Skill, Size And Heart Was The Kraken's Thought Process During The 2024 NHL Draft

The Seattle Kraken were looking to add skill, size and heart during the 2024 NHL Draft and did just that.

Many people thought the Kraken were going to take a defenceman with the eight overall pick and with Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh still available, the Kraken had a golden opportunity to select their favourite one. In the end, they went with a highly skilled forward in Berkly Catton, who has the potential to be a top point producer in the NHL.

Catton fits under both the skill and heart category. He's listed as 5'11 and 174 lbs so he'll never be considered the biggest player in the NHL but what he is able to do with the puck and how hard he competes every shift is undeniable. His speed, edgework and puckhandling make him a threat in transition and his ability to create space and time for himself makes him highly effective in transition.

The Kraken's fifth-round pick, Clarke Caswell falls under the same category as Catton. The Kraken traded two draft picks to move up and select him due to his skills and smarts. Fighting for ice time on a talented Swift Current Broncos roster, Caswell still put up 26 goals and 77 points. Even with his 5'11 frame, Caswell routinely out-battles his opponents for the puck and is engaged defensively night in and night out.

Julius Miettinen, Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson, Alexis Bernier and Jakub Fibigr all fit the size and heart category. Without question each one of them has skill but the Kraken didn't make these selections based on their skill. Each player is a defence-first player who have the ability to contribute offensively. They are also all over 6'0 with time to put on muscle. The Kraken also selected goaltender Kim Saarinen; a big and technically sound goalie.

The Kraken came into the draft with a plan, stuck to it and executed it. They've received high grades from many hockey outlets and scouts.