Report: Seattle Kraken To Draft And Sign Two Big UFA Defensemen

According to Frank Seravalli, the Seattle Kraken are expected to take and sign pending UFAs Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak. This is huge news for the team, as they are bringing in two top-four caliber defensemen.

Early word is #SeaKraken are closing in on contracts with two UFA defensemen: Adam Larsson (EDM) and Jamie Oleksiak (DAL).

Not finalized. But barring any last minute change, the expectation is those players will be the selections from #Oilers and #GoStars.@DFOHockey
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 21, 2021

In 56 games with the Edmonton Oilers this season, Larsson had four goals and 10 points. Although his offensive contributions were not the highest, he is more known for his strong defensive play. The Kraken should certainly deploy him on their penalty kill, as he is immensely reliable. He also is still only 28-years-old, so he has a good amount of time left in his prime.

Now focusing on Oleksiak, the 6'7" 255 pound defenseman was expected to have a lot of takers this off-season. There are not many left-handed defenseman who come with that much size and overall dependability with it. This season also saw him produce a bit more on the scoresheet, as he had six goals and 14 points in 56 games. Like Larsson, he is more of a defensive defenseman, so he too should be killing penalties quite often.

Seattle is already forming a strong blueline with these two additions. It'll be interesting to see how they finish constructing their top-six. Adding a puck-moving defenseman should be on the agenda next.