uncleben
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Gavin Bayreuther re-signed as an unrestricted free agent with Columbus
Claimed off Waivers: [NJD] Nathan Bastian claimed off waivers by the Devils from the Kraken
- Thread starter MMC
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T_Cage
VP of Awesome
- Sep 26, 2006
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The Seattle-Vancouver rivalry we were expecting, but with a twist
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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Oh yeah that’s right. Ronny Franchise’s heart must still be in Carolina. Not about his work with the Kraken so far.
KevSkillz4
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2016
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I feel like this has happened a few times now, where Seattle has already cast away one of their expansion picks and he ends up either with a different team or the original team that left him exposed.
What is Ron Francis doing over there, anyway?
Who was really better from New Jersey for Seattle to take? Johnsson was coming off two bad seasons in a row and carried a decent cap him for someone trending down. Bastian was given a chance and played ok but you can only carry so many players, they drafted 30 guys not everyone was making the roster. They added several free agent forwards as well. I also doubt the trade market for Bastian was anything.
Have you watched the Kraken? Oleksiak is their most physical defensemen and probably the most consistent one they've had all year. His contract is just fine.
Should never have signed it in the first place. This was one of this early mistakes.
Dr Pepper
Registered User
Well that's one player who probably wouldn't end up back with his original team.....already two stints with Dallas, and they're overbooked on the blueline as it is.
The Kraken have lost/moved the following players since the Expansion Draft:
ARI - Tyler Pitlick (traded to CGY for a 2022 4th)
CBJ - Gavin Bayreuther (not signed by Seattle)
DET - Dennis Cholowski (claimed by Washington on waivers)
CHI - John Quenneville (not signed by Seattle)
LAK - Kurtis MacDermid (traded to COL for a 2023 4th)
NKD - Nathan Bastian (claimed by NJD on waivers)
WSH - Vitek Vanecek (traded to WSH for a 2023 2nd)
ARI - Tyler Pitlick (traded to CGY for a 2022 4th)
CBJ - Gavin Bayreuther (not signed by Seattle)
DET - Dennis Cholowski (claimed by Washington on waivers)
CHI - John Quenneville (not signed by Seattle)
LAK - Kurtis MacDermid (traded to COL for a 2023 4th)
NKD - Nathan Bastian (claimed by NJD on waivers)
WSH - Vitek Vanecek (traded to WSH for a 2023 2nd)
hotcabbagesoup
"I'm going to get what I deserve" -RutgerMcgroarty
Maybe Nick Merkley.
I've really liked what Merkley brought to the Sharks when he's been called up. He has very good speed and good vision. Seems to handle NHL size alright too, willing to go to tge net for his small size (5'10'').
From Francis' perspective, if you don't like Johnsson or don't want a 4th line banger like Bastian, why not pick up a former 1st rd pick with potential like Merkley?
Dr Pepper
Registered User
Didn't they get ABB from Tampa as well, only to give him away for free? Or was that a separate waiver pickup.
EDIT: Nvm, just remembered Gourde was their expansion pick. ABB was different.
Merkley was waived earlier this season and cleared. He would have been waived before the season even started, Bastian made the team and played at least. The problem is he's not established enough or have enough upside for a team to trade anything of value for him. Most teams have a few Bastian and Merkleys in their own system.
Yes he should have selected Johnsson. I know he was coming off 2 rough seasons. But there were underlying issues that caused it.
He had an injury plagued season 2 years ago in Toronto and last year he had Covid and as someone with asthma it caused more problems for him than it would a typical person.
It’s an expansion GM’s job to identify undervalued players. It’s what Vegas managed to do multiple times. They even managed to get get paid extra assets to do it.
Who did Seattle manage to grab that has turned into an amazing breakout player?
Tasteless Beaver
Here for the hot takes
KovalchukFistPump
Too lazy to change username
To be fair, there really isn't anyone better they could've taken. At the time, Andreas Johnsson was seen as useless.I feel like this has happened a few times now, where Seattle has already cast away one of their expansion picks and he ends up either with a different team or the original team that left him exposed.
What is Ron Francis doing over there, anyway?
You just said the guy had two bad seasons in a row, knee injury history as well as Covid complications and Francis should take that risk? He makes 3.4M and hadn't played up to that contract in years, that's a easy pass.
Johnsson wasn't undervalued, he was damaged goods. Vegas was handed good young players, I wouldn't call Theodore or Tuch undervalued or some wise discovery by Vegas, they were former 1st round picks who's teams foolishly gave them away for cap purposes. I would say McCann is the top candidate for that as he's close to a ppg player now. Geekie hasn't broken out yet but he's slowly building his game and should be a key part of the top 9 for many years.
McDonald19
Registered User
Also Haydn Fleury healthy scratched half their games, we’ll take him back in Anaheim.
The issue more so with Bastian is you take him to fill a very specific role. If you have someone better to fill that role, you don't take him. If you don't plan on having someone fill that role, you don't take him. Teams are usually looking for enforcer type players through waivers so he isn't someone you just shuffle back and forth from minors.
Studenic would have been a good selection if you want someone to call up for an injury replacement and maybe have him stay with the franchise in hopes of getting a solid 4th liner eventually.
Johnsson was easily the most talented player available and the selection if you wanted to maximize talent.
Butcher would have been an option if they wanted to bring in extra draft capital at the expense of salary.
They should have known well ahead of time if Bastian was a player they wanted to have on their roster.
Bastian is an enforcer? His one fight this year was against Nate Thompson I believe. He's a big physical 4th line kid but not an enforcer or someone who's going to scare any opponents. They gave him over 10 games to show something and he did well, he just didn't do anything to separate himself or make him a must start. They had better options for the 4th line role and are carrying 8D so only one extra forward spot left, it happens with players they get waived all the time.
They have Lind, McCormick and now Sheahan for that callup forward spot. Studenic like Merkley wouldn't have made it on the opening night roster, Bastian did so in that regard he was the right choice. As for Johnsson, Seattle has some talented forwards, he's definitely behind Schwartz. Tanev has been great at LW, Johansson been a surprise, Jankrok is playing well again. Not sure Johnsson is gets the same opportunity with the other players Seattle has. You guys had to retain and give Buffalo a pick to take Butcher, how would he have been a good choice?
Some teams just didn't have much to choose from and Seattle didn't get much out of the pick. It's going to happen, you can't hit on 30 guys.
DudeWhereIsMakar
Bergevin sent me an offer sheet
Ron Francis literally is punishing the Kraken for hiring him as the first GM in their franchise's history.
I pray Francis is fired come next season.
I pray Francis is fired come next season.
Last year he hit everyone he saw, got in an occasional fight, and would run his mouth and get in shoving matches to draw a penalty or get matching minors with a much better player. He's not good enough defensively to take important defensive assignments and not good enough offensively to warrant a roster spot.
I'm not saying the pick was bad - he was the best option to get some useful NHL games out of the pick and would be the best option in a vacuum.
I'm saying there was no direction with the selection. You don't pick a guy with a specific skill set if you don't plan on utilizing that skill set.
RainyCityHockey
Registered User
Appleton has played every game he was available for.
Him coming back from injury was the reason why Bastian was waived.
Though, we've still got eight defensmen on the active roster and Will Borgen has changed his job description to "Dude in the press box".
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I feel like this has happened a few times now, where Seattle has already cast away one of their expansion picks and he ends up either with a different team or the original team that left him exposed.
What is Ron Francis doing over there, anyway?
It has. Gavin Beyreuther, Vitek Vanacek and now Nathan Bastian. All wasted picks. There might be others, but those I know for a fact.
EDIT: Barre Boulet, and someone else already said this. But yeah. What a mess.
