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Jason Botterill, Kraken GM · Seattle Kraken Audio Network

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  Speaker 1: All right, joining us now on the Beacon Plumbing Hotline,
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  Speaker 1: the one and only and the Busy Jason botterol GM
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  Speaker 1: of the Crack and joining us now on Draft show coverage. Jason.
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  Speaker 1: First off, thank you very much here for doing this,
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  Speaker 1: And I got to ask you, first off, what's your
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  Speaker 1: advice to people who want to get into this line
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  Speaker 1: of work and prepare mentally for what can be an
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  Speaker 1: absolutely crazy time of year.
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  Speaker 2: Well, no, it's certainly a fun time of the year,
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  Speaker 2: but it's also very busy and stuff a lot of
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  Speaker 2: things different sort of going on in multiple areas. Obviously
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  Speaker 2: you're preparing for the draft, but have so much discussion
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  Speaker 2: going on about roster changes and possible trades and preparing
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  Speaker 2: for free agency. So it just reinforces the ability, like
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  Speaker 2: you know, the importance of your meetings in May, trying
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  Speaker 2: to set out all different scenarios so you have things
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  Speaker 2: lined up for this week.
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  Speaker 1: I certainly appreciate your time here as things get organized
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  Speaker 1: for what is going to be perhaps a big day
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  Speaker 1: and a big few weeks here for the cracking and
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  Speaker 1: his long term plan. But let's talk about this audit.
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  Speaker 1: First off, it's all done now two months ago. The
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  Speaker 1: plan was laid down to define the course and then
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  Speaker 1: to proceed. So first off, what do you believe the
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  Speaker 1: organization accomplished with Sportsology getting them on board and from
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  Speaker 1: what we hear keeping them around as well.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think just it's an opportunity.
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  Speaker 2: You get so busy day to day, year to year,
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  Speaker 2: looking at your team, looking working as an organization, and
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  Speaker 2: I think it was a great opportunity to reflect back on, hey,
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  Speaker 2: what have we done over the five years, where we've
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  Speaker 2: done things well? Where are the areas of improvement? And
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  Speaker 2: I think that's the biggest takeaway is just in the
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  Speaker 2: enjoyment that we've had and interact with Mike Ford, who
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  Speaker 2: obviously oversea Sportsology, just his knowledge and his organization's knowledge
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  Speaker 2: of different organ you know, different companies, different teams, whether
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  Speaker 2: it's the NBA, Major League Baseball football like it's great
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  Speaker 2: and you can certainly get the ideas and suggestions that
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  Speaker 2: they can pass on to us from a sort of
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  Speaker 2: best in practices, areas that we're doing well, areas that
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  Speaker 2: we can prove on and having them as a guidance here,
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  Speaker 2: having them as in sultants in our partnership moving forward here,
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  Speaker 2: I think is going to make our organization that much stronger.
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  Speaker 1: So after working with them, the most curious path by
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  Speaker 1: many about this is what direction do the crack can
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  Speaker 1: ultimately go? And Todd Leiwickie said, we're not rebuilding, but
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  Speaker 1: check back with us on this here. Where do you
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  Speaker 1: feel the organization is that right now? Whether you define
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  Speaker 1: direction as aggressively turning over the roster or completely leaning
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  Speaker 1: into a youth movement.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, to me, we're building our organization, you know, like
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  Speaker 2: have to. You know, I find rebuild as an interesting
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  Speaker 2: terminology to me. We're building right And you know, we've
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  Speaker 2: talked about this quite a bit over the over the years,
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  Speaker 2: like this is not the NFL draft. It takes time
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  Speaker 2: for all these players to get to the National Hockey League.
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  Speaker 2: And that's what's exciting about especially our Ford group that
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  Speaker 2: we have moving forward here now, Like we have a
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  Speaker 2: lot of players either going to be on our team
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  Speaker 2: or close to being on our team there And yeah,
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  Speaker 2: it's great to have a player like Matty Binier's step
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  Speaker 2: into our roster right away pretty much in our first
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  Speaker 2: full year, but so many of those players from our
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  Speaker 2: first draft are now finally being able to make that
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  Speaker 2: contribution you saw it last year with Ryan Winterton and
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  Speaker 2: Jacob mallonson joining there, and you know, you look at
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  Speaker 2: different scenarios that we could possibly have, you know, leading
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  Speaker 2: into game one. You know, there could be a situation
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  Speaker 2: where we have six or seven forwards age twenty three
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  Speaker 2: or below. And that's what gets us excited here about
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  Speaker 2: just the speed, the enthusiasm, the energy that you know,
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  Speaker 2: whether these players were required through trades or through building,
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  Speaker 2: coming through our own organization. That gets our group fired
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  Speaker 2: up and excited about where we're going.
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  Speaker 1: And that leads us here to Sunday. And if I
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  Speaker 1: can use a chronological order of this, the appetizer was
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  Speaker 1: the Mackie Samuskavish trade, then the main course extending Bobby McMahon.
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  Speaker 1: First off, on Bobby, when did you feel really good
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  Speaker 1: about getting this deal to the finish line.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think you're ever confident and getting it to
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  Speaker 2: the finish line until you get the signature and stuff
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  Speaker 2: on the contract. But no, it was we obviously saw
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  Speaker 2: what the fans saw, the fit for our team, the
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  Speaker 2: fit for the style of play that we want to have.
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  Speaker 2: Bobby came into our organization here and you know, brought
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  Speaker 2: his speed, brought his Shot brought his energy and I
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  Speaker 2: think it worked out extremely well for our group. So,
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  Speaker 2: you know, coming out of the season, we certainly want
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  Speaker 2: one of our priorities was to certainly get him resigned.
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  Speaker 2: I think it was an organizational entire effort to sort
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  Speaker 2: of show Bobby a little bit of the area, but
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  Speaker 2: also to what we have coming in our organization, where
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  Speaker 2: we see the direction of the organization moving forward. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, and as Bobby's talked about it, stuff too
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  Speaker 2: him just experiencing the Pacific Northwest a little bit after
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  Speaker 2: season two. So I'm glad that we he had all
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  Speaker 2: those experiences. I'm glad we were able to get signed
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  Speaker 2: and that was a big thing for us moving forward
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  Speaker 2: here and very very excited about having him a part
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  Speaker 2: of our group here for six years.
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  Speaker 1: I want to get to matckiw Samuskevitch. He's known for speed,
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  Speaker 1: quick twitch type of play, great Shot, Lambert said on
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  Speaker 1: these air waves earlier, this team got faster after Sunday
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  Speaker 1: with him. Granted this may involve Lane's corner here, but
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  Speaker 1: when you get a guy like this, what kind of
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  Speaker 1: fit and growth potential comes to mind? When you think
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  Speaker 1: of Mackie.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think it's that he has a lot of
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  Speaker 2: the same qualities that we just talked about Bobby there
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  Speaker 2: right speed that shot first mentality, you know, being able
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  Speaker 2: to get in the fore check, get in and get
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  Speaker 2: to the net. And look, he's coming from a great
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  Speaker 2: organization in Florida. He has a Stanley Cup to his name.
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  Speaker 2: He knows how to have success in nashalc League. We
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  Speaker 2: hope to have a bigger role for him here in
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  Speaker 2: Seattle and for him to really take off. And then
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  Speaker 2: the fact that he has a relationship with Matty Benier's
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  Speaker 2: both of them played at University of Michigan, both the
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  Speaker 2: same age. You know, I think there's just a lot
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  Speaker 2: of fits here with Mackie that got us excited about
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  Speaker 2: wanting to make the trade and bring him to our group.
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  Speaker 1: What kind of timeline are you thinking as far as
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  Speaker 1: a new contract.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think that's a look. We've talked about it.
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  Speaker 2: We have a lot going on here right now. But
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  Speaker 2: his agent, to be honest, is the Bartlett family. They
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  Speaker 2: are the same ones that we just finished with Bobby
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  Speaker 2: McMahon and also with Ryke Reverend.
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  Speaker 3: So we have a very good relationship with with.
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  Speaker 2: That agency, and uh, you know, whether we'll certainly try
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  Speaker 2: to get talking here shortly once we started to get
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  Speaker 2: through free.
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  Speaker 1: Agency, Jason Bottle joining us right now in the Beacon
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  Speaker 1: Plumbing hotline, and this week, how much has a level
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  Speaker 1: of trade activity across this league really surprised you? And
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  Speaker 1: how do you think that maybe kind of defines the
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  Speaker 1: trade market all across.
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  Speaker 3: I don't think it's surprised me at all.
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  Speaker 2: I think we've all gone through our pro scouting meetings,
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  Speaker 2: we've all been preparing for the free agency, and there's
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  Speaker 2: just not the depth of a free agent class this year.
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  Speaker 2: So there's a lot of drive and a lot of
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  Speaker 2: expectations for teams to improve their team. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: they know that free agency can't be that method throughout
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  Speaker 2: from for most teams this summer. So how do you
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  Speaker 2: change your team? It's through through trades. So I think
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  Speaker 2: you've seen it already. It's why we want to jump
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  Speaker 2: out with the you know, not only resigning one of
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  Speaker 2: our own free agentcies in Bobby, but also going out
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  Speaker 2: and get Mackie. I think they'll certainly be more activity
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  Speaker 2: leading into the draft, but then I think you're going
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  Speaker 2: to see things even more into July. Whereas you know,
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  Speaker 2: you sort of talk about most of the trades happening,
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  Speaker 2: you know, around draft time and then get right into
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  Speaker 2: free agency. I think you know, because the class isn't
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  Speaker 2: that big of a free agent I think you're going
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  Speaker 2: to see a lot more trades throughout July two.
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  Speaker 1: Earlier this week on these air waves, you said the
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  Speaker 1: potential of trading the seventh overall pick is in play
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  Speaker 1: if you don't move it. How much do you consider
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  Speaker 1: a pick like this as far as needing to be
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  Speaker 1: NHL ready or close to being NHL ready?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think, look, we're drafting eighteen year old kids.
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  Speaker 2: It's there's always going to be a time frame and
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  Speaker 2: for these but like we do put a lot of
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  Speaker 2: value on the pick at seven. We're certainly in discussions
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  Speaker 2: and different scenarios of possibly trading it, but we also
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  Speaker 2: put a high value on the player that we're going
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  Speaker 2: to get at number seven. There, you look at the
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  Speaker 2: crop this year, there's some very talented forwards. I think
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  Speaker 2: this year especially, there's a lot of very good sort
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  Speaker 2: of you know, potential for top four defensemen. So having
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  Speaker 2: those type options there, look, realistically, most of these players
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  Speaker 2: it's going to be probably two years or so until
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  Speaker 2: they're not ready for national for the National Hockey League.
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  Speaker 2: But there's always exceptions to that for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Players come and go every ten year has a finished
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  Speaker 1: line where and when that is for UFA's like Jamie Alexiak,
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  Speaker 1: Jayden Schwartzeli Tulvinen. That's been a part of the conversation
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  Speaker 1: here in the last couple of months. Where are you
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  Speaker 1: at with them right now and as far as the
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  Speaker 1: open market is concerned a few days away, Well.
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  Speaker 2: Look, we've certainly stayed in touch with their agents on
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  Speaker 2: different things. They obviously all of those players bring an
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  Speaker 2: attribute to a team that we certainly are very familiar with,
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  Speaker 2: you know. That being said, we've talked about it at
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  Speaker 2: the end of the season about having changed to our
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  Speaker 2: group here, bringing in some of our younger players, but
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  Speaker 2: also surrounding them with some veterans and stuff there too,
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  Speaker 2: And I think you saw that on Sunday making a trade.
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  Speaker 2: But also you know, you know, getting Bobby resigned because
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  Speaker 2: we think he's going to be a very good sort
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  Speaker 2: of mentor for some of our younger players too from
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  Speaker 2: that standpoint, So you know, with the free agents we have,
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  Speaker 2: we have a lot of respect for our players there
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  Speaker 2: are free agents will continue to have discussions, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: I think you'll dictate a little bit what maturializes from
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  Speaker 2: a trade front and what also happens from a free
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  Speaker 2: agents front come July one.
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  Speaker 1: After the smoke kind of clayed here from the end
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  Speaker 1: of the regular season, Berkeley, cat and Jacobrien just a
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  Speaker 1: couple of names that have been mentioned a lot here
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  Speaker 1: as far as the Kraken and their future. Now that
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  Speaker 1: that smoke has been cleared, what were your lasting impressions
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  Speaker 1: of them from their seasons Berkeley at the top, Jake
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  Speaker 1: and the Ohl and how big of a summer could
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  Speaker 1: this be for them here?
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  Speaker 3: Well, look, we have high expectations for both those players.
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  Speaker 2: You look at Berkeley, I think he did an outstanding
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  Speaker 2: job this year, learned so much if you look at
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  Speaker 2: where he was in October, in and out of the
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  Speaker 2: lineup to you know, the Mints that he played down
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  Speaker 2: the stretch there, and just his hockey sense is elite.
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  Speaker 2: You know, he showed us a lot of compete, a
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  Speaker 2: lot of skill, but his hockey sense and learning from
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  Speaker 2: those situations, I think he's he realizes, you know, now
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  Speaker 2: reflecting back on the entire season, different things they can
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  Speaker 2: maybe do a little bit better, but also working extremely
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  Speaker 2: hard on his strength and becoming just that much more
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  Speaker 2: ready for an eighty four game schedule here next year.
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  Speaker 3: So we're very excited to have him part of our group.
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  Speaker 2: I think it's really going to allow him having that
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  Speaker 2: whole year under his belt National Hockeleague, he's really going
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  Speaker 2: to take a big jump come October and looking forward
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  Speaker 2: to seeing that. Jake had a great year in Branford,
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  Speaker 2: one of the top teams in the HL, took him
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  Speaker 2: on a long playoff run, played in all situations for them.
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  Speaker 2: It was excited for him to get down at Coachella
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  Speaker 2: Valley at the end of their playoff run. Unfortunately he
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  Speaker 2: was got sick there so couldn't play it in as
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  Speaker 2: many games as we wanted to, But really excited about
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  Speaker 2: his development as a player and where it can go.
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  Speaker 2: And then one other name I'll just bring up to
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  Speaker 2: is Oscar Moguard. We saw a little bit of him
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  Speaker 2: in Seattle this past year. He went back down to
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  Speaker 2: Coachella Valley and was, you know, if not their best player,
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  Speaker 2: one of their best players and one of the best
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  Speaker 2: players of the American Hockey League.
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  Speaker 3: Through two or three rounds of the American Hockey LEAUE playoffs.
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  Speaker 2: Really took his game, and not only we always know
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  Speaker 2: that Oscar has a very good defensive game, but really
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  Speaker 2: took the puck and it was a lot more assertive
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  Speaker 2: from an offensive standpoint.
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  Speaker 3: So I reflect back on his.
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  Speaker 2: First year playing over in North America, playing in the Olympics,
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  Speaker 2: playing in the National Hockey League, being a go to
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  Speaker 2: player in the AHL playoff front, you know, we have
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  Speaker 2: high expectations for him too.
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  Speaker 1: Moving forward, Oscar certainly turning plenty of aheads here. Jason. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: this is again another year that we're trying this format
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  Speaker 1: for the draft in a decentralized setting, and the main
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  Speaker 1: stage is in Buffalo. Everyone else has got their draft
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  Speaker 1: rooms across the league, and you know, somehow said that
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  Speaker 1: they like the old format where there was kind of
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  Speaker 1: a feeling of community. And I think too, if you
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  Speaker 1: want to make a trading and just get up, walk down,
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  Speaker 1: and right, there's a table for the other team about,
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  Speaker 1: you know, a few steps away. But how do you
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  Speaker 1: feel about the old format versus the modern format?
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  Speaker 2: Being honest, I'm very very torn on it. I don't
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  Speaker 2: buy the conversation at the end of the day. We
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  Speaker 2: can certainly get in touch with anybody very quickly from
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  Speaker 2: that bit. But look, from a decentralized process right now,
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  Speaker 2: it's easier for us. Right we're in our offices. It's
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  Speaker 2: easier to communicate with each other about possibilities on how
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  Speaker 2: the draft of unfold versus being on a an arena
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  Speaker 2: floor where everyone's staring at you there. So from our
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  Speaker 2: sort of work standpoint, it's easier. But I do think
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  Speaker 2: we were doing a We did a great job in
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  Speaker 2: sort of promoting the game with the centralized draft, especially
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  Speaker 2: you look at the last three. I think they were Vegas, Nashville,
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  Speaker 2: Montreal one. It was fun, but it was although those
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  Speaker 2: cities did a great job and promoting the game of
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  Speaker 2: hockey and growing the game of hockey. So I can
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  Speaker 2: see the benefits of both sides, and it'll be interested
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  Speaker 2: to see as what we end up doing moving forward here.
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  Speaker 1: I appreciate you taking a break with us here, Jason,
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  Speaker 1: You've got to get back to work, certainly. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for this and cheer to a high battery on that
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  Speaker 1: phone here for this entire draft weekend moving ahead, Thank
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  Speaker 1: you again, Thank you very much.
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  Speaker 2: Mike