The Kraken got off to a great start when their logo and colors were announced last summer (I understand how controversial logos are here at Flyers Nation). They took their first step backwards as an organization when they named Dave Hakstol as their first head coach, someone Flyers’ fans do not miss in the slightest. Tonight, the Kraken took their organization in a strange direction, as they did not select as many of the “big name” guys that were left unprotected league wide. The Kraken instead seemed to have chosen the very much salary cap friendly route, selecting a significant amount of young and cheap potential talent.
The Philadelphia Flyers left some very notable players unprotected, such as Jake Voracek, JVR, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Robert Hagg. When it comes to Jake, JVR, and Ghost, they were likely left unprotected due to salary cap issues. The Flyers were likely hoping Seattle would select one of them, which would have freed up quite a bit of cap space for Chuck Fletcher and the organization to make some roster changes. However, as the Kraken did with many other teams, they did not select one of these prominent and expensive names, and instead choose Flyers’ forward Carson Twarynski. This pick came as quite a surprise and a disappointment to many in Philly, as for the time being, it killed any potential blockbuster trades that Fletcher was rumored to be working on, including one that would have sent Blue’s forward Vladimir Tarasenko to Philly.
Once again, this means Dave Hakstol is partially to blame for leaving the Flyers in an unfortunate spot. We are still struggling with cap issues, and making any additional offseason moves will most likely require trading some of the players we left unprotected like Voracek and JVR. Twarynski certainly isn’t a name the Flyers are going to miss, as he hasn’t necessarily performed in his very limited appearances for the orange and black. This pick leaves the Flyers in basically the exact same place they were in prior to the expansion draft, with cap issues and surrounded with a whole lot of unlikely trade rumors. The highlight of the night in my opinion was the Kraken’s selection of Penguins’ forward Brandon Tanev, a player who has been very productive for the Pens and a guy I personally cannot stand. However, after a lot of excitement building towards this night, I believe it was somewhat disappointing for the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans, all of whom were hoping for some more fireworks after the Ellis trade last week.
