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Welcome to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft presented by Upper Deck.
The Seattle Kraken have selected 30 players – one per team, excluding the Vegas Golden Knights, who were exempt – and announce them Wednesday at Gas Works Park in Seattle.
NHL.com Editor-in-Chief Dan Rosen will take a closer look and analyze each player selected.
Players will be announced in alphabetical order by team and division, starting with the Atlantic division, followed by Metropolitan, Central and Pacific. They will be presented here in reverse order.
Yanni Gourde, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
The 29-year-old helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup for a second straight season, scoring seven points (six goals, one assist) in 23 Stanley Cup playoff games. Gourde, who has 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 56 regular season games, has four more seasons to go on a six-year contract he signed with Tampa Bay on November 2, 2018. Signed by the Lightning as a free agent On March 10, 2014, Gourde scored 187 points (80 goals, 107 assists) in 310 regular season games and 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 69 playoff games.
Rosen Analysis: If there was an order for the expansion draft like there is for the NHL draft, Gourde could have been the first pick. Kraken coach Dave Hakstol will be able to build much of his game plan around Gourde’s versatility. He can play center or wing. He will play on the power play and on the penalty kill. He can play with high level attackers or grinders. The Gourd game does not change. He is consistent and winning.
Joey Daccord, G, Ottawa Senators
Daccord is 1-3-1 with a 3.27 goals-against average and 0.897 save percentage in eight games (six starts) this season. Selected by Ottawa in the seventh round (199th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, the 24-year-old is 1-4-1 with a 3.50 GAA and 0.894 save percentage in nine games in the NHL (seven starts). Daccord has two seasons left on a three-year contract he signed with the Senators on October 17, 2020.
Rosen Analysis: Goalkeeper depth matters, and the Kraken gets it with Daccord, who has enjoyed success in the American Hockey League. If Daccord is the Kraken’s No. 3 goalie, he has at least some NHL experience, albeit limited. Safe choice.
Cale Fleury, D, Montreal Canadiens
The 22-year-old, who can become a restricted free agent on July 28, has spent time on the taxi team but has not played in the NHL this season, as he collected six mentions. assists in 22 games with Laval of the American Hockey League. Selected by Montreal in the third round (87th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Fleury has scored one goal in 41 NHL games.
Rosen Analysis: Fleury gives depth to the young Kraken. It is a choice for their future or for a profession. He’s not the shining choice of Canadians that some hoped and / or expected the Kraken to make. It was goaltender Carey Price, but Seattle turned conservative and decided having a defenseman in the Montreal system was the way to go. It is difficult to blame them.
Chris Driedger, G, Florida Panthers
Driedger, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 28, was 14-6-3 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 season games. regular (all departures) this season. Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round (76th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, the 27-year-old is 21-9-4 with a 2.09 GAA, save percentage of .929 and four shutouts in 38 games (34 starts). ) with the Panthers and Senators, and 0-1 with a 3.70 GPA and 0.871 save percentage in three Stanley Cup Playoff games (all this season).
Rosen Analysis: Driedger will have the chance to be the number one goalie. He has shown his potential with the Panthers this season when he outscored Sergei Bobrovsky. But it’s too early to say the Kraken has hit a home run with Driedger. He has never played more than 23 games in his five seasons in the NHL. Next season will be big for him.
Dennis Cholowski, D, Detroit Red Wings
The 23-year-old, who can become a restricted free agent on July 28, has three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games this season. He split his time between the active roster, the taxi team and the American Hockey League, where he scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 13 games with Grand Rapids. Selected by Detroit in the first round (20th) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Cholowski scored 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 104 NHL games.
Rosen Analysis: It’s hard to fairly judge Cholowski’s career in the NHL because the Red Wings are rebuilding themselves and haven’t put a playoff-caliber team on the ice. He looks like Will Borgen, the Seattle defenseman selected from the Buffalo Sabers. Each has advantages, but a lot to prove before you can become an NHL regular.
Will Borgen, D, Buffalo Sabers
The 24-year-old has not accumulated any points in 14 NHL games, including 10 games this season, while on the taxi team. Borgen, who was selected by Buffalo in the fourth round (92nd) of the 2015 NHL Draft, may become a restricted free agent on July 28.
Rosen Analysis: Borgen was a silver lining for the Sabers this season until he broke his forearm on February 20 and was out for two months. It’s possible, if not likely, that he will debut next season with AHL’s Charlotte. It seems like a choice for the future of the Kraken, but with an opportunity, it could be an important part of the present. This is a risk free selection on the upside.
Jeremy Lauzon, D, Boston Bruins
The 24-year-old has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in a career-high 41 NHL games this season and has not scored a runs in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. He has one season left on a two-year contract he signed on February 14, 2020. Selected by Boston in the second round (52nd) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Lauzon scored 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 76 regular season games and haven’t scored a point in 13 playoff games.
Rosen Analysis: Lauzon, who was coached by Kraken assistant Jay Leach with Providence of the American Hockey League, is a height (6-1 / 1, 204 pounds) and can play 20 minutes per game in a stopping capacity. The Kraken have a defender who could also be a big part of their future. Quality pickup.
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