We’re in that time of year where every passing day feels like one step closer to hockey season. A new milestone is met, a new storyline emerges, a new roster takes shape. One such milestone is the end of Kraken rookie camp, which officially wraps up Tuesday with the team’s prospects hitting the ice one last time before the veterans appear for main training camp.

“This is big-boy hockey now,” Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal said Sunday. “Now you get the vets coming into your practices, tempo is going to pick up, the puck’s going to move a lot quicker… When that puck drops here on Thursday, training camp starts. You have to be ready, and they will, but this is where the kids really take that step in learning.”

So what did we learn about those kids during Seattle’s rookie camp? Plenty. Let’s dig into the biggest takeaways from practices and the two exhibition games, which the baby Kraken split against Vancouver’s prospects.

It really is a talented group

The Kraken prospect pool is widely regarded as one of the NHL’s top 10, and in some rankings it lands even higher. But you don’t truly get a sense of the group’s quality until you see the players in real game situations—with referees, fans, and opponents in another club’s NHL colors.

Saturday’s dramatic 5-3 comeback win in Everett and Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Kraken Community Iceplex gave us two strong showcases of what Seattle has in its pipeline.

The Saturday lineup was noticeably stronger, thanks to the presence of the three prospects I believe have the best chance of cracking the Opening Night roster—Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Jacob Melanson. All three sat out Sunday.

When Catton and Nyman were on the ice with linemate Jagger Firkus, Vancouver’s prospects spent most of their shifts on their heels. The trio was dynamic, creative, and productive: Catton posted a goal and an assist, Nyman added a goal, and Firkus collected two assists (though Nyman’s tally should have been credited to Firkus).

Catton, in particular, looked like he didn’t belong in a prospect showcase game—in the best way possible. He repeatedly blew past defenders and generated prime scoring chances, hitting the crossbar on one rush and later finishing a dazzling breakaway that tied the game as part of Seattle’s three-goal comeback.

Catton did everything necessary to prove he’s ready to at least compete for a full-time roster spot at main camp. And Nyman, with his massive frame and wicked shot, often looked like a man among boys.

Meanwhile, Melanson showed his trademark grit and pro-level motor. He won’t put up flashy numbers, but his straightforward, punishing style screams bottom-six NHL forward at some point in the near future. I expect him to push for a depth spot or at the very least be a first call-up candidate.

“Just look at him. He’s a killer,” Laxdal said of Melanson. “Jacob is the prototypical power forward. He’s the type of player that if he’s forechecking you, and he’s going to put you through the boards, he’s also going to have a stick on puck. He’s the type of player that nobody wants to play against, and those players are important on a franchise and in an organization.”

Even with Catton, Nyman, Melanson, Ville Ottavainen, and others sitting out on Sunday, Seattle’s prospects still came within a couple bounces of another win, hitting at least four posts that I can remember.

After those two games, and wrapping my head around the quantity of players that have a real chance to make the NHL one day (we haven’t even talked about Eduard Sale, Tyson Jugnauth, Jake O’Brien, Blake Fiddler, Caden Price, or the many other players that showed flashes of brilliance), I’m more convinced than ever that the Kraken have impact NHLers coming in the next couple of seasons.

Nathan Villeneuve continues to make his presence known

Speaking of hard-nosed players, Nathan Villeneuve played in both games, and I noticed him nearly every shift. He has a knack for going to the hard areas and doing everything he can to get under the opponent’s skin.

He also scored Saturday’s game-winner, tipping a shot into Vancouver goalie Aleksei Medvedev’s pads before collecting his own rebound, waiting out the netminder, and burying the puck into a yawning cage.

“I love these games,” Villeneuve said. “I mean, it’s a gritty game because everyone’s trying to prove themselves. So it’s my game to play, and I get excited more than nervous to play these games.”

He didn’t score Sunday, but again left a mark—sneaking behind the defense for a breakaway in the second period and driving several odd-man rushes when the game opened up.

David Goyette “starting to decorate”

David Goyette also made a strong impression and should bring confidence into the main camp after a sometimes bumpy 2024-25 season.

A prolific OHL scorer with 117 points in 68 games for Sudbury in 2023-24, his first pro season was more of a grind. With Coachella Valley, he managed just six goals and 12 assists in a depth role while learning the demands of a 200-foot game.

“As a first-year pro, you’re always trying to adapt as fast as you can to the level, just coming from junior hockey,” Goyette said. “But especially— you put in so much work during the summer. I worked really hard, and you’re trying to impress the coaching staff here and management to show them what you worked on this summer. And it’s always good for them to have an opportunity to see you compete against guys in your similar age group.

“I think I’m happy with my game… Every time you go on the ice, you’re trying to showcase yourself, show them what kind of player you are. So I think I did a good job, and it’s going to propel me leaving here into the main camp.”

He was particularly noticeable Sunday when Catton and Nyman were absent, creating several dangerous looks in the first period and scoring in the second by swatting home a rebound from the slot.

Back in 2022, Goyette was outstanding in his first Kraken camp and preseason before returning to Sudbury to torch the OHL. But his modest numbers with the Firebirds last year raised questions about his confidence and trajectory. Laxdal offered clarity on Sunday.

“There obviously is a skill set there that we want to build on, and for these young players to be able to survive at the next level—even if you just want to survive in the American Hockey League—you have to build a foundation of being able to play a 200-foot game.

“It’s like if you build a house, right? You can’t just build the four walls and the roof unless you have a foundation. So these kids have to build that foundation that allows them to survive at the pro level. And that’s one thing I think David went through last year. He was building his game to allow himself be able to perform and have those offensive numbers that we’ve seen in junior. So going forward now, he’s put the work in in the summer, and he committed; he’s in great shape. If you look at these two games here, kind of building a new book on this year, hopefully now the foundation is being built. We’re putting the floor on, the walls are going up, and now he’s starting to decorate.”

This is a big training camp and season for Goyette. He’s likely headed for another year in the AHL, but if he builds on this foundation, he can push his way back into the conversation as one of Seattle’s top prospects.