In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll predict who Seattle takes from each team in the Eastern Conference and briefly discuss the fantasy implications of each selection.

Boston Bruins – Ondrej Kase

Recent reports indicate that Jakub Zboril is likely to be Seattle's selection from Boston in Wednesday's expansion draft. Based on his Dobber Prospects page, he's a well-rounded defenseman with the tools to become a solid top-four blueliner. However, it doesn't seem like he'll be relevant in many fantasy leagues. From a fantasy perspective, I'd really like the Kraken to choose Ondrej Kase. The 25-year-old winger has shown a lot of promise in his young career, but his development has been derailed by injuries. If he can stay healthy next season, which is a big if, he should get plenty of ice time with Seattle and hopefully realize the potential we've been raving about for so many years.

Buffalo Sabres – William Borgen

Given the list of players Buffalo made available to Seattle, it seems likely that the Kraken select a defenseman from the Sabres. I think the decision comes down to Colin Miller and William Borgen, but the latter seems like a better choice because he's younger and cheaper. I'm not too familiar with Borgen's outlook and I don't think he'd be relevant in many fantasy leagues, but I'll refer you to his Dobber Prospects page so you can draw your own conclusions. If the Kraken do take Miller, it would probably boost the defenseman's fantasy value. He was a 40-point guy in Vegas, but his numbers fell off in Buffalo as he was no longer deployed in an offensive role. A change of scenery may come with a change in deployment that could help his production.

Carolina Hurricanes – Jake Bean

Kevin LeBlanc of Dobber Prospects identified Jake Bean as an "offensive puck mover with power-play potential". The 23-year-old defenseman hasn't had much of an opportunity at the NHL level just yet. He skated less than 15 minutes a night last season and was on the ice for just 20-percent of the team's total power-play time. Joining the Kraken would help him escape a crowded blueline in Carolina. He'd be higher on the depth chart in Seattle and would have a good opportunity to realize his potential right away. However, it's worth noting that Dougie Hamilton is currently a free agent and may not be a Hurricane next season. His departure would open up offensive minutes for Jake Bean in Carolina. Therefore, it's possible that Canes GM Don Waddell sends Seattle an asset to ensure they don't take Bean, so the young defenseman can serve as an in-house replacement for Hamilton.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Max Domi

The 26-year-old forward is expected to miss the first month or two of next season as he completes his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. I understand if there's some hesitancy in drafting Domi as a result of the surgery and projected length of absence, but I think there's a lot of upside here. He's two seasons removed from that impressive 72-point year with the Canadiens. In terms of production, that season may turn out to be an anomaly, but I think he still possesses the offensive creativity he displayed back in 2018-2019. His scoring talent was dampened by coach John Torterella's defensive system in Columbus, but I think he can bounce back in a more favourable situation. While his cap hit of $5.3 million seems high, he only has one year left on that deal. Domi thrives in a big market and I think this could be a great low-risk, high-reward pick for Seattle. If it doesn't work out, it's not like there were any other great options from Columbus that they missed out on.

Detroit Red Wings – Troy Stecher

The 27-year-old defenseman hasn't seen much offensive opportunity in recent years, but he has shown flashes of offensive ability which make it seem like there's some untapped potential. Stecher hasn't had much of a power-play role outside of his rookie year in Vancouver, but it's possible that the Kraken at least give him a chance with the man advantage. The path to power-play opportunity seems clearer in Seattle than Detroit – where Nick Leddy, Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek all stand in Stecher's way.  

Florida Panthers – Chris Driedger

Seattle is expected to select Driedger from the Panthers, with reports indicating the two parties are closing in on a three-year $10.5-million contract. Driedger has just 38 games on NHL experience under his belt, and although he's fared well with a 2.09 GAA and .929 save percentage, the sample size is too small to confidently predict what the future holds for him. From a fantasy perspective, I think this move has me most excited about Spencer Knight, as Driedger's departure frees up more starts for the young netminder next season. Given Sergei Bobrovsky's struggles in recent years, Knight may be Florida's starter sooner rather than later. It is important to acknowledge that young goaltenders experience plenty of ups and downs as they work towards realizing their potential (see Carter Hart), so don't be discouraged if Knight runs into a few rough patches.

Montreal Canadiens – Brett Kulak

For the expansion draft, Montreal has exposed a number of high-profile players like Carey Price, Shea Weber and Jonathan Drouin. However, I think Seattle ignores temptation and opts instead for a safe low-profile defenseman – either Brett Kulak or Cale Fleury. In my opinion, there's just too much uncertainty surrounding those big-name players. The fact that Weber's career is reportedly in question, along with his massive contract, make it unlikely the Kraken take a chance on him. While I understand the argument that Price could be the face of Seattle's new franchise, netting millions in jersey sales, I don't think that outweighs his massive contract and injury history. Looking across the league at other players that have been made available to Seattle, it really seems like they could ice a competitive team right away. A team that performs well should be able to attract fans and generate revenue, so I don't think marketing will be a concern for them. Finally, there's Jonathan Drouin, who has been on personal leave for the past few months. I think there's too much uncertainty surrounding his situation for Seattle to take him, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they did. He's one of the most talented forwards available in the draft and if he doesn't return next season, I think they'd be able to place him on long-term injured reserve so that his $5.5-million cap hit doesn't handicap them. With that being said, I think Seattle avoids all the risk and uncertainty that Montreal is offering and opts instead for the affordable and underrated Brett Kulak. Kulak has displayed flashes of offensive creativity in Montreal and I think he'd be a solid bottom-pairing defenseman in Seattle. I'm not sure if he'd be relevant in many fantasy leagues, but we'll see where he ranks in the depth chart and what kind of opportunities he gets.

New Jersey Devils – Will Butcher

I think the obvious choice from New Jersey is Noath Hanks. If I'm Seattle GM Ron Francis looking through the New Jersey's list of available players, my first reaction is definitely "no thanks". In all seriousness, Andreas Johnsson and Will Butcher seem like the team's most enticing options, but I think they're both overpaid for what they bring to the table. Johnsson struggled in New Jersey last season, posting just 11 points in 50 games while averaging 14 minutes of action a night. He was a 40-point player in Toronto so I'm optimistic he can bounce back in a new situation that features more ice time. Will Butcher's best season was his rookie campaign in 2017-2018 when he tallied 44 points in 81 games. Twenty-three of those points came with the man advantage as he enjoyed a 52.4-percent share of the team's total power-play time. More importantly, that was the year that Taylor Hall won the Hart Trophy and Butcher certainly benefitted from playing with Hall on the power play. Unfortunately, Butcher has seen his power-play role and production deteriorate in recent years. He's seen just a 30-percent share of the team's PP time over the past two years, resulting in just three power-play points over 79 games. It's been a combination of reduced opportunity and the fact that New Jersey's power-play isn't as dangerous without Hall's lethal shot. A new opportunity and increased role in Seattle could certainly provide a boost to Butcher's fantasy value.

New York Islanders – Jordan Eberle

The Islanders protected Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin over Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle. Yes, you read that right. Now, a report suggests that Seattle is targeting Bailey, but Isles GM Lou Lamoriello would rather they take Eberle. If that's the case couldn't he have just…protected Bailey instead of Clutterbuck? I guess I understand that Lou didn't want to break up the team's 'Identity Line', but I don't think the Kraken would have been eyeing a 33-year-old guy who gets paid $3.5 million to play in the bottom-six. Regardless, Eberle seems like the most likely pick from the Islanders and I think he'd be a great addition to Seattle's roster. Through his 11 seasons in the NHL, he's established himself as a reliable 20-goal guy who can put 50-60 points. From a fantasy perspective, I'd be really excited to see what Eberle can do outside of New York – where a defensively minded, team-focused system wasn't conducive to individual success and high point totals. During Eberle's time in New York, a lack of power-play production has limited his offensive output. The Isles haven't been very good with the power play in recent years and their decision to split time evenly between two units made it hard for a player to rack up points with the man advantage. A new situation in Seattle could help Eberle find put up more power-play points, boosting his production and fantasy value next year.

New York Rangers – Julien Gauthier

Prospects aren't my area of expertise, so I'll refer you to Gauthier's page on Dobber Prospects to learn more about the 23-year-old winger. If Seattle selects Gauthier, I don't think there are many fantasy implications in the short term as he wasn't a prominent piece of New York's roster. However, he'd have a better opportunity to realize his potential in Seattle than he would in New York – where there's an abundance of talented wingers.

Ottawa Senators – Chris Tierney

From the Senators, I think Seattle has to choose between Evgenii Dadonov and Chris Tierney. Ultimately, I think they go with Tierney because he's younger, on a better contract, and plays the more sought-after position. Either way, I think the player selected from Ottawa will see a boost in fantasy value as they're likely to be surrounded by a better supporting cast in Seattle (or whatever team they get flipped to) than they would have been in Ottawa.

Philadelphia Flyers – Jakub Voracek

I think the Kraken select either James van Riemsdyk or Jakub Voracek from the Flyers. Both players have big cap hits but they're also two of the best forwards available in the expansion draft. After making more economical selections from other teams, I think Seattle will have enough room for either JVR or Voracek. I personally think Voracek has more superstar power as someone who has flirted with a 70-point pace consistently in recent years. However, there's certainly something to be said about the value JVR brings with his goal-scoring ability and more affordable contract. Gostisbehere is another possible option, but I think a player like him is easier to find than JVR or Voracek. From a fantasy perspective, I'd be most excited for Gostisbehere to go to Seattle. In Philly, he's behind Ryan Ellis and maybe even Ivan Provorov in the power-play hierarchy. If Seattle selects Gostisbehere and intends to use him, they'll surely cater to his strengths and give him a prominent role with the man advantage.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Brandon Tanev

Maybe I'm crazy but I feel like Tanev is capable of more than we've seen. He's been limited to a depth role in Pittsburgh, skating fewer than 15 minutes a night, with no real exposure to the team's star players. He scored at a 41-point pace in those conditions last season and racked up 139 hits in just 32 games. Sometimes a player just needs a new opportunity to realize their untapped potential and I think Seattle could provide that to Tanev.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Yanni Gourde

Gourde is an underrated two-way center who would see more minutes in Seattle than he saw in Tampa Bay. It'll be interesting to see how he performs in an increased role and what exactly that role looks like. More power-play opportunity is certainly a possibility as he's been limited to the second unit in Tampa, which saw significantly less time than the star-studded top unit in recent years. Seattle has a lot of talented wingers available to them, such as Gabriel Landeskog, Jordan Eberle, Jakub Voracek and Vladimir Tarasenko. From a talent perspective, I think those guys represent upgrades from Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow – Gourde's latest partners in Tampa. However, there was something about that combination of Coleman, Goodrow and Gourde that just worked. Whether or not Gourde achieves the same chemistry with new line mates in Seattle is a different question, but I think we'll eventually see a combination that fits. For the increased opportunity, I think a move to Seattle would boost Gourde's fantasy value. Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat represent other realistic options for the Kraken, but I think those two have been more reliant on Tampa's superstars for production. As a result, I don't think they'd have as much of an impact outside Tampa Bay as Gourde would.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Alexander Kerfoot

I think this decision comes down to three players: Travis Dermott, Jared McCann and Alexander Kerfoot. In my opinion, this expansion draft features more defenseman that are better than Dermott, than forwards who are better than either McCann or Kerfoot. Therefore, I think it's more likely that Seattle chooses a forward from Toronto. McCann seems like a better option for Seattle, but since he has a better contract than Kerfoot, he's also more valuable to the cash-strapped Maple Leafs. I wouldn't be surprised if GM Kyle Dubas worked out a trade with the Kraken to prevent them from choosing McCann, leaving Kerfoot as the most logical selection. Through two seasons in Toronto, Kerfoot put up a respectable 35-point pace despite playing through unfavourable conditions. He averaged less than 15 minutes of action per game, didn't get much exposure to the Leafs star players and didn't have much of a power-play role. I think a change of scenery and increased opportunity could boost his production next year and make him a more valuable fantasy asset.

Washington Capitals – Vitek Vanecek

Looking through the list of netminders that Seattle can choose from, there really aren't too many enticing options. There are a bunch of big names available like Ben Bishop, Carey Price, Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick, but their big-name value is quickly offset by deterrents like age, contract and injury history. In Vanecek, the Kraken get a 25-year-old netminder who posted a 20-10-4 record as a rookie last year. More importantly, his cap hit of $716,667 leaves plenty of room for Seattle to splurge on big-contract skaters like Mike Giordano and Jakub Voracek. Vanecek's departure would open up a bigger role for Ilya Samsonov in Washington. I'm not completely sold on Samsonov, but I think he can bounce back to some extent next season after having his 2021 campaign derailed by COVID-19.