Who are the Kraken interested in signing?
Now that Seattle has officially joined the NHL, GM Ron Francis can start adding to his roster and building a team capable of competing with the leagues’ best. The Kraken is able to sign any NCAA free agent, as well as Junior and European players that are aged out of the NHL Draft.
It may take some time before the team is good enough to compete with the likes of the Lightning, Avalanche, Bruins, and the rest of the big players, but if the rumors are to be believed, they are building something special.
One of those players is the young Swede Elias Pettersson, who at 22-years of age is already cementing himself as one of the NHL’s elite prospects. Pettersson is currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks and has racked up 10 goals and 11 assists in 26 games.
Players like Pettersson would be a great signing for Seattle, as they provide a great foundation of emerging talent for the team to build a brand around. We see this kind of move working well in other leagues; like in the NBA, where Luka Doncic is becoming a franchise player and propelling the team to the heights only Dirk Nowitzki has achieved.
Another talent emerging in the Russian KHL is a player that Francis is rumored to have been monitoring. Konstantin Okulov is a top talent out of Russia and like Pettersson is still a young player at 23-years old. He’s played 55 games and netted 18 goals and 49 points this season. He would be another great addition to the Kraken roster, though Seattle isn’t the only team monitoring the Russian.
One thing many Seattle fans will be hoping for is a bit of experience to guide the youth. It’s fine bringing in the very best young and exciting prospects, but without some guidance on the ice, they’ll struggle against the vets when it comes to the tougher matchups and possibly the postseason.
At this stage, the contact has just been signed, so there’s a long way to go and a whole offseason to worry about which players will be playing for Seattle. Nonetheless, fans and critics will have their say on what players they want to feature at the start of the 2022 season.
