Kraken Draft Chase Reid 7th Overall

With the seventh pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Seattle Kraken have selected Chase Reid from the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

About Chase Reid

Chase Reid’s path to being picked in the 2026 NHL Draft has been an interesting one. He started his junior hockey career in the United States Hockey League (USHL) before spending the 2024-25 season in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds. He has developed his game to become one of the draft class’s top two-way defensemen and saw his offensive production taken to another level with the Greyhounds, putting up 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 45 regular-season games.

Reid stepped up in a big way for the United States at the Under-20 World Junior Championship (WJC) when Cole Hutson went down with injury. Reid proved that the moment and pressure were not too big for him and played a big role for the US. After seeing the development and rise of Reid’s game, there is zero doubt that he can turn himself into a top-four defenseman at the NHL level that can man a power play unit at some point in his career.

THW Prospect Profile Excerpt

“Diving into his game, Reid is a great skater. His edgework is elite, allowing him to carry the puck with ease. He takes advantage of this in all three zones—from breakouts to power-play situations. Reid’s skating is part of the reason why he’s arguably the top play-driving defenseman of the 2026 class.”

“Reid also does a lot of important things from the back end. For one, he has a good defensive stick, which he’s used to kill rush attempts. Also, given his status as a minute-munching, play-driving defender, Reid has to retrieve tons of pucks. He does so admirably, which leads to breakouts the other way.”

Continue reading the full player profile here.

How This Affects the Kraken’s Plans

With the addition of Reid to the Kraken organization, they are adding a defenseman who has all the makings of becoming a top-pair defenseman and a power-play quarterback. He immediately becomes the organization’s top defensive prospect, with the Kraken having focused on forward prospects early in prior drafts, aside from Blake Fiddler (second round) in the 2025 Draft. Kraken fans will have plenty of opportunity to keep tabs on Reid as he will be heading to Michigan State University to play collegiate hockey for the 2026-27 season.