Style of play will be key in Kraken’s final defensemen battles

SEATTLE – Every Seattle Kraken defender competing for a role has a different set of skills.

There’s Jeremy Lauzon, who played against top lines last season and is an elite penalty killer. Dennis Cholowski is a puck mover who has seen looks on the power play. Connor Carrick has an impressive shot and some speed and has worked as hard as anyone to round out the rest of his game.

None of those three is likely to make up the bottom pair when the Kraken skate on opening night; that’s looking more and more likely to be Haydn Fleury and Carson Soucy.

Soucy, who came from Minnesota in expansion, has already had dinners with Fleury as the two bond off the ice to create some on-ice chemistry, which has been the biggest challenge for the new club.

That duo seems to be clicking, just in time for them to seize the final two spots.

On Friday night in Everett, Fleury started with Jamie Oleksiak and Soucy with Lauzon, but there was a rotation throughout the night.

Fleury has been on three teams in two years, being traded from Carolina to Anaheim last trade deadline and now joining the Kraken. He’s used to the change.

That leaves the final defenders battling for the seventh defenseman spot, and they all have ample experience.

Cholowski has received a ton of looks from all over the ice, playing on the power-play unit in two preseason games. He rebounded nicely from a rough scrimmage earlier in camp. Lauzon comes in after playing with Norris candidate Charlie McAvoy in Boston and will have a different role in Seattle regardless of where they pair him.

Then there’s Carrick, 27, likely destined for the AHL since he signed, who has had his own impact.

Carrick has 241 games in the NHL in which he’s tallied 49 points. Known more for an electric shot and ability to move the puck than anything else, he’s expanded his game throughout camp.

Carrick will have a role with the Kraken, whether it’s out of camp or later on, and his offensive ability is a plus on a team filled with rugged defenders.

Cholowski plays a similar game, which makes his battle with Lauzon, who fits that stay-at-home defensive style, all the more interesting.

Lauzon struggled at times last season; when he didn’t play with McAvoy, his Corsi (a stat that evaluates how many shots a player’s team generates when they are on the ice for or against) dropped to 47.69, tied for 346th in the league. When he played with McAvoy, the pairing was 90th at 56.79.

He would play with a defenseman not of McAvoy’s ilk if he cracks the roster. It’s still just going to come down to the style the Kraken desires.

“They’ve both played games in this league,” said Hakstol. “A significant number of minutes in this league. Things get very competitive from here on in.”