Casey Mutryn interviewed with 30 NHL teams ahead of the 2026 Draft in June, including the Seattle Kraken. So how could it be that none, especially those drafting late in the 1st round in Buffalo, called his name on day one?
The Norwell, Mass., native was angry. “I still am, to be honest with you,” Mutryn told New England Hockey Journal. “It’s been a goal of mine to be a first-round pick. No one dreams of being a second-round pick.” He found little comfort in encouragement from family and friends gathered inside KeyBank Center.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster,” the 6-foot-3, 206 pound winger said. “When they come up to announce the pick, your heart starts racing, and you get the butterflies in your stomach. When it’s not you, you take a deep breath, regroup, and wait for it to happen again.”
Kraken Turned Mutryn’s Frown Upside Down
It happened to Casey on the 6th pick of the 2nd round. Mutryn was a Kraken, dissolving any residual annoyance. “You can’t really feel your legs when you’re walking up to the stage, getting a lot of butterflies and excitement and things like that.”
The draftee and his 20+ person traveling party celebrated with Buffalo wings (or course) at a local restaurant. Too soon, Mutryn was saying his goodbyes; the Kraken had booked him a cross-country flight to Seattle for July’s development camp.
He left camp calling Seattle a “great situation.” That’s music to the ears of Kraken director of player development Cory Murphy. “One of my favorite parts is when those new guys walk into the locker room and they see their nameplate in an NHL locker room, that moment for them is really special.
“We want to give them something to take away on the ice, they can take into their training. Also off the ice in the gym, strength and conditioning. Another part is introducing them to what Seattle has to offer.”
The messages all got through to the 2nd round pick. “The staff and the resources we have here, it’s second to none. They’re invested in us. It’s up to us to take what they give us and develop and become the best players that we can.”
Mutryn will begin applying those takeaways this fall at Boston College. He’ll carry a mindset far improved from the sour day one of the draft. “The way they spoke very highly of me and were so pumped to get me. That’s great to hear, and them wanting the best for me and knowing that I’m going to get there someday.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Analyst Reveals “Hidden Gem” in Kraken Prospect Pool
