BUFFALO, New York – His play away from the puck is what got Kraken second round draft pick Casey Mutryn on the radar of NHL scouts and will very likely determine his future at hockey’s top level.
The Kraken used their 38th overall selection on Saturday’s second day of the Upper Deck NHL Draft Saturday on Mutryn, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from Norwell, Massachusetts viewed as a straight-line attacker that will crash and battle on every shift.
That part isn’t too surprising, given he’s the son of onetime New England Patriots quarterback hopeful Scott Mutryn, who shared duties at Boston College in the mid-1990s with future Seahawks Super Bowl pivot Matt Hasselback.
His older brother, Teddy, was a third-round pick of the San Jose Sharks a year ago. Both brothers are expected to play at Boston College this coming season.
Mutryn, who won’t turn 18 until next week, is coming off two full seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He captained Team USA at the U18 World Championships this past spring, where he had five points in five games and established himself as an all-around physical threat with relentless energy and a high pace.
Mutryn’s pick comes a day after the Kraken selected Ontario Hockey League defenseman Chase Reid at No. 7 overall, a somewhat surprising development given he’d been rated a Top 3 selection by some in weeks heading into the draft. The Kraken opened the draft’s final day with six picks in Rounds 2-7.
Beyond the Mutryn pick, they also had two fourth rounders (at Nos. 99 and 102), a sixth rounder at 166, and two seventh rounders at Nos. 198 and 204. They had no picks in the third and fifth rounds.
