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How to watch
Start time: 7:00 PM CDT / 5:00 PM PDT
In the U.S.: ESPN2
In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
Streaming: Either the ESPN app or ESPN.com/watch (cable TV or ESPN+ subscription required)
Tonight, the league welcomes the Seattle Kraken to the table. The NHL’s expansion draft marks the assembly of an official roster, guestimated by some to easily be a Pacific Division playoff team in their first year.
It must be nice to have expansion draft rules like these. Ask Vegas.
Tonight marks ESPN’s debut NHL broadcast, a warm-up to Friday night’s NHL Draft. The expansion draft will be hosted by Chris Fowler and Dominic Moore, with Kevin Weekes on-site for reporting and interviews.
A calvecade of local Seattle celebs will be on hand as well. Has anyone wondered how Macklemore’s doing? Tonight’s your chance to find out. From ESPN’s press release:
The presentation will also feature Seattle Sports stars – past and present – Sue Bird, Marshawn Lynch, Lenny Wilkens, Jordan Morris, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Bobby Wagner and Kyle Lewis to help GM Ron Francis unveil the team’s selections. In addition, Kraken owner and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Macklemore, women’s hockey legend and Kraken scout Cammi Granato, Kraken Intersectionality consultant Chanel Keenan and members of Western Washington Female Hockey and the Anchorage Hockey Academy will also take part.
The Kraken have the opportunity to select one player from each NHL team’s roster, but that doesn’t mean that the draft will be straightforward. Chances are very good players will be flipped for assets and picks, and teams will sweeten the pot to encourage the Kraken to not select particular players.
Who did the Blues’ protect? David Perron and a bunch of exactly who you would expect:
Fowards
- Ivan Barbashev
- Jordan Kyrou
- Ryan O’Reilly
- David Perron
- Brayden Schenn
- Oskar Sundqvist
- Robert Thomas
Defense
- Justin Faulk
- Torey Krug
- Colton Parayko
Goalie
- Jordan Binnington
Who didn’t they protect? Vladimir Tarasenko and Vince Dunn, for starters. It all boils down to those two tonight. It could’ve been Jaden Schwartz, but that went nowhere:
The Kraken had contract talks with pending UFA Jaden Schwartz but ultimately did not sign him during the window which just closed, source confirms. So the Kraken's pick will be another Blues player. Dunn? Tarasenko?@TSNHockey @TheAthletic
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 21, 2021