After 2026 NHL Draft, Kraken Defense Gets Much-Needed Overhaul

The prevailing feeling when the Seattle Kraken entered the 2026 NHL Draft was that they were going to pick a defensive player or two. They have a healthy crop of forwards developing, but the gap between their talent in forwards and defenseman was as vast as the Puget Sound itself.

After the 2026 NHL Draft, that gap got a lot smaller, if it didn’t close altogether. First, standout USA Junior Hockey star Chase Reid fell right into their laps at No. 7 overall. Many well-respected pundits had Reid as the top blue-liner in this draft class, expecting him to be long gone by the time the Kraken were on the clock in Buffalo. With just that pick alone, even if he’s going to play at Michigan State for a year or two, the outlook of Seattle’s defense over the next several years gets a huge boost.

The Kraken are still searching for their “north star” player that they develop into a true needle-mover for the organization. Reid could be that guy in a year or two with more seasoning playing against top competition in the Big Ten, including the likes of rival Michigan and Wisconsin. He has just about every tool in the kit to be a successful, productive NHL blue-liner. General manager Jason Botterill and company didn’t stop there either.