Seattle Kraken photo gallery – Training camp Friday

by bliesse | Sep 25, 2022 | Kraken

All photos are taken by Brian Liesse and are property of Sound Of Hockey. They may not be re-used.

Kraken training camp notebook: Schwartz and Tanev return, Bjorkstrand shows well

by Andy Eide | Sep 22, 2022 | Kraken

SEATTLE– Kraken hockey was back on the ice Thursday as the team kicked off training camp at the Kraken Community Iceplex.

Not only was the team back to prepare for the franchise’s second season, but so were forwards Brandon Tanev and Jaden Schwartz. Two key players who missed significant time last season due to injury, both were on the ice Thursday and each guy looked healed, rested, and ready to go.

“Feel good, excited to be here and get it going,” Schwartz said. “It’s a lot different [this year], just more comfortable with each other, more comfortable with the city. Kind of know the routines and just getting to know the guys more I think is the most important thing.”

Schwartz injured his wrist in a game against Philadelphia in late December and returned to the lineup March 5 for a game versus the Washington Capitals. But he suffered a different injury at the end of the month and did not return for the remainder of the season.

The second injury was undisclosed, and he was still feeling the effects at the team’s closing interviews in May.

“All I can say is there were a lot of tests done and doctors went down some different paths,” Schwartz said Thursday. “I got good help and I feel like it could help me a lot this year. So, I feel good.”

He ended the season playing in 37 games while scoring eight goals and 23 points.

Tanev burst out of the gates for Seattle last year, quickly becoming a fan favorite for his hair-on-fire style of play and scoring nine goals in the first 30 games. He appeared on his way to easily breaking his career mark of 14 scores that he set in 2018-19 playing for the Winnipeg Jets.

But he never got there as a knee injury sidelined him, and he would miss the final 52 games of the season.

“It took a little bit time learning to do things that had come so easily,” Tanev said. “Once you’re back on the ice, there with your teammates and back in the city of Seattle, you’re excited to be back here for training camp.”

While he would probably admit to having some rust, he looked like Brandon Tanev during an afternoon scrimmage Thursday. There were no massive hits, but he skated fast and the energy level seemed to rise when he was on the ice.

“I liked the way he dove back in,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “He was playing through traffic. That’s a good first step for him and a good day one. He brings a little bit of energy everywhere he goes, so it’s good to have him back in the room.”

A healthy Schwartz will give Hakstol another offensive weapon at the top of the lineup and allow him to form some big lines. Schwartz took part in the morning workouts, but his group did not yet scrimmage; that will happen Friday.

Watching Schwartz, he showed no ill effects and appeared to be going full bore and flinging wrist shots with ease.

“He’s the kind of guy who fixes any line you put him on,” Hakstol said about Schwartz. “You put him on a line and that line is gonna find success. The way he goes about his business is a little bit under the radar, but it’s for sure not within our group inside of this room. The things that he does out there to generate possession, and more importantly, generate offense off that possession are really important. He’s a hell of a competitor.”

Both Tanev and Schwartz were set up to be contributors to the Kraken attack last season, but we never had a chance to fully realize the potential. Seattle hopes that’s a different situation this year.

“Our expectations are a lot higher,” Schwartz said. “We want to start off with taking it one day at a time here and have a good camp… We got a new team this year, we got a lot of new players, and we got a lot better over the summer.  I think each guy’s hungry.”

Bjorkstrand debuts

Acquired in the move of the summer for the Kraken, the former Columbus Blue Jackets winger was on the ice for the first time for an official team-sanctioned skate.

In the afternoon scrimmage, he was on a line centered by Matty Beniers with Ryan Donato on the opposite wing. The trio looked good, but before people start coming up with clever nicknames for the line, be cautioned that it’s early and the scrimmage only included half the team’s roster.

Still, day one was good, and Bjorkstrand even found the back of the net as his squad won 2-0.

On his linemates for the day, Donato and Beniers, Bjorkstrand said, “Good skaters, move the puck well, and the offensive skills are there. I think us as a group, if we’re together, we just have to make sure we finish and play both ways.”

Friday’s camp will feature the second group of players scrimmaging, and we’ll get our first look at first-round pick Shane Wright in “game” action, as well as free agent addition Andre Burakovsky.

Battles and narratives to consider as Kraken open training camp

by Darren Brown | Sep 22, 2022 | Kraken

It’s here! It’s here! Seattle Kraken training camp has arrived! Earlier this week, we got a look at the rookies in the organization with a two-day precursor to the main event. But now the rubber meets the road, as the veterans officially join the action Thursday.

There were several key pieces added to the organization during the offseason, and with turnover comes narratives, as players compete for roster and lineup spots.

Here are some of the players, battles, and narratives to keep an eye on in Kraken training camp.

Roster battles

At the end of every NHL training camp, a handful of players gets placed on waivers by every club as front offices try to send guys through to their respective AHL affiliates. After the acquisitions made by Seattle this offseason, there are more NHL-caliber players in the fold than there are roster spots, so something has to give.

The Kraken will have to expose some NHL-level talent to waivers prior to the season opener. Who stays, and who goes?

Forwards

Throwing a wrench into the plans of at least a fringe player or two is the arrival of Shane Wright, who has a good shot at making the roster as an 18-year-old. We will talk more about him in a bit, but just know that we do expect him to take up a roster spot, at least to start the season.

Brandon Tanev and Jaden Schwartz are also back and have looked good in unofficial captain’s practices, so by our count, we see 14 forwards that we expect to more or less be locks for the initial roster, barring injuries. Those players are Matty Beniers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Donato, Joonas Donskoi, Jordan Eberle, Morgan Geekie, Yanni Gourde, Karson Kuhlman, Jared McCann, Schwartz, Tanev, Alex Wennberg, and Wright.  

Those are all the forward spots the team has available, and that would mean four full lines plus two healthy forward scratches. The team typically carried one extra forward and two extra defensemen last season, but we expect that to change this season.

With all this in mind, if everything goes according to plan, there really are no spots for guys like Kole Lind, John Hayden, Alexander True, or Daniel Sprong, who is in camp on a professional try-out. We would also lump into this group Andrew Poturalski, who has been a prolific scorer in the AHL but has never gotten a real chance in the NHL.

Things never go according to plan, though, and even if all the regulars stay healthy through training camp, somebody will eventually miss time at some point during the season. So if spots don’t open for bubble players immediately out of camp, those guys will want to leave a positive impression to put themselves in line as the first call-ups.  

Sending down a guy like Lind, who has upside and performed well in his end-of-season stint with Seattle last year, would be risky, as he could certainly be claimed by another team that’s willing to keep him in the NHL.

Defense

Similarly, the Kraken have more defensemen than they can fit on their NHL roster, though there is a spot up for grabs. We expect Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, Justin Schultz, and Carson Soucy to be shoo-ins, and Will Borgen stuck with the big club throughout the entire 2021-22 season, despite minimal playing time. So, pencil him in for the sixth spot.

But what about Cale Fleury, offseason signing Michal Kempny, and rookie Ryker Evans? Fleury is valuable as a right shot and did a good job for the Kraken at the end of last season. Kempny is a veteran that worked his way back from a series of horrific leg injuries and in 2021-22 played 15 games for the Capitals and 24 games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Evans had an awesome training camp before last season, then went back to the WHL’s Regina Pats and had a stellar campaign there, notching 61 points in 63 games.

Evans, 20, would benefit from time in the AHL, so it’s probably an uphill battle for him to make the club at this juncture, but we could see Kempny or Fleury filling that seventh spot on the blue line.

Goalies

At first glance, the Kraken goal crease feels solidified going into training camp. Philipp Grubauer is the bona fide No. 1, and with Chris Driedger recovering from a torn ACL, the team went out and acquired Martin Jones on a one-year, $2 million contract this summer.

BUT… but… what about our good friend, Joey Daccord? We bring him up because for him to get to Coachella Valley at the end of camp, he will have to clear waivers. Does the team want to risk losing him?

At the end of last season, general manager Ron Francis indicated that Daccord would have a chance to make the team, but that was before Jones was signed. The smart bet to stick with the team is on Jones and his $2 million contract, but do pay attention to how Jones and Daccord perform in camp and in their pre-season outings.

Other narratives

Shane Wright’s impact

Wright will remain a storyline throughout at least the first part of the regular season. Assuming he performs even reasonably well, we think he will break camp with the Kraken. The tricky thing here is that if Seattle doesn’t think Wright is ready to produce this season, or if he has a slow start out of the gates, he can be sent back to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs without burning a year of his entry-level contract. The team just has to make that decision prior to Wright playing in his 10th NHL game.

Thinking a few steps ahead, it would be a shame if, say, Lind gets waived and claimed by another team out of camp, then Wright plays nine games and goes back to the OHL. That is a real possibility and something to monitor as things develop.

The other thing to consider here is that Wright plays center, as do Beniers, Wennberg, Gourde, and Geekie. That’s too many centers, so somebody will have to slide to the wing. Lines will certainly shift around a lot during the course of the season, but do keep an eye on which of Gourde, Geekie, and Wright are lining up in the middle during pre-season.

New arrivals

It will be fun to see Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand in action for the Kraken. Those were two huge adds for Seattle this offseason, and getting a glimpse at how coach Dave Hakstol might employ them will be worth the price of admission for the pre-season games they play.

Familiar faces

Tanev and Schwartz are both back and looking healthy, which is a huge boost to a Kraken club that slumped mightily after losing those players in the inaugural season. The group is much deeper with those two players available, plus Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand, meaning forwards that were in Seattle’s top six last year will be able to play down the lineup in third- and fourth-line roles this season (again, assuming good health).

On paper, the Kraken stand to be much better this year if they can keep their core players from getting hurt.

Training camp gets underway Thursday with on-ice sessions starting at 9:40AM at Kraken Community Iceplex. The team’s first pre-season game will be Monday against the Edmonton Oilers at Climate Pledge Arena.

Sound Analysis: What Oliver Bjorkstrand will bring to the Kraken

by Curtis Isacke | Sep 2, 2022 | Kraken

Last week we posted our video analysis of Seattle’s biggest free agent signing of the summer, Andre Burakovsky. This week, we return with a look at Seattle’s most significant veteran addition overall, trade acquisition Oliver Bjorkstrand. As was the case with the Burakovsky breakdown, this analysis is mostly built on watching tape from Bjorkstrand’s 2021-22 season, and I have compiled all of his shifts from three of his games for you to follow along:

• Dec. 11, 2021, at Seattle Kraken: First Period, Second Period (missing a shift; see it here), and Third Period
• Apr. 28, 2022, versus Tampa Bay Lightning: First Period, Second Period, and Third Period
• Apr. 29, 2022, at Pittsburgh Penguins: First Period, Second Period, and Third Period

Again, all of these videos are linked in a playlist on the DeepSeaHockey YouTube channel, so you can watch them all in a row there.

**Author’s Note: These are the first large video compilations I made, and, regrettably, the videos uploaded below HD quality, so the tape gets a little a grainy if you watch it on a large screen. I believe I can avoid this moving forward.

Overview

It is evident on tape that Oliver Bjorkstrand thinks the game at an elite level. He combines the ability to do many small things to help a line succeed with the ability to finish at the net and score 20-to-30 goals. While he is slight in frame and not the most dynamic athlete, his deep repertoire of skills indicates he will be a top-line, all-around forward for years to come.

Player profile

Oliver Bjorkstand is a 27-year-old, left-shot winger and veteran of seven seasons, all with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Oliver is the son of native Minnesotan Todd Bjorkstrand, a former professional hockey player and coach. Oliver was born in Denmark to his mother Janne, a native of Herning, and grew up in that country speaking Danish with his mother and English with his father at home.

Bjorkstrand played two years in Denmark before joining the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL for the 2012-13 season. After the Dane tallied 82 points across 86 regular- and post-season games for Portland, he was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round, 89th overall, in the 2013 draft. Bjorkstrand played two more seasons with Portland, topping an impressive 140 regular- and post-season points each year, and then joined the Blue Jackets organization in 2015. The 6-foot-0, 177-pound forward split time between Columbus and the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL for two years before settling in as a full-time NHL regular in 2017-18 at 22 years old.

In Jan., 2021, Bjorkstrand signed a five-year, $27 million extension with Columbus. When the Blue Jackets faced a salary cap squeeze after the unexpected signing of Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus traded Bjorkstrand to Seattle on July 22, 2022. He has four years left on his contract, with a $5.4 million annual cap hit.

Previous production

Bjorkstrand established himself at the highest level a little later than most of his comparable players. To this day he remains a wiry player without blazing speed or physical attributes, so it took him some time to figure out how to deploy his game at the NHL level. In his age 22 and 23 seasons, Bjorktrand produced approximately half a point per game and topped 20 goals for the first time in 2018-19. In 2019-20, Bjorkstrand’s role in the Columbus offense expanded and his volume of offensive production grew with it. In his last year in Columbus he posted a career high 28 goals and matched his career best 29 assists.

Bjorkstrand’s strong all-around contributions are perhaps best captured by his Corsi (shot attempt differential) and Fenwick (unblocked shot attempt differential) percentages when he was on the ice in Columbus. Incredibly, he not only posted positive differentials in each of these categories every season, he also posted positive “relative” short attempt differentials (i.e., his team did relatively better in shot differential against the opposition with Bjorkstrand on ice rather than off the ice) in every season. This owes in some part to an offense-forward role (as indicated by his “Offensive Zone Start %”) but also to his remarkably deep skill set as a player.

Previous usage

In his first two full years in Columbus, Oliver Bjorkstrand filled a third-line role, but since the 2019-20 season, Columbus has deployed Bjorkstrand for top-line-equivalent even-strength minutes. He oscillated between first- and second-unit power play responsibilities throughout this time, but in 2021-22 he clearly established himself in the primary group and paid off that ice time with a career high nine power play goals.

Similar to Andre Burakovsky, Bjorkstrand has not been deployed on the penalty kill in normal situations. It is worth noting, however, that he was alert to a game situation and trusted by the coaching staff to jump over the boards and fill a penalty killing role when one of his teammates was injured and had to leave the ice in Columbus’s April 29, 2022, game. He did not look out of place at all in Columbus’s similar triangle-and-one scheme. But for the fact that his ice time is better used at even strength and on the power play, he looks like he would be a fine penalty killer.

At even strength, Bjorkstrand played on the right side in an offensive-forward role in the games I viewed from 2021-22.

On the power play, the Dane most frequently lined up in the slot (the “bumper” position) this past year, but also saw time in the left circle. In man advantage transitions Bjorkstrand commonly served as the second trailing forward with support responsibilities if the penalty killers shut down the advance of the primary trailing forward.

In four-on-four or three-on-three scenarios, Bjorkstrand was almost always in the primary unit.

Video analysis

A scout might get tired writing out all of the good things Oliver Bjorkstrand does on the ice. I can’t claim to be a scout, but I know I found it is easier to list the few areas where he is not exemplary.

So let’s start there: Bjorkstrand is a wiry thin player. He plays much stronger than his size in critical respects, but will not bring physicality to a unit. He is also not an elite athlete by NHL standards; he is quick and slippery in short areas, which is more important in many ways, but he will not be the fastest or most dynamic Kraken forward.

Beyond that, I struggled to find any area of his game that fell below average. He constantly finds the puck offensively and defensively. He succeeds skating the puck in transition and drives play when in the offensive zone. Most impressive to me was his ability to maintain puck control through traffic and contact even at his size. His shot is very strong (if perhaps a fraction of a step below Andre Burakovsky’s elite level). On the defensive side he challenges on the forecheck and disrupts opposing breakouts and transition at a very high level.

Circling back to his gameplay analytics and micro-statistics, I was pleased to see my tape evaluation born out in those numbers. Bjorkstrand does a lot to drive success for his team. OK, let’s dive into the video.

High-end play driving and play involvement

When you watch Oliver Bjorkstrand’s shifts, it seems like he is always around the puck or in possession of it. He has very high-level instincts and intelligence on the ice. While he plays within the scheme, he is always active in space, closing out on opponents, blocking shots, or disrupting zone exits and frustrating opponent transition. He anticipates pressure points for the opposition and has a strong intuitive sense of where a pass may be attempted and is quick to disrupt or intercept.

He often serves as the F1 (high player) in the neutral zone forecheck scheme, a position from which he causes disruption at an impressive rate, and quickly looks to turn transition back into the offensive zone.

On the offensive side, he anticipates offensive zone dump-in entries and commits to recoveries, and produces at a very high rate, even if he is not the biggest player.

On the puck, he quickly turns a defensive zone touch into controlled possession moving the other direction. Very frequently he is just making the right play, giving his team the best chance to set up in the offensive zone, cycle, or score. If the situation dictates, the puck is on and off his stick in a flash. In another scenario, he is slippery and skilled enough to hold possession or draw in the defense to free a teammate.

On this play, Bjorkstrand is alone in transition, checked at the blue line by two Kraken defenders; but he is able to flip it to himself deep in the corner and set up play in the offensive zone. It is a simple play, but actually making it work requires a combination of vision, agility, and tenacity that relatively few players can deliver. Here, he executes a clever pass through traffic to free a teammate with controlled zone entry.

One 30-second stretch encapsulating his value came near the end of the second period of Columbus’s visit to Seattle on Dec. 11, 2021. Bjorkstrand begins by gathering a loose puck in the defensive zone and immediately keys transition with a short pass. After the Blue Jackets create a shot on goal, the Kraken recover and look to clear but Bjorkstrand pressures on the forecheck and then anticipates the passing lane, ultimately deflecting the saucer pass out of the air, causing a turnover to the Columbus blueliners. About ten seconds later he jumps on a loose puck in the neutral zone and skates in on a two-on-one break that ends with a tap-in goal off Bjorkstrand’s shot.

A similar shift came at the 11:10 mark of the third period against Tampa Bay on April 28, 2022. Bjorkstrand gathered a loose puck in the defensive zone and faced heavy forechecking pressure. Displaying elite ice vision, he made a clever indirect pass to the weak side, facilitating a zone exit where one seemed improbable. Even so, Tampa recovered the puck at their own blue line. But Bjorkstrand then jumped the passing lane on a stretch pass and took possession in the neutral zone. He beat a stick check in the neutral zone, skated into the offensive zone, and beat the goaltender for a goal.

In summary, Bjorkstrand’s greatest value is in these subtle areas. He drives positive play and sets his teammates up for success. Corey Sznajder’s visualization from his tremendous All Three Zones website shows how Bjorkstrand created shots for himself and his teammates at a rate far higher than anyone else in Columbus last year.

In this regard, his play contrasts markedly with that of Burakovsky, who does several discrete things very well but often times does his best work if others on his line are setting him up for success. For this reason, I’d be curious to see if Bjorkstrand and Burakovsky would work as compliments to each other on the same line.

Very strong shot and scoring touch

That said, not all of Bjorkstrand’s contributions are subtle; he can score goals at a high level. Three distinct skills make him a threatening all-around scorer. First, he has a very strong wrist shot. He is deceptive, often surprising the goaltender with the quick release or shot angle. Combine that with above-average velocity and accuracy and he is a threat to score anywhere from the circles down.

Second, his hands are impressive. He can receive and release close-area passes or slightly off-target passes in an instant. This makes him dangerous in the bumper role on the power play.

Third, he goes to the difficult scoring areas. He takes a very high volume of his shots from the slot. And, when the situation dictates, he goes to the front of the net with abandon. Particularly for a smaller player, he is willing to take all manner of abuse at the top of the blue paint if it gives him a chance for a tip in, deflection, or screen on the goaltender.

He does not use the one-timer or slap shot much, but I like what I have seen from him when he does let those shots go. It is possible the Kraken could give Bjorkstrand a look in the left circle on the power play.

Very strong puck handling in transition and cycling in the offensive zone

The third aspect of Bjorkstrand’s game that really stands out is his puck possession skill. Early in his career, his offensive skill set was more shot-oriented (like Andre Burakovsky), but he honed his handling game later at the NHL level, largely from mimicking the play of Artemi Panarin.

He is very strong on the puck for a player his size, combining impressive hands with remarkable balance and resilience through body or stick checks. In this clip he defeats multiple stick checks in a contested puck situation to win control and generate a shot for Columbus. Here he skates around and through a heavy body check, somehow maintains puck control, and scores.

On the cycle, and in close quarters, Bjorkstrand is quick and skilled on his edges. In this clip he loses Jared McCann with some nifty footwork and a shoulder fake to create space for a pass to a teammate. Just seconds later, he holds possession for an extended period in the zone, stopping the Seattle defense in its tracks and generating a shot.

He frequently carried the puck in even-strength transition line rushes, with successful entry rates driven by his quickness, puck manipulation, and ability to diagnose the defense. In this clip, for example, he carries through most of the defense with pace and skill to apparently establish in the offensive zone before the play is whistled down on an offsides call. Per All Three Zones, last season, Bjorkstrand’s controlled zone entries leading to a scoring chance per sixty minutes (3.1) would have led the Kraken (who had nobody above 3.0).

On the power play, he was the second “trailing forward” in transition, who would be called on to navigate the puck into the offensive zone if the defense took away the first option.

Good defensive zone play

As a winger, Bjorkstrand is assigned to put puck pressure on opposing blueliners and win puck battles above the circles and along the boards. He performs this role well, nearly always displaying quality effort. But I often also saw him take on added defensive responsibility, dropping low in the defensive zone to clear the puck away from the net or support defensive-zone breakouts like a center would normally do. Here again, Bjorkstrand provides a relatively subtle contribution that drives down opponent scoring opportunities.

Outside the defensive zone, Bjorkstrand is a committed backchecker.

Above-average passing and play creation

While Bjorkstrand’s possession and shooting skills are the strengths of his offensive profile, he also demonstrates above-average hands and vision to create plays for his teammates. In this clip, he connects a long-distance pass on the tape of his teammate across the power play formation. Here, from high in the formation, he spots a teammate for a would-be tip in and delivers a crisp pass that his teammate fails to finish.

In the clip below, he has the vision to keep a pressured play alive in the offensive zone and eventually spaces to a position to receive the puck back and score the goal himself.

Average-to-below-average straight-line speed and athleticism

Bjorkstrand does not win on high-end athletic traits. He is fast enough and won’t lose too many foot races out of sheer force of will. But he does not separate from defenders in space or win a cycle with his speed. While his overall athleticism is adequate, ideally he would deliver a little more given his smaller size. This is probably the only thing holding him back from true star-level performance, because the skills and smarts are there.

Average-to-below-average physicality

Bjorkstrand is a slender 6-foot-0 forward incapable of landing bone-crunching hits or separating opponents from the puck through brute force.

But he is remarkably strong for his size at the point of a puck battle. In the clip below he willingly engages two larger defenders behind the net and ultimately comes away with the puck. Plays like this recur in Bjorkstrand’s tape. So, while he’ll never be a “physical specimen” on the ice, I actually came away impressed with his ability to deal with and counteract physical play.

Below-average physical stature

Again, Bjorkstrand is not big. Combined with his average straight-line speed, a viewer might be tempted to question the plaudits thrown Bjorkstrand’s way, particularly in some of his quieter stretches. And his small frame could be risky in the long term given his heavy puck-touch-oriented game. He has already dealt with some injuries, including a major ankle injury in 2020. This is something to monitor. That said, he is skilled at avoiding contact from closing defenders, which often spares him from punishment that might otherwise not be sustainable at his size.

Projecting Bjorkstrand to the Kraken

Oliver Bjorkstrand is not an elite-level talent who can single-handedly dominate a game with speed, physicality, or skill. But he is among the very best NHL players in the next tier. He is cerebral and brings well-rounded strengths that will amplify the performance of just about any line you could put him on.

With Seattle, I’d expect Bjorkstrand to land on the right wing, likely in the top-line role, though I could also imagine him with the second grouping behind a first line that includes right-shot winger Jordan Eberle. He should also land on the top power play unit for the Kraken either in the bumper position or in the left circle in the Kraken’s 1-3-1 scheme. Assuming a healthy season, the 27-year-old should easily clear 50 points and find himself in the mix for team MVP honors.

Obtaining Bjorkstrand’s age 27-30 seasons for the cost of two middle-round picks is one of the finest moves this front office has made. It improves Seattle’s outlook into playoff contender territory in the coming years.

Defenseman Justin Schultz sees a big opportunity with the Seattle Kraken

by Andy Eide | Aug 26, 2022 | Kraken

Hailing from Kelowna, BC, new Seattle Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz is glad to be back on the West Coast. He’s played the past seven years in Pittsburgh and Washington, which made it hard for family to travel to see him live. It was part of the attraction that Seattle had for the 32-year-old when he hit free agency this summer.

“I’m super excited, my wife is too. Ever since Seattle came in the league it was kind of one of those spots that we always wanted to play in, eventually,” Schultz said while addressing the local media on Thursday afternoon. “It’s close to home for us. We love the city and it’s a great opportunity for me to come in and earn a role and help this team win. We’ve got a lot of good young players, and it’s exciting being a part of this franchise.”

Schultz was signed to a two-year contract worth $3 million on the first day of July’s NHL Free Agency period. He brings with him a pair of Stanley Cup rings won with the Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as 602 NHL games under his belt.

He began his career with four seasons for the Edmonton Oilers starting in 2012, and would go on to spend five seasons with the Penguins, and the past two with the Washington Capitals.

“Looking at the back end, we needed a right-shot guy that can add to the power play,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said. “Certainly, we think Schultz is a guy that can do that. He hasn’t had much of an opportunity, playing behind [John] Carlson and in Pittsburgh behind [Kris] Letang. So, we think that’ll be a good opportunity for him.”

Schultz has been playing second fiddle to a pair of great defensemen for a good part of his career, but he has scored 13 goals and 102 points on the power play.

Last season with the Capitals he potted a pair of goals on the man advantage along with three assists. He’ll be involved with the Kraken power play and could possibly quarterback one of the team’s two units, along with Vince Dunn.

“I kind of wanted a bigger role, and there’s definitely an opportunity,” Schultz said. “Gotta go out and earn it. But I learned a lot from those guys. They’re two of the best offensive defensemen, the best quarterbacks of a power play in the league. So, it was pretty cool to be behind them and working with them for all those years. Hopefully I can take what I learned and bring it to Seattle.”

The Kraken struggled on the power play last year and experienced multiple long droughts with the man advantage on the way to finishing 29th in the league with a 14.6 percent success rate. Seattle was even worse at home, where it scored just 15 power-play goals and had a 12.7 percent scoring rate.

If Schultz, along with the additions up front, can help to improve those numbers, then the Kraken will end up happy with his signing.

Schultz’ path to the NHL was unique

Schultz is no stranger to free agency and how to navigate the business side of pro hockey.

He was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft by Anaheim and would head to the University of Wisconsin where he was a star for the Badgers. Schultz and the Ducks could not agree on a contract after the 2011-12 season, and the stalemate eventually led to Schultz becoming an unrestricted free agent before he had played one minute of NHL hockey.

In his final season at Wisconsin, he had a monster year, recording 44 points in 37 games, making him an attractive player to sign. A frenzy of sorts broke out as nearly every team was interested in Schultz.

The eventual winners of the Schultz sweepstakes were the Edmonton Oilers who signed the defenseman to an entry-level contract. He would spend his first three and a half seasons playing in Edmonton.

“I kind of went through it all at a young age and wasn’t really expecting it to go that way,” he said, referencing a relatively slow start to his pro career. “Kind of had to build my confidence back and got to play on some really good teams and learn from a lot of really good players. So hopefully I can bring that to this team. We’ve got a lot of young guys, it’s kind of weird to think that I’m one of the older guys now, but it’s going to be fun.”

Friendly confines

Schultz is not from Seattle but is familiar. He was with the Capitals and played against the Kraken in a 5-2 Seattle win at Climate Pledge Arena in November. Schultz was held off the scorecard that night, but the arena made an impression.

“We only got to go there once and it was on a back-to-back, so we didn’t really get to go to dinner or anything in the city,” Schultz said. “But the arena is amazing and it’s pretty cool to be able to call that place home now.”

When Schultz arrives in Seattle for training camp there will be familiar faces as well. In Pittsburgh he played with Jared McCann, Brandon Tanev, and Jamie Oleksiak. During his four seasons with Edmonton, he was a teammate and friends with Jordan Eberle.

“He was probably one of the first guys that reached out,” Schultz said. “I’ve talked to him every once in a while, and it’s pretty cool to get to play with him again. I played with a bunch of guys that are there now, so I feel pretty comfortable coming in.”

It was hard for Schultz to hide his excitement at the opportunity he has in front of him with the Kraken on Thursday. His signing wasn’t a big splash across the league, but he adds a veteran on the blue line who can chip in offensively and help jump start an ailing power play, and that just may be what the Kraken need.