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The lists of available and protected players for the 2021 NHL expansion draft presented by Upper Deck, which takes place Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, SN NOW), were released by the NHL on Sunday, and Seattle has until 10 a.m. ET. the day of the draft to submit their selections.
The Kraken must choose one player from each of the 30 participating teams (the Vegas Golden Knights are exempt), including at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies. Additionally, at least 20 of their caps must already be under contract for next season with an aggregate value of between 60 and 100 percent of the NHL’s $ 81.5 million salary cap.
[RELATED: NHL Expansion Draft protected list for Kraken released]
As the hockey world waits for Seattle’s picks, NHL.com editors Dan Rosen, Tom Gulitti and Pete Jensen have conducted their own mock expansion draft using all the rules the Kraken must follow.
Here are their picks, which come in at around $ 71 million, followed by an explanation for each position:
GUARDIANS (4)
Dustin Tokarski, Buffalo Sabers; Malcolm subban, Chicago Blackhawks; Kaapo Kahkonen, Savage of Minnesota; Braden Holtby, Vancouver Canucks
Holtby would more than likely enter training camp as the No. 1 goalie, but the door would be open for Kahkonen to become the starter at some point in the season.
Regardless of who would become Number 1, the rotation would give Seattle a veteran with Stanley Cup playoff experience and a promising player.
Holtby, who turns 32 on September 16 and won the Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, had a tough first season with Vancouver, going 7-11-3 with a 3.67 goals-against average. and a save percentage of 0.889. But the Canucks struggled defensively, allowing 3.34 goals per game (26th in the NHL), so it’s possible Holtby will regain his form.
Kahkonen, who turns 25 on Aug. 16, was 16-8-0 with a 2.88 goals-against average, .902 save percentage and two shutouts as a rookie with Minnesota this season. .
Either way, those would be quality goalies for just over $ 5million next season (Holtby at $ 4.3million, Kahkonen at $ 750,000), allowing the Kraken to spend wisely. elsewhere as well.
Subban would be # 3 on the Seattle depth chart and a tradable commodity. Tokarski could start in the American Hockey League and be called up if necessary.
FRONT (16)
Christian Fischer, Arizona coyotes; Joonas Donskoy, Colorado Avalanche; Blake Comeau, Dallas stars; Devin Shore, Edmonton Oilers; Franck Vatrano, Florida Panthers; Austin wagner, the Kings of Los Angeles; Ryan johansen, the predators of Nashville; Nathan Bastien, the devils of New Jersey; Josh bailey, New York Islanders; Colin blackwell, New York Rangers; Evgenii Dadonov, Ottawa Senators; Brandon tanev, the Pittsburgh penguins; Dylan gambrell, the sharks of San José; Yanni Gourde, the Tampa Bay lightning; Alexandre kerfoot, Toronto Maple Leafs; Mason Appleton, Winnipeg Jets
Having depth in the middle is a good way for any team to start, and that will be a strength for the Kraken along with Johansen, Gourde, Kerfoot and Gambrell.
Selecting Johansen means recouping the remaining four years of his contract (average annual value of $ 8 million), but having a true No.1 center at his peak (Johansen will be 29 on July 31) helps to build the ‘offensive. Johansen could also benefit from a total change of scenery. After scoring 64 points (14 goals, 50 assists) in 80 games in 2018-19, he dropped to 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 68 games last season and to 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 48 games this season. season.
Gourde would thrive in a bigger role with Seattle after scoring 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 56 games as a Tampa Bay third-row center this season, and he brings invaluable experience of his victory to the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons. . Kerfoot and Gambrell line up perfectly behind him.
Seattle isn’t that deep on the wing, but has good options for their top two lines with Vatrano (18 goals this season), Donskoi (17 goals this season), Dadonov (three seasons with at least 25 goals) and Bailey (35 points this season). The Kraken will also have forwards who will begin to exploit their potential like Appleton (who set career NHL highs with 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points this season) and Blackwell (also set career highs in the NHL with 12 goals, 10 assists and 22 points), and the courage and experience of Tanev and Comeau.
DEFENDERS (10)
Haydn Fleury, the Anaheim ducks; Connor clifton, Boston Bruins; Marc Giordano, Calgary Flames; jake bean, the Carolina hurricanes; Gabriel Carlsson, the Columbus Blue Jackets; Dennis Cholowski, Detroit Red Wings; Brett Kulak, Montreal Canadiens; Justin braun, Philadelphia Flyers; Vince dunn, St. Louis Blues; Brenden Dillon, Washington Capitals
Two potential gems for Seattle in this mock expansion draft are Dunn, a strong all-rounder who won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, and Bean, who has a much higher cap after scratching the area this season for the Blues. Hurricanes. Dunn has been limited to 43 games this season due to injury, but has averaged a career-high 0.47 points per game. Bean scored 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 42 games as a rookie despite mainly playing on the defensive third pair.
Video: Who are the best defenders available for the Kraken?
Giordano, who has one more season on his contract ($ 6.75 million AAV), could bounce back with a change of scenery. He has scored 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in the past two seasons after scoring a career-high 74 (17 goals, 57 assists) in 2018-19, when he won the Norris Trophy named best defenseman of the NHL. . Not only that, as captain of the Flames for the past eight seasons, he would provide instant leadership to the Kraken.
Braun (100 games) and Dillon (75) would add NHL playoff experience to Seattle’s second and third pair. Cholowski, the No.20 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, and Fleury, the No.7 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, would join Bean as potential long-term investments.
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