Seattle Picks #20 In First Round Of NHL Draft, June 28
Ahead of Wednesday's first round of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, the guessing games are in overdrive.
If you're a fan of the Seattle Kraken, picking 20th, maybe the sanest thing to do is avoid the anxiety and uncertainty; instead, take a long summer walk with your pooch and enjoy the Vitamin D.
After all, The Hockey News draft issue has already told you the Kraken will take winger Gabe Perreault.
But the Venn diagram circles of hockey fandom and sanity don't always overlap. So go ahead and check out this wildly divergent list of guesses for what Seattle GM Ron Francis will say when he gets to the podium.
Let's start with Rachel Doerrie and Tony Ferrari of THN.com, who take an innovative approach: naming their own preferred choice, and who they think the Kraken will actually select.
Rachel and Tony say Seattle's brain trust will tab Jayden Perron, a right wing with Chicago (USHL). "Perron put up tremendous offensive numbers in the USHL this year and is one of the smartest players in the draft. He’s small, and that is concerning. He’ll have time to develop at North Dakota and may be the NHL’s next small point-producing winger."
Were they in the GM's chair, however, the choice would be Gavin Brindley, a center with the University of Michigan. "He’s another undersized player who fits the mold of speed and tenacity in Seattle. He’s not going to wow with offensive flair, but he uses his frame to sneak through areas, dart in and out and show he can be effective against bigger players."
Even writing for the same site, NHL.com's Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale don't agree. Kimmelman likes Swedish defensman Axel Sandin Pellikka, "A right-handed shot considered the top offensive-minded defenseman available."
Morreale prefers Colby Barlow, left wing for Owen Sound (OHL). "Barlow can beat defenders with his great speed or strength in shielding them off 1-on-1 in tight quarters."
TheHockeyWriters.com - stop me if you've heard this before - can't agree amongst themselves, either. One says the pick will be Andrew Cristall, a left wing for Kelowna (WHL). "Cristall oozes high-end skill when he has control of the puck."
A second writer picks Quentin Musty, a left wing for Sudbury (OHL). "A dynamic, offensive winger with great playmaking and an even better shot, (but) lack of footspeed and defensive deficiencies."
Given that mixed bag, it's a bit of a surprise that Musty is the only name mentioned by more than one draft expert. Dailyfaceoff.com calls the winger "a 200-pound beast that can hit and score."
The Sporting News goes a different direction, selecting Lukas Dragicevic, a defenseman with Tri-City (WHL). Why? "Dragicevic is always looking to create offense from the back end, whether that be by jumping up in the rush or creeping down low from the point."
Finally, there's TSN's esteemed insider Bob McKenzie. He doesn't do mock drafts per se, but his 20th-ranked prospect is, of course, a name not previously mentioned: Swedish defenseman Tom Willander.
TSN colleague Craig Button says Willander is, "Robust and competitive in all areas. Plays with initiative and a mindset of making a difference."
I'll admit, I don't understand a word of that. Maybe I should have taken a long summer walk, too.