Tkachyov, Hrivik, Moses were all beast for me. Zub, Korostelev are good ones as well going forward.
And after a long layoff (manually controlling all 35 teams in off-season to get some realistic results, albeit it resulted in lots of very good waived players in September) I'm back for my 4th Kraken year.
Some posts were lost in the forum transition so I'll start at the draft.
Coming off a big regression season to just 69 points major changes were in order for the Kraken. On the eve of the draft the first of those moves were made.
Kraken trade LW Boone Jenner, LD Christian Djoos, 7th Overall pick in 2020 and 15th Overall pick in 2020 to Saskatchewan for 1st Overall pick in 2020
Kraken have lacked top end skill since their inception and are hoping that the newest Rimouski phenom Alexis Lafreniere can be that answer. Lauded as NHL ready with strengths everwhere, Lafreniere is considered a potential phenom. Saskatchewan already have 2019 #2 Kirby Dach and 2018 #3 Filip Zadina up front and hope solid top pairing 25yo Djoos will help stablize the backend, along with 25yo Jenner being a force at both ends on 2nd/3rd lines. They would draft G Kael Stewart at #7 and LW Eduard Romanov at #15.
On day 2 Kraken would complete another series of deals to free up room.
Kraken deal RW Brandon Hawkins and LW Alex Tonge to Kansas City for LD Dan Hamhuis, LW Sebastien Barrette, KC 3rd in 2023
Hawkins and Tonge were tweeners who played 42 combined games for Kraken last year, but likely not in long term plans at 25 years old. Hamhuis will be bought out of his last year, Barrette and expiring contract.
Kraken trade RD Darren Raddysh and LD Matt Timms to Milwaukee for C Cale Allen, RW Mitch Amante, MIL 3rd in 2022, MIL 5th in 2022
Smart safe Raddysh was ok for Kraken playing 43 games last year, but Kraken are looking to improve speed on backend and with Schuldt, Gross, and Ahcan pushing from Utah he was unneccassary. Allen and Amante are expiring contracts.
Kraken trade LW Dominik Simon and RW Nikita Soshnikov to New York I for RD Johnny Boychuk, LD Scott Mayfield, NYI 2nd Round in 2023
Islanders needed forward depth and to get under cap by ditching Boychuk's bloated 6 mil owed next year. He will be bought out by Kraken. Simon and Soshnikov are nice pieces but it was a deal too good to pass up.
Kraken trade LD Brady Lyle, CAR 5th in 2020 to Calgary for G Mason McDonald
Kraken have big struggles in net and McDonald will figure to be in the mix next year coming off a strong year in Stockton.
Kraken trade C Jayden Halbgewachs to CAR for CAR 4th in 2021
Minor depth move.
Draft
Kraken draft C Alexis Lafreniere Round 1, #1 Overall
Kraken draft RD Nestori Suoraniemi Round 1, #28 Overall
Kraken draft RW Seth Jarvis Round 2, #42 Overall
Kraken draft LD Owen Kaunisto Round 2, #70 Overall
Kraken draft LW Jake Holmstrom Round 3, #78 Overall
Kraken draft RD Mitch Miller Round 3, #83 Overall
Kraken draft G Josh Langford Round 4, #112 Overall
Kraken draft C Aaron Norman Round 4, #114 Overall
Kraken draft LW Jack Jensen Round 4, #140 Overall
Kraken draft C Kevin Zacharias Round 5, #150 Overall
Kraken draft RW Conor Drouin Round 7, #222 Overall
Let go as UFA
Cale Allen, Mitch Amante, Sebastien Barrette, Leland Irving, Harry Zolnierczyk, Matt Hunwick, Scott Mayfield.
Bought out
Dan Hamhuis, Johnny Boychuk
Left as RFA
Vladimir Tkachyov, Vasily Demchenko
July 7th, 2020
Kraken make big splash in UFA market sign TJ Brodie, announce 5 other signings
TJ Brodie was the big news of the day. Regarded as the top defenseman on the market, the deal is a coup for Kraken defense which lacks top end skill beyond Boqvist. Despite coming off a down year in Calgary, Kraken commit 6 years and 55 million dollars to the 30 year old. Also announced were 24 year old two-way forward Adrian Kempe who has struggled to establish an identity in Los Angeles and Detroit over last few years. Had just 26 points in 72 games last year in Detroit, signed to a risky 5 year, 15 million dollar deal. Kraken brought in 27 year old Garret Sparks from Toronto who is coming off a 15-5-1 season as Leafs backup with a 2.93gaa and .898 save percentage. Caulfield has announced it will be an open competition in camp between Sparks, McDonald and returnee Williams. LW Vladimir Tkachyov is back on a 6year 18 million dollar deal. Also in are prospects LD Eero Teravainen and C Jordan Maher.
July 15th, 2020
Kraken sign ex-Jet Blake Wheeler to a 5 year, 35 million dollar deal.
A risky long term deal for a 34 year old player, but the former Jet captain will add leadership to what figures to be a young group as well as consistent two-way 65ish point play.
August 16th, 2020
Kraken trade C Konstantin Okulov and RW Justin Brazeau to Columbus for rights to C Alex Newhook
Columbus was desperately thin down the middle as they look to compete for a cup. Speedy Newhook, who was a #18 overall pick in 2019 struggling in his freshman year in college so is a project.
September 30, 2020
Training Camp Battle Review
The goaltending battle was a fierce one, but in the end Garret Sparks and Stephon Williams have come out on top. With the incredible struggles in net Kraken have faced this might not be a permanent situation. McDonald has cleared waivers and will be pushing hard all year.
The defense had 3 main contenders for the final two spots, with another 3 having long shots to make it. All the long shots (2019 #17 pick 19yo Byron Byram, 2018 #83 pick 20yo Danila Zhuravlyov, 2019 undrafted 21yo Jonathan Smart) bowed out early on. The final 3 (25yo Jimmy Schuldt 19gp last year, 25yo Jordan Gross 1gp last year, 23yo Jack Ahcan 0gp last year) would battle right until the end. In the end Gross' offensive prowless would win him the #6 role and Ahcan's skating would get him the #7. Schuldt would clear waivers and be the #8 guy for the Kraken for the 4th straight season.
Among the forwards it looked locked up yet there was potential. Some guys that needed to step up such as Commisso, Frost, Meireles, Carpenter failed to step up and camp would go mostly as expected. Matt Gaudreau who had 68 games over past two years, including spending all of last year on the roster would fail to step up losing his spot to newcomer back from Europe in Sam Lorentz. However a fantastic camp from 19yo reigning AHL rookie of the year in #16 pick from 2019 Isac Andersson would force his way into top 9 (along with poor camp from Grigorenko) and eliminate Lorentz's spot off the roster.
2020-21 Seattle Kraken
Vladimir Tkachyov - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins"A" - Blake Wheeler"A"
Nikolai Prokhorkin - Alexis Lafreniere - Steve Moses"A"
Oscar Lindberg - Isac Andersson - Martin Frk
Zack Hyman - Andrew Copp - Adrian Kempe
ex: Mikhail Grigorenko, Daniel Carr
TJ Brodie - Adam Boqvist
Tobias Enstrom"C" - Cody Franson
Artyom Zub - Jordan Gross
ex: Jack Ahcan
Garret Sparks
Stephon Williams
2020-21 Utah Grizzlies
Philipp Kurashev (21yo, #44 2018) - Greg Meireles (21yo, #72 2018) - Matt Gaudreau"C" (25yo, undrafted)
Steven Lorentz (24yo, undrafted) - Dominic Commisso"A" (22yo, undrafted) - Nicolas Guay (21yo, #230 2019)
Robert Carpenter (24yo, undrafted) - Kevin Hancock (22yo, undrafted) - Dominik Bokk (20yo, #77 2018)
Joel Teasdale (21yo, #107 2018) - Morgan Frost (21yo, #27 2017) - MacAuley Carson (21yo, #134 2018)
Jimmy Schuldt"A" (25yo, undrafted) - Danila Zhuravlyov (20yo, #82 2018)
Jonathan Smart (21yo, undrafted) - Kale Clague"A" (22yo, #51 2016)
Noah Dobson (20yo, #93 2018) - Jesse Lees (25yo, undrafted)
Mason McDonald (24yo, #34 2014)
Stephane Dhillon (22yo, #111 2018)
ECHL
G Zachary Bouthillier (20yo, #69 2018)
LD Eero Teravainen (21yo, undrafted)
LW Blade Jenkins (20yo, #113 2018)
C Cole Fonstad (20yo, #74 2018)
C Jordan Maher (22yo, undrafted)
Top 10 Prospects
G Spencer Knight, 19, Boston College (NCAA), #14 2019
RD Nestori Suoraniemi, 18, Jokerit (KHL), #28 2020
LD Bowen Byram, 19, Vancouver (WHL), #17 2019
C Jamieson Rees, 19, Sarnia (OHL), #52 2019
LW Philipp Kurashev, 21, Utah (AHL), #44 2018
RW Dominik Bokk, 20, Utah (AHL), #77 2018
LD Jordan Harris, 20, Northeastern (NCAA), #138 2019
G Mason McDonald, 24, Utah (AHL), #34 2014
C Alex Newhook, 19, Boston College (NCAA), #18 2019
LD Tobias Bjornfort, 19, Saginaw (OHL), #50 2019
Overall the effort to make the roster younger was a mixed bag. Two 19 year olds will be playing down the middle which might not be ideal. 7 players are set to be UFA's at the end of the year (Tobias Enstrom, Oscar Lindberg, Steve Moses, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Mikhail Grigorenko and Daniel Carr), so there may be changes if the year does not go well. Will be targetting more NHL ready talent rather than draft picks going forward as the team looks to take the next step, hopefully more of my draft picks can take a step forward this year as most of the 2018 class has moved into the pro ranks with the 2019 class looking to make the jump right away as well.