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The initial Seattle Kraken roster was revealed during the NHL expansion draft July 21. Since then, general manager Ron Francis has made adjustments through trades and the free-agent market.
Defenseman Mark Giordano, winger Jordan Eberle and center Yanni Gourde were among those Francis chose in the draft. He’s since added goaltender Philipp Grubauer and left wing Jaden Schwartz. More changes could be in store in the coming weeks as management continues to tweak the lineup.
Francis’ fine-tuning makes it a bit of a challenge to determine what the Kraken could look like in their first regular-season game Oct. 12, when they will visit the Vegas Golden Knights. Nevertheless, we gave it a try based on the roster as of Monday. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
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Expect Philipp Grubauer between the pipes when the Kraken face off against the Golden Knights. Signed on Wednesday to a six-year, $35.5 million contract, the 29-year-old enjoyed a career-best performance last season with the Colorado Avalanche. He won 30 of 40 appearances with a 1.95 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and seven shutouts, becoming a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.
Chris Driedger is expected to be Grubauer’s backup. The 27-year-old former Florida Panther was selected in the expansion draft and inked a three-year, $10.5 million deal. He won 14 of 23 starts last season with a 2.07 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and three shutouts.
Should injury sideline one of them, Joey Daccord would get the call. The 24-year-old has played nine games with the Ottawa Senators since 2018-19 and owns a career 3.50 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. Otherwise, he’ll start the season with the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
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Mark Giordano is a lock to skate on the left side of the Kraken’s first defense pairing. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2018-19, the 37-year-old spent 15 seasons with the Calgary Flames, including the past eight as team captain. He’s a talented puck-mover and a respected team leader who logged 22:57 of ice time per game last season.
His defense partner came from the Flames’ Alberta rival in the Edmonton Oilers: Adam Larsson. He signed a four-year, $16 million deal July 21. A solid shutdown defender, the 6’3″, 208-pounder averaged 19:39 of ice time per game last season. He also led the Oilers with 128 blocked shots and finished second with 166 hits.
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Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn should be skating on the second pairing. Capable of playing on the left or right side, the 24-year-old will likely slot in on the right side. The mobile Dunn has tallied 20-plus points in each of his four seasons. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2018-19.
Dunn’s partner on the left side could be Jamie Oleksiak. The physical 6’7″, 255-pounder has nine years of experience with the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. He led the Stars last season with 148 hits and was second with 88 blocked shots. He’s also a good skater with sound defensive abilities, averaging 20:29 of ice time per game in 2020-21.
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The Kraken could prefer a more robust third defensive pairing. Jeremy Lauzon can skate on the left or right side and could land the right position. The 24-year-old old is a strong skater and possesses solid shutdown skills. He logged 18:43 of ice time per game last season with the Boston Bruins, including a team-leading 3:05 of shorthanded ice time per game.
Carson Soucy could be Lauzon’s defense partner. The 6’5″, 211-pounder plays a physical style. He logged 15:17 of ice time per game last season with the Minnesota Wild along with 62 hits and 49 blocked shots.
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The Kraken bolstered their offense by signing Jaden Schwartz to a five-year, $27.5 million contract on Wednesday. The 29-year-old winger tallied 22-plus goals four times and 55 or more points five times in 10 seasons with the Blues. A skilled two-way playmaker, he’s the likeliest candidate to fill the left wing spot on the first line.
Jordan Eberle, 31, was among the Kraken’s noteworthy selections during the expansion draft. He’s tallied 40 points in eight of his 11 seasons with the Oilers and New York Islanders. His experience and offensive skills make him the obvious choice to skate on the right side of the top line.
Overshadowed by the Kraken’s signings of Schwartz and Philipp Grubauer was the inking of Alex Wennberg to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. With Yanni Gourde expected to miss the first two months of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery, the 26-year-old Wennberg will fill the first-line center position. He reached 59 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17 and tallied a career-high 17 goals last season with the Panthers.
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Calle Jarnkrok seems like the best candidate to center the second line. The versatile 29-year-old can play all three forward positions in all situations, has scored 30 points in four of the past six seasons and totaled 28 points in 49 games last season with the Nashville Predators. He can move down to the third line when Yanni Gourde returns from shoulder surgery.
A strong skater with good puck-handling skills, Joonas Donskoi is a solid middle-six forward. He’ll likely fill the second-line right wing role. The 29-year-old is a hardworking forward who’s exceeded 30 points in five of his six seasons, including each of the last four, with the Avalanche and San Jose Sharks.
Jared McCann could fill the left-wing spot. A fine two-way forward who handles the puck well, the 25-year-old can also skate at center. He’s tallied 32-plus points in each of the last three seasons and has the potential to exceed 40 points in an 82-game season.
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The juggling of centers caused by Yanni Gourde’s absence could press Colin Blackwell into service on the third line. Capable of playing center or right wing, the 28-year-old tallied 12 goals and 22 points in 47 games last season with the New York Rangers. He’s decent in the faceoff circle, winning 48.4 percent of his draws with the Blueshirts.
Brandon Tanev usually skates at right wing but can also play on the left side. The 29-year-old possesses a strong work rate and two-way ability and brings a physical edge to the game. He led the Pittsburgh Penguins last season with 139 hits, led all their forwards with 33 blocked shots and tied for fourth in takeaways with 26.
Relegated to checking-line duty with the Winnipeg Jets, Mason Appleton could start the season as the Kraken’s third-line right winger. The 6’2″, 193-pounder has the potential to move into a second-line winger spot. He has good offensive abilities and tallied career bests across the board last season, including 25 points in 56 contests.
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After just 38 games over two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Morgan Geekie was selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft. The 6’3″, 192-pound center won 52.5 percent of his draws last season while logging fourth-line minutes. At 23, Geekie still has time to further develop.
At 6’4″ and 205 pounds, Nathan Bastian is another large, grinding checker. Able to play any forward position, he could fill the fourth-line right wing spot. The 23-year-old played 48 games over two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, leading them in 2020-21 with 136 hits.
The Kraken raised some eyebrows by selecting little-known winger Carsen Twarynski from the Philadelphia Flyers in the expansion draft. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall speculated Kraken coach and former Flyers boss Dave Hakstol might’ve had some input in that selection. This could be the 23-year-old’s opportunity to earn a regular spot at left wing.
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