Mock NHL Expansion Drafts were thrown for a loop after Minnesota went ‘Wild’ after the unforeseen buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter with Seattle’s big day less than a week away.

It was just four years ago that the NHL introduced its 31st franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, whose path to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season means high expectations for Seattle. 

Hockey fans across the globe will find out next week if the league’s 30 other franchises learned any lessons since the inception of Vegas, which is exempt from the Seattle draft.

As for the 30 remaining teams, Seattle general manager Ron Francis will have the choice of one player from each franchise who fulfills the NHL’s expansion draft requirements. Further, Seattle will have a negotiating window from July 18 to July 21 to speak with unprotected, unrestricted free agents.

Teams are allowed two options for protecting players. They can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or they can protect any eight skaters and one goaltender. The latter option is geared toward teams looking to keep a minimum of four defensemen.

Some insiders have leaked waived no-movement clauses and hinted at unprotected players. And while side deals are a given, mock drafters are left up to their imaginations as to how Seattle wants to build its team and the best fits available.

Forward Finds

Requirements: minimum seven forwards

Prediction: 15 forwards

Led by Jakub Voracek and Matt Duchene, the Seattle Kraken’s highest-paid players are more than just high-profile, unprotected skaters; they’re guys with something to prove. That’s not unlike the rest of their teammates, but it doesn’t mean those left out by their former teams don’t have a place in Seattle.

Followed by Voracek and Duchene are Brett Connolly, Radek Faksa, Antoine Roussel, Jared McCann, Richard Panik, Kyle Turris, Lawson Crouse, Nic Paul, Austin Wagner, Kevin Stenlund, Curtis Lazar, Colin Blackwell, and Warren Foegele.

It’s a promising mix of what makes a team competitive, including skill, grit, leadership, and a mix of veterans and up-and-comers. Similarly, the bulk of wingers listed above have played a steady mix of both the right and left side, giving Seattle coach Dave Hakstol plenty of options when it comes to finding line chemistry and roles.

Defensive Depth

Requirements: minimum nine defensemen

Prediction: 12 defensemen

Most teams are likely to take the 7/3/1 format as opposed to any eight players format, leaving a lot of “No. 4” defensemen on the board for Seattle to pick from. So it’s no surprise defensemen including Devon Toews and Josh Manson highlight the Kraken blue line.

 In addition to Toews and Manson, players including Chris Tanev, Colin Miller, Carson Soucy, Travis Dermott, Nathan Beaulieu, Scott Mayfield, Radko Gudas, Radim Simek, Jonas Seigenthaler, and Cal Foote once again give the coaching staff options.

Foote, Dermott, Seigenthaler, and Soucy may not find regular lineup spots in Seattle during its inaugural season. But they remain four rising defenders that can see the Kraken into the future as they draft, develop, and mold their team past the 2021-22 season.

One thing is for sure, this group of players will defend and fight for every inch of the ice.

Goalie Grabs

Requirements: minimum three goaltenders

Prediction: three goaltenders

The Kraken won’t have the liberty of a Marc-Andre Fleury to stabilize the crease, but they will have encouraging options to build a tandem for 2021-22.

Once a promising No. 1 in St. Louis, Jake Allen has rediscovered his game behind Carry Price in Montreal and now can form a reliable tandem with Vitek Vanecek. Vanecek had an encouraging season of his own as a rookie with Washington.

Vanecek slowed down as the season progressed, but the equal time between Allen and Vanecek could be a win-win-win relationship between the pair of goalies and Seattle.

Add in Ville Husso, a 26-year-old coming off his own rookie season. Husso could use some more development time before a full-time NHL gig and marinate in the AHL for Seattle during the 2021-22 season

Opening Night Lineup

Foegele-Duchene-Voracek

Connolly-Faksa-McCann

Stenlund-Paul-Panik

Crouse-Blackwell-Wagner 

Toews-Manson

Dermott-Tanev

Miller-Gudas

Allen

The Kraken and Francis have the tools for success merely based on the players available to them on the surface, but the likelihood of aforementioned side deals remains and plenty of teams are looking to maximize their cap space and roster spots in a flat-cap world. 

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.