Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” a weekly update on Seattle Kraken prospects. This holiday week we’ll have just a quick look at the week that was for the Kraken prospect pool, before returning to our full column next week. I hope everyone had a happy and restful Thanksgiving.
Notes on three Kraken prospects
Ryan Winterton
Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) | F | 21 years old | 16 games played | 7 goals | 8 assists | 0.94 PPG
With Shane Wright re-entering the Kraken lineup this week, Seattle’s need for an extra center diminished, and the team returned Ben Meyers to Coachella Valley. In his place, the team recalled Winterton on Thursday, who has earned another NHL look after a strong week (two goals and two assists in three Firebirds contests). Winterton is currently third in the system in “Data Score,” my age-, position-, size-, and league-adjusted scoring performance metric, behind only Eduard Sale and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard. Winterton is replacing Daniel Sprong in Seattle’s lineup Friday afternoon against San Jose. We will see how long Winterton sticks around.
Jani Nyman
Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) | F | 20 years old | 16 games played | 5 goals | 3 assists | 0.5 PPG
Nyman’s transition to North American hockey remains a work in progress. I believe we are starting to see modest gains in his skating and North American hockey instincts, but there is still developmental road left. Encouragingly, though, Nyman is starting to find ways to deploy his heavy shot. After a couple greasy goals got him on the scoresheet to start the year, the 20-year-old Finn connected on both a one-timer and a heavy wrister over the last seven days. We saw a lot of this from him in Liiga last year and hopefully it’s a harbinger of more to come for Nyman.
power house Jani 💪 pic.twitter.com/kcUgWGGTVf
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) November 27, 2024
Barrett Hall
St. Cloud State Univ. (NCAA) | F | 20 years old | 13 games played | 2 goals | 10 assists | 0.92 PPG
Barrett Hall’s two goals and 10 assists across 13 games has him tied for the St. Cloud State team lead in scoring. Hall, 20, has obvious skill with the puck on his stick, but to date, he has not been able to put it all together in the higher amateur ranks to lead a team. If he is finally turning a corner, he’s a sleeper to watch moving forward.
Kraken prospect data update
Berkly Catton scored or assisted on eight of 15 Spokane Chiefs goals over the last seven days. His two goals and six assists led Spokane to a 3-0 record since our last check-in and earns him Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.
Two important veterans found their footing for the Firebirds this week. Mitchell Stephens, 27, had been a productive AHL forward in recent years and even earned 23 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2023-24 season. Even so, he was held scoreless in his first nine Firebirds games and missed a few more due to injury. Finally, the dam broke for Stephens this week. He scored three goals and added an assist in Coachella Valley’s last two games.
Similarly, defenseman Nikolas Brouillard, 29, struggled to find the scoresheet to begin the year. Brouillard had amassed at least 36 points in each of his three previous AHL campaigns, but had only one point (an assist) through 12 Firebirds games to begin this year. Like Stephens, though, Brouillard broke out this week with one goal and four assists in his last two games.
Nikke Kokko drew two of three starts for the Firebirds over the last seven days. Coachella Valley has still earned at least a point in each of his starts, though Kokko did finally pick up his first loss (in overtime) this week.
Kim Saarinen started two Liiga games this week, bringing his total in the Finnish pro league to 10. This eclipses the full-season total Kokko amassed at the same age. The Athletic recently projected Saarinen to a spot on the Finnish World Juniors roster (along with Julius Miettinen).
2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
Clarke Caswell: 2
Berkly Catton: 2
Alexis Bernier: 1
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1
Caden Price: 1
Previewing the week ahead
Catton and the Chiefs welcome Tyson Jugnauth and the Portland Winterhawks to Spokane for a two-game set this weekend. In the AHL, the Firebirds are in a playoff spot right now. The Firebirds could continue to improve their standings position as their home slate picks up with three games in Palm Desert over the next seven days.
Previous prospect updates
November 22, 2024: Projecting the Seattle Kraken’s right defense prospects
November 15, 2024: Will an NCAA ruling change the landscape for Seattle Kraken prospects?
November 8, 2024: Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus is doing the little things necessary to succeed
November 1, 2024: ‘No days off’ approach for Kraken prospect Clarke Caswell
October 25, 2024: Kraken prospect Eduard Sale’s “tryout” in Coachella Valley is going well
October 18, 2024: Kraken prospect Andrei Loshko filling the stat sheet in the OHL
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
You are the best Curtis! Amazing contributions! Love your work to explain the game and inform us fans.
Any word on Sale? He was inching towards bust territory, and suddenly he’s a point per game player for the Firebirds, at least so far. How has he looked?
My question in based on the fact that Kraken most likely need to make serious changes in their Fs for next season to be at all competitive.
My guess is that in your opinion, our top F prospects are not the ones currently at CV but still in the CHL. Given that Catton cannot play in the AHL next season, but Rehkopf could, what is your honest if-you-have-to-give-an-answer answer, on whether one or both of these two can make the NHL roster next season?
How about if they draft at the top and get Hagens, Misa, or Martone?
Another question has been moving to relevance but now is completely relevant. When they demote Grubauer, is Stezka ready to handle NHL backup duties?
Chuck… you and I often see things differently… but on this I could not agree more.
I do not see how this team can send Grubauer out on the ice and then look their fans in the face. This isn’t a “one off”. It’s not about goal support or the team in front of him… and he isn’t better than his numbers. For more than three seasons he has been the goalie his numbers say he is. And contrary to the post-game show excuses, it isn’t because he isn’t getting enough starts. Refreshingly, Linda Cohn was the one willing to call it as she saw it.
Edmonton and Los Angeles were willing to send their $5m+ goalies to the AHL… Seattle needs to do the same. I don’t care how many folks are still wearing Grubauer jerseys.
Let us not forget that the Pens recently sent down their $5m+ former starter (Jarry) to the AHL as well. Francis must immediately do this and then own up to his huge mistake in not re-signing Driedger in the summer to ensure we had a no. 3 goalie who could play NHL games.
Did Driedger want to resign here knowing there was not an NHL spot for him? I know he didn’t end up on a roster, but repeatedly Francis has moved on from guys who ended up finding out there wasn’t a spot elsewhere either.
Ahead of the season, I do not think it would have been reasonable to not go with Grubauer – and I’ve been a skeptic since early on – but at this point I think a move is an absolute necessity. That was honestly the worst game I’ve ever seen from him. I honestly expect some sort of move. Maybe an assignment to Coachella, but I think more likely an “injury” or some sort of leave. Every season he ends up taking time off and even though he’s already done that this season, I think he’ll do it again.
I think I’d maybe rather see Kokko up for a spell. He’s waiver exempt – not that I think Stezka would be in any real danger of getting claimed – and a few well chosen NHL starts could be a big benefit for the 20 year old.
There couldn’t be any downside to bringing kokko up for awhile Grubauer hasn’t been playing like an NHL goalie much less a starter.
Agree… mostly. If he comes up and gets shelled that’s definitely a downside. At this point, I think it’s worth the risk.
On the post game a couple folks on the panel tried to cover for Gru saying he hasn’t seen much action lately… so send him down and give him plenty of starts. If you seriously think that’s a problem, that’s the only solution. This team isn’t in a position to let him “work it out” with the big club.
Yes definitely, he’s now the backup goalie. You don’t let your backup goalie play himself into game shape. A very expensive backup that can’t win a hockey game.
It’s funny I thought Daccords last start was horrible, Grubauer stepped in and reminded us what horrible really is.