General manager Ron Francis and the Seattle Kraken select defenseman Vince Dunn from the St. Louis Blues in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.
About Dunn
After being selected in the second round at the 2015 NHL Draft, Dunn burst onto the scene at the age of 21, playing 75 games in his rookie season with St. Louis in 2017-18. He became a staple on the Blues’ defense, scoring five goals and 19 assists for 24 points.
He played an even bigger role in St. Louis the following season, playing 78 games, scoring 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points, while averaging 17:30 of ice time per night. During the playoffs, Dunn suited up in 20 games, scoring two goals and eight points. He played 15 minutes per game to help the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
After starting in all 71 of St. Louis’ games in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 regular season, he scored nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points. He joined the team in the bubble in Edmonton for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and added three assists in nine games before the Blues suffered an early exit.
Related: Seattle Expansion Draft Tracker
The 2020-21 season saw Dunn’s best numbers, even though it was shortened by an upper-body injury that ended his season in April. Playing over 19 minutes per game, he scored six goals and 14 assists for 20 points that season in just 43 games. He played the most minutes of his career and averaged the most points per game in that span. He proved to be a player St. Louis could lean on to play top-four minutes.
What Seattle Gets With Dunn
In his four-year career, Dunn has proven he can be a reliable defenseman who can play a heavy amount of minutes and at 24 years old, he still has more room to grow. He was a key member of a championship-winning team just two years ago at just 22 years of age, so he gives the Kraken both experience and potential.
He is a solid, two-way defenseman who can both make plays defensively and contribute on the offensive end. He can score 5-10 goals a season and average around 15 assists while being that defensive anchor Seattle needs. In 2020-21, his production proved he could even contribute more than that in a full season.
He knows what it takes to win and he has the IQ defensively to make the right plays to help the team win. He’s young enough to be a big part of the Kraken’s future as well. However, he is a restricted free agent, so the team will need to negotiate a contract with Dunn before he takes the ice for them next season.
Selecting Dunn is a move that helps the Kraken win both now and in the future, as he continues to develop into one of the most reliable young defensemen in the league.
Other Notable Blues Left Unprotected
- F Vladimir Tarasenko
- F Jaden Schwartz
- F Mike Hoffman
- F Sammy Blais
- F Tyler Bozak
- G Ville Husso
