Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this week’s column, we’ll bring you on the ice in Coachella Valley, where Jake O’Brien made his professional debut this week. We’ll also get you up to date on Julius Miettinen’s dominant WHL playoff run, which has the Everett Silvertips on the verge of their first WHL Championship. We’ll also have notes and video from around the Kraken system and the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, as always.

If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or mailbag, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.

Jake O’Brien enters the Firebirds lineup in Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals

With a dramatic 3–2 double-overtime win over the Ontario Reign on Saturday, the Coachella Valley Firebirds advanced to the Pacific Division Finals against the Colorado Eagles. This not only brought the Firebirds one step closer to the Calder Cup, but it also extended the team’s postseason by at least three games. That afforded the organization the opportunity to get Jake O’Brien into the lineup for Wednesday’s Game 1 against Colorado.

“It was a whirlwind losing in the [OHL] playoffs and then coming here. Getting in the lineup was pretty exciting,” O’Brien told the media after the game. O’Brien had his mother and stepfather in the stands watching him.

O’Brien skated more than 10 minutes in a fourth-line center role and on the second power-play unit. The Firebirds even threw him out there at the end of the game as the extra attacker with the goalie pulled. Check out all of his shifts in the video below.

Though the game was a disappointing 3–0 loss, the organization has to be pleased that O’Brien got a close look at professional game speed and strength. There were certainly times when he bounced off checks and fell behind the speed of play. But this eliminates some unknowns for O’Brien and lays out clear benchmarks he’ll need to hit in the offseason.

“It was very fast, very physical. It was kind of what I was expecting. I did a lot of video before, getting ready for this game. It was a lot faster than junior was for me,” O’Brien said. “I feel like I got better shift by shift. By Game 2, I’m going to be better.”

Overall, I thought the nerves were evident in his game, particularly early. He looked a bit mechanical and slow to process at first. But he went to the net front with regularity in the offensive zone, took the punishment, and it seemed like this got him into the game a bit. He tried a few skilled passes and controlled entries that you would expect from a talented offensive player. He had one opportunity to get a puck on net, but it sailed on him a bit in a contested situation.

“[O’Brien] is a very cerebral offensive player,” Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal said. “Here’s a kid who is 18 years old getting thrown into his first AHL game, and I thought he showed well. He didn’t shrink in the moment. He did a really good job of hanging onto the puck and making some plays. He’ll be better the next game he plays.”

Julius Miettinen is upping his play in the WHL Playoffs

2024 second-round pick Julius Miettinen leads the WHL Playoffs in total points (27) and points per game (1.59). Most impressively, he has 14 goals, which is the most in the WHL playoffs, two more than teammate Matias Vanhanen and five more than the next closest player.

His postseason run has pushed his combined regular-season and postseason total to 103 points in 69 games. He is one of only eight players to record more than 100 points, and his overall scoring rate (1.49 points per game) is higher than any player with more points than him.

This is a truly remarkable accomplishment for a player who has been thought to project as a support player in the professional ranks—contributing more to wins and losses than the stat sheet. If the development goal for this season was to push his offensive game to the next level, Miettinen checked that box.

3-2 Prince Albert#SeaKraken prospect Julius Miettinen cuts in and fires it backhanded over the pad of Orsulak pic.twitter.com/ilTYK364Mo

— Cameron Riggers (@CameronRiggers) May 9, 2026

What I’ve really liked in the postseason games I’ve been able to catch is the continued growth in his puck-possession ability. Miettinen’s first goal of the series came off a nice possession entry. If Miettinen can add that element to his game consistently, he has the look of a quality NHL power forward.

With four goals and five assists in four games since our last update, Miettinen is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the week.

The Everett Silvertips are now one win away from the team’s first-ever WHL Championship. Game 5 of the series is tonight (Friday) in Prince Albert:

Fri, May 15 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre
Sun, May 17 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena*
Mon, May 18 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena*
*If necessary

Alexis Bernier and the Saguenéens battle in the QMJHL Finals

The Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Moncton Wildcats are tied at two games apiece in the best-of-7 QMJHL Finals. Bernier scored an improbable goal from deep in Leon Draisaitl’s office in Game 2, which the Saguenéens ultimately won by one goal.

The @SagueneensLHJMQ defencemen continue to shine! ⭐️

Alexis Bernier's pass deflects on an opponent's stick, and Chicoutimi takes the lead for the 1st time in that Final!#QPlayoffs | #Proxi | @SeattleKraken | #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/GrJQMSklRc

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 10, 2026

The series resumes today (Friday), May 15:

Fri, May 15 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir
Sun, May 17 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina
Tue, May 19 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir*
*If necessary

2026 NHL Draft long lists are starting to roll out

In the last week, Corey Pronman of The Athletic revealed his top 112 NHL Draft prospects list. Earlier in the process, NHL Central Scouting published its final list. Here at Sound Of Hockey we recently published our final data-only watchlist. Check out the full post if you haven’t, but here are 200 first-time eligible prospects to watch as we move toward draft day.

Notes on three other Kraken prospects

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)

Mølgaard leads the AHL playoffs in goals (six) and points (10). Similar to our observation of Miettinen’s game, most believe Mølgaard projects as a low-scoring, two-way presence. The scoring is a great thing to see as Mølgaard attempts to climb the last (and most difficult) rung of the development ladder.

J.R. Avon | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)

Last week’s Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week selection was a bit ahead of its time. J.R. Avon had the dramatic winner in double overtime last Saturday. His five playoff goals are second only to Mølgaard’s in the entire AHL. His finishing skill gives him the added dimension necessary to break through and eventually play NHL games.

J.R AVON GETS IT DONE!!!!

BIRDS ARE MOVING ON TO ROUND 3!!! pic.twitter.com/Bq41v6qwLQ

— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) May 10, 2026

Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)

Among players under 23 years old in the AHL playoffs, Jani Nyman is second in total scoring, and Jagger Firkus is tied for third. Nyman’s season was disappointing at the NHL level, but it is important to note that his effort level and production did not sag after his return to the AHL. His 24 total goals across the AHL regular season and postseason rank seventh among all players under 23 years old, and he has played only 48 AHL games this year. The scoring ability is still there.

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker

4 wins: Julius Miettinen, Jake O’Brien

3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard

2 wins: Clarke Caswell, Logan Morrison, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi

1 win: J.R. Avon, Alexis Bernier, Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Victor Ostman, Zaccharya Wisdom

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Wyatt Cullen

Wyatt Cullen has been a steady riser throughout this draft season. The 6-foot-1 winger was the leading scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 team this season, and he led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship. Cullen was No. 38 on the midseason Big Board but has ascended since then and is now No. 13 among North American skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting list. He could go as high as the top 10 in June.

Recent prospect updates

May 8, 2026: Firebirds one game from Pacific Division Finals, Forsfjäll wins a championship

May 1, 2026: Firebirds advance in AHL playoffs, Kraken have sixth-best lottery odds on May 5

Apr. 11, 2026: Caswell to National Championship game, Saarinen to Coachella Valley

April 4, 2026: Kraken prospects to the Frozen Four, Firebirds face a rash of injuries

March 28, 2026: Kraken prospect playoff preview

March 21, 2026: Saarinen’s Liiga dominance, and the Kraken development track record

March 13, 2026: Kraken prospects mailbag – part 2

March 7, 2026: Seattle Kraken sign Ryden Evers, trade from draft asset depth

February 27, 2026: Rangers claim Tye Kartye, Kraken re-sign two forwards

February 20: 2026: David Goyette suspended for 20 games

February 13, 2026: Projecting NHL futures for Logan Morrison and Jagger Firkus

February 6, 2026: Seattle Kraken prospects midseason mailbag

Header photo of Julius Miettinen taken by Evan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.