Tyler Cameron: Who could the Kraken snag from Chicago? It's only fitting that we speak about Seattle today.

Thursday they announced that they will be officially called the Kraken.


So, let's dive into who the Kraken could swallow up off of Chicago's roster in the summer of 2021 when the expansion draft takes place.

Now off to read The Athletic article of the same name.

I wrote this article this morning and saw Powers and Lazerus posted the same theme. Let's see how close we are.

Enjoy the read guys and gals!

Why have the Hawks forgotten about Dennis Gilbert

Why have the Hawks forgotten about Dennis Gilbert
- bjphawkfan

They haven't. He's injured.

He's still there and should prove to be a valuable asset in Rockford and could be called up in a pinch to Chicago if need be.

Unfortunately for him, the "flashier" D prospects will be/have already passed him on the depth chart.

Also, for those on Twitter... Theo has been putting out some great analysis. Loving his newfound love for Twitter.

Be sure to give him a follow @theofoxhockey

https://twitter.com/theof...tatus/1286373227715952640

Also, for those on Twitter... Theo has been putting out some great analysis. Loving his newfound love for Twitter.

Be sure to give him a follow @theofoxhockey

https://twitter.com/theof...tatus/1286373227715952640
- Tyler Cameron

Thanks, Tyler! I am grateful for the opportunity to guest write on your blog!

Tyler Cameron: Who could the Kraken snag from Chicago?
It's only fitting that we speak about Seattle today.

Thursday they announced that they will be officially called the Kraken.


So, let's dive into who the Kraken could swallow up off of Chicago's roster in the summer of 2021 when the expansion draft takes place.
- Tyler Cameron

Please don't ever do this again.

I have opted to keep Hagel over Kampf, Carpenter, and Highmore and I see him with more offensive upside – plus he's real cheap.
- Tyler Cameron

If it's between these players, yes, Hagel hands down for the reason you shared.

Everyone else is a 4th liner while Hagel has the capacity to play 3rd line and possibly spot duty on the 2nd line.

The Hawks have plenty of 4th liners in the system to replenish anyone who is lost along the way.

Hagel's cousin Reese Johnson being one of them. Entwistle, too, of course.

Same with Soderlund, Hakkarainen, Chalupa, Barratt, and Slavin.

Toews. That is who they should covet. In a bizarre switch, the Wirtz family has had enough of Toews' militant way and ask him to waive. This sets off the series of mean spirited salvos back and forth. Toews waive his NMC and becomes the 1st captain of the kraken.

Why have the Hawks forgotten about Dennis Gilbert
- bjphawkfan

Gilbert is still in the D mix but is lower on the depth chart now that Boqvist and Beaudin have a year of pro experience under their belt and other more dynamic prospects like Mitchell and Kalynuk are signed.

I wouldn't count Krys out either. Personally, I rate Krys ahead of Gilbert on the depth chart. Better across the board in skating, puck moving, passing, and generating offense.

Carlsson is the only dman whom is going to regularly have a few hits each night. I cannot fathom counting a prospect presently too far from NHL ready to be relief upon to make the team and be a physical presence.

Carlsson is just checking off do many boxes; you cannot loose him. Certainly teams appear this expansion draft to be loosing playerd as good or valuable as the Vegas draft. Perhaps teams are much busier (read: active) leading up to The Expansion Draft. Presently I cannot say one way or another if the idea floated - expansion Seattle will get better players than Vegas did - has téeth. The evaluation was made before the onset of Covid19

I would go as far as to trade Saad and a descent prospect. I might even agree to Saad and Murphy, with option to reacquire Murphy for two prospects. I just want to protect Carlsson.

Tyler one idea to consider is this: If we draft Asininov, we could even take someone's back up goaltender in a trade. Protect him. Crawford will never play in Seattle. Delia and Subban or Laakinen have to be very good to get choosen, as there is a lot if descent netminders for Seatle to pluck.

Now it gets interesting. With whomever we acquire insofar as sending that goaltender back to his original team - and maybe it is a prospect or one of two players Seattle mulls to select from a team in The Expansion Draft.

There is bound to be plenty of drama leading up to and during this draft. The Vegas draft is memorable for all the draft choices first round picks bartered. I'm sure it gave wiz a headache.

Might there also be supterfuge surrounding this draft?

I'll take curtain Number 3.

great assessment

honestly only option 3 really makes sense. Saad likely doesn't fit in our long term plans financially or age wise to lock him into his likely last big contract

protecting guys like Crawford too just doesn't make sense who will be 35+ and at best on two year deals, if not one year deals at a time

leaving nylander exposed is just a mistake now. sure he's slow to show potential but he has slowly been rounding out his game and in reality this was his first pro season and he is subtly showing to be a strong neutral zone player who back checks well and strips pucks. he just needs more awareness in the D zone when hemmed in and to find the open ice when he doesn't have the puck in the O zone. joker never stood out to me as a top pair guy one day but the last thing we need to do is pull the plug early on another talented offensive forward

Carlsson is the only dman whom is going to regularly have a few hits each night. I cannot fathom counting a prospect presently too far from NHL ready to be relief upon to make the team and be a physical presence.

Carlsson is just checking off do many boxes; you cannot loose him.
- jhawk59

Carlsson is a keeper in my book so you try your best to protect him. He's the most balanced of the D prospects, at least at present. At worst, he's a 3rd pair minute muncher.

As for physical D prospects, Gilbert, McCoshen, and Tuulola are the most consistent at playing a heavy style. But other promising prospects are higher on the depth chart than all of them.

McCoshen and Tuulola are RFAs so they could be gone very soon anyway.

I would go as far as to trade Saad and a descent prospect. I might even agree to Saad and Murphy, with option to reacquire Murphy for two prospects. I just want to protect Carlsson.
- jhawk59

If it means the Hawks needing to protect youngsters who are impact players, then one possibility is that they trade Saad and/or Murphy for favorable returns.

One thing to be wary of is taking back a player who would also need to be draft protected. Instead, aim to gain back high draft picks and prospects who wouldn't be draft eligible.

Not saying do what you can to trade Saad and Murphy as they could remain as pieces of the core, especially if they re-sign fair, affordable extensions. But the tough pitchforks in the road will come soon enough and trading them are plausible options to consider.

Why do all of your scenarios have Chicago protecting Toews? He costs a LOT of Cap space on a team perpetually plagued by lack of Cap space, and arguably hasn't been worth his salary for a couple years now. Or does he have a no-trade/no-move clause that prevents Seattle from claiming him?

Not that Seattle would likely claim him unless they needed to reach the Cap floor. $10.5m for a 20 goal, 70 point player, even a 1st line Center, is a bad deal, and Toews is 32 and has at least three more years on the contract.

Or is the issue that he has trade value, or that Chicago simply doesn't have anyone else who can fill the #1 Center slot?

Why do all of your scenarios have Chicago protecting Toews? He costs a LOT of Cap space on a team perpetually plagued by lack of Cap space, and arguably hasn't been worth his salary for a couple years now. Or does he have a no-trade/no-move clause that prevents Seattle from claiming him?


- Puckenstuff

He has a full NMC clause. He's not going anywhere.

He's not worth 10.5 million, but he's still a damn good player and a top 5 captain in the NHL based on leadership. And a season ago, he put up an all time high in points. I'd say he's just fine as he is. People are barking up the wrong tree worrying about his contract, Seabrook's is far worse.

Carlsson is the only dman whom is going to regularly have a few hits each night. I cannot fathom counting a prospect presently too far from NHL ready to be relief upon to make the team and be a physical presence.

Carlsson is just checking off do many boxes; you cannot loose him. Certainly teams appear this expansion draft to be loosing playerd as good or valuable as the Vegas draft. Perhaps teams are much busier (read: active) leading up to The Expansion Draft. Presently I cannot say one way or another if the idea floated - expansion Seattle will get better players than Vegas did - has téeth. The evaluation was made before the onset of Covid19

I would go as far as to trade Saad and a descent prospect. I might even agree to Saad and Murphy, with option to reacquire Murphy for two prospects. I just want to protect Carlsson.

Tyler one idea to consider is this: If we draft Asininov, we could even take someone's back up goaltender in a trade. Protect him. Crawford will never play in Seattle. Delia and Subban or Laakinen have to be very good to get choosen, as there is a lot if descent netminders for Seatle to pluck.

Now it gets interesting. With whomever we acquire insofar as sending that goaltender back to his original team - and maybe it is a prospect or one of two players Seattle mulls to select from a team in The Expansion Draft.

There is bound to be plenty of drama leading up to and during this draft. The Vegas draft is memorable for all the draft choices first round picks bartered. I'm sure it gave wiz a headache.

Might there also be supterfuge surrounding this draft?
- jhawk59

Trading Saad, keep in mind, you trade $6M away, you are getting $6M back in some form or another. That is CAP reality for the next 2-3 years.

Why do all of your scenarios have Chicago protecting Toews? He costs a LOT of Cap space on a team perpetually plagued by lack of Cap space, and arguably hasn't been worth his salary for a couple years now. Or does he have a no-trade/no-move clause that prevents Seattle from claiming him?

Not that Seattle would likely claim him unless they needed to reach the Cap floor. $10.5m for a 20 goal, 70 point player, even a 1st line Center, is a bad deal, and Toews is 32 and has at least three more years on the contract.

Or is the issue that he has trade value, or that Chicago simply doesn't have anyone else who can fill the #1 Center slot?
- Puckenstuff

Every team is perpetually plagued by lack of cap space. Well 2-3 aren't, good luck dealing with them when 20 some other teams are trying the same thing.

Why do all of your scenarios have Chicago protecting Toews?
- Puckenstuff

Players with NMC/NTC clauses are automatically on the protected list.

Why have the Hawks forgotten about Dennis Gilbert
- bjphawkfan

He can go, the more I saw of him, I liked him less and less. Great, the guy hit and fought, but also did a lot of running around in his own zone and was out of position a lot of times. As said, a lot of the Hawks’ young defensemen have passed him by. Gilbert at best, is a 6-7 NHL defenseman.

Trading Saad, keep in mind, you trade $6M away, you are getting $6M back in some form or another. That is CAP reality for the next 2-3 years.
- rpeters01

Perhaps not as far as expansion team goes. Perhaps not.

He can go, the more I saw of him, I liked him less and less. Great, the guy hit and fought, but also did a lot of running around in his own zone and was out of position a lot of times. As said, a lot of the Hawks’ young defensemen have passed him by. Gilbert at best, is a 6-7 NHL defenseman.
- ChicagoHope

I have commented that he needs to be solid for a full -; or at least half - an AHL season. Gilbert's calling card is his toughness but he has to show he can be solid in his own end. If the AHL has a season you can monitor whether he makes progress in this regard. I know that AEL_FOX will weigh in on Rockford players so if Gilbert is solid he could get a look.again.

Perhaps not as far as expansion team goes. Perhaps not.
- jhawk59

Every team likely has their Saad. Seattle can sit and 🍒 cherry pick. They should be very good.

Carlsson is a keeper in my book so you try your best to protect him. He's the most balanced of the D prospects, at least at present. At worst, he's a 3rd pair minute muncher.

As for physical D prospects, Gilbert, McCoshen, and Tuulola are the most consistent at playing a heavy style. But other promising prospects are higher on the depth chart than all of them.

McCoshen and Tuulola are RFAs so they could be gone very soon anyway.
- AEL_Fox

Before we anoint anyone a ‘keeper’, can we at least see them in more than a handful of NHL games? Not just Carlsson, but all of the youngsters. Playing everyday at the NHL level can expose flaws not apparent in the A or in a cup of coffee in the NHL.