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Established in 2021, the Seattle Kraken are one of the latest expansion teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). Notably, they compete in the Pacific Division as part of the Western Conference of the NHL and play their home games at the Climate Pledge Arena. In three seasons of play, the team has made the playoffs once and boast players like Will Borgen, Joey Daccord, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Adam Larsson, Vince Dunn, Jaden Oleksiakm, Justin Schultz and Brandon Tanev. Furthermore, they are owned by Seattle Hockey Partners, while day-to-day operations are taken care by general manager Ron Francis and head coach Dan Bylsma. Remarkably, Matty Beniers was awarded with the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2022-23, a first in franchise history. Lastly, they are associated with the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL and the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL.
Seattle Kraken Draft Picks Year on Year
The Seattle Kraken have made significant strides in building their roster through the NHL Entry Drafts from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, they selected Eduard Sale in the first round from Brno Kometa in the Czech Republic, along with Carson Rehkopf, Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, Lukas Dragicevic, and several other promising prospects in subsequent rounds, aiming to strengthen their lineup across positions. Prior to that, in 2022, their picks included top prospect Shane Wright from the Kingston Frontenacs in the first round, complemented by talents like Jagger Firkus and Niklas Kokko in later rounds. The inaugural 2021 draft saw the acquisition of standout Matty Beniers in the first round from the University of Michigan, bolstered by selections like Ryker Evans and Ville Ottavainen.
The following table looks at Seattle Kraken's draft picks over the years:
Draft | Num. | Round | Player | Pos | Drafted From |
2023 Entry | 20 | 1 | Eduard Sale | R | Brno Kometa [Czech] |
2023 Entry | 50 | 2 | Carson Rehkopf | C | Kitchener Rangers [OHL] |
2023 Entry | 52 | 2 | Oscar Fisker-Molgaard | C | HV71 Jonkoping [SweHL] |
2023 Entry | 57 | 2 | Lukas Dragicevic | D | Tri-City Americans [WHL] |
2023 Entry | 84 | 3 | Caden Price | D | Kelowna Rockets [WHL] |
2023 Entry | 116 | 4 | Andrei Loshko | C | Chicoutimi Sagueneens [QMJHL] |
2023 Entry | 148 | 5 | Kaden Hammell | D | Everett Silvertips [WHL] |
2023 Entry | 168 | 6 | Visa Vedenpaa | G | Karpat (Finland Jrs.) |
2023 Entry | 180 | 6 | Zeb Forsfjall | L | Skelleftea AIK Jr. [Swe-Jr] |
2023 Entry | 212 | 7 | Zaccharya Wisdom | R | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders [USHL] |
2022 Entry | 4 | 1 | Shane Wright | C | Kingston Frontenacs [OHL] |
2022 Entry | 35 | 2 | Jagger Firkus | C | Moose Jaw Warriors [WHL] |
2022 Entry | 49 | 2 | Jani Nyman | R | Ilves Tampere [SM-liiga] |
2022 Entry | 58 | 2 | Niklas Kokko | G | Karpat (Finland Jrs.) |
2022 Entry | 61 | 2 | David Goyette | C | Sudbury Wolves [OHL] |
2022 Entry | 68 | 3 | Ty Nelson | D | North Bay Battalion [OHL] |
2022 Entry | 91 | 3 | Ben MacDonald | C | Noble and Greenough (Mass. H.S.) |
2022 Entry | 100 | 4 | Tyson Jugnauth | D | West Kelowna Warriors [BCHL] |
2022 Entry | 123 | 4 | Tucker Robertson | C | Peterborough Petes [OHL] |
2022 Entry | 164 | 6 | Barrett Hall | F | Gentry Academy (Minn. H.S.) |
2022 Entry | 196 | 7 | Kyle Jackson | C | North Bay Battalion [OHL] |
2021 Entry | 2 | 1 | Matty Beniers | C | U. of Michigan [Big-10] |
2021 Entry | 35 | 2 | Ryker Evans | D | Regina Pats [WHL] |
2021 Entry | 67 | 3 | Ryan Winterton | C | Hamilton Bulldogs [OHL] |
2021 Entry | 99 | 4 | Ville Ottavainen | D | JyP HT Jyvaskyla [SM-liiga] |
2021 Entry | 131 | 5 | Jacob Melanson | R | Acadie-Bathurst Titan [QMJHL] |
2021 Entry | 163 | 6 | Semyon Vyazovoi | G | UFA 2 [Russia] |
2021 Entry | 195 | 7 | Justin Janicke | L | U.S. National Under-18 Team [USHL] |
FAQs
A. The Seattle Kraken was founded in 2021 as an National Hockey League (NHL) expansion team.
A. The team colors are deep sea blue, ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue, and red alert.
A. The general manager of the Seattle Kraken is Ron Francis.
A. The Seattle Kraken play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
A. The minor league affiliates are the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) and the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL).