The Seattle Kraken opened the preseason with a bang, winning their first two games with a very young roster dressing both nights. Watching the Kraken this past weekend, I started counting the NHL players on the ice between them and their opponents, the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and Calgary Flames on Sunday, which had me scratching my head.
The NHL requires teams to dress at least eight veterans for every preseason game. However, the new collective bargaining agreement, which took effect Sept. 16, expanded the definition of a preseason veteran. A player now qualifies by meeting any one of these criteria:
- At least 100 career NHL game
- At least 30 NHL games in the previous season
- At least 400 combined career AHL and NHL games (New)
- A first-round pick from the past five drafts (New)
- A second-round pick from the past three drafts (New)
Previously, a player qualified with at least 100 career NHL games, 30 NHL games in the previous season, or as a first-round pick from the most recent draft.
Under the new agreement, the following Kraken prospects qualify based on their draft status:
First-round picks from the past five drafts: Chase Reid (2026, but he is playing at Michigan State and is not in camp), Jake O’Brien (2025), Berkly Catton (2024), Eduard Sale (2023), and Shane Wright (2022).
Second-round picks from the past three drafts: Casey Mutryn (2026, Boston College), Blake Fiddler (2025, University of Denver), Julius Miettinen (2024), and Nathan Villeneuve (2024).
Preseason games
With these rules, Seattle dressed 11 “veteran”-qualified players against Vancouver on Sept. 19 and the minimum eight against Calgary on Sept. 20.
Veterans against Vancouver: Freddy Gaudreau, John Hayden, Jacob Melanson, Ben Meyers, Julius Miettinen, Jake O’Brien, Eduard Sale, Cale Fleury, Ryan Lindgren, Josh Mahura, and Joey Daccord.
Veterans against Calgary: Curtis Douglas, John Hayden, Eduard Sale, Mitchell Stephens, Nathan Villeneuve, Ryan Winterton, Victor Olofsson, and Philipp Grubauer.
Two preseason games maximum
Players with at least 100 NHL games can appear in no more than two preseason games. John Hayden played in both games over the weekend and has appeared in 272 NHL games. He was placed on waivers Monday with the intention of assigning him to Coachella Valley, but if he had stayed in camp, he would not have been eligible to play the remaining two preseason games.
Sale also played in both games, but he has not appeared in an NHL game. He remains eligible for all four preseason contests, but he too was sent down. It’s the same story for second-round picks Jani Nyman and Jagger Firkus.
The following players have appeared in one preseason game and are eligible to appear in one more: Gaudreau, Meyers, Fleury, Lindgren, Mahura, Daccord, and Grubauer, as well as Gustav Olofsson and Mitchell Stephens, who are no longer in camp.
Two down, two to go
The NHL’s expanded 84-game schedule reduced preseason play from six games to four. With two wins in hand, the Kraken now move into their final two exhibitions.
Seattle held a non-game-group practice Sept. 20, and the Sound Of Hockey Twitter intern was onsite and got a look at the forward lines.
These forward lines look much closer to what we could see on Opening Night against Calgary on Oct. 1. Expect more of these players over the final two preseason games as the Kraken work to finalize their roster.
Looking ahead
Most players from the first two games are headed to the AHL, but their performances offer plenty to anticipate in Coachella Valley. The Seattle Kraken confirmed that with their massive first round of cuts on Monday.
Even though they were just excused from camp, two players that stood out to me are Logan Morrison and Ty Nelson.
Morrison went undrafted and has spent three years in Coachella Valley. He led the Firebirds with 61 points last season and has three points, including two goals and an assist, through two preseason games. He also earned three-star honors in both games.
At 24, Morrison is not exactly overlooked, but younger prospects tend to draw more attention. His preseason has been a good reminder of what he can bring.
Nelson scored two goals in the first two preseason games. He led Firebirds defensemen with 11 goals last season and ranked second on the blue line with 35 points. His leadership also stood out at Rookie and Development Camps, with him wearing the “C” when Kraken prospects faced the Vancouver Canucks in the Prospects Challenge. During preseason games, he has been vocal between whistles, directing teammates into position and checking in with the goaltender.
Several players have shown they are knocking on the door and could push for NHL opportunities during the grueling 84-game schedule.
If you have questions or comments, please leave them below.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Oh, interesting. I read the MOU on the NHLPA site as removing the veteran minimum entirely but maybe I was looking at the wrong section (or that version is missing some things).