While the official announcement won’t come until after 5pm today, early word is the Seattle Kraken have selected Kurtis MacDermid from the LA Kings in today’s Expansion Draft.
Hearing #SeaKraken will select D Kurtis MacDermid from #LAKings.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 21, 2021
According to the above tweet by Frank Seravalli, Seattle GM Ron Francis opted for MacDermid over other names like Kale Clague, Austin Wagner, and Blake Lizotte when he submitted his final list of players to the league office earlier this morning.
In MacDermid, the Kraken could have a defenseman… they could also have a forward.
As we reported last month, plans were allegedly underway to convert the 6-foot-5 heavyweight into a forward this summer. It isn’t clear at the moment how Seattle plans to use him. Now 27 years old, MacDermid has one year remaining on a two-year contract he signed last summer. It comes with a cap hit of $875K.
Over the course of this past season, the Sauble Beach, Ontario native suited up in 28 games with the Kings. Originally signed as a free agent after attending Development Camp in Los Angeles, MacDermid played four seasons with the Ontario Reign after wrapping up his junior hockey career in the OHL. Not known for his goal scoring ability, MacDermid has amassed 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 118 NHL games, along with 151 penalty minutes.
FWIW – MayorsManor had MacDermid listed second in our Expansion Draft Predictions article.
When everybody agrees it’s usually wrong.
Well @mayorNHL had this one when nobody else did.
Bravo. pic.twitter.com/uzxAG1FQ2z
— ALL THE KINGS MEN (@KingsMenPodcast) July 21, 2021
From everything gathered via our sources, the Kings did not make any side deal with Seattle to secure this selection. As noted several times, LA GM Rob Blake wasn’t into the idea of losing a second asset. Instead, he was said to be more content with simply letting the chips fall where they may.
Prior to the 2017 Expansion Draft for Vegas, we had the odds for Kings players at:
Lewis 35%
McNabb 35%
Brown 20%
Nolan/Dowd/Clifford 10%
Perhaps the lesson here is the next time there is an Expansion Draft, bet on the guy we list second. There is a good chance he’s getting selected by the NHL’s newest team.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Without Summer Trades, Up to Five Kings Players Could be Headed to Waivers
Kurtis MacDermid Analytics Report
Prediction: Which Kings Player Will be Selected by Seattle Kraken
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
Huh. Las Vegas took McNabb, now (apparently) Seattle takes Dermie. What is it about the Kings’ heavy hitters that makes them so coveted?
Wow. Nice call.