+ mins a game, so he probably could get 50 points.

I do think Tampa will attach a pick with Johnson for Seattle to take him though, simply because they'd have to leave someone good exposed.

But he'd be hard from a bad pick. A former all star, Stanley cup champ, born and raised in Spokane, now playing for Seattle? Would be an easy sell for the franchise, and he'd definitely have a good shot of being the guy who sells lots of jerseys.

[rdnk]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

When did Tyler Johnson win the Art Ross? I don't think he was ever an all-star either...

He has 22 points in 55 games. Extrapolated to 82 games, that's just under 33 points. His ATOI is 13:40 this season. Extrapolate that to 17:00 minutes, that would up the 33 to just under 41 points. That's not entirely horrifying for 5 M per year, but he's neutral possession player and not particularly physical or active in the defensive zone.

As far as the local boy sales, I'm not sure how much merch Deryk Engelland pushed for Vegas, but I imagine they got more from name recognizable players like MAF. Perhaps Seattle should throw some of their cap space in free agency after Taylor Hall or Dougie Hamilton.

Despite all I've said, we're in agreement that it'll likely come down to what Tampa is willing to kick in and if Seattle does end up with him, they will likely base at least part of any marketing campaign around him.

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

When did Tyler Johnson win the Art Ross? I don't think he was ever an all-star either...

He has 22 points in 55 games. Extrapolated to 82 games, that's just under 33 points. His ATOI is 13:40 this season. Extrapolate that to 17:00 minutes, that would up the 33 to just under 41 points. That's not entirely horrifying for 5 M per year, but he's neutral possession player and not particularly physical or active in the defensive zone.

As far as the local boy sales, I'm not sure how much merch Deryk Engelland pushed for Vegas, but I imagine they got more from name recognizable players like MAF. Perhaps Seattle should throw some of their cap space in free agency after Taylor Hall or Dougie Hamilton.

Despite all I've said, we're in agreement that it'll likely come down to what Tampa is willing to kick in and if Seattle does end up with him, they will likely base at least part of any marketing campaign around him.

I saw his hockeyrefernece profile and thought AR meant Art Ross. Turns out it's just all rookie lol.

But he was an all star in 2015.

And Engelland wasn't a good player, but he was still top 5 in Vegas jersey sales.

[rdnk]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Maybe Seattle should grab Dylan Gambrell from San Jose then.

[slickdtc]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Saw my first Kraken merch. It was a full blown Seattle sports car with the Mariners, Seahawks, Kraken logos, may have been college and former teams too. 3000 miles away on the east coast.

You would miss the Kraken logo if you don’t know it. It was just the S with no other script on it. I wouldn’t have been sure if the other Seattle stickers didn’t give it away.

[Majingir]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Seattle hires Dave Hakstol as their first ever coach.

Was the coach in Philly for 4 seasons and then with the Leafs as an assistant the last 2.

I hope Seattle wants Manny Malholtra as an assistant.

[rdnk]

Re: Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

Pretty meh hire as a first coach. Was expecting Tocchet, which wasn't ideal but better than Hakstol. Had it been me, I would have gone with BBQ Bruce.