Eide: What the Seattle Kraken may look like defensively next season

It was a couple of defensemen who came up big during a 2-1 Seattle Kraken overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins last week. Adam Larsson won the game as he came off the bench and flung a wrist shot that found its way into the net for the game-winner.

Seattle Kraken now getting the Phillipp Grubauer they expected all along

In the third period, Vince Dunn got the puck at the blue line, walked the line, and perfectly placed a shot that was tipped in by Jared McCann to tie the game.

Larsson’s goal and Dunn’s assist provided all the offense that the team needed but overall, Seattle played a great defensive game, allowing just one goal.

Defense is a tough position in hockey.

You’re tasked with keeping the puck out of dangerous areas and in your net, but you also need to be able to skate, pass it, and help drive the offense. Long gone are the days of the brooding, one way, defensemen in the NHL. If you can’t skate and handle the puck, you’re not going to last in the league.

The Kraken have carried eight defensemen for most of the season. Generally, six guys, in three pairs, will play during the game. Seattle’s group has been solid for the most part but as the team finishes the second half of the season, without a playoff berth, it’s obvious that the club will look different next year, and that includes the defensive core.

Mark Giordano is the most likely defenseman to not be back with the Kraken next season. He’s in the final year of a $6.75 contract and is a prime candidate to be moved during March’s trade deadline or allowed to walk as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Assuming Giordano is gone, what does the rest of the defense look like for next season? This may change over the second half of the season but here is a look at who is a lock to be back and who is in the mix.

The locks

Seattle’s back end is not devoid of defensemen and there are players expected back on the roster next season.

Vince Dunn

Selected by the Seattle Kraken from the St. Louis Blues at the Expansion Draft, Dunn has been one of Seattle’s best defensemen and at 24 years old, is a guy they can build around. He has offensive talent and it tied with Giordano for the team lead in points by a defenseman. Despite his young age, Dunn has experience, playing in 306 NHL games and he won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. Look for Dunn to be a top-pairing guy and a quarterback on the power play.

Dunn is under contract next year at $4 million a year before becoming a restricted free agent and the Kraken should make him a mainstay.

Jamie Oleksiak

The guy they call ‘Big Rig’ is obviously big and physical. Oleksiak, 29, is a bit of a throwback known to deliver big hits but he’s more than the old stationary bruisers of the past. He can skate, retrieve the puck, and move it up to the forwards to get out of the zone. That’s evident in the 10 assists he has this season, which ties a career-high. Oleksiak is never going to bring fans to the edge of their seats with end-to-end rushes but he’s a dependable force on the blue line.

He’s under contract for the next four seasons at $4.6 million with a no-trade clause so he’ll be back next season.

Adam Larsson

“Dependable” is a word that describes Larsson, and the veteran will be back for the Seattle Kraken next year. He was originally the fourth overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2011 NHL Draft but has never been a scoring defenseman. Ironically, he’s having one of his better offensive seasons with the Kraken, but his desirable qualities are that he plays physical hockey and has been the go-to defenseman for head coach Dave Hakstol when it comes to matching up with the opponents’ top players.

Larsson is locked up at $4 million for the three seasons so count on him being a Kraken for a while.

Carson Soucy

An argument could be made that Soucy has been the best defenseman for the Kraken this year. He has a good shot and has six goals, which is the most by a Kraken defenseman. His possession numbers have been the best of his career and are on par with Giordano and Dunn’s. Soucy is 27 years old, and it feels like he has yet to hit his ceiling.

Soucy has one more season on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent. That means he could walk after next season and extending him is worth thinking about sooner rather than later.

In the mix

While Seattle’s top two pairings feel fixed and set for next season, the bottom pairing is up for grabs. That’s been the case all year as a revolving door has resulted in players like Will Borgen, Haydn Fleury, and Jeremy Lauzon alternating from healthy scratch to in the lineup.

It’s hard to imagine all three back next year but they are in the mix.

Jeremy Lauzon

He’s 24 and has shown some signs but penalties and untimely turnovers have kept Lauzon from becoming a regular. Lauzon is an RFA this offseason and a more consistent second half could help him stick around for next season.

Haydn Fleury

Another young player, Fleury, 25, started the season as a regular scratch which he admitted last week was tough. He has offensive skills and with injuries, he’s been inserted in the lineup more regularly of late which should help.

Will Borgen

Not much was known about Borgen when Seattle selected him from the Buffalo Sabres, but he has had flashes this year. The Seattle Kraken, with Borgen on the ice, take 51.75 % of unblocked shot attempts and 55.59 % of all shot quality. He’s not a free agent until after next season so he’ll have a chance to prove that those possession numbers aren’t just due to a small sample size.

Cale Fleury

Brother of Haydn, Cale has spent most of the season in the AHL, where he’s played well, but has recently been called up to the Kraken’s taxi squad. Can he take advantage?

Connor Carrick

Like Cale Fleury, Carrick has a good AHL season going and was recalled to the taxi squad on Tuesday.

Ryker Evans

Evans was Seattle’s second-round draft pick during the NHL Draft in July and is the most intriguing candidate here. He’s been spectacular in his final WHL season with the Regina Pats and had a good camp last fall. He’s loaded with offensive skill and has a chance to crack the roster next season as a rookie.

Eide: Seattle Kraken finally playing the way they were built to play

Follow @AndyEide