New Jersey Devils: 3 Players Seattle Kraken Might Draft

The New Jersey Devils are in a very interesting spot. They are stuck between a rebuild and trying to get better in the present and that has led to some fan frustration. However, there is a really nice foundation being built with kids like Nick Hischier, Jack Hughes, Ty Smith, and Jesper Bratt amongst others. It is going to take a while for it to all gel together but when it does things are going to get fun.

The New Jersey Devils need to be smart with the way they handle the Seattle Kraken.

There is going to be an NHL expansion draft for the second time in the same decade. It is a lot of fun to see new teams but every active team is going to lose at least one player off their non-protected list. The Devils are going to have some decisions to make in terms of that list to determine who the Seattle Kraken has a chance to take.

In 2017, the expansion draft was less of an issue. The Devils were in a way worse spot back then than they are now. It may be hard to believe at this point but they are eventually going to pull through. They aren’t showing it in the standings yet but everyone will see how good they are once their young players develop more.

All we can do right now is guess who the Devils are going to leave unprotected. They are going to, in all likelihood, lose a player that will be successful with the Kraken. These are the three players that have the best chance of being selected in the expansion draft:

The New Jersey Devils may or may not leave PK Subban unprotected.

The New Jersey Devils made a huge trade a few years ago when they acquired PK Subban from the Nashville Predators. It didn’t work out as well as they would have liked but they didn’t give up as much for him as anyone would have thought. He hasn’t been that good for New Jersey but he also hasn’t been as bad as some people make it seem. He is still a great skater and has an incredible shot. The biggest issue is that he is their highest-paid player as he makes nine million a season.

If the Devils leave him unprotected, there are plenty of reasons for the Kraken to select him. For one, he has a massive personality that new NHL fans would love to have. He only has one year left on his deal but you never know what anyone decides after the season is over. His large cap hit would also help Seattle reach the cap floor.

Even though he may not be as good as he once was, he may be one of the better defensemen available in the expansion draft. He had five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 44 games this season. The former Norris Trophy winner has his flaws as a player but Seattle might really benefit from adding a player like Subban.

The New Jersey Devils might lose a cheap young guy like Nathan Bastian.

The New Jersey Devils, in all likelihood, won’t protect Nathan Bastian in the expansion draft. If the Seattle Kraken wants to add a young player on a cheap deal, they might consider a player like Bastian. He isn’t going to go over there and be a game-breaker or anything like that but he can be a solid fourth-liner for a team looking to make it in the NHL. He might even be a good 13th forward on an expansion team looking to hit the ground running.

Bastian is a hard-hitting forward that can play multiple positions. He is mostly known for his ability to play center and right-wing. In the NHL, he is more likely to be a winger than anything else. Bastian can also create some decent offense as well for a player in his role.

In the shortened 2020-21 season, Bastian scored three goals and had seven assists for 10 points in 41 games played. That isn’t terrible for a fourth-line player who had seven career games under his belt going into the season. With the Kraken, he might find himself in a good position as far as teammates. He was great with Michael McLeod and Miles Wood at times during the season this year so you never know what the future holds for a player like this.