Blue Line Station
Fansided

Is this Colin Blackwell’s last day with the New York Rangers? Sure looks it.

By Steve Paulus

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Colin Blackwell #43 of the New York Rangers pauses during warm-ups prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Colin Blackwell #43 of the New York Rangers pauses during warm-ups prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
Colin Blackwell #43 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Colin Blackwell #43 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Rather than do a mock Seattle expansion draft to try to figure out who the New York Rangers will lose to the Kraken, we are going to take a look at what everyone is predicting.  One thing is for certain, the Seattle Kraken are going to be loaded.   The days of the expansion 1974-75 Capitals winning all of eight games are long over.

The other almost sure thing is that Colin Blackwell be the player the Rangers lose in the expansion draft.  We looked at 12 mock drafts conducted after the final protected lists were released and Colin Blackwell is predicted to be the Kraken’s pick on nine of them.

Julien Gauthier’s name showed up on two lists while one writer predicted that the Kraken would select the newest Ranger, Barclay Goodrow.

There were surprising names on the exposed list and we still don’t have any idea what kind of side deals Seattle GM Ron Francis  has cut, something we will find out when the names are called out on Wednesday night.

The Blackwell voters

ESPN – We will lead off with ESPN since it is the new home of the NHL.  Both Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski predicted that it will be Blackwell who will go to Seattle in their draft on espn.com.NBC SPORTS – NBC is not the NHL’s network anymore, but they did weigh in with a mock draft. THE HOCKEY NEWS –  Matt Larkin of the Hockey News weighed in with his choices

NHL.COM – The staff of nhl.com came up with their draft list and Colin Blackwell was one of 16 forwards they predict that the Kraken will pick. They saw him  as a bottom six forward fighting for ice time with players like Mason Appleton (Winnipeg), Brandon Tanev (Pittsburgh) and Blake Comeau (Dallas).

SPORTSNET –Rory Boylen of Sportnet named Blackwell, Julien Gauthier and Ty Ronning

THE SPORTING NEWS – Jackie Speigel of the Sporting News had Colin Blackwell as the Seattle selection, listed 11th overall on the forward depth chart.  Speigel also has ex-Ranger Kevin Shattenkirk leaving Anaheim to join the Kraken.

USA TODAY –USA Today’s Mary Clark also jumped on the Blackwell bandwagon though with no justification.

THE WASHINGTON POST – Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post called Blackwell “a diamond in the rough” and cited his offensive production when he made Blackwell the Post’s prediction for who will be taken from the Rangers.

But it wasn’t all Blackwell, there were a couple other names mentioned.

Home/Analysis