The Seattle Kraken have never drafted a defenseman in the first round. After three straight years missing the playoffs, Friday could end that streak.
Seattle holds the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the highest selection in franchise history, and the organization's thin blue-line pipeline makes the choice at KeyBank Center in Buffalo feel consequential for fans who watched a 34-36-11 team struggle to keep pucks out of its net all season.
Every first-round pick in Kraken history has been a forward. Four of five have been centers. The Seattle Times' draft preview, published Wednesday, June 25, laid out the defensive cupboard bluntly: second-round pick Blake Fiddler, a 6-foot-5 blueliner taken in 2025, is the organization's top defensive prospect but still developing. Ville Ottavainen fills in for a game or two in a pinch.
Tyson Jugnauth had a strong first AHL season. Beyond that, the Seattle Times reported, "there's no one knocking on the door."
The defensemen most likely in play, per the Seattle Times preview:
- Chase Reid (RHD, Soo Greyhounds, OHL) — 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, committed to Michigan State. Projected by some analysts in the top five; if he slips, his hockey sense makes him the prize of this group.
- Carson Carels (LHD, Prince George Cougars, WHL) — 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, committed to North Dakota. Posted 73 points in 58 regular-season games as alternate captain, plus 10 more in the playoffs. Physical, two-way puck-mover.
- Keaton Verhoeff (RHD, North Dakota, NCAA) — 6-foot-4, 208 pounds. Helped the Fighting Hawks reach the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016.
- Daxon Rudolph (RHD, Prince Albert, WHL) — 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, committed to Denver. Led his team in scoring with 78 points (28 goals) in 68 games. Draft projections vary widely.
- Alberts Smits (LHD, Jukurit, Finland) — 6-foot-3, 209 pounds. The Latvian defender competed for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics and ranks No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting's final international skaters list.
The temptation on the forward side includes Caleb Malhotra, a center ranked No. 6 on Central Scouting's North American list and the son of new Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra, plus Boston University center Tynan Lawrence and USA U-18 winger Wyatt Cullen, son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen.
General manager Jason Botterill reshaped the draft board on Sunday, June 21, trading the No. 25 overall pick (originally acquired from Tampa Bay) and a conditional 2027 second-round pick to Florida for 23-year-old wing Mackie Samoskevich. That leaves Seattle with only the No. 7 selection in the first round.
"I just love his age, love his speed and I love his shot," Botterill said of Samoskevich, a 2025 Stanley Cup champion who posted a modest 32 points in 77 games as a depth forward last season.
Bobby McMann also signed a six-year deal the same day after setting career highs with 29 goals and 46 points. The forward additions make the case for a defenseman at No. 7 even stronger.
The first round airs Friday, June 26, at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN+. Rounds 2-7 follow Saturday, June 27, at 8 a.m. PT on NHL Network and ESPN+.
Key Kraken Dates Ahead
- Friday, June 26, 4 p.m. PT — 2026 NHL Draft, Round 1. Kraken pick No. 7. ESPN/ESPN+.
- Saturday, June 27, 8 a.m. PT — 2026 NHL Draft, Rounds 2-7. Kraken hold No. 38 (second round). NHL Network/ESPN+.
