2021 NHL expansion draft
| 2021 NHL expansion draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date | July 21, 2021 |
| Location | Gas Works Park Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Overview | |
| League | National Hockey League |
| Expansion team | Seattle Kraken |
| Expansion season | 2021–22 |
The 2021 NHL expansion draft was an expansion draft that was conducted by the National Hockey League (NHL) on July 21, 2021, at Gas Works Park in Seattle, Washington. The draft took place to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 2021–22 season, the Seattle Kraken.
The Kraken were approved to join the NHL in 2018, and they officially joined the league in the beginning of 2021. Prior to the draft, the Kraken had an exclusive three-day free agent signing period, in which they signed Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Chris Driedger, all of whom would be counted as selections by the Kraken in the draft. The draft itself followed the same rules as the 2017 NHL expansion draft, held for the Vegas Golden Knights, in which 30 of the league's 31 teams (the Golden Knights being exempt) released lists of protected players, and the Kraken selected 30 players, one from each. Out of the 30, 25 players ultimately ended up playing for the team.