Seattle Kraken forward calls out team who drafted him for giving up on him way too early

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Josh tupper
July 7, 2023 (8:33)

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Drafting and developing in the NHL is one of the hardest tasks that teams have to undertake. With each team having different resources, teams do their absolutely best to piece together what a player might become, while trying to understand who they are. But even teams with the best drafting history sometimes make mistakes and give up on a player too early.

That was the case for the Vancouver Canucks and Jared McCann. The Canucks selected McCann 24th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. The Soo Greyhounds forward played one additional year in the AHL before making the jump to the NHL.

After playing 69 games in the NHL, McCann had struggled and only scored 9 goals and added 9 assists in that time. That's when the Canucks gave up on the forward after just one single season. Recently McCann sat down and discussed his time in Vancouver.

I could've used a year in the AHL...I think they did give up on me early, I really do. Mentally, it affected me a lot. [I] was in a dark place.

McCann eventually moved onto the Pittsburgh Penguins before being acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. In one of Kyle Dubas' biggest mistakes, he left McCann unprotected. The Kraken were thrilled to select McCann and he has flourished ever since.

Last season for the Kraken McCann notched his first 40 goal season and despite his lack of development in Vancouver it appears McCann has finally reached his full potential.