The Seattle Kraken have the eighth overall selection in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and after a rough 2024-25 campaign, they will be looking at the draft to try and find another future star to help them search for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Related: Kraken Sign Kaden Hammell to an Entry-Level Contract
While they have made some changes to their coaching staff and within their front office, they’re expected to be quite active when free agency begins on July 1st, 2025. With the upcoming draft in mind, though, here are three targets for the Kraken at eighth overall.Â
Carter Bear
The first potential target is Carter Bear, a forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who played the 2024-25 season with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he scored 40 goals and added 42 assists for 82 points through 56 games, which comes out to a 1.46 points-per-game average. He is widely considered one of the best forwards in the upcoming draft class and could be a solid selection at eighth overall.
Bear has been praised for his ability to play strong defensively while not having to sacrifice his offensive game, and his physical game has been consistently strong. He will need another season to improve his speed and gain more confidence in his shot, but he has the potential to be a steal for the Kraken.
Lynden Lakovic
The second potential target is Lynden Lakovic, a forward from Kelowna, British Columbia who stands 6-foot-4, 190 pounds. In the 2024-25 season with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL, he scored 27 goals and added 31 assists for 58 points through 47 games which comes out to a 1.23 points-per-game average. He is a natural goal scorer who has confidence at both ends of the ice and can easily create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Lynden Lakovic, Team CHL (Eric Young / CHL)
He has been praised for his work ethic and smooth stride, which is always evident when he plays. He could benefit from another season of fine-tuning in the WHL and if he focuses on improving his physicality and consistency in terms of playmaking, he could make the jump to the professional level as soon as the 2026-27 season.
Caleb Desnoyers
The third target, which may be a bit of a stretch, is Caleb Desnoyers. It’s not a stretch because they would be reaching, but rather a stretch because it’s possible he won’t be available to them at eighth overall. He is a future superstar and will likely push to crack an NHL roster as early as next season considering his raw skill and dominant offensive ability, but if he falls for whatever reason, the Kraken should be all over him.
Desnoyers stands 6-foot-2, 172 pounds and played the 2024-25 season with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he scored 35 goals and added 49 assists for 84 points through 56 games which comes out to a 1.5 points-per-game average. He doesn’t have many flaws in his game which gives him an edge heading toward the draft, but that doesn’t mean he won’t slip a little bit. He should be their number one target if he’s available when the Kraken are up to draft, without a doubt.
All three of these players would improve the Kraken’s prospect pool and have the chance to become stars in the NHL down the line. The Kraken have plenty of time to make a decision, but when they do, they will have some strong options and will get to choose a potential future star.
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