Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. We are at the finish line, folks. No drafted or signed Kraken player remains active in this 2025-26 hockey season. That means it’s almost time for the “Down on the Farm” offseason hiatus.

I say “almost” because I’d like to return with one last column, a capstone mailbag, in the next week or two. If you’d like to see that happen and get a prospect question answered, let us know in the comments here or reach out to us on social media platforms or the Sound Of Hockey Discord.

I hope we’ll be back at this again next year. For now, though, I just want to say thank you to everyone who regularly read these columns and took this journey along with me. As you all know, it can feel a bit more like work than fun to keep up with the happenings of Kraken prospects across the globe. Your support, encouragement, and camaraderie in this foolhardy endeavor make it all worth it.

OK, one final time, let’s get to the agenda. We’ll recap the end of a stellar season for Julius Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips, get you a full data snapshot of the Kraken prospect pool, update you on where we stand in the draft season calendar, and crown our Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week… of the Year. (Or something like that.)

Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips fall in the Memorial Cup Final

Julius Miettinen played in the last CHL game of the 2025-26 season, the Memorial Cup Final, but unfortunately, he and his teammates came up just short against a surgical Kitchener squad.

The Silvertips outshot the Rangers through two periods and controlled extended stretches of even-strength play, but a couple of undisciplined moments led to a protracted 5-on-3 Kitchener power play to begin the third period. Kitchener converted twice on that opportunity, putting the Rangers up 5–1. The OHL champions would not relinquish that substantial lead, despite one quick response goal off a sweet cross-seam setup from Miettinen.

CB is dialed 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/BpqXFcZSpR

— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 1, 2026

It is a bittersweet end to an outstanding season overall. The Silvertips won 57 regular-season games (nearly missing the all-time WHL wins record) and tied the record for fewest playoff losses (two) en route to a WHL Championship. For his part, Miettinen was awarded WHL Playoffs MVP and now holds the record for most WHL playoff goals by a Finnish-born player.

“It was an awesome year,” Miettinen said, before reminiscing that winning the WHL Championship was “a moment I’ll never forget.” That is, aside from the first few minutes after the final horn, which he admitted with a laugh are a bit of a “blackout” in his memory.

On his WHL Playoffs MVP award, Miettinen was gracious in recognizing the honor but preferred to keep the focus on what his team accomplished. “It means a lot to get that. I’m really proud of myself, but I wouldn’t have gotten that [award] without the guys. That was for us, not for me.”

🔊 "I hope that I can inspire Finnish guys to come here and play North American hockey."

Exit Interview: @SeattleKraken F Julius Miettinen ('06) pic.twitter.com/ObOZBzSwai

— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 2, 2026

Next up for Miettinen is a big role on the 2026-27 Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The NHL Combine is underway

The NHL Scouting Combine is currently taking place in Buffalo, New York. Running from June 1 to 6, the Combine hosts 90 top draft prospects and all 32 NHL teams for official prospect measurements, fitness testing, medical evaluations, and interviews. It’s the last major milestone before the NHL Draft in late June. And with the draft recently “decentralized,” it’s the last time before picks are made that most of the NHL’s decision-makers are gathered together.

took a trip down memory lane in honor of combine week 🏋️‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/bRdT2VIIAJ

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 4, 2026

In the abstract, I am tempted to downplay the significance of Combine testing. But Kraken GM Jason Botterill told Sound Of Hockey last summer that he sees value in these measures. So we should keep an eye out for the standout performers.

The Kraken are also taking advantage of this time to interview prospects, including in extended formats. For example, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that the Kraken took WHL defenseman Carson Carels out for dinner this week in Buffalo.

Carson Carels had dinners with the Kraken and Sharks this week in Buffalo.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 4, 2026

Carels projects to go near the top of the first round at the end of this month. He is the No. 4 overall prospect in the draft according to Elite Prospects and was ranked the No. 3 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.

Similarly, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects reports that the Kraken also had a dinner with Keaton Verhoeff. Verhoeff is No. 12 overall according to Elite Prospects and was ranked the No. 4 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.

Kraken prospects data update

For one final time during this 2025-26 hockey season, here are your Kraken skater prospect statistics:

Last but not least, we also have your year-end goalie statistics:

Video from the vault

It is our plan to have semi-regular “Friday Film Room” columns this summer in which we focus in on a few prospects, analyzing aspects of their game and development. Almost always this will include new or previously unreleased game videos for us to dissect together. For now, though, let’s go deep into the vault and get you a special prospect video. Matty Beniers’ shifts from the United States’ 2021 World Junior Championship Gold Medal win over Canada “Red, White, Blue, and Gold,” indeed.

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week… of the Year

With the 2025-26 season at a close, we have co-champions. Julius Miettinen and Jake O’Brien each earned four “Prospect of the Week” honors, which, according to our arithmetic, gives them a share of the season-long title. This really ruined our trophy budget. Not sure what we’re going to do. Congratulations to them, regardless.

The other Kraken players who received Prospect of the Week superlatives are as follows:

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

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

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

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Casey Mutryn

Wyatt Cullen appears poised to be the first player drafted from the U.S. National Team Development Program, but Casey Mutryn has the potential to be a second first-round pick from the program. Mutryn is 6-foot-3 and a strong athlete who can really skate. This raises the floor of his profile. Add in the fact that he is young for the class and already plays a strong two-way game, and you have a player who brings an appealing package on draft day. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him a good deal. The question he’ll face is whether there is enough playmaking in his game to drive offense at the higher levels professionally.

Mutryn was ranked No. 24 among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings. He was No. 41 on our mid-season Big Board.

Recent prospect updates

May 23, 2026: Firebirds season ends, most valuable Miettinen

May 15, 2026: Julius Miettinen dominates WHL playoffs, Jake O’Brien makes his pro debut

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

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