It was a Seattle Kraken variety-pack. Fitting for a club with no overwhelming need at one particular position. The club grabbed two centers and a defenseman in the 2nd-round, a defenseman in the 3rd-round, a winger in the 4th,
Kraken Draft Picks On Day-2
— 2nd-round (50th) – Carson Rehkopf – Center – Kitchener Rangers (Ontario Hockey League)
— 2nd-round (52nd) – Oscar Fisker-Molgaard – Center – HV71 Jonkoping (Swedish Hockey League)
— 2nd-round (57th) – Lukas Dragicevic – Defenseman – Tri-City Americans (Western Hockey League)
— 3rd-round (84th)- Caden Price – Defenseman – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
— 4th-round (116) – Andrei Loshko – Center – Chicoutimi Saguenéens (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)
— 5th-round (148th) – Kaden Hammell – Defenseman – Everett Silvertips (WHL)
— 6th-round (168th) – Visa Vedenpaa – Goalie – Karpat – (SM-sarja – Finnish premiere junior league)
— 6th-round (180th) – Zeb Forsfjall – Forward – Skelleftea AIK (Swedish Hockey League)
— 7th-round (212tth) – Zaccharya Wisdom – Forward – Cedar Rapid RoughRiders (USHL)
Highlights:
Based on pedigree and scouting, the 2nd-rounders have the highest potential for success.
Rehkopf was second on the OHL Rangers this past season with 59 points in 68 games played. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound center won Gold with Team Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament, an international event that generally features many of the top pre-draft prospects.
In contrast, the World Junior Championship is referred to as “a 19-year-old” tournament, annually featuring the best overage junior players who’ve already been drafted into the NHL.
Kraken fans will get a look at him and most of, if not all of, the 2023 draftees at Development Camp next week.
Almost three dozen friends and family came along to support Rehkopf at the Draft.
“Probably 30 people kind of came up to watch me, so it’s pretty special obviously to share that moment with them,” Rehkopf said. “They’re the reason I’m here, so it’s pretty special.”
Fisker-Molgaard was a hearty snag by the Kraken two picks later. A center who split the season between Swedish juniors and the top Swedish Hockey League shows a strong two-way game. Elite prospects described him:
Offensively, he drives the inside off-puck to create space, supports his linemates, finds outlets under pressure, and puts in yeoman’s work on retrievals.
“I’m a smart hockey player, that’s what I’ve had success with, with the men (SHL) this year,” the well spoken native of Denmark said. “I’ve been doing quite well especially in the defensive zone, that’s kind of been my role this year, so hopefully I can build on my offense and hopefully grow as a player and a person.”
Danes are rare in the NHL, but as Ron Francis references in the video below, the Kraken now have two involved with the organization, the other being NHL winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Kraken fans won’t hold it against 2nd-round pick Lukas Dragicevic that he was a Vancouver Canucks fan growing up. Hockey fans in Washington are familiar with the 6-foot-4, 190-pound defenseman from the Tri-City Americans who possesses great numbers and earned league all-star team honors. Over the past two seasons from the blueline, he put up 107 points in 130 games.
A native of Richmond, British Columbia just outside of Vancouver, Dragicevic enters familiar territory.
“I’ve gone to Seattle so many times in my life just to see the city, go to baseball games and football games and stuff, so I know the city is really nice and the team’s awesome too,” the big D-man said. “I’m just really excited to be a part of this organization.”
Seattle Hockey Insider mentioned earlier the Kraken might select a goaltender along the way and they didn’t disappoint by picking Visa Vedenpää from the Karpat program in Finland. 6-foot-2, 170-pounds and still growing, the netminder shows excellent upside and was easily worth grabbing in the 6th-round.
Earlier at Draft:
— Eduard Sale On Being Picked In 1st-round by Kraken
— NHL Deals Made Ahead of Draft
