LAS VEGAS — It is draft day in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Seattle Kraken will be among the teams with a top 10 selection.
The Kraken has a new head coach in Dan Bylsma and will be looking to make it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after coming up short in the 2023-24 season. Seattle has the eighth overall pick in this year's draft.
For the first time, the league is hosting the draft live from the Sphere in Las Vegas, not far from where the Kraken's rival Vegas Golden Knights plays home games on the Strip.
Here is who hockey experts and pundits believe Seattle will select No. 8 overall when it goes on the clock Friday night.
The Athletic: Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary (Western Hockey League)
What they said: Seattle has a pressing need for a defenseman in a defense-deep draft. Yakemchuk and Zayne Parekh would be the last of the premium talents available to them in this scenario. Demidov would be in the mix here too, but my gut is they would still lean toward one of the top defense prospects, especially if players like Dickinson or Buium are available and I don’t think GM Ron Francis is a big fan of Russians high in the draft. I think Yakemchuk is more well-liked in the league than he is in public discourse as well.
NHL.com: Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (Ontario Hockey League)
What they said: Parekh (6-foot, 178) is an offensive force that led Ontario Hockey League defensemen with 96 points (33 goals, 63 assists) in 66 games and was voted the top defenseman in the Canadian Hockey League. The 18-year-old has earned comparisons to Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. Questions surround his defensive play, but Parekh is driven to get stronger and improve; for someone graduated high school at 16, there's no question he knows how to put in the work.
Sportsnet: Berkly Catton, F, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
What they said: Seattle would have seen Catton play live more than most NHL clubs because they are closest to Spokane. The Kraken are searching for offence and Catton fits the bill, producing 54 goals and 62 assists in the WHL last season. Catton isn’t a big body, but he should top out around 185 pounds as he matures physically. His size isn’t an issue and his skill is too good to ignore.
The Hockey News: Anton Silayev, D, Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
What they said: The Kraken have done a great job of building up a solid prospect pool in their short existence, but they seem to lack some of the size on the back end that Silayev undoubtedly has. Silayev would give the Kraken a blueliner to build around, and with three years on his KHL deal, they will be forced to let him develop slowly, which will be needed for co-ordination and skill refinement.