The Seattle Kraken gave fans a new hope when they took Jake O'Brien with the eighth pick on Friday night. And that trend of optimism continued into Day 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft. While O'Brien's leading the way, if you're a Kraken fan, you probably can't help but feel good about your team's latest prospects after the Day 2 haul they brought in - one with Blake Fiddler leading the charge.
To be honest, I thought Fiddler was going in the first round, but he slipped to the 36th pick. This let the Kraken snag a pair of first-round-caliber talents in the top 36. And Fiddler's deceptive, too, clocking in at a monstrous 6'5, 220 lbs.
That's the kind of player you'd think would be a classic defensive defenseman, but he ain't. Instead, Fiddler's a right-shot, two-way defenseman who could easily forge top-four minutes when he's ready for the NHL.
Fiddler snagged 33 points in 64 contests, and 10 goals to show for it. He also spent time with the National Development Team, and he represented the U.S. in international play.
The Kraken didn't stop after the O'Brien and Fiddler picks
Jake O'Brien and Blake Fiddler are new cornerstones for the Kraken's prospect pool, but I also wouldn't sleep on the 6'3, 187-lb Will Reynolds. Reynolds is more of a throwback, shutdown defenseman, and he could end up playing third pairing minutes once his career in the lower leagues ends.
The Kraken also had a trio of late-round picks, including defenseman Maxim Agafonov, who put up 14 points and six goals in the MHL in 35 games this year. Agafonov has two-way potential, as does Sweden's Karl Annborn, who put up 24 points and three goals across 39 games in J-20 Nationell.
The Kraken rounded out their 2025 draft with forward Loke Krantz, who put up 12 goals and 17 points in J-20 across 44 matchups. Krantz probably isn't doing much in the way of points. But he'll be a bruiser should he reach the NHL near the end of the decade.
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