Two First-Round Kraken Picks and the League Isn't Ready For It

Alright, 12s, get ready to buzz! We're just a month out from the NHL Draft, happening June 26th and 27th in Buffalo, and the Kraken are stacked. We're talking TWO first-round picks, including a monster No. 7 overall selection that's our best in four years and the third highest in franchise history. Plus, we've got the No. 25 pick, obtained from Tampa Bay last year! This isn't just big, it's HUGE for building out our future in the Emerald City.

The Draft Pool Is Calling Our Name

Seriously, two first-round picks, and two more next year? Our Kraken general manager has options, folks. They can use these picks to grab serious talent or even package one for another big move. This year's draft pool? It's being called one of the deepest in recent memory, meaning high-end talent everywhere. Everyone expects Toronto to snag Penn State winger Gavin McKenna at No. 1, with talk he's NHL-ready. After that, it's a wild card! We're talking Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, major junior forward Caleb Malhotra, or Viggo Bjorck from Sweden as top forwards. And for defense, there's a bevy of talent like junior prospects Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Daxon Rudolph, NCAA star Keaton Verhoeff, and Latvian pro Alberts Smits. These players are projected from top-line forwards or top-pairing defenders down to solid mid-tier NHL players. Our Kraken have never used their top pick on a D-man, but this year's D-pool is above average, so that could change. Plus, talented prospects stretch beyond the top 10, like forwards Keaton Belchetz and Nikita Klepov, and Alberts Smits. It's gonna be tough to guess who falls to us at No. 7, but someone special will be there.

Building From Within: The Fast Trackers

This is our sixth draft, and our Kraken are already seeing the payoff. Eight of the 19 players who hit the ice for our final home game last month were homegrown selections! That's almost half the lineup, proving how crucial the draft has been. Drafting the "best player available" is usually the smartest move, even if it means waiting two to four years for top picks to make an NHL impact. But some of our guys, like Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton, totally bucked that trend, hitting the big league way faster. Beniers, our No. 2 overall pick in July 2021, was skating with the Kraken just nine months later in April 2022 and absolutely crushed it, winning the Calder Trophy in 2022-23. Catton, a No. 8 overall selection, joined the team just 16 months later last fall, navigating his rookie season mostly about learning after watching the first five games from the pressbox. This offseason, the team's been laser-focused on bringing in more speed and scoring. These draft picks won't hit the ice immediately, but they are our future.

So, what's next for our Kraken? The NHL Draft, June 26th and 27th! The stakes are sky-high, as these picks are how we build a consistent contender, how we stock the pipeline with the next generation of Emerald City heroes. Get ready, Seattle, because our future is about to get a whole lot brighter with these new additions to the Kraken family!

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