SEATTLE — Kraken general manager Ron Francis has no idea who he’ll select Wednesday in a third NHL draft quite different from the franchise’s first two.
Well, check that. Francis has a vague notion from a pool of about seven players who his No. 20 overall choice might be in Nashville. But unlike his obvious No. 2 overall choice of Matty Beniers two years ago and last summer’s surprising availability of Shane Wright at No. 4, narrowing candidates this time is a wider-ranging exercise.
“Obviously, when you’re picking No. 2 or No. 4 you have a pretty good idea of where you’re going to be at,” Francis said after arriving in Nashville for Monday night’s NHL awards ceremony before a draft opening Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena and concluding Thursday with rounds 2-7. “This thing can go a lot of different ways. I think the top of the draft is probably going to be pretty consistent with what we think and then after that, it can go in a lot of different directions.”
That’s different from Wright falling unexpectedly to the Kraken last summer. Wright long topped the Kraken’s coveted players list: They were just shocked he was still around after the Montreal Canadiens picked Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1, followed by forwards-loaded New Jersey opting for a defenseman and then Arizona most surprisingly bypassing Wright for a different centerman.
Kraken scouts have met every two weeks to fine-tune this year’s list of preferred players. But unlike prior drafts, their top dozen desired players could be gone before they choose.
The Kraken have 10 picks, the most of any playoff team. Nine come Thursday, including three second rounders — at 50th, 52nd and 57th overall — one apiece in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Their four picks the opening two rounds are third most for any team.
Unlike last year, as Francis alluded, the top four first round picks are expected to go exactly according to script while the top 10 could contain mostly the same consensus names. Chicago will inevitably use No. 1 on projected generational talent Connor Bedard, 17, who dominated the Western Hockey League with the Regina Pats.
And the Anaheim Ducks will almost certainly select University of Michigan freshman center Adam Fantilli at No. 2, followed by Columbus likely taking Swedish centerman Leo Carlsson and San Jose going with U.S. national team development program center Will Smith.
It gets trickier from there, owing to Russia’s continued war waged against Ukraine. Russian winger Matvei Michkov ordinarily might have gone No. 2 overall but won’t crack the top-five if Montreal bypasses him. Michkov is under contract to a Kontinental Hockey League squad in Russia until 2026, few scouts saw him play live last season, and he didn’t interview with NHL teams before arriving in Nashville.
Should the Canadiens look elsewhere at No. 5, that could bump others and change variables for teams picking further down.
“We think we’ll get one of about seven players,” Francis said. “There’s no guarantee they’re all going to be there. We might get none of them. But you look at our list and you say ‘Is this guy possible? Yeah, but he may be gone.’ It’s an interesting job. It’ll be interesting to see how it falls.”
The top-end quality of this year’s class is perceived superior to the prior two drafts, meaning the Kraken could get a first-or-second rounder who reaches the NHL sooner, or has a higher ceiling than slotting typically dictates.
Wright falling to the Kraken changed the direction of the team’s prospects depth as well. The Kraken were expected to take a top defender before landing Wright, leaving their top prospects more forwards-heavy.
They could opt for a first round blueliner this time if available talent level is relatively equal. Lauded defensemen who could hang around between picks No. 10-through-20 include Swedish prospects Axel Sandin Pellikka and Tom Willander and Russian blueliner Dmitri Simashev.
But if they’re taken before No. 20 — and Simashev being Russian raises more geopolitical concerns — there’s also right-handed shot defender Oliver Bonk, a projected late first rounder from the Ontario Hockey League. He’s the son of longtime NHL forward Radek Bonk and hails from Czechia — as does Kraken amateur scouting director Robert Kron.
In past drafts, Kron took players earlier than expected — notably 2021 second round defenseman Ryker Evans, who excelled in his AHL debut this past season.
“It’s a different look than when you’re picking high up there,” Kron said of prior drafts. “I don’t want to say that that it’s more clear but the higher (the pick) is the talent level is basically higher. Then again, there are a lot of good players this year as well, so we’ll see if we get what we hope we get. It’s a little more challenging this year because you’ll have to see what your list looks like and how players are coming off the board.
“And you also hope one of the players you have high up slips through.”
Kron still expects to be stocking prospect depth through next year’s draft — meaning if the talent among remaining choices isn’t relatively equal, he’ll likely take the best player regardless of position.
Potential forward picks include right wings Gavin Brindley from the University of Michigan or Colby Barlow from the WHL or left wing Czechia native Eduard Sale.
Francis confirmed talent will likely win out over position.
“For me, when you’re looking at it you want to try to get the best player available,” Francis said. “There’s no sense passing on a particular forward, or defenseman or goaltender if you think he’s the best guy available just because you may need that position down the road.
“If you get the best player available and you develop that player and still need that other position down the road, at least you have talented players that you could look at switching to fill that void,” Francis said. “The key is making sure you get the best players that when they start to develop, have the best chance of reaching the NHL.”
