Kraken prospects: AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds remain red hot

by Josh Horton | Jan 26, 2023 | Kraken Prospects

Perhaps lost amongst the Kraken’s recent success, the Coachella Valley Firebirds are sweltering hot. 

The Firebirds have accrued points in 13 consecutive games and have won 12 of 13 of those matchups. Coachella Valley is currently tied with the Calgary Wranglers for first place in the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division with 58 points — the Firebirds possess three games in hand. 

What’s been the secret for the Firebirds? Perhaps they are reinvigorated by a fancy new barn in Palm Desert, Acrisure Arena, which opened up just before their point streak began. The Firebirds have only dropped two games out of their first 10 in their new home rink since it opened. 

Additionally, the Firebirds’ defense has been much more stingy as of late. Coachella Valley is scoring at about the same pace since the streak began on Dec. 22, with 3.9 goals per game compared to 3.8 before; but the Firebirds are only allowing 2.07 goals per game during the 13-game point streak. That’s a swift drop from their 3.1 season average from before. 

Coachella Valley has recorded four shutouts during that period, two courtesy of Joey Daccord — including a 39-save effort against San Jose on Jan. 7 — and one belonging to Christopher Gibson. 

McCormick named AHL player of the week

During the streak, forward Max McCormick has been one of the main engines of the Kraken offense and picked up AHL Player of the Week honors after notching four goals and eight total points in three games. 

McCormick is one of the hottest players in the Kraken system right now with 10 points in his last five games. That stretch includes a hat trick in a 5-4 overtime win over Ontario last Saturday and a three-point effort in a 5-2 win over Tucson on Jan. 16 for the Firebirds’ captain. 

The 30-year-old forward is far from a prospect but has some NHL experience, including 10 games with the Kraken last year, and a wealth of AHL success under his belt. 

Wright, Winterton, Melanson settling into new squads

The three Kraken prospects that were on the move at the CHL trade deadline have each played a good chunk of games for their new respective squads. Here’s how they are faring:

• The Sherbrooke Pheonix has raced to the top of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) standings, partly due to Seattle forward prospect Jacob Melanson. Sherbrooke is now tied for first in the Western Conference and is 7-1-0 since the 19-year-old forward’s arrival, with Melanson boasting 10 goals and six assists in just eight games.
• Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is delivering for Windsor with four goals and nine points in five games played for the Spitfires. Windsor is 4-1-0 and is scoring 5.83 goals per game since Wright joined the team and has passed London in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference standings. However, the Spitfires are allowing plenty of offense, too, with 4.5 goals against per game during that stretch. 
• Kraken forward prospect Ryan Winterton, a third-round pick in 2021, started slow for the London Knights but has been solid lately with seven points in his last four games. Winterton has been held without a point in half of his contests with the Knights, but remember, he is coming off a significant shoulder injury that required surgery and could be easing back into things a bit. 

Jugnauth settling into freshman season

It’s been a difficult season for Wisconsin, with the Badgers sitting at the bottom of the Big 10 standings — sorry, @DarrenFunBrown — but Kraken defense prospect Tyson Jugnauth has carved out a nice role for himself amongst the struggles. 

A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Jugnauth is tied for second amongst Badger blueliners with eight points and appears to have solidified a spot on the power play. 

There aren’t a ton of Kraken prospects playing NCAA hockey, so Jugnauth can get lost in the shuffle, but his billing as a skilled offensive defenseman is worth monitoring. 

Kraken prospects: Shane Wright lands with Memorial Cup hopeful Windsor

by Josh Horton | Jan 11, 2023 | Kraken Prospects

We finally know where Shane Wright will finish his junior season, as the Kraken top prospect was traded from the Kingston Frontenacs to the Windsor Spitfires in exchange for a slew of draft picks and two roster players. 

Wright was assigned back to Kingston by the Seattle Kraken after captaining Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship, and rumors immediately circulated he would be traded. 

Windsor was ultimately the winner of the Wright sweepstakes and added one of the best players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) to a roster that already features four other NHL prospects. 

There was some initial buzz that the London Knights were close to acquiring Wright. However, it appears London defenseman Oliver Bonk, a ‘B’ rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting, was the sticking point in the deal, at least that’s what London general manager Mark Hunter said. 

From a Seattle fan perspective, Windsor is a bit of an underwhelming landing spot for Wright, even though the Spitfires were in a great position — and are now in an even greater position — to win the CHL’s top prize, the Memorial Cup. 

London would have been a desirable option to pair Wright up with Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton, who the Knights also traded for recently. North Bay seemingly made a late push, at least per reports, which would have formed a fun trio with Seattle defense prospect Ty Nelson and forward prospect Kyle Jackson. 

As far as what this means for Wright, he’s virtually guaranteed top-line minutes and should embark on a long playoff run. Being back in an environment where he has already dominated — the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft posted 94 points in 63 games last season — should imbue Wright with plenty of confidence.

And above anything else, the move provides stability for Wright, who has played for three different teams — Seattle, Coachella Valley, and Team Canada — over the last three months.

Coachella Valley continues streaking

The Firebirds’ winning streak ended at seven games with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Ontario Reign Sunday, but Coachella Valley is still riding a nine-game point streak after a 3-2 shootout win over the San Jose Barracuda Tuesday.

Kole Lind tallied a goal in the latest victory. The 24-year-old forward has 11 points in his last 10 games.

Andrew Poturalski, Ryker Evans named AHL All-Stars

The Firebirds will send two representatives to the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic in their first season.

Poturalski, a 28-year-old forward, has tallied 35 points in 33 games this season and is currently on a two-year deal with the Kraken. Evans, a second-round draft pick in 2022, has 21 points in 33 games in his first AHL season.

Poturalski and Evans will play for the Pacific Division and will be coached by Calgary head coach Mitch Love, a cult legend with the Everett Silvertips. Former Everett goaltender Dustin Wolf, who plays for Love in Calgary, will be between the pipes for the Pacific.

Jacob Melanson settling in just fine with Sherbrooke

In just his third game with the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix since being traded by Acadie-Bathurst, the Kraken forward prospect netted a hat trick, his third of the season, in a 5-2 win over Shawinigan. 

In his three games with Sherbrooke, Melanson has five goals and seven points. 

Barrett Hall enjoying nice stretch in USHL

The Kraken’s sixth-round pick in 2022 is in a nice groove for the Green Bay Gamblers with seven points in his last five games, including a four-point effort on Dec. 28. 

Hall is currently tied for third on the Gamblers with 20 points. 

Thunderbirds make splash, Silvertips receive big haul for Zellweger at WHL deadline

The local Western Hockey League teams were uber active at the trade deadline, with the two teams heading in opposite directions. 

Seattle acquired Chicago Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach from the Kelowna Rockets, had the Winnipeg Jets reassign Brad Lambert to the T-Birds — who they acquired the rights to in a trade with Saskatoon earlier this year — and obtained the rights to Dylan Guenther, who is currently in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes, from the Edmonton Oil Kings for a load of conditional draft picks. 

After the dust settled, Seattle was left with nine NHL prospects, three players on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list, and the starting goalie for the WJC’s gold-medal-winning Canada, Thomas Milic.

Not bad. 

However, the draft pick cupboard is now bare in Seattle. If Guenther ends up reporting to Seattle by the Feb. 10 deadline for NHL teams to send players back to juniors and be eligible for the playoffs (which seems unlikely at this point), the Thunderbirds will have no picks in the first three rounds and just three in the first five rounds of the next four WHL bantam drafts. 

Everett is trending in the opposite direction but completed some tidy business of their own by trading Ducks prospect Olen Zellweger and Capitals prospect Ryan Hofer for 10 draft picks, including two first-rounders, and four players. 

According to Alan Caldwell, who has tracked WHL draft picks since 2015, the Silvertips have not had multiple first-round draft picks since at least 2015 — as far back as his tracker goes. 

High draft picks aren’t the only way to build a successful WHL team — Everett and Seattle are prime examples of that — but it certainly helps. 

Josh Horton

Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and erstwhile Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.

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Kraken Prospects: Shane Wright sent to Kingston, may be traded to new OHL team

by Josh Horton | Jan 6, 2023 | Kraken Prospects

The World Junior Championship ended Thursday, with Shane Wright captaining Team Canada to a gold medal in Halifax and Moncton. The morning after, the Seattle Kraken reassigned Wright back to the OHL for the rest of the season. 

Now, OHL trade watch begins for Wright. 

Several hockey insiders have further advanced speculation that arose during World Juniors that Wright would be traded by Kingston. If that ends up being true, he would be the third Kraken prospect to be traded before the Canadian Hockey League deadline. 

This past weekend, two Kraken forward prospects, Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton, were dealt from their respective junior teams. Melanson was acquired by the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a prospect, and Winterton was sent to the London Knights of the OHL along with teammate Ryan Humphrey for two players and a second-round pick. 

Melanson, a fifth-round pick in 2021, is 15th in the QMJHL in scoring with 25 goals and 19 assists. He’ll join a roster loaded with NHL draft prospects; Melanson is one of seven drafted players on the Phoenix, and new teammate Ethan Gauthier is projected to be a first-round pick by most public scouting rankings. 

Winterton hasn’t played this season yet due to offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to make his debut on Friday against his former team, Hamilton, according to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press. The Kraken’s third-round pick in 2021 had 46 points in 37 games last season. 

Currently, the Kingston Frontenacs, who drafted Wright, hold his OHL rights and are in the middle of the pack in the standings. Ottawa, London, North Bay, Barrie, and Peterborough have been called out as teams to watch by hockey insiders. 

As far as Kraken prospect synergy, the best landing spots for Wright would be London (Winterton), North Bay (Ty Nelson), or Peterborough (Tucker Robertson). 

The OHL trade deadline is Jan. 10 at 9 a.m. PT. 

Since Wright played in only eight games for the Kraken, the first year of his entry-level contract (ELC) won’t kick in this season. Per the NHL-CHL agreement, Wright was allowed nine games in the NHL before Seattle needed to decide whether to send him back to the OHL or burn the first year of his ELC. Wright can’t play the full season in the American Hockey League, per the same agreement. 

The path to playing time in Seattle was tight for Wright before World Juniors, but it became even tighter after the Kraken claimed forward Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from the Nashville Predators. 

Speaking of Wright, check this out

As mentioned above, Canada won the gold medal game against Czechia, 3-2, in overtime. 

Wright played a pivotal part for Canada throughout the entire tournament, centering one of the team’s top two lines and serving as captain. He put an exclamation on his tournament with a highlight-reel-worthy goal to put Canada up 2-0. 

Wright was solid, but not overwhelming, at World Juniors. Part of that comes from 2023 top prospect Connor Bedard lighting up the tournament with nine goals and 23 points and overshadowing everyone, but Wright posted a respectable stat line with four goals and seven points in seven games. 

Even though he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, there are plenty of positives to take away from Wright’s World Junior stint, according to Lassi Alanen of Elite Prospects. 

Finland knocked out early by Sweden

The Finns, the other team at the World Juniors with Kraken representation, were knocked out in the quarterfinals by archrival Sweden. 

Kraken forward prospect Jani Nyman finished with two goals and three points in five games, and goaltender NIklas Kokko didn’t see any action for Finland. 

Thomas Milic holds down Canada’s crease

The Seattle Thunderbirds netminder took over Canada’s net and performed admirably with a .932 save percentage and lots of heroic saves in the knockout rounds.

Milic, along with teammates Reid Schaefer, Kevin Korchinski, and Nolan Allen, Everett Silvertips defenseman Olen Zellweger, and head coach Dennis Williams, bring a gold medal back to the Puget Sound. 

Coachella Valley Firebirds riding long winning streak

Seattle’s AHL affiliate has been scorching hot in December and January. With their 4-2 win over Colorado on Wednesday, the Firebirds have won six straight and 12 of their last 15 dating back to the start of December. 

Forwards Kole Lind, Jesper Froden, and Max McCormick boast a team-leading seven goals and 16 points each during that stretch, and defense prospect Ryker Evans has been equally productive on the blue line with 11 points. 

Ty Nelson packs scoring punch

Defenseman Ty Nelson is on a nice little scoring run with two goals and 10 points over his last 10 games for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. The shot-happy blue liner is one of the most dynamic defensemen in creating offense in junior hockey, as Sound Of Hockey’s own Curtis Isacke noted on Twitter. 

Checking in on the Seattle Kraken Finnish prospects at the World Junior Championship

by Curtis Isacke | Dec 30, 2022 | Kraken Prospects

Three Seattle Kraken-affiliated prospects made rosters for their respective under-20 national teams for the IIHF World Junior Championship: Shane Wright for Team Canada and Jani Nyman and Niklas Kokko for Team Finland. After a couple pre-tournament games and a few group stage games, my focus will be to check in on Finns Kokko and Nyman. And if you stick around to the end, I’ll give a quick take on what I’ve seen from Wright as well.

With the appropriate amount of caution about overemphasizing the predicative importance of just a few tournament games, let’s dive in.

Niklas Kokko G

2022-23 Club Statistics

Team               League            GP       GAA     SV%    SO      Record

Kärpät             Liiga                1          0.00     .000     0          0-0-0

Hermes          Mestis             12        2.88     .904     1          3-6-3

2023 WJC Statistics

N/A

Analysis

Kokko hasn’t yet seen the ice for Finland, and probably will not don the Suomi blue for the remainder of the tournament either. He is the third goaltender on the roster and has not yet dressed.

That said, Kokko’s presence on the roster is itself remarkable. Finland is notorious for producing goaltenders. To rank among the top three under-20 players at the position for Finland is a strong endorsement of his club play, as well as his performance at Finland’s selection camp.

And Kokko may yet have a future as Finland’s No. 1 junior goalie. Kokko is still 18 years old and will be eligible for the 2024 World Junior Championship. The two goalies playing ahead of Kokko—Aku Koskenvuo (2021 Vancouver draftee) and Jani Lampinen—are both 19 years old and will be ineligible next season. Kokko’s presence on the roster this year suggests Team Finland views him as the lead contender to start next year.

All of this is impressive considering what we were saying about Kokko just six months ago. In my pre-draft analysis, I suggested the Kraken could look at drafting a goalie with one of their cluster of second-round picks. At the time, only two goaltenders were projected in that range on public boards: Tyler Brennan of Canada, who was No. 77 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board, and Topias Leinonen of Finland, who was No. 86. Kokko was off the radar entirely, checking in at No. 293.  

Since the draft, however, Kokko has leapfrogged Leinonen not only in the mind of Team Finland, but also, apparently, in the eyes of many scouts. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported Kokko “always comes up in conversations with folks in Finland as the best goalie in this age group.” Impressive stuff for Kokko, even if we don’t see him on the ice.

Jani Nyman LW

2022-23 Club Statistics

Team                  League            GP       G         A        TP       PIM      +/-

Ilves U20          U20 SM-sarja  2          5          1         6          2          4                                                                                 

Ilves                     Liiga                21       7          3          10        2          -2

2023 WJC Statistics

Team                   League           GP      G         A        TP       PIM    +/-

Finland U20                 WJC-20         3          2          1          3          0          2                                                                                 

Finland U20 (all)         Int’l Exh.       5          5          5         10        2          8

Analysis

Just glancing at Jani Nyman (No. 22) on the ice at the World Juniors, you’d be excused if you thought you were looking at an adult dropped into a peewee league game. Every bit of 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he cuts an imposing, professional power-forward figure whenever he is on the ice. And he has frequently found offensive success by playing downhill directly through the defense.

But there is more to this left-shot winger than just his size. Skating regularly in Finland’s middle six, Nyman has three points (two goals and one assist) in three tournament games for Team Finland so far, tied for second on the team. He is also the team’s leading forward contributor by the “game score” metric tracked by Elite Prospects, which gives players credit for discrete game contributions, including shots, shot assists, zone entries, zone exits, and play break ups. This means he ranks ahead of the likes of Brad Lambert and Joakim Kemell. On top of that, Nyman is also the team’s second youngest player (born July 30, 2004).

Digging in on Nyman, it is his shot that stands out the most. He can deliver heavy wrist shots off the rush or cycle. Even more terrifying is Nyman’s slap shot. He patrols the right circle on Finland’s power play, which looks to overload the left side and then feed the puck back to Nyman for a one-timer.

Grabbing some post on the way to the back of the net, it’s a bit surprising that puck didn’t split in two.

Nyman has a scorer’s mentality. He is willing to drive to the net and force the play, regardless of the physical toll. He also has well-honed instincts for when to get to the difficult areas of the ice for a scoring chance.

Most importantly, he’s unafraid to put the puck on net from anywhere on the ice. I have not seen him squander a scoring chance on the hope of a better one. In this respect, his shooting package and approach reminds me a bit of Daniel Sprong, albeit from the left side. And like Sprong, I have little doubt that Nyman could score 20+ goals in the NHL in his prime if his other skills can keep him in the lineup.

Nyman is not an offensive playmaker in the sense of scanning the offensive zone, diagnosing, and finding an open teammate (like Shane Wright does, for example). But this does not particularly concern me because this not going to be Nyman’s role. He works well off of simpler cycles, net drives, and give-and-go exchanges. If he reaches his peak, he will be able to drive offensive success by physical forechecking along the boards and in the corners and power possession play. These traits are often overlooked, but not always undervalued by teams. A similar (though currently superior) skillset got Juraj Slafkovsky drafted No. 1 overall.

The offensive skillset leaves plenty to dream on. And Nyman is not without defensive skills either. He shows potential within Finland’s structured transition defense, stepping up to physically deny controlled zone entries. In the defensive zone, he can win board battles, close on his mark, and force the puck out of the defensive zone with physical play, even if he is not always setting up an offensive-minded breakout.

But there are at least two areas of concern for me, with one being a bright red flag for his NHL prospects. First, and perhaps less troubling, is his overall defensive effort, particularly on the backcheck. Nyman can rush like a freight train when Finland is playing downhill with possession. But the same urgency to defend the opposing rush just isn’t there most of the time. This is something that he needs to clean up or he could end up with a journeyman career like Sprong’s—that is, if Nyman even makes it that far.

My second—and more serious—concern is Nyman’s skating agility. He lacks NHL-level movement skills. He plays a bit stiff and hunched over, which limits his ability to rapidly react to passes or mirror opponents in coverage. His skating stride serves him in a straight line on the rush but is a major limitation in traffic or in a defensive posture. Will he be able to play fast enough to use his shot and physicality or will he be stuck chasing the play? The major caveat here is that I’ve only watched about 50 minutes of Nyman’s play in these international games, but based on what I’ve seen, I am concerned that, absent improvement, his skating will limit his chances to earn a role at the NHL level.

So, where does this leave us with Nyman? First, it is important to remember he is still young and is currently signed through 2023-24 with Liiga club team Ilves. So, the Finn has another year and a half to work on the rough areas of his game before any decision needs to be made about bringing him over to the United States.

Optimistically, the narrower North American ice surface (when compared with the wider international sheets used in Liiga) should allow Nyman to leverage his physicality and reach and incrementally decrease his mobility concerns. Pair that with hard-trained development of his four-way skating agility and you could have an effective defensive player proficient at denying zone entries and forcing the puck out of the defensive zone along the boards. And, on offense, you would have a legitimate top-six goal-scoring winger when paired with proper playmakers.

Pessimistically, he cannot overcome his mobility concerns and tops out as borderline AHL/NHL player for a few years before returning to Europe for the balance of his career.

If you want to watch Jani Nyman yourself, head over to the Deep Sea Hockey YouTube Channel and check out all of his shifts from his December 19, 2022, pre-tournament game against the United States and his December 26, 2022, group stage game against Switzerland.

Quick thoughts on Shane Wright

Shane Wright was named Team Canada’s captain and has been skating as the team’s first-line center. It’s hard to imagine a more integral or trusted position for a player. And, on paper, Wright has not disappointed. He is tied for third on the team with five points in three tournament games.

Digging past his statistics though, many of the same concerns that dogged him in the NHL have followed him to the WJC. Wright remains a strong shooter, of course. Wright’s ice vision and passing ability have continued to show up too. This is an ample skill set for a strong NHL career.

But if he is going to reach the level predicted for him pre-draft, he is going to need to gain confidence possessing the puck and driving offense. The puck almost never rests on his stick for more than a beat before Wright has moved it out. At the NHL level this could be attributed to Wright feeling out the level of play. But at the WJC, Team Canada needs Wright to take over the rush and quarterback an offense. Right now, he is more often deferring to his teammates, and his team’s scoring prospects are worse for it. It is troubling if Wright feels like he can’t keep up and control the pace of play at this (elite) junior level. Wright has just one even-strength assist. Canada needs more from him.

On the bright side, Wright has looked more physically comfortable at the WJC, engaging in contested puck battles while playing against similar-age competition. This is a promising sign for improved play on the forecheck over time.

Kraken Prospects: Tucker Robertson’s historic 9 seconds; CV’s arena debut; WJC

by Josh Horton | Dec 21, 2022 | Kraken Prospects

Tucker Robertson, a Seattle Kraken forward prospect, scored two goals in nine seconds, setting a franchise record for the Peterborough Petes (OHL). 

Robertson, 19, added an assist in the Petes’ 8-2 rout over Hamilton. 

The two goals nine seconds apart isn’t completely uncommon in hockey — the NHL record for fastest two goals scored by the same skater is four seconds — but it is rare. While no records for the OHL exist in the public domain — or any of the Canadian Hockey League, for that matter — goals scored nine seconds or less apart by the same skater has happened only 47 times since 1930. 

The fourth-round pick of the Kraken in 2022 is coming off a 81-point season in 2021-22 and is on a 75-point pace this season, with Robertson owning 15 goals and 19 assists through 31 games. 

While productive in the Ontario Hockey League for the past two seasons, Robertson has a complicated prospect profile. Presumably hampered by the OHL not playing a full season in the year before his draft eligibility in 2020-21, Robertson wasn’t taken in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. 

He blossomed into a point-per-game player in 2021-22, though, prompting the Kraken to take him 123rd overall this past summer as an overage player.

Lauded for his strong defensive instincts at the junior level, some evaluators aren’t confident it will translate to the pro level, while others are believers in that, as well as his burgeoning offensive game. 

The 2003-born prospect is eligible to join Coachella Valley in 2023-24 if the Kraken were to sign him, as he’ll be 20 years old next season.

Coachella Valley Firebirds win home opener

The long-awaited opening of Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., yielded an exciting “home opener” for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as the Kraken’s AHL affiliate dispatched the Tucson Roadrunners, 4-3, on Sunday. 

Cameron Hughes scored the arena’s first ever goal on the power play, 11:11 into the game. It was only Hughes’ second of the season. The 26-year-old forward also contributed two assists in Acrisure’s debut. 

Noteworthy: Defense prospect Ryker Evans tallied an assist in the contest, his sixth assist in his last five games. Seattle’s second-round pick in 2021 is starting to make strides in production in the AHL. His six-game point streak was snapped Tuesday in Coachella Valley’s 3-2 loss against Tucson.

World Juniors pre-tournament starting up

The World Junior Championship, which begins on Dec. 26 in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, has commenced it’s pre-tournament phase. Here’s how the Kraken and local connections are faring so far. 

Wright, Zellweger taking on major roles with Canada

Shane Wright, the Kraken’s top pick in 2022, was announced as Team Canada’s captain for the tournament on Sunday. He celebrated the news by potting a pair of goals and chipping in an assist in the team’s pre-season tilt with Switzerland on Monday. 

Additionally, Olen Zellweger, a star for the Everett Silvertips and an Anaheim Ducks prospect, is quarterbacking Canada’s top power play and scored a goal with that unit. 

Jani Nyman and Finland fall to US

Jani Nyman, a second-round pick for the Kraken in 2022, played on Finland’s third line for their exhibition versus the U.S. on Monday. Finland lost the game 5-2. Sound Of Hockey’s Curtis Isacke broke down every one of Nyman’s shifts:

Noteworthy: Kraken goaltender Niklas Kokko was not suited up for the game. One of three goalies taken by Finland to the tournament, we’ll see if the second-round pick in 2022 gets any ice time or earns the starting nod for Finland. 

Stay hot, David Goyette

A four-assist outing against Oshawa brought Kraken prospect David Goyette’s point total to 14 in his last five games. He’s been very efficient, too, scoring on 30 percent of his shots over that period. 

Kyle Jackson keeps streaking

Kraken forward prospect Kyle Jackson extended his point streak to 12 games over the weekend with three goals and three assists in three contests. Jackson, 20, has been one of Seattle’s most productive prospects in the system, with 29 points in his last 20 games and 10 points in his last five games.