Sean Maloughney: Evaluating The Current Kraken Roster

Petterson would mortgage your future in first rounders. Not worth it, Kracken are going to need to accept their lumps as they are not deep enough in Center. To me they should have taken Ryan Johanson from the Preds. Would have been helpful to get them through the first 2 or 3 years while the cupboards are being stocked.

If plan is to bank on Schwartz being a top scorer it’s going to be a really long season.

Kracken should have used their capspace to take on the big contracts other teams didn't want with retention. Ryan Johansson or Matt Duchene with 2 million retained, guys with a year left at big $$ then retain money and flip them to a new team for value. Take Fleury for free then flip him to a new team at 50% retained, etc

Wennberg was a terrible signing and Schwartz was short sighted for a team already with depth on the wing

Had cap space and straight up wasted it. Picked a guy like Geekie over Jake Bean and missed out on the trade opportunity to pick up a high 2nd by flipping Bean. Same goes for Vanetek over Dillon

Francis didn't plan this out very well and he's got an empty cupboard and a mediocre roster to show for it

Petterson would mortgage your future in first rounders. Not worth it, Kracken are going to need to accept their lumps as they are not deep enough in Center. To me they should have taken Ryan Johanson from the Preds. Would have been helpful to get them through the first 2 or 3 years while the cupboards are being stocked.
- MrPerfect316

These were my thoughts as well.

It's pretty much impossible to judge an expansion roster since every single player is in a brand new situation with a fresh start. The Golden Knights had a garbage roster when they started and weren't supposed to compete for years. The added motivation of not being wanted led to most of the roster having way better years than anyone thought would be possible.

Now that they have Grubauer, they look very similar to day one vegas, maybe a touch better since the Golden Knights started with a pretty awful set of defencemen. Wouldn't be shocked if they won the division, wouldn't be shocked if they finished last in the league.

Who won the contest? You still didn't announce the winner!

Could Seattle have done better in the expansion draft?

Pierre LeBrun reported that if Montreal was to expose Jake Allen, Seattle wanted two picks and a prospect to not select him. Presumably, GMs don’t like to set a price and waffle on it (as Brian Burke explained to me many times), or others will try to wait you out in the future. So when Francis wouldn’t budge, Marc Bergevin got creative, and managed to keep his guys and give Seattle nothing. I’m sure had Seattle lowered the ask to skip on a protected Allen, they could’ve reached an agreement and added an asset or two while still getting Cale Fleury.

Arizona traded for Shayne Gostisbehere, taking on two more seasons of his salary cap hit ($4.5 million) for the sweetener of a second-round pick and a seventh-rounder. He’s also not a write-off of as a player – there may be value in him yet – and he seems like the type of guy who could use a fresh start. Presumably, Seattle passed on accepting at least that pick package to select Gostisbehere, as getting the Kraken to take the Ghost Bear would’ve also kept Carsen Twarynski on Philly’s roster. Seattle valued cap space more than draft pick capital, but Gostisbehere's cap hit dries up in just two seasons.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...e-better-expansion-draft/

Kracken should have used their capspace to take on the big contracts other teams didn't want with retention. Ryan Johansson or Matt Duchene with 2 million retained, guys with a year left at big $$ then retain money and flip them to a new team for value. Take Fleury for free then flip him to a new team at 50% retained, etc

Wennberg was a terrible signing and Schwartz was short sighted for a team already with depth on the wing

Had cap space and straight up wasted it. Picked a guy like Geekie over Jake Bean and missed out on the trade opportunity to pick up a high 2nd by flipping Bean. Same goes for Vanetek over Dillon

Francis didn't plan this out very well and he's got an empty cupboard and a mediocre roster to show for it
- TheGame316

I dunno, I think they did ok, especially since GMs were being extra careful. No need to take on extended bad contracts like Duchene, the best thing they can do right now is try to be competitive and build a solid team culture while not throwing picks away.

Maybe now they’re just seeing what happens after they play a season before deciding their next steps. Still have enough cap space to take on an expiring contract or two for futures while not having to be weighed down by anything too long.

Could be tanking for Wright.

Could be tanking for Wright.
- Nighthawk

Good luck beating Buf or ARZ for that tank job.

Wennbergs success came from being on a line with an outstanding passer in Huberdeau. He is not the kind of player to initiate scoring opportunities. He was well overpaid.

The Kraken are better than Anaheim and San Jose already.

I obviously have a different definition for “excellent team” than the author.

Good luck beating Buf or ARZ for that tank job.
- wreckage

You forgot Edmonton. Why else would Holland do what he did?

You forgot Edmonton. Why else would Holland do what he did?
- K-man25

Calgary is probably the slowest team in the NHL, they could be battling for Wright too.

Wennbergs success came from being on a line with an outstanding passer in Huberdeau. He is not the kind of player to initiate scoring opportunities. He was well overpaid.
- GudbransonFan

Yeah we are going to take the judgement of his play from a guy with a username of GudbransonFan?? I think not.