Kraken wrap up 2023 NHL draft with nine picks on Day 2
SEATTLE – A busy second day for the Seattle Kraken at the NHL draft in Nashville, Tennessee, saw the team continue to load up on high-powered forwards, including one who gave Shane Wright’s squad fits in the recent Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
The day after selecting Czech Republic left wing Eduard Sale with the No. 20 overall pick, the Kraken added forward Carson Rehkopf from the Kitchener Rangers and center Oscar Fisker Molgaard from Denmark with their first two second-rounders at Nos. 50 and 52.
“I think I have a lot of skill for kind of a bigger guy and can move well,” Rehkopf told reporters in Nashville after being selected. “But I can also play a hard style of game.”
He added that combining the two skill sets makes for “a very valuable package” and showing the Kraken he can consistently deploy them every game will be key.
The push toward forwards with their higher-round picks continued a trend from the team’s first two drafts, though the Kraken offset that somewhat by using a final second-round selection at No. 57 on Tri-City Americans defenseman Lucas Dragicevic.
Still, even Dragicevic is known far more for his offensive abilities than his defensive prowess.
Kraken general manager Ron Francis had said heading into the draft he’d likely opt for the best players available regardless of position.
He told reporters once Thursday’s picks were made that he’d seen no reason to deviate from that approach.
“If we’d drafted six straight forwards, then we’re probably looking for the best defender at that point,” he said. “But for the most part, we’re trying to stick to all the work that the guys have done and putting the list together and taking what we feel is the next-best player available.”
A year ago, the Kraken used their top three selections on forwards, taking Wright at No. 4 overall followed by second-rounders Jagger Firkus and Jani Nyman. Two years ago, they made current Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers their No. 2 overall pick and also went heavy on forwards after selecting defenseman Ryker Evans in the second round.
The Kraken had nine picks on Thursday, including the three second-rounders, one apiece in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Their third-round pick at No. 84 was used on Kelowna Rockets defenseman Caden Price. Belarus centerman Andrei Loshko was taken in the fourth round at No. 116 after two seasons with Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Everett Silvertips defenseman Kaden Hammell was taken by the Kraken in the fifth round at No. 148, Finnish netminder Visa Vedenpaa and Swedish centerman Zeb Forsfjall in the sixth round at Nos. 168 and 180, and Cedar Rapids USHL winger Zaccharya Wisdom closed out the team’s draft at No. 212 in the seventh and final round.
“Overall, I think we were pleased with the way it fell,” Francis said. “There might have been one or two we were maybe hoping could go different ways, but that’s the draft, right? When you’re drafting through seven rounds, sometimes that’s going to happen.”
Second-round pick Rehkopf gave Kraken scouts a front-row seat to his abilities in the recent OHL playoffs, his 6-foot-2, 194-pound frame helping power his Kitchener squad to a first-round sweep of the heavily favored Windsor Spitfires. The Spitfires had loaded up on top talent in-season hoping to go to the Memorial Cup, including a deal that saw them land top Kraken prospect Wright.
“Shane is obviously a special player, so playing against him was really cool,” Rehhopf said.
Rehkopf, a native of Barrie, Ontario, just outside Toronto, went on to score two goals and four assists in nine playoff games before upstart Kitchener bowed out in the second round.
His 30 goals and 29 assists in the regular season were third most and second most on his team, respectively, but it’s his overall two-way ability that had some scouts touting him as a high-risk, high-reward gamble that could see him become a top NHL power forward.
“He’s a big, 200-foot-plus centerman that plays a 200-foot game,” Kraken amateur scouting director Robert Kron told reporters. “He’s a great skill guy that can play on special teams.”
Fisker Molgaard, whose father, Lars, played professionally in Denmark for 15 years, was more of a latecomer in rising up draft boards the latter portion of this past season. He’s viewed as a solid two-way player, but his recently surging status means the full extent of his potential and NHL ceiling remains somewhat of a mystery.
He scored four goals and added three assists in 41 games for HV71 Jonkoping after a promotion to the top professional level Swedish Hockey League.
“I’ve been doing quite well, especially in the defensive zone – that’s kind of been my role this year,” Fisker Molgaard said. “So, hopefully, I can build out my offense and grow as a player and as a person so I can one day be playing in Seattle for the Kraken.”
Dragicevic, the team’s final second-round pick, is viewed as a dynamic offensive defenseman who played forward until a few years ago. His father, Milan, played with the Americans and the Spokane Chiefs in the late 1980s and served as a Tri-City assistant coach for two seasons – while also dabbling in acting as a Czech team player in the movie “Miracle” in 2004 and as a Klingon in the television comedy “Frasier” in 1993.
The younger Dragicevic led the Americans with 75 points this past season and was fourth among all WHL defenders in scoring.
His ability to lead attacks with pinpoint breakout passes helped Canada to a gold medal at the Under-18 World Junior Championships and he’s touted as a potential power-play “quarterback” if he can get his defensive game up to NHL standards.
“I’ve said this many times before, I’ve only played defense for three years of my career,” Dragicevic said. “So, I’m just going to continue to get better from here.
“My defense is just going to continue to grow and continue to get better every day.”