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.
The Kraken took a brief pause from defense in their next two picks to select winger Casey Mutryn at 38th overall. Even though he’s a forward, he brings a high motor, strength in puck battles, and a physicality Seattle needs on both sides of the ice. Many think Mutryn has NHL potential, even without being a first round pick. He was the captain of the United States team at the U18 World Junior Championships. He is off to Boston College this fall, playing for one of college hockey’s bluebloods.
Then, at 99, Seattle went with center Viktor Fyodorov. The 18-year-old Russian is praised for his hockey IQ and willingness to get tough defensively, even as a center. This further confirms Seattle’s emphasis on defense, even among the forwards they drafted. Even though Fyodorov is on the smaller side (5-10, 180 pounds), he plays bigger than that on the ice. His underwhelming offensive output this past season in the lower Russian leagues plateaued his draft hype. Still, at his age, there is plenty of room to grow before he tries to make an impact in the NHL.
After the top 100 picks, like most professional drafts, the NHL Draft typically becomes a crapshoot. The Kraken selected four more defenseman in their last five picks. A clear emphasis on defense was present and obvious. Finn Kearns (St. Andrews College Prep), Luken Huff (USHL), Ola Palme (Växjö Lakers HC U20), and Rylan Singh (OHL) are all defensemen Seattle added late in the draft. Their last pick, in round seven, was William Tomko of the USHL, a center. Despite being a center, he is praised for his tenacity on defense, continuing the theme of the two-day event for the franchise.
Clearly, there was a massive need for defense up and down the ice for Seattle. Botterill addressed it emphatically, with five of their eight picks being defensemen and the three forwards getting defensive kudos in scouting reports. Now, it will be up to coach Lane Lambert and his staff to improve upon the development aspect that has not been up to par in the organization’s first five seasons, with hopes Reid, Mutryn, and others can be key parts of a budding contender in a few years.
