Hey, nobody really knows what a Kraken is but everyone knows what a Penguin is. Seattle GM Ron Francis won a pair of Stanley Cups with the Pens. Not only that but Francis’ assistant GM, Jason Botterill, was an assistant in Pittsburgh when the Pens acquired many of the players now available in Wednesday’s expansion draft.
Just for fun – because it won’t happen - but here is a roster Francis and Botterill could put together if they selected nothing but former Penguins.
The Kraken must select 14 forwards, 9 defensemen and 3 goaltenders so that’s as far as I will go. I cannot go as far as 3 goalies since only one former Pens goaltender is unprotected.
Forwards – Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Alex Galchenyuk, Dominik Kahun Jared McCann, James Neal, Carter Rowney, Riley Sheahan, Conor Sheary, Dominik Simon, Brandon Sutter, Scott Wilson
Defensemen – Robert Bortuzzo, Ian Cole, Alex Goligoski, Eric Gudbranson, Jack Johnson, Olli Maatta, Jamie Oleksiak, Derek Pouliot, Justin Schultz
Goaltender – Matt Murray
Okay, not exactly not a whole lot of star power but, by my quick count, those players have accounted for a total of 17 Stanley Cups - 16 in Pittsburgh while Bortuzzo’s was with St. Louis. Plus, we could have a lot of fun with the line combinations.
For starters, we have two-thirds of the celebrated HBK line. Unfortunately, Arizona protected Phil Kessel so how about putting James Neal on the wing along with Bonino and Hagelin?
I would then put together a line consisting of Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad – 4 players who were traded for one another! I know you can’t play 4 guys on a line at a time but Bjugstad will probably be hurt, anyway. But if he is healthy and Brassard dogs it then Bjugstad has a spot.
Since Sidney Crosby isn’t available, Sutter can step in and center two of Sid favorite wingers – Simon and Sheary. Rowney is, by definition, a fourth line center so that fits. Give him Kahun and Wilson or Galchenyuk who shouldn’t be a fourth-liner but certainly played like one here.
Sadly, our defensive corps is a bit bereft, even if four of the players have combined for 8 Cups. I’d actually forgotten that Goligoski was part of the ’09 Cup winning team and maybe he was part of a top pair at one point but none of these guys was ever really considered elite.
Cole, Mattaa and Schultz are solid players and Bortuzzo, Gudbranson and Oleksiak are big dudes. I would select Johnson just so I could buy him out.
Too bad it’s unlikely that Maatta and Schultz would have a chance to reenact their exploits during and after a Stanley Cup parade with this roster.
As for goaltender, Matt Murray is the only former Pittsburgh player available. I figured Thomas Greiss would be out there but Detroit protected him. A potential Murray-Fleury combo is off the boards because, as recent expansion team, Vegas is exempt even though the Golden Knights are one of the strongest teams in the league.
Seattle has a chance to be competitive right away, too, as long as they stay away from too many former Penguins.