SEATTLE — Kraken general manager Ron Francis has no idea who he’ll select Wednesday in a third NHL draft quite different from the franchise’s first two.
Well, check that. Francis has a vague notion from a pool of about seven players who his No. 20 overall choice might be in Nashville. But unlike his obvious No. 2 overall choice of Matty Beniers two years ago and last summer’s surprising availability of Shane Wright at No. 4, narrowing candidates this time is a wider-ranging exercise.
“Obviously, when you’re picking No. 2 or No. 4 you have a pretty good idea of where you’re going to be at,” Francis said after arriving in Nashville for Monday night’s NHL awards ceremony before a draft opening Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena and concluding Thursday with rounds 2-7. “This thing can go a lot of different ways. I think the top of the draft is probably going to be pretty consistent with what we think and then after that, it can go in a lot of different directions.”
