Reports are the Devils wanted Slafkovský and didn't have time to deal the pick. Time will tell if Nemec was the right call but one thing known is the two Slovak teens are the highest-ever picks for their country's hockey players - and did so at No. 1 and 2. Slovak legend Marian Gaborik went third overall in the 2002 NHL Draft.
Picking third, Arizona decided on American center Logan Cooley and Shane Wright, who like superstar Connor McDavid was granted an exception to play in the elite junior Ontario Hockey League as a 15-year-old, was delivered to Seattle. Kraken GM Ron Francis, an OHL centerman himself picked No. 4 overall here in Montreal in 1981 on the way to a Hockey Hall of Fame induction, was happy about Friday and no less thrilled Saturday. Plus, more than a few media pundits said Seattle had "won" the first round.
"Obviously, we are excited about the way things fell for us last night getting Shane at the fourth pick," said Francis after the conclusion of Rounds 2 through 7 Friday.
For his part, Wright batted away all media queries about possible disappointment of his draft result, smiling multiple times during his press conference as if to sweep away the gloom of certain reporters looking for a story that wasn't.
"I have everything to smile about," said Wright later in a team suite, right before fielding a call from Kraken veteran Jordan Eberle. Nearby, his parents, Tanya and Simon, said they were equally thrilled their son was heading to the Pacific Northwest and a Kraken organization that this reporter heard discussed in fond terms and strong reputation talking with more than dozen parents the last two days.
Saturday, the Wright family was back in the suite, part of the franchise already. Wright himself was hugging one of the Kraken's four second-round picks, center David Goyette, and the team's third-round selection, defenseman Ty Nelson.
Goyette and Wright have played against each other for nearly a decade and met at various national team camps. Nelson and Wright played as teammates in a spring hockey league-with both sets of parents have sat in the stands together many time. Tanya Wright took the Nelson family photo (six strong) and even repositioned the Nelson family so the lighting would properly and beautifully capture the historic moment.
Both Goyette and Nelson and, for that matter, forward Jagger Firkus picked at No. 35 in Seattle's first pick of 10 total players Saturday, were all ranked higher than their chosen spots. Wright said it will add some "fire" to his NHL pursuit and Goyette, Nelson and Firkus all said the same. Chips on their shoulders all around, Kraken fans know this is a good thing.
Two picks in the second round, Finns Jani Nyman (forward) and Niklas Kokko (goaltender) proved out the Kraken's intention to scour North America and Europe for the best prospects plus use cross-checkers like scouts Jeff Crisp and Darren Yopyk (plus director of amateur scouting Robert Kron and Francis too) to embark on a week to 10-day long trips to Europe evaluating those two and more.
There were more picks and will be a lot more storytelling on the Kraken website and app in coming days as the prospects from 2021 and 2022 all gather in Seattle starting this weekend for a robust development camp that starts Monday through Thursday. The Development Camp will be open to both the media and fans for the on-ice portions of each day. More details to come on all Kraken channels.
For now, a happy Kraken GM Francis and amateur scouting director Kron will depart this Original Six city with the feeling of having "everything to smile about."
"Today was a good day too," said Francis at the podium later Friday afternoon. "We took some swings on guys with offensive upsides who we look to score some goals for us down the road. We ended up getting a goaltender that we like, we put that in the system."
"Yes, it was another good day," said Kron. "We found players there for us [at slots in the second, third and fourth rounds] that we're really excited about. We had a lot of picks and we used them well. We got a lot of centers [six]. Some of those guys can play on the wing, but there's a premium on the center position. We accomplished what we wanted."
12:07 p.m., July 8
