Kraken take forward Eduard Sale with 20th pick in 2023 NHL draft
SEATTLE – The Seattle Kraken were presented with many intriguing choices on offense and defense in picking 20th at Wednesday’s opening round of the NHL draft in Nashville, Tennessee, eventually opting for 6-foot-2, 175-pound left wing Eduard Sale from Czechia.
Sale, 18, had been expected to go higher by some pundits but remained available when the Kraken had their pick. They could have opted for a defenseman – having been linked to a still-available Oliver Bonk – but had said heading in that overall talent would win out over position.
Two-way, intelligent threat Sale had been previously linked to the Kraken and was considered by many to be the best player still around once the 20th pick arrived.
Sale was voted rookie of the year playing for Brno in the Extraliga top Czech professional league this past season, scoring seven goals and adding seven assists in 43 games. He’s projected as a potential power-play and penalty-kill asset.
Kraken general manager Ron Francis had said this week that taking the best player available was a priority for the team ahead of selecting for positional need. The Kraken selected centerman Matty Beniers at No. 2 overall in 2021 and then saw center Shane Wright surprisingly fall their way at No. 4 a year ago in Montreal.
That lucking into Wright and selecting Jagger Firkus and Jani Nyman in the next round left the Kraken a little top-heavier at forward with their prospects compared to on defense. For now, second-round pick Ryker Evans from 2021 remains their top blueline asset after a stellar professional debut with AHL Coachella Valley this past season.
“There’s no sense passing on a particular forward, or defenseman or goaltender if you think he’s the best guy available just because you may need that position down the road,” Francis had said. “If you get the best player available and you develop that player and still need that other position down the road, at least you have talented players that you could look at switching to fill that void.
“The key is making sure you get the best players that when they start to develop, have the best chance of reaching the NHL.”
The choice of Sale was a bit of a safer pick than opting for winger Gabe Perreault, a U.S. National Team Development program prospect expected to go in the top 15 but who also remained available when the Kraken made their selection. Perreault, son of former NHL forward Yanic Perreault, was considered a bit of a higher upside offensive pick with less defensive ability than Sale. He wound up going at No. 23 overall to the New York Rangers.
Sale hails from the same country as Kraken amateur scouting director Robert Kron, who is heavily plugged-in to the European scene. The Kraken have invested big in European scouts and aren’t shy about taking players from all corners of the continent.
Sale had a goal and five assists last winter to help Czechia win a silver medal at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, losing the gold medal game in overtime to Kraken prospect Shane Wright and Team Canada.
Two seasons ago, playing in the Czech Under-20 league, Sale totaled 89 points in just 39 games. That total was the most by any player in that league playing in the season ahead of his draft year season.
Among the things scouts have said Sale must work on: His play away from the puck and attention to detail. He is said to have a great stick, makes plays off the forehand and backhand and is considered a gifted offensive talent who could crack an NHL team’s top-two forward lines if he cleans up all areas of his game.