It was a busy week/weekend for the Seattle Grunge.  First up the expansion draft.  Where the club selected 17 forwards, 8 defensemen and 3 goalies.

Quick run down of the playsers selected:

Goalies : Jacob Markstrom, Darcy Kuemper and Carter Hutton - the club also acquired via trade with the Huskies Malcolm Subban

Defensemen : Matt Niskanen (traded to Huskies), Michael Stone (traded to Colonials), Joel Edmunston, John Moore, Justin Falk, Dmitri Kulikov, Xavier Ouellet and Brendan Smith

Forwards : Kyle Palmierir, Bryan Little, Leo Komarov, Tobias Reider, Richard Panik, Michal Chaput, Zach Kassian, Beau Bennett, Brad Malone, Greg McKegg, Cody Eakin, Andrew Agozzino, Marian Gaborik, Sam Gagner, Joakim Nordstrom, Riley Sheehan and Colton Sissons.

Late Friday evening the club also came to terms with the clubs first ever franchise player.

In a press release GM Phil Lesage announced the free agent signing of defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (aka Big Buff).

We are extremely pleased to sign Dustin.  Aside from being a larger than life presence on the ice, Dustin is a leader and a quality person.  Dustin is a veteran of SICHL and will be counted on in the upcoming seasons to be a mentor and leader both on and off the ice.  I just got off the phone with Dustin and he expressed his excitement in joining the Grunge and is really stoked to get going.

Then on Saturday the club made 11 selections in the 2018 entry draft.  With 11 picks in total the club selected 2 goalies, 3 defensemen and 6 forwards.

With two first round picks, the 5th and 26 overall (acquired in a draft day deal with Hamburg; Seattle trading their 2&3 round picks) the club selected winger and power forward Brady Tkachuk (5) and speedy skilled Finnish centre Rasmus Kupari (26).

In the 2nd round the club selected the first goalie of the 2018 draft, from Sweden Olof Lindbom.

Here's a look at the other players selected.

3rd round - Defensemen Axel Andersson

4th round - LW Marcus Karlberg

5th round - Centre Martin Pospisil

6th round - LW Jack Gorniak, Goalie Victor Brattstrom

7th round -Centre Liam Gorman,  Defensemen Alex Kannok-Leipert, Defensemen Michael Callahan

Next up is free agency.  The club drafted a number of restricted free agents in the expansion draft.  Some key players needing a new contract are RW Kyle Palmieri, Goalie Jacob Markstrom, defensemen John Moore and winger Zach Kassian.