A year ago Ron Francis and company surprised most fans by passing on defense at pick No. 8 and plucking local phenom Berkly Catton. The forward pool is now flush—Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Kaapo Kakko, Jani Nyman and Catton give the Kraken legitimate top-six depth—but the next wave of impact defenders is thin. With Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Porter Martone and James Hagens all widely projected to disappear inside the top seven, Seattle’s draft board is expected to start with the best blueliner available when the eighth card is called.
Below are three names the front office will be watching closely over the next seven weeks.
Radim Mrtka – RHD, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Mrtka checks every box a modern franchise covets: right shot, six foot six frame, pro-ready skating and an instinctive first pass. The Czech native posted 35 points in just 43 WHL games, a scoring rate of 0.81 that trailed only two Thunderbirds regulars despite his blue-line duties. Scouts are equally impressed by his defensive polish; most public lists slot him between No. 9 and No. 12 overall.
Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson still patrol the right side for now, but both vets have crossed the 30-year mark—and Seattle’s pipeline thins quickly behind them. Drafting Radim Mrtka would inject much-needed youth and upside into that lane, giving the Kraken a 17-year-old, right-shot cornerstone who can grow into a top-pair role as the current core ages out. His blend of reach, skating, and poise under pressure lays the groundwork for a revamped blue line that can carry Seattle well into the next decade.
Jackson Smith – LHD, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
If Mrtka comes off the board early, Jackson Smith makes an enticing alternative. The Calgary native logged 54 points across 68 contests for Tri-City, good for fourth on his club and first among WHL defenders in his age cohort. At six foot three he combines rangy reach with deceptive finesse, quarterbacking the Americans’ first power-play group and seldom looking rushed on defensive exits. Some analysts have him inside the top ten on talent alone.
Jackson Smith’s left-handed release mirrors Vince Dunn’s—and that’s precisely the appeal. Dunn has been the franchise’s blueline cornerstone since Day 1, but he, too, is nearing 30 and will eventually need a successor to keep the attack flowing from the back end. Smith’s poise, pinpoint exits, and power-play vision position him as a natural heir: a defender who can assume Dunn’s minutes, quarterback the top unit, and ensure Seattle’s transition game keeps humming once the current No. 1 ages out.
Logan Hensler – RHD, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)
Hensler is the wild card. The Woodbury, Minnesota product jumped straight into the Badgers’ top four as a true freshman and held his own against older NCAA competition, delivering 12 points in 32 games while logging nearly 18 minutes per night. What elevates him is elite mobility: quick corners, effortless pivots and a knack for closing gaps early. Opinions on Hensler vary wildly—some rankings slot him as high as No. 7, others in the mid-20s—but most scouts agrees his toolkit is that of a quality NHL caliber defenseman.
Hensler won’t dazzle like a Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar, but his Charlie-McAvoy-esque blend of steady offense, stout penalty-kill work, and disciplined gap control gives him one of the safest floors in the class. For a Kraken organization that prizes puck movers who don’t sacrifice structure, his projection as a reliable, all-situations minute-eater is a smart bet—even if he spends an extra year maturing in the NCAA before turning pro.
Setting the tone
Seattle is in a sweet spot: the prospect cupboard is healthy up front, allowing new general manager Botterill, to swing for a true cornerstone on defence. Whether that is the WHL-honed presence of Mrtka, the power-play poise of Smith or the high-skating upside of Hensler, the Kraken are positioned to leave Los Angeles this June with the foundation of their next great pair. Draft night cannot come soon enough.