NHL draft preview: Who will Seattle Kraken take at No. 7?

June 25, 2026 Updated Thu., June 25, 2026 at 10:02 p.m.

By Kate Shefte Seattle Times

Chiefs among top prospects

Spokane Chiefs left wing Chase Harrington and center Tyus Sparks are ranked among the top 50 North American skating prospects by the NHL.

Harrington, 26th, and Sparks, 37th, will hope to hear their names called during this week’s NHL entry draft, beginning Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

Harrington, from Prince George, British Columbia, had a career-high 28 goals and 57 points last season and was named the Chiefs co-Player of the Year. Harrington was projected to be selected with the 51st pick, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Sparks, from Meridian, Idaho, joined Spokane in a midseason trade. He ended the season with 28 goals and 65 points.

SEATTLE – The first round of the 2026 NHL draft is set for Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, and the Kraken are going seventh this time.

Several first-round picks have changed hands over the past week. The Kraken acquired the No. 25 overall pick in March in the trade that sent Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to Tampa Bay, but traded that to the Florida Panthers for young forward Mackie Samoskevich on Sunday.

The Buffalo Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division this season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011, are the new, proud owners of the No. 4 overall pick after trading defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and will almost certainly select Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick. Next up are the San Jose Sharks, who should add Frolunda left wing Ivar Stenberg to their impressive young core.

After those two, many of this year’s top prospects are defensemen, and the Kraken could use one. This has been said before. But still the streak continued – Seattle has used every first-round pick so far on a forward, and four of five are centers.

Seattle drafted 6-foot-5 blueliner Blake Fiddler in the second round last year and he was instantly a top prospect at that position. Ville Ottavainen fills in for a Kraken game or two in a pinch, and Tyson Jugnauth just enjoyed a strong first pro season, but there’s no one knocking on the door.

There are a handful of tempting forwards in this draft, and the Kraken do love to be tempted. But if they want a blueliner to build around, this seems like the year. Here are a few options who might be available at No. 7.

Chase Reid, RHD, Soo (OHL)

6-2, 195 pounds

The Michigan State commit will probably go in the top five, then spend at least a year developing in the NCAA. If he falls for whatever reason, the Kraken would get one of the highest-regarded players in the draft. His hockey sense is his calling card.

Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)

6-1, 198

Carels is promoted as a physical, strong two-way defenseman who can advance the puck. He chipped in 73 points in 58 regular-season games last season as an alternate captain for the Cougars, then 10 more in the playoffs. He’s committed to North Dakota.

Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)

6-4, 208

He’s big and brings a range of experience, having played in the WHL before joining the Fighting Hawks. He finished with six goals and 20 points in a top-four role for North Dakota, which reached the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016.

Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)

6-3, 205

His draft projections vary widely, but Rudolph has good size and led his team in scoring with 78 points (28 goals) in 68 regular season games. He then led the team in playoff scoring with nine goals and 18 assists in 27 games. He’s committed to Denver.

Alberts Smits, LHD, Jukurit (Finland)

6-3, 209

A few outlets are singing the praises of the Latvian defender, who has been playing in Finland since he was 13. He held his own against the world’s top talent as a member of Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics and sits No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of international skaters.

Viggo Bjorck, C, Djurgarden (Sweden)

5-9, 181

His size will give teams pause, but he’s skilled and tenacious. Bjorck was Sweden’s top-line center at the recent World Championship and is used to playing against older competition.

Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)

6-2, 182

Nearly everyone has the Bulldogs center going in the top 10. His dad’s team would have to pass on him at No. 3 for the Kraken to have a chance. Malhotra, No. 6 on NHL Central Scouting’s North American skaters, is the son of newly named Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra, and many think he’s the top center in this year’s draft class.

Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)

6-1, 185

Lawrence is Central Scouting’s seventh-best North American skater. The fast, two-way center joined Boston in January after an injury-filled fall with Muskegon in the U.S. Hockey League. He had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 games for the Terriers.

Wyatt Cullen, LW, USA U-18 (NTDP-USHL)

6-1, 181

Another player from an NHL family, Cullen – son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt – played for the National Team Development Program, where Matty Beniers once honed his skills. He’s committed to Minnesota.

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