Analysis: Chase Reid to Kraken Could Prove to be Steal of 2026 NHL Draft
The Seattle Kraken selected Chase Reid with the seventh overall pick in the opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft. And it’s not hyperbole: the Michigan native might have been the best defenseman available in the draft as a whole, making his selection one that could prove to be an incredible value for the franchise down the line.
Reid was ranked as the best player in the draft by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and third by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, Elite Prospects, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, and FloHockey’s Chris Peters. Regardless of overall ranking, he was the top defenseman, according to all those scouts/media outlets. The Kraken, who have never selected a defenseman in the first-round in the franchise’s history, made him the fourth defenseman selected on Friday night.
“Right-handed shot defensemen are in demand in the National Hockey League,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill told reporters after the first-round of the NHL Draft. “But overall, just how he plays. When you watch video of him, Chase always has his head up. He has a nice combination of being able to skate his way out of trouble. He also has his head up nonstop to make a quick outlet play.”
Why did Reid fall? That will be a question that remains unanswered for some time. He made a meteoric rise up the junior ranks the last two seasons. The Michigan State University commit was cut from his 2024-25 team in the USHL. He caught on with the Bismarck Bobcats in the NAHL, the second tier of USA junior hockey. He was later added by the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and put up a point-per-game season, improving as much as any prospect in the country. Fast forward to his draft year, he tallied 18 goals and 48 points in 45 games.
One NHL scout interviewed by The Athletic raised questions about the 6-2 blueliner’s playstyle, saying, “He plays a junior game still. He’s a little all over the place sometimes … It’s just at times he can be erratic, but it’s not bad. He’s competitive and he gets back and I think it’s just overall maturity.”
Botterill, for his part, likely doesn’t share that same assessment, acknowledging that Seattle couldn’t have been more ecstatic to have Reid fall into its lap.
“Isn’t it the classic GM: ‘I can’t believe he was there,’ comment?” Botterill joked. “We felt this year there was a lot of top defensemen. I think it's so difficult to actually distinguish between each one of them. Let's just say, there was a lot of defensemen that have that projection to be “top-four” and we certainly had Chase very high on our list.”
Reid, according to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, ranked as the best puck-moving defenseman and best offensive defenseman in the class. They also said he has the best four-way mobility and best shot. According to Pronman of The Athletic, “he projects as a major minutes NHL defenseman who can run a first power play.”
Stating the obvious, the Kraken badly needed a defense prospect of this caliber. Ryker Evans is the only current Kraken blueliner under 27 years old. Top defense prospects Ty Nelson and Blake Fiddler did not really take steps forward this year and neither project to have the offensive, power play-quarterbacking potential that Reid will bring to the Pacific Northwest with him.
“Reid has the size, athleticism and skating ability to be a real difference maker,” Peters said upon ranking Reid third-overall. “His hockey sense has come along, while his defending continues to improve. He’s going to need a year or two more before he can step into an NHL lineup, but his skill level and growing hockey sense lead me to believe he’s got the potential to become a reliable top-pairing defenseman and power-play leader. Reid's slotting is much more based on projection than hard evidence, but the combination of skill, skating and size makes him difficult to pass up.”
Even if he’s a year or two away from signing an entry level contract, Reid becomes the no-doubt, top prospect in the Kraken system upon arrival. He has the makings of a No. 1, right-shot defenseman who can quarterback the top Seattle power play unit for a decade-plus. Even if he doesn’t hit his ceiling, his foundation as a smooth-skater with quality size will keep him on an NHL roster for a long time. After a season or two of development at Michigan State, expect Reid to make an early NHL impact.
“It always feels so much better when it's not forced, right?” Botterill said. “When the top, best player available in our mind, on the list, is also a defenseman that fits very well into our organization.”
After understandably celebrating the selection of Reid, work remains left to do for Botterill and the Kraken as the final six rounds of the NHL Draft await on Saturday, with the second round kicking off at 8 AM PT. They may have struck out on a sign-and-trade for Stars standout Jason Robertson, but still have the ammo to add a different impact player if they wish to do so. They also have picks 38, 99, 102, 166, 198, and 204 left on the board to continue adding to their young talent pool.
