Welcome back to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. (OK, yes, I did miss last week. I was on the road posting Kraken updates rather than focusing on my main job, covering the prospects. I vow not to be an error repeater.)

Today, we’ll analyze the trade that sent David Goyette to the Flyers for Devin Kaplan. We’ll also preview the season ahead for the 2026-27 Coachella Valley Firebirds—a team that projects to be very young again. Then we’ll have updates on a superlative week for Jani Nyman, an injury for Logan Morrison, and much more news, data, and video from around the system.

As always, if you have a Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey. Let’s dive in.

The Firebirds enter a crucial development season with a young roster

At the outset of the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ fifth season, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate the on-ice success the team has earned since its inception. The Firebirds have made the playoffs and won at least one playoff round every season. And, of course, the team made it to the Calder Cup Finals twice, only to fall just one win short of the ultimate prize.

The Firebirds have sustained this success despite an evolving roster. We discussed at the outset of last season that, with a wave of draft picks arriving, the Firebirds had fundamentally changed to a younger, prospect-driven roster. The team was one of, if not the, youngest rosters in the AHL last season.

The Firebirds have the youngest roster in the AHL but should be competitive

With many of those young players returning this season, one might assume that the average roster age has inched upward. Yet this is not so. In fact, the team is actually even younger this season, with an average roster age dipping below 23 years old—the youngest collection of players in the AHL, according to data compiled by Elite Prospects.

In part, this is due to the departure of a few veterans, including the retirement of Max McCormick. The “veteran” core of the team is quite small at this point. Only John Hayden (31), Gustav Olofsson (31), Mitchell Stephens (29), and Ian McKinnon (28) are older than 26 years old. And goalie Victor Ostman (26) is the only other player over 24 years old.

At the same time, the team also welcomes a few new young players making the transition from junior hockey, including Julius Miettinen (20), Nathan Villeneuve (20), Ryden Evers (21), Alexis Bernier (20), and, eventually, Jake O’Brien (19).

Last year, I highlighted the challenges to winning associated with the team’s youth movement. Many of the same words of caution apply this season. Rookies Miettinen, Villeneuve, and Evers all played in both games of the Firebirds’ opening-weekend split against the Ontario Reign. (The Firebirds lost 6-5 in overtime at home last Friday and then won 6-2 in Ontario last Saturday.)

That said, I feel more bullish on the team’s prospects going into this season. This is mostly because the young defensemen upon whom the team is leaning—Caden Price, Lukas Dragicevic, and Kaden Hammell—are a year older and have AHL experience. Price and Dragicevic in particular have experienced challenges, but development is not linear, and a lot of groundwork has been laid there.

Defensive-zone structure and opponent shot suppression overall will remain key challenges for the team—particularly if Ville Ottavainen is not with the team for a substantial portion of the season (he’s still on the Kraken roster). How the defense performs will likely determine the team’s ultimate upside because an offense led by Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus, and Logan Morrison should be prolific, and the goaltending tandem of Ostman and Nikke Kokko should be solid.

The Firebirds staff will be challenged in finding ice time for young players

Finding development opportunities for the team’s young talent may be one of the biggest challenges ahead for the Coachella Valley staff. Bernier, a 2024 third-round pick, sat out the team’s first two games, as did 2023 fourth-rounder Andrei Loshko.

The task may get more difficult in the coming days with the addition of winger Devin Kaplan (more on him in a moment) and Logan Morrison’s probable return from injury (Morrison is day-to-day with an upper-body injury). Longer term, the hope is that Jake O’Brien will be skating as a lineup regular, too. Tough choices will need to be made on a game-by-game basis.

The Firebirds’ leadership group includes two NHL prospects

On Sept. 30, Firebirds general manager Troy Bodie and head coach Derek Laxdal announced that John Hayden would serve as the captain of the 2026-27 Coachella Valley Firebirds. “I would say it was a no-brainer [naming John Hayden captain],” Bodie said. “We also still have some great leadership from Gustav Olofsson and Mitchell Stephens. Even some younger kids like Logan Morrison and Ty Nelson. But when it comes down to it, John was always the guy.”

The Coachella Valley Firebirds announce John Hayden will be the captain of the team for the 2026-27 season. https://t.co/HL3gliQ5Xu

— Deep Sea Hockey (@DeepSeaHockey) September 30, 2026

Bodie’s allusion to Morrison and Nelson was notable because, shortly thereafter, the team announced that both of those young players would serve as alternate captains, along with veterans Olofsson and Stephens. We have long noted Nelson’s leadership qualities in particular. It’s well-earned and encouraging recognition for both players.

David Goyette traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Devin Kaplan

On Oct. 1, the Kraken announced the trade of 2022 second-round pick David Goyette to the Philadelphia Flyers for 2022 third-round pick Devin Kaplan in a one-for-one prospect swap.

Goyette, 22, is a 5-foot-11, left-shot forward. Once a prolific junior scorer, Goyette remade his game at the AHL level, with an emphasis on play speed and forechecking. Goyette played 51 AHL games last season, mostly in a depth role, compiling three goals and seven assists. He also missed time last year with a performance-enhancing drugs suspension. Though questions about his NHL upside remained, I thought he had a solid camp in Seattle. His speed remains an asset.

Kaplan, 22, is a 6-foot-3, right-shot winger. Kaplan was drafted by Philadelphia out of the U.S. National Team Development Program eight picks after the Kraken took Goyette. For three years following the draft, Kaplan played for the Boston University Terriers, where he tallied between 18 and 23 points each season. Last season was his first in the AHL. He scored five goals and added eight assists.

Before the 2022 NHL Draft, Elite Prospects credited Kaplan with strong hockey sense and passing skill, along with an NHL-projectable frame and physicality. Skating was the area where development was needed. Last summer, Kaplan described his attributes this way: “Off the ice, I bring the energy up every day. On the ice, [I’m] a big power forward who likes to get dirty and make the little plays people don’t tend to notice and help the team win.”

In analyzing this deal, one cannot help but recall last year’s trade of Tucker Robertson for J.R. Avon. That trade happened around the same time, with the same team, and similarly featured a skill-game-oriented, center-capable player going to Philadelphia, with a more tools-oriented, role-playing winger coming back to Seattle. In both instances, I believe the Kraken acquired the player more likely to play more NHL games, and the Flyers acquired the higher-upside player (with a better projection to play center).

The deal makes sense for both teams from a roster composition perspective. If there is one area of the Firebirds roster that felt a bit light, it was right wing—which is an area the right-shot Kaplan can fill. The left wing and center depth charts were a little more crowded, and Goyette risked falling into healthy-scratch territory. For their part, the Flyers continue to do everything they can to find centers.

At the end of the day, it is a disappointing end to a Kraken career for a player who was once highly regarded. Fairly or unfairly, for many fans, Goyette will always be the player the Kraken selected immediately before the Montreal Canadiens selected Lane Hutson at No. 62 overall.

Scouting the Kraken

Loke Krantz has played in six games this season, all in the SHL with Linköping HC. He attended the World Junior Summer Showcase for Sweden and appears to be a strong candidate to play for Sweden at the 2027 World Juniors in Edmonton. Krantz is the right-shot forward wearing No. 29 in blue in the video below.

Notes on four more Kraken prospects

Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds

Though he was included in the initial massive wave of cuts from Kraken camp, the team was pleased with Jani Nyman’s showing, particularly his improvements in conditioning and mobility. Nyman translated that strong camp into immediate AHL success, scoring five goals and adding an assist in two games last week. This earned Nyman AHL Player of the Week honors. He’s also (one of) your Sound Of Hockey Prospect(s) of the Week(s).

5 GOALS. 2 GAMES. HAVE YOURSELF A START TO THE SEASON JANI NYMAN 🔥 @Firebirds | @TheAHL | @SeattleKraken #AHL | Live on FloHockey 📺 https://t.co/NhFVNkskyJ

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) October 4, 2026

Laxdal told the Firebirds media, via The Desert Sun, that Nyman is in “fantastic shape.” In answering why Nyman is still in the AHL, Laxdal said: “You can’t just be a shooter in the National Hockey League. You have to have other parts of your game, and he’s starting to do that now.”

Jagger Firkus | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds

Another player who was included in the initial wave of cuts but seemingly acquitted himself well at Kraken training camp was Jagger Firkus. Just like Nyman, Firkus carried that momentum over to the AHL, too. He has two goals and four assists in two games. Firkus and Nyman are tied for the AHL lead among forwards with six points apiece. Firkus is your second Sound Of Hockey Prospect(s) of the Week(s).

Ola Palme | D | Växjö Lakers HC

Palme has a legitimate gripe with the voting body overseeing the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week process. In the initial draft of a post that was intended to be completed for publication last week, Palme was the Prospect of the Week after accruing four points in three U20 Nationell games. With two weeks of games to go, though, Firkus and Nyman were impossible to deny. Palme has seemingly taken the slight in stride, though. Over the last week, he played three games for his SHL team.

Chase Reid | D | Michigan State University Spartans

College players sometimes fall off the radar because they are not at training camp and their seasons start a bit later. But it is time for the Chase Reid hype machine to start up again because the talented young blue liner gets underway in earnest Friday, Oct. 9, with Michigan State squaring off against Northern Michigan University at 4:30 p.m. PDT. This is the Kraken’s best prospect and chance at a homegrown star. We’ll be following his season closely.

Kraken prospects data update

Barrett Hall transferred from St. Cloud State to the University of Minnesota Duluth for his senior season. He’s off to a hot start, with two goals in his first two games for the Bulldogs.

Tyson Jugnauth has six assists in two Firebirds games. He joins Nyman and Firkus as the only AHL players currently with more than five points.

Nikke Kokko and Victor Ostman each started one of the Firebirds’ season-opening back-to-back games against the Ontario Reign.

Semyon Vyazovoi and Kim Saarinen continue to pile up starts as the clear starters for their professional teams and rank among the league leaders in several categories.

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker

1: Jagger Firkus, Viktor Fyodorov, Jani Nyman, Kim Saarinen, Semyon Vyzaovoi

Previewing the week ahead

Your Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is Reid’s season opener on Friday, Oct. 9, at 4:30 p.m. PDT. Several other college campaigns get underway this weekend, too. Zaccharya Wisdom and Western Michigan University played their first game yesterday, Thursday, Oct. 8. Casey Mutryn and Boston College drop the puck against Alaska-Fairbanks at 4:00 p.m. PDT. (That game is on ESPN+ if you subscribe to that service.) Jakub Fibigr, Will Tomko, and Ohio State will take on RPI at 4:00 p.m. PDT, too. (That game is also on ESPN+) Finally, Luken “Hawke” Huff and the University of St. Thomas meet the Air Force Academy at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

Tracking 2027 NHL Draft prospects: Alexis Joseph

Forward Alexis Joseph is a towering 6-foot-5 forward with skill and power-forward potential. His skating needs development, but otherwise, Joseph has all the tools and scoring history (60 points as a QMJHL rookie last season) to be a top pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. On the downside, scouts have reservations about his drive and competitiveness. A somewhat quiet Hlinka Gretzky Cup performance puts the spotlight on Joseph to bounce back and prove he can drive offense for the Saint John Sea Dogs in his second go-around in the QMJHL.

Recent prospect updates

September 25, 2026: Post-camp Kraken prospect stock watch

September 18, 2026: Ryan Jankowski on the Kraken prospect pool