The Seattle Kraken have signed forward Luke Henman to an unspecified deal as the first player in franchise history. This is just the first of many offseason moves now that the franchise has completed expansion payments to the league and begin full hockey operations. The team announced the historic signing early Wednesday afternoon.
We’ll take #SeaKraken history for $1000, @RonFrancis10.
Question: What is the name of the first-ever player to join the #SeaKraken?
Answer: Who is @lukehenman16 → https://t.co/fQQ4VQk8Xa pic.twitter.com/vM8UQVbCD5
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) May 12, 2021
Kraken Sign Luke Henman
Henman just completed his fifth season with Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native scored 16 goals and 43 points in 32 games. That is an excellent season even when you account for his age relative to the rest of the league and the shortened season. Henman has collected 63 goals and 214 points in 225 games.
The Carolina Hurricanes originally selected Henman in the fourth round of the 2018 Draft. The 6’0″ forward was part of a strong class that included current contributor Andrei Svechnikov. Henman has average size, but scouting notes indicate that he has good hands and instincts that make him a quality skater. The Hurricanes may have been too deep for Henman to ever make an impact, but he should have much more opportunity with Seattle as it builds out its roster.
What This Means For The Future
The Kraken roster is obviously far from complete, but Henman has as much chance of being a contributor next year as anyone. He will certainly need to get bigger to handle the rigours of professional hockey, but he’s already 21 years old. Seattle will need depth everywhere if it wants to compete right away. The team will probably not be as good as the Vegas Golden Knights were right away. That lack of obvious talent will create more opportunities for less-heralded players. At the very least, Henman should help lead the way at the AHL level. He will also enter Kraken lore as a common trivia question for years to come. Expect far more moves now that the ice is broken on front office activity.
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