Seattle discovered their blueliner of the longer term as with the seventh total choose within the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday, the Kraken chosen Chase Reid, the offensively dynamic defenseman out of the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, capping off what had already been an eventful draft week full of swirling rumors and hypothesis in regards to the group’s path.
For a child who grew up in Chesterfield, Michigan, there is a good probability the Detroit Red Wings have been the crew that first made him fall in love with hockey. Now, as a member of the Seattle Kraken, he might at some point discover himself squaring off towards these exact same Red Wings. It’s the sort of full-circle storyline that makes draft evening particular.
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The manufacturing that made Reid one of many draft’s premier names speaks for itself. The 18-year-old put collectively back-to-back spectacular seasons in Sault Ste. Marie, ending with seven objectives and 33 assists for 40 factors in 39 video games the yr prior earlier than taking a major leap this previous season, posting 18 objectives and 30 assists for 48 factors in simply 45 video games. The bounce in objective manufacturing stood out specifically, establishing Reid as one of the offensively harmful defensemen in all of junior hockey.
His efficiency prolonged to the worldwide stage as nicely. Reid earned a spot on Team USA’s World Juniors roster and continued to shine among the many finest under-20 gamers on the planet, contributing two objectives and two assists for 4 factors in 5 video games, additional cementing his standing as one of many prime defensive prospects on this draft class.
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At six-foot-two and 192 kilos, Reid has the body to become an imposing presence on Seattle’s blue line, and his offensive instincts give the Kraken a future weapon from the again finish that the group has been wanting so as to add for a while.
The child from Chesterfield is headed to Seattle, and if the hockey gods have a humorousness, one in all his first journeys again to the midwest can be a date at Little Caesars Arena.
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