Kraken's Young Defense Is Already Forcing Tough Questions Heading Into the Draft

Watch enough Kraken games and you start to see the cracks forming in what looked like a promising young defensive core. After 86 games, the questions around one of Seattle's key pieces aren't going away, and that uncertainty is about to define how general manager Ron Francis approaches the upcoming draft.

The Good News: Depth Is Actually There

Let's be clear: the foundation isn't crumbling. Adam Larsson is a legitimate shutdown guy. Brandon Montour has emerged as another consistent presence. Vince Dunn looks like someone who will anchor your top 4 for years. The young blue line has real promise. But the big question mark after one season is creating a weird spot for the franchise heading into June's draft.

The Problem With Patience When You're Picking High

The Kraken are staring at a top 5 pick in the NHL Draft. If they stay in that range, the universally projected options are all defensemen, and specifically right shot defensemen. That's where things get interesting. Seattle's young defensive prospect had a rollercoaster first year. The highs were very high. The tools and traits are obvious. But then came the lows, and they were horrible, usually tied to hockey IQ. Frustrating plays. Mental lapses. Repeated mistakes that give you pause about long term projection.

It's still early. You can't write him off as a top pair guy yet. Defensemen typically need 200 to 300 NHL games to develop properly. But if you're seeing the same mistakes over and over again, you have to assume Francis and his staff are seeing them too.

Draft Strategy Gets Complicated

This is where the rebuild takes a critical turn. At this stage, Seattle has to go best player available. If a right shot defenseman like Verhoeff or Reid is the best player on the board at 3 or 4, you can't pass on him just because you already took a young defenseman with high expectations. And honestly, if you do take one of those guys that early, it reads as a statement about where things stand with the current core.

This summer is when the rebuild needs to accelerate. Whether that's through development, trades, or both, the Kraken can't afford to tread water anymore. The window for stepping on the gas is now.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.