WaFd Bank Weekly Warmup: July 27

In this special and historic edition of
WaFd Bank
Weekly Warmup, let's look back at the boom-boom-boom events last week, Expansion Draft last Wednesday, schedule release Thursday and NHL Entry Draft Friday and Saturday. Then peek ahead to the beginning of NHL Free Agency at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Let's drop the milestones puck:

The Week That Was: Expansion Draft

Where to start? The same place as always here at the Kraken organization: The fans.
More than 4,000 Kraken faithful filled Gas Works Park and surrounding waters last Wednesday afternoon on one of those gorgeous sunny summer days of which Seattle has an overflow supply.
The line was hundreds deep by 2:30 p.m. for a 3:30 p.m. opening of the gates. Behind the stage, officials made an on-the-fly decision to open the gates early to get the fun started earlier.

Kraken fans filled the seats positioned in front of the stage (love that tentacle!) and Gas Works Parks grounds, checking the box on all sorts of categories:
The Kraken can't honor the fans enough. The gratitude extends to those who attended the event, the hundreds of thousands of fans who tuned into ESPN2 with audience numbers and rating higher than ESPN's major league baseball game that night and everyone who followed the results and presentations on Kraken social and digital channels.
From that stage, what players and presenters and ESPN broadcasters (Chris Fowler and Dominic Moore) beyond the seats was a sea of people on blankets filling Gas Works Parks and beyond, the latter with boats, kayakers, paddle boarders, some who even conversed with new Kraken players behind the stage awaiting their turns on stage.
The mood was joyous, sort of a noisy, giant family or reunion picnic or both with an added last-day-of-school vibe. And, believe it, the six Kraken players on hand in person noticed.

When Kraken forward Brandon Tanev (selected from Pittsburgh) was asked by TV analyst JT Brown to describe his game, Tanev said, "To bring lots of chaos ... [big cheers], to get the building rockin,' [even bigger cheers]."
The next day when Tanev and his five new teammates (Mark Giardano, Chris Driedger, Jamie Oleksiak, Jordan Eberle and Haydn Fleury) toured Climate Pledge Arena, the soon-to-be fan favorite declared, "This place is going to be so loud, so special."
Cool and telling moment from that tour: When the six players walked out from a concourse entrance to see the rink (concrete floor, no ice yet) and seating bowl, every one of them looked for nearby social media producer Zack Peggins to ask if they could use their phones to record videos and photos. More than one took the time to span from one end to the other.
It's not hard to imagine those players helping build a case for free agents available this summer or summers to come. Or give the word to new teammates who come to town for training camp in September and before those players get their own tour.

One more Expansion shout-out: Incredible collaborative production work between the Kraken and the NHL, lining up fun and engaging presenters (including an octopus at the Seattle Aquarium making the Detroit pick, an inside joke to hockey fan) and showing off Seattle's full charms via ESPN2's broadcast.
No surprise new ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes was in middle of the fun, from a Pike Place Market fish throw to an indelible, once-in-an-NHL-lifetime, side-splitting interview with Seahawks great Marshawn Lynch. The crowd at Gas Works Park loved it.

The Week That Was: Schedule Release

In some ways, the release of the NHL 2021-22 regular-season schedule was the most relevant news of the weeks. Fans can start planning their treks to home games at Climate Pledge Arena, watch parties home and away, possible road trips to see the team play and more.
Here are particulars, some serious, some fun facts:

The Week That Was: NHL Draft

The 2021 draft class is headlined by University of Michigan forward Matty Beniers, who starred for his college team and Team USA at the World Junior Championship this past winter.

He made the roster for the men's World Championship this spring, holding his own on the ice and bonding with former New York Rangers/now Kraken forward Colin Blackwell among other NHLers.
"Matty's ability to read the game [where teammates and opponents are on the ice] is not common among players his age," said Robert Kron, Kraken director of amateur scouting, said during a break from the Seattle draft operations room last weekend. "Then he gets selected for the men's Worlds and shows the same ability to see the game, especially as a center down low in the defensive zone."
Second-round pick Western Hockey League defenseman Ryker Evans made the entire Kraken amateur scouting staff quite happy. He was a consensus pick for the 35th overall selection held by Seattle. GM Ron Francis explained the scout group was "pounding the tables" to choose Evans, who joins the Kraken with elite skating skills plus "he has jam [grit, effort, persistence] in his game," said a scout from another NHL franchise.
"I feel blessed to be picked by Seattle," said Evans during an early Saturday morning Zoom call with the media. "I know those fans are loyal and loud. We [WHL Regina] played the Thunderbirds there. Those are the best fans, 100 percent loyal, especially cheering the Seahawks."

The Week That Was: Players Perspectives

The six Kraken players in town were wholly impressed with the fan buzz around town. Calgary defenseman and 15-year NHL veteran Mark Giardano was amazed: "Wednesday [the Expansion Draft] was incredible to see those fans out to support us. Then I got up Thursday and the vibe in the city was even better."

Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was drafted from Dallas as unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team beginning July 28 (see below). The Kraken had an exclusive interview period to talk to free agents like Oleksiak (and new teammates, defenseman Adam Larsson, drafted from Edmonton, and goalie Chris Driedger, selected from Florida).
The 6-foot7, 255-pound defenseman said his choice to sign with the Kraken was "a no brainer for me," citing the hockey operations group and "lots of support here in Seattle." When introduced on stage, his first order of business was to hype the crowd with the question, "How're we doing Seattle?!"
Oleksiak will no doubt bring some humor with his physical style of play. When asked by Kraken TV play-by-play announcer extraordinaire John Forslund about the nickname "Big Rig," Oleksiak explained he got a lot bigger (height and weight) one summer, prompting teammates to come up with the name.
"How big?" asked Forslund.
"Let's just say I had to watch out for doorways," said Oleksiak.

The Week That Was-Ongoing: Free Agency

The Kraken started NHL Free Agency early with the signings of the aforementioned unrestricted free agents Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson and Chris Driedger as part of the Expansion Draft process.
But GM Ron Francis and his hockey operations staff are hard on the free agency case this week. At 9 am. Wednesday, teams can begin signing free agents, both unrestricted and those restricted free agents not receiving qualifying offers from their franchises.
Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team with no connection back to the team losing the player. Same for restricted free agents not tendered qualifying offers.
It's fair to report the Kraken will be looking at both groups as potential signees and additions to the NHL roster starting Wednesday.
Players who received qualifying offers from their team can be pitched an "offer sheet" from other NHL teams. But the player's current team has the option to match the offer within seven days, rendering the offer sheet route less fruitful for the new, interested team.
As for players on the open market, there have been multiple names associated with Kraken interest but nothing confirmed. Better for fans to consider the below categories of free agents that are worth watching, plus consider that even with two trades since the expansion draft, the Kraken still has a surplus of defenseman compared the team's depth chart of forwards.
Note: Some players might sign last-minute with their current clubs. Check back here for a running story on Wednesday's activities.
Check back here Wednesday for Opening Day NHL Free Agency coverage beginning at 8 a.m.