The on-ice portion of the Seattle Kraken’s Development Camp kicks off Tuesday as drafted, signed, or undrafted invitees take the ice at the Kraken Community Iceplex. Many of these players are unlikely to ever play for the Seattle Kraken, and those who do could be years away from making their debuts. However, it is always enjoyable to get these early in-person viewings of these players. For the newbies, it is an opportunity to get a baseline view of their skills, and for the players we have seen over the years, it is a chance to observe their progression.
Here are four players I am particularly excited to watch:
Berkly Catton
The obvious prospect to check out is the Kraken’s latest first-round selection, Berkly Catton. Many Pacific Northwest WHL fans in the area will have seen Catton play before, being that he plays for the Spokane Chiefs. Catton had 54 goals and 62 assists over 68 games for the Chiefs in the 2023-24 season. He is fast, creative, and has great hands to become a high-level NHLer. There should be plenty of space out there during camp to really showcase his skills.
Tyson Jugnauth
We have discussed Tyson Jugnauth’s interesting developmental journey in several forums. The defenseman, taken by the Kraken in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, started the 2023-24 season at Wisconsin. However, halfway through the college season, he left NCAA hockey to play with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. This change enabled Jugnauth to offensively shine. In his 13 games with Wisconsin, Jugnauth averaged 0.15 points per game, compared to being a full point-per-game player during the regular season with the Winterhawks. He is a dynamic offensive defenseman and helped create a lot of offense playing in the WHL.
Jugnauth remains unsigned by the Seattle Kraken and would be eligible to play for the Coachella Valley Firebirds should the Kraken sign him. This will be his third Development Camp with the Kraken, and it will be interesting to see how he currently stacks up against other prospects.
Carson Rehkopf
We have been enthusiastic about Carson Rehkopf ever since his first Development Camp, which happened last summer. He was one of the Kraken’s second-round selections from the 2023 NHL Draft and had a monster season for the Kitchener Rangers. He was second in the OHL in goals scored with 52, despite missing a good chunk of time when he was away from the team to represent Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Rehkopf is known for his shot and can score from anywhere on the ice. There is an outside chance that Rehkopf will stick with the Kraken when the regular season starts in the fall.
Lleyton Roed
The Kraken signed undrafted free agent Lleyton Roed in March after an impressive college season with Bemidji State, where he led the Beavers with 30 points in 38 games. He ended up playing five regular-season games and five postseason games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In those brief viewings, he looked very comfortable and noticeably quick for playing his first professional hockey games. Roed might be a few seasons away from contending for a Kraken roster spot, but we like what we see so far.
Camp details
Development Camp is not the most intense hockey you will see, but it is an excellent opportunity to observe the skill of these prospects and can give you an idea of who projects to play in the NHL one day. Camp will go from Tuesday through Friday, with an off day for the Fourth of July.
- Tuesday, July 2: Doors open at 9:30 a.m.; group training sessions start at approximately 9:45 a.m.
- Wednesday, July 3: Private viewing for Season Ticket Members only (advanced registration/ticketing required).
- Friday, July 5: Doors open at 9:30 a.m. with scrimmages starting at approximately 10:00 a.m., followed by a hosted barbecue at 12:15 p.m. for the first 400 fans.
Here is the complete roster of who will be attending development camp:
If you are lucky enough to attend, let us know who catches your eye or your favorite moment.