Early Forecast

The Kraken's 2023 first-round pick, Eduard Sale, was on Robert Kron's radar five seasons ago when the Czechia-born forward was 13 years old. Natural enough, since Kron is the Kraken's director of amateur scouting and back then a chief European scout for the Carolina Hurricanes. Perhaps even better explaining the early interest is Kron and Sale share the hometown of Brno in their home country.

"I've seen him a lot," said Kron, smiling on NHL Draft first-round night this July. "He's a very elusive, smooth skater. When you watch him play, he plays very smart. I don't think the speed is something you notice right away, but then he realize he's pulling away from guys. He's got a lot of Sebastian Aho in him and in that way he's very intelligent."

Aho is a star center for the Carolina Hurricanes who just turned 26 in late July and has played 520 NHL games, totaling 468 points ( 218 goals, 250 assists). Kraken general manager and back-then Carolina GM Ron Francis, with major input from Kron, drafted the Finnish forward 35th overall in the 2015 draft, surprising many experts who projected Aho as a late-third or fourth round selection. One factor some hockey historians tend to forget: Carolina had no further picks until early fourth round. There were nearly 60 slots in which another NHL team could have deemed Aho a worthy choice.

For his part, Sale (pronounced "Shah-lah") was rated a top-10 pick by many draft experts going into the 2022-23 season based on talent (including the elite skating and hockey IQ the Kraken hockey brain trust consider major guideposts for every draft choice) plus superior play in international competition. During interviews post-draft, Francis and Kron both indicated Seattle liked Sale a lot and were thrilled he was still available at the No. 20 pick.

The so-called experts can be fickle, in this case moving Sale off the top 10 in most mock drafts because Sale produced fewer points than anticipated while playing in Czechia's top men's pro league this past season (seven goals and seven assists in 43 games). One element overlooked is the Czech league culture puts a premium on physical play and earning your playing time, especially the teenagers.

"It's always tough for kids to play against men," said Francis, who debuted in the NHL as an 18-year-old to begin his Hall of Fame playing career. "The fact he was in that league and playing for us is a positive, not a negative. We saw him at the [2023[ World Juniors in Halifax. The kid is a real smart hockey player. He's got skills. We think there's a big upside to his game."

TSN draft analyst Craig Button is a former NHL general manager. He had Sale at No. 7 on his personal draft board and never blinked from a top-10 projection since watching the Kraken prospect play at a high level during international competition starting at age 16.

"The Czech league is not a favorable league for young players, you don't get a lot of time [on ice]," said Button at the 2023 Draft moments after the Kraken's first-round selection. "So now you're not in optimal game shape. You're in shape but you're not in game shape.

"Then you're going and you're playing in these tournaments where everybody's watching. You're going from playing 10 minutes a game, now asked to be the frontline guy. It's a challenge."

In Sale's case, he responded with a goal and five assists on the World Juniors score sheet in seven games for a Czechia team that earned a silver-medal finish. Sale notched an assist in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Canada in the gold-medal game, getting high marks for his play in all zones.

He has exceled when playing against his own age group, an outcome scouts consider a strong indicator of future upside. Sale has played in two Hlinka-Gretzky summer prospect showcase tournaments, producing nine points in nine games. More recently, he scored four goals and added two assists in five games during the 2023 U18 World Championships.

"He's been a dominant player in his age group," said Button. "Whenever he played his age, he wasn't he wasn't a good player. He was a dominant player."

Kron's comparison to Aho is an exciting statement for Kraken fans. Aho is top-five in both points and games played among the 2015 draft class and top-three in goals, only trailing Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid and Vegas' Jack Eichel, who were picked No. 1 and No. 2 overall that summer.

Button adds another comparison sure to turn heads: "I think Sale is like Jason Robertson [the 24-year-old Dallas Stars forward who has posted back-to-back 40-plus goals seasons]. He's got that type of game. He can score, he can make plays and kill penalties. He can skate with any opponent. He's a factor in the game. I don't like to us the term 'steal' for draft choice, but that kid [nicknamed 'Eddie'] is a top-notch player."

Sale was drafted by the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts franchise in the major juniors, an annual event in which every team in the OHL, Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League may select the rights to eligible players who don't have residency status in the U.S. or Canada. If he doesn't make the Kraken opening day roster, it is anticipated Sale will play for Barrie and join seven to eight fellow NHL draft picks.

While known for his offensive skill set, including finding space for himself and teammates in the offensive zone, Sale said his past season in Czechia's top pro league provided him an opportunity to upgrade his defensive play.

"I think I can be the smartest guy on the ice," said Sale on draft night when asked what Kraken fans can expect from him. "I think I'm a playmaker. But I need to gain some kilos [weight]. I will be ready and think I can play one day in the NHL."

Some scouts turned in reports about Sale lacking consistency in his play in all zones, perhaps most especially when the puck is not on his stick. But Kron said Sale was forthright in a meeting during the NHL Combine .

"One thing he mentioned to me is he wants to have consistency," said Kron. "That's something every young kid needs to work at. [Sale] takes contact very well and does what coaches tell him because he understands the game very well. Gaining overall strength is such a big thing with these young kids [to help protect the puck when skating with it]. I think Sale's mentality is to learn and to get better and listen. Our yearly plan for him will be a lot of work. We're going to do what's best for the kid and for our organization to develop his overall game."