Training camp officially gets underway Thursday, which brings with it a number of fun topics to monitor and discuss. The Kraken have a new coaching staff, a couple splashy offseason acquisitions, and a top prospect likely making the jump to becoming a full-time NHLer.

Those changes bring burning questions, though, so our team got together to talk about them. Enjoy!

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Q1: Did anyone impress you at rookie camp or during the Rookie Faceoff games?

John Barr: I watched Andrei Loshko from time to time last season when he was playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. I generally liked what I saw, but it’s always tough to make a thorough analysis when you’re only catching periodic views on a less-than-ideal streaming feed.

In rookie camp, he helped confirm my impressions by playing well on both sides of the puck and scoring a goal during the first showcase game in LA. He looked like one of the most developed prospects, and I’m curious about what the Kraken’s plans are for him. He’s eligible to play for the Coachella Valley Firebirds this season, but he remains unsigned by the Seattle Kraken. They must sign Loshko by June 1, 2025, or they will lose his rights, enabling him to sign with any team.

Blaiz Grubic: Finnish goaltender Niklas Kokko showcased his impressive skills during both rookie camp and the prospect game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 2022 second-round pick allowed just one goal and posted a .966 save percentage. He’s expected to play for either the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL or the Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL. Both teams will stream their games on FloHockey, so I’ll be tuning in to watch his development on North American ice this season.

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Curtis Isacke: Lleyton Roed stood out to me with his pace, polish, and compete level. He probably should stand out as one of the oldest players in camp, but it’s not like he’s a multi-year AHL veteran at the end of the (ahem) road. He got into 10 games for Coachella Valley last season and is likely in line for a full slate of games this year. I wonder whether he can carve out a niche as an NHL checking forward in the future. He’s never going to be a top-of-the-roster scorer, but could he be a player who keeps the pace up, pressures opponents at even strength and on the penalty kill, and uses his speed for opportunistic strikes? I’m curious to find out more after a solid camp.

Darren Brown: Alright, well, you guys took all the obvious ones, but what about Nathan Villeneuve? At 18 and having just been drafted this past summer, he still has a long way to go before he’s NHL-ready. But he’s definitely pesky, and if he makes it to the big club one day, he’s going to be extremely annoying for opponents. I like what he brings.

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Q2: Any other takeaways from watching the rookies at rookie camp?

Blaiz: The Firkus Circus is in town! Jagger Firkus, last season’s leading CHL scorer with 126 points, made a position switch from center to right wing. With the Kraken drafting Berkly Catton and already having Matty Beniers and Shane Wright at center, that change could make sense for Firkus’s long-term viability.

Firkus performed well at right wing, scoring one goal and three assists in two Rookie Faceoff games. One thing to keep an eye on: Catton was awarded one of the alternate captain roles, and Firkus was not. This could just be a “sharing the wealth” situation, but we’ll be looking for Firkus to emerge as a leader among the younger guys at training camp.

Darren: Yeah, I wouldn’t read too much into that Rookie Faceoff captaincy thing, although maybe it does say something about Catton’s maturity, considering he was one of the younger guys there.

My other takeaway? Lil’ Jani Nyman is a big kid. We knew this already, but I forgot just how enormous he looks on skates when he’s up close. It was fun watching him get paired up against Ville Ottavainen in drills.

John: It was interesting how much the older guys stood out compared to the younger ones, even though there’s only a year or two difference between some of them. Maybe this should’ve been expected, but guys like Logan Morrison, Tucker Robertson, Jacob Melanson, Ottavainen, and several others looked much closer to making it to the NHL than the younger guys. Both Ottavainen and Melanson seem ready to step into some NHL games if injuries force the Kraken to lean on Firebirds players in a pinch. I wouldn’t be surprised if both of them get called up at some point.

Curtis: What struck me most was the sheer number of intriguing players. Even without a few European professionals (like Oscar Fisker Mølgaard and Visa Vedenpää) and the college players, there were potential NHLers all over the ice. In past rookie and development camps, the total number of players was either much lower or the group was padded out with invitees. That wasn’t the case this time. As we mentioned in our prospect ranking last week, the “middle class” of Seattle’s prospect pool is incredibly deep, and it would be the envy of almost any organization.

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Q3: Anything you are looking for during the first week of training camp?

Curtis: There’s a lot happening in the first week of training camp. Most of the rookies will still be around, looking to make an impression. The veterans are getting up to speed with a full-speed, competitive environment. And this year, we have a new coaching staff implementing its camp.

It’s that last part that will have my attention early on. What energy and compete level does the staff set? How are they deployed in managing specific drills and players? We’ve credited Jess Campbell and the Coachella Valley staff in the past for developing the skating games of Tye Kartye, Logan Morrison, and Shane Wright. How does that manifest, if at all, in what we see on the ice from a technique and drilling perspective? And then, of course, there’s the question of X’s and O’s. Do we start to see different breakout, neutral zone, or in-zone schemes practiced? I’ll be watching the coaching closely.

Darren: I touched on this briefly in the “Five Storylines” article I published Wednesday, but I’m really interested in seeing how Matty Beniers and Shane Wright perform. The Kraken are shaping up to be a three-headed monster of young stars once Catton arrives on the scene, but this year is critical for Beniers and Wright to each take big steps in their young careers. While Beniers has secured a huge seven-year contract, he should still be motivated to return to the form he showed in his rookie season. And Wright must be champing at the bit to make the full-time NHL roster—and be a key contributor—for the first time.

Blaiz: I’m most excited to see the Kraken back on the ice and skating together. With a stronger roster on paper than last year, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. While all the gameday roster spots seem to be filled, assuming Wright and Evans take full-time spots, the competitive nature of training camp could lead to surprises. Players like Winterton, Morrison, Roed, Robertson, Melanson, and Ottavainen could make strong cases for roster spots and potentially force some tough decisions from the front office.

John: Like Blaiz, I’m just really excited to see the team back on the ice, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more eager to watch a preseason game. If I had to be more specific, I’d say I’m excited to see how the power play units will work. A lot can and will change with the power play, but we should get an early look at how Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson might fit into the Kraken power play this season.

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Q4: What is your biggest question for the Seattle Kraken that you expect to be answered in training camp?

Blaiz: My biggest question is whether the Kraken will make a trade to address their cap situation. With only a sliver of cap space left if they were to carry no extra players (that won’t happen), the team is in a tight spot. While the emergency recall option could provide temporary relief, it’s not a long-term solution.

The emergency recall provision allows the Kraken to exceed the cap by $875K (league minimum $775K + $100K). To use this, the Kraken would have to play at least one game with fewer than 18 skaters and two goalies. Given the front office’s playoff aspirations, a trade seems more likely. Sound Of Hockey’s own John Barr has already speculated on potential trade candidates, and training camp will offer a clearer picture of the team’s roster needs and trade possibilities.

Darren: Blaiz nailed it—that’s the biggest question.

Curtis: I expect to have a better handle on Shane Wright’s trajectory and role by the end of camp. Is Wright the player who looked fast, confident, and like a heady facilitator in his few games last spring? Or does he still look a bit green, playing reactively to NHL pace and physicality? The steps he took in Coachella Valley last season make me confident that last year’s NHL stint wasn’t fool’s gold. But he needs to prove it on NHL ice. If he does, we’ll start looking at his power play role and how his even-strength deployment compares with Matty Beniers. Is Wright attached to a steady veteran or trusted to take control of a top line? We’ll learn more as the season progresses, but I expect to know much more in three weeks about where Wright fits in this year.

John: There are a lot of questions that will take longer than training camp to answer, but like Blaiz said, you have to wonder how they’ll figure out their cap situation. Technically, they can start the season with a cap-compliant roster of 21 players, but only three out of 32 teams started that lean last year. Something’s got to give, and I imagine it’ll be resolved by the end of October at the latest.

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Q5: What player has the most to gain or prove during development camp?

Curtis: Andre Burakovsky feels like he has a lot on the line early in the season, and it starts in camp. With a new coaching administration focused on a speed-based, attacking style that plays to Burakovsky’s strengths, he’s set up with every opportunity to recapture his pre- and early-Kraken form. We know he’s been plagued by injuries over the past 18 months and struggled to find his place in last year’s stagnant offense. I’m eager to see if the coaching staff has a plan to tap into his talents and if Burakovsky comes back with a renewed jump in his step.

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Blaiz: I’ll be keeping a close eye on Ryan Winterton during the first week of training camp. Winterton not traveling to the LA Rookie Faceoff tournament suggests he’s higher on the depth chart than previously thought. With the Kraken needing to fill out their roster and the potential for a trade to clear cap space, Winterton could have a real opportunity to earn a spot. At 21, playing time is crucial for his development. If he continues to impress during camp, he could secure a spot on the gameday roster and contribute to the Kraken’s success this season.

John: I think we’ve all slotted Shane Wright into the roster this season, but he still needs to show up, so I’d say he has the most to prove this camp. I think it’s important for him to feel like he’s truly earned his spot and that he’ll help make the team better.

Darren: I think Beniers and Wright are obvious answers here, but what about newcomers Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour? Joining a new team often comes with growing pains, so will they slot right in and start producing? I’ll be watching for signs of chemistry between these two high-profile acquisitions and their linemates, especially in Stephenson’s case.

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Is there anything you’re looking for during training camp? If so, share it with us in the comments section.