SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken created a nucleus for their first couple of seasons with the selections made in the expansion draft.
Defenseman Mark Giordano seems in line to be the first Kraken captain.
Other core players include defensemen Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson and Haydn Fleury, forwards Calle Jarnkrok, Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev, and goaltender Chris Driedger.
It was clear Seattle put a priority on defense, but its offensive selections lacked star power.
That's why having roughly $30 million in salary cap space could be a big benefit for Seattle as trades start happening and free agency begins.
The Kraken also made the team's very first trade today. They sent Tyler Pitlick to Calgary for a 4th round pick in 2022. Seattle selected him in Wednesday's Expansion Draft.
The NHL also released the schedule. Seattle starts the season on the road against Vegas. Their first home game is October 23rd against the Canucks.