Report: Seattle selects Vanecek in expansion draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Seattle Kraken have selected goalie Vitek Vanecek from the Capitals in Wednesday’s expansion draft, reports Frank Seravalli. The picks will be formally announced at 8 p.m. EST, but had to be submitted to the league by 10 a.m.
Vanecek, 25, played one season with the Caps going 21-10-4 with a .908 save percentage and 2.69 GAA. He was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft by Washington and worked his way up to the NHL starting with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL and then spending four seasons with the Hershey Bears in the AHL.
Vanecek reportedly joins Chris Driedger and Joey Daccord as the three goalies selected by the Kraken who passed on Montreal goalie Carey Price. Driedger seems like a lock to be the team’s starter in its inaugural season, but Vanecek seems likely to be the No. 2 over the 24-year-old Daccord who has only nine games of NHL experience.
Unless, of course, Seattle decides to flip any of its newly acquired goalie assets in a trade.
The news is not great for Washington. The team was going to lose one player to Seattle regardless, but losing Vanecek and his manageable $716,667 cap hit does nothing to help the team’s cap issues.