LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Blake Fiddler poses for a portrait after being drafted by the Seattle Kraken with the thirty-sixth overall pick during rounds 2-7 of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft at JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE on June 28, 202 … (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Right-handed defenseman Blake Fiddler of the Edmonton Oil Kings was the first of five draft picks made by the Seattle Kraken on the second day of the NHL Draft.
After taking center Jake O'Brien with their first-round pick on Friday night, the Kraken turned their focus heavily to defense on day two of the draft. Four of Seattle's five selections on Saturday were defensemen.
Seattle moved up two spots in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers to select Fiddler, who had 33 points on 10 goals and 23 assists in 64 games for Edmonton last season.
"We've drafted a lot of forwards over the last couple of years, but to get a player of Blake's pedigree, the size, the skating ability, it was a situation where just we felt we wanted to move up and grab that," general manager Jason Botterill said.
The Kraken moved back 11 spots – from No. 57 to No. 68 overall – to swap No. 38 for No. 36 overall with the Flyers.
"We had some discussions with different teams at the start of the draft there. We felt, you know, with Blake still on the board we were trying to find a way to get up there," Botterill said.
Fiddler won a bronze medal with the United States at the IIHF U-18 World Championships, contributing a goal and two assists in seven games played. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and a right-handed shot, Fiddler provides a needed boost to the Kraken's organizational depth on defense.
"It's an unbelievable feeling being drafted to such a great organization. I couldn't be happier," Fiddler said on a Zoom call with reporters. "A team that seems like they wanted me and I couldn't be more thankful. A little bit emotional the past couple days, but it's awesome to finally be picked."
When asked to describe his game, Fiddler said: "I'm a big, long, rangy, two-way D-man that skates really well, especially for my size," Fiddler said of himself. "I think that I use my legs all over the ice. I defend. Good gaps. I can play heavy minutes, shut down top teams' top lines and I have skills, so I'm able to use it offensively."
His father, Vernon, played 877 games in the NHL over 14 seasons with the Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes and New Jersey Devils.
"He's helped me tremendously, supported me so much throughout my career so far," Fiddler said of his father. "Really good at communicating and if I ever need anything, I can go to him. He's been an amazing help for me.
"The draft doesn't really mean anything. It's the work you put in after. It doesn't matter when you get picked, it's the work you put in after that's going to get you to the NHL and help you stay there. There's a lot of work to be done and he's a guy that really helped me kind of know that and learn about that."
Seattle then selected a left-handed defenseman with the other selection acquired in the Philadelphia trade, taking Will Reynolds of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL with the 68th overall pick.
"He's one of the youngest players in the draft, that helps the development is still there at this young age," director of amateur scouting Robert Kron said. "He's an excellent skater. A tall kid, he's 6-3, there's room to grow physically. He moves the puck extremely well. Plays a very mature game actually for a young kid. Moves the puck up, joins the rush., is always in the right spots. The physicality is coming. We felt very comfortable getting him there."
Reynolds played in 64 games for the Titan this season, recording four goals and 10 assists.
Seattle then made a rare selection given the organizational track record over five seasons. The Kraken selected Russian defenseman Maxim Agafonov of Tolpar Ufa . He's just the second Russian player selected by the Kraken in five years.
"Max was down at the camp held by (agent) Dan Milstein last week that Robert was down there, watching there, and was able to interview Max there, too," Botterill said. "A mature game that he has at such a young age, size, skating ability. I think that's going to be a common theme that you see with all of our defensemen that we drafted here today."
Agafonov had six goals and eight assists with Tolpar Ufa last season.
The only other Russian drafted by Seattle in five years is goaltender Semyon Vyazovoy, who also played for Tolpar Ufa when selected by the Kraken in 2021. Vyazovoy remains in Russia with Salavat Yulaev Ufa and has yet to sign with the Kraken.
"So he's back in Russia for another year," Botterill said of Vyzaovoy. "It's going to be a great opportunity for him to be the go-to starter there. We're in constant communication with his agent, but we feel that's a great spot for him to be a go-to starter. He, I thought, had a great playoff run this year, now it's a situation where he can be the go-to guy for the entire season."
Seattle traded down in the seventh round to add one additional pick to their allotment. The Kraken took a pair of Swedes in defenseman Karl Annborn of HV-71's Under-20 team, and right wing Loke Krantz of Linköping's Under-20 team.
Annborn appeared in five games at the SHL level for, recording a lone assist, but appeared in 39 games for the J20 team. He had three goals and 21 assists for 24 points from the blue line.
Krantz recorded 12 goals and five assists with Linköping's J20 team last season.
Also of note, it's the first year the Kraken haven't drafted a goaltender. Vyazovoy (2021), Niklas Kokko (2022), Visa Vedenpää (2023) and Kim Saarinen (2024) were selected in each of Seattle's first four amateur drafts.
Botterill said they would have taken a goaltender again this year if it lined up for them to do so.
"I think we certainly had some goalies that we would have felt very comfortable picking if they were there in the right spot," he said.
"We've been very happy with the goalies that we've selected over the last couple of years. We feel it's a strength of our organization what we have coming. Obviously, with Kokko being sort of the prize, but with Saarinen and Vyazovoy, I think we have a lot of depth in that situation."
Kraken Draft Picks:
Rd. 1 (No. 8): Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Rd. 2 (No. 36): Blake Fiddler, RD, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Rd. 3 (No. 68): Will Reynolds, LD, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Rd. 5 (No. 134): Maxim Agafonov, RD, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
Rd. 7 (No. 205): Karl Annborn, LD, HV-71 (SHL-J20)
Rd. 7 (No. 218): Loke Krantz, RW, Linköping (SHL-J20)
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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