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The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft was held on July 21, 2021, at Gas Works Park in Seattle. The National Hockey League (NHL) conducted the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken to build their roster prior to the team's debut during the 2021–22 NHL season.

Background
Professional ice hockey in Seattle began with the Seattle Metropolitans in 1915 and continued through 1975 with the Seattle Totems. While Totems owner Vince Abbey was awarded a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise in Seattle as part of a 1974 expansion, he failed to make a required payment, and the league rescinded the offer. Another attempt at a Seattle expansion team, headed by Bill MacFarland in 1990, failed when Bill Ackerley withdrew his support. Further complicating expansion efforts was a 1994-95 rebuild of the KeyArena, which left the playing surface too small to meet NHL standards.

Hopes for a Seattle team resurfaced in December 2017, when the Seattle City Council approved a memorandum of understanding for a $600 million renovation of KeyArena. The renovations took place over three years, during which the stadium, renamed Climate Pledge Arena, nearly doubled its square footage. That month, the NHL announced that it would accept an expansion application from Seattle, with considerations based on a season ticket deposit drive to gauge interest. The Oak View Group filed its application in February 2018, with the understanding that the team would begin play once arena renovations were complete. and the league approved the franchise on December 4, 2018, with the season to begin during the 2021-22 season.

Procedure
The Seattle Kraken followed the same procedure that the Vegas Golden Knights had during the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Seattle had to select one player from every NHL team except the Golden Knights, who agreed to forfeit their share of the NHL's expansion fee in exchange for a draft exemption. The Kraken had an exclusive window from July 18 to 21 to interview and sign pending free agents. If they signed a player during this span, that player would be counted as their old team's draft pick. Of these 30 selections, at least 14 had to be forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders. At least two-thirds of Seattle's draft picks were required to have a contract for the 2021-22 season, and the total salary of selected players had to add up to between 60 and 100 percent of the previous season's $81.5 million salary cap.

Protected players
Teams were required to submit their list of protected players to the NHL by 5p.m. (ET) on July 17, 2021, and the league announced the list of protected players the following day. Once teams submitted their protection lists, all NHL rosters were frozen until 1 p.m.(ET) on July 22.

Players whose names are listed in italics were protected for contractual reasons.

Results
The Kraken were required to submit their draft picks to the NHL by 10a.m. (ET) on July 21, and the results were announced at 8p.m. that evening. The draft took place at Gas Works Park in Seattle, with free tickets available to the public. Draft picks were announced in alphabetical order of the player's previous team. Selections from the Atlantic Division were first, followed by the Metropolitan and Central, and ending with the Pacific Division.

Aftermath
The Kraken made no trades for "expansion draft considerations", in which assets were exchanged to ensure that Seattle would select or avoid selecting a certain unprotected player. Some expansion players were traded in the days following the draft. Tyler Pitlick went to the Calgary Flames on July 22 in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. On July 27, the Kraken traded Kurtis MacDermid to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The next day, Seattle returned goaltender Vítek Vaněček to the Washington Capitals, receiving a second-round pick in 2023 that Washington had acquired from the Winnipeg Jets. Two players taken in the expansion draft were pending unrestricted free agents who did not sign with Seattle. Gavin Bayreuther re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two-year contract, while John Quenneville joined the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League.

UFA signings

Draft analysis