The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is 24 days away, and the Seattle Kraken are slated to make the eighth overall pick in the first round.
The Kraken have selected forwards with their first-round pick in four consecutive drafts, selecting Matty Beniers (2nd overall in 2021), Shane Wright (fourth overall in 2022), Eduard Sale (20th overall in 2023) and Berkly Catton (eighth overall in 2024). The Kraken’s prospect pool is filled with skilled forwards but lacks on the defensive end, and it’s why many draft experts expect the Kraken to select a defenseman.
If they go this route, the top-ranked defenseman at the moment is Radim Mrtka. For most of the season, Mrtka was the second-ranked defenseman in the class, but recently, he’s seen his name rise in the rankings.
It’s not hard to see why so many draft experts are high on the 17-year-old. Listed at 6’6, 216 lbs, the right-handed defenseman is known as a mobile defenseman despite his large frame. He registered three goals and 35 points in 42 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL.
Before joining the Thunderbirds, Mrtka played 20 games in Czechia, both in the top professional league and in their U-20 league. He recorded one assist in 10 games in the first division and added four assists in 10 games in the U-20 league.
Mrtka projects to have a solid two-way game in the NHL. His size has allowed him to dominate on the defensive side of the puck, and his skating, combined with his puck skills, gives him the potential to be a threat offensively. At the moment, he doesn’t have a very overpowering shot, but with his size, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him develop one as he gets older.
There’s a reason @NHL scouts are enamoured with @SeattleTbirds d-man Radim Mrtka for the 2025 #NHLDraft! 🇨🇿 #U18MensWorldspic.twitter.com/yHpUcjNwJQ
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 24, 2025
He has all the makings of a potential top-pairing or top-four defenseman in the NHL, and with the right development, he could get there. With right-handed defensemen Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson currently on the roster, it would provide Mrtka with great leaders to learn from. Montour would help Mrtka on the offensive side of the puck, and Larsson on the defensive.
Mrtka would be a safe pick at pick No.8 and would instantly become the Kraken’s best defensive prospect, joining a list consisting of Ty Nelson, Caden Price, Lukas Dragicevic and Ville Ottavainen.
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The Seattle Kraken will make the eighth selection of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft after moving down two spots in the draft lottery.
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