After trading away Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Brandon Tanev, Ron Francis told the media that he made it more difficult for the Kraken to win games. Apparently, he didn’t tell the players, because the Kraken are probably playing their best hockey of the season right now.
The Kraken have a points percentage of .556 in the 18 games since the deadline. At the time of the deadline, they had just a .444 points percentage. In the grand scheme of things, these games don’t mean much, but it’s a reminder that the Kraken are probably better than their record would indicate.
The Kraken went a respectable 2-2-0 over the past week, with a win against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday and a thrilling shootout victory against the St. Louis Blues at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday. That was the Kraken’s fifth shootout game of the season and just their second shootout win. The first came way back on Oct. 12 against Minnesota, the second game of the season. Seattle is now 4-2-1 at home since the trade deadline and has really served up some fun games for fans at CPA lately.
Their losses this week came in the form of a 7-1 stinker to the Utah Hockey Club and a tough battle with the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. I gave the team a pass on the Utah game. It was the second night of a back-to-back, and several players were impacted by a stomach bug going around the locker room. The Vegas loss was a tight 2-1 final, and the Kraken had a golden opportunity to tie it up late but just couldn’t get it done.
Reverse standings watch
The standings are tight around the Kraken’s current position, which will determine their lottery and draft placement. The Kraken are currently sitting 28th overall and could finish as low as 29th or as high as 24th. Per tankathon.com, if they land in 29th, they’ll have a 9.5 percent chance to win the lottery and draft first overall. Their most likely draft position would be fifth. If they climb to 24th, they’d have a five percent chance to win the lottery and would likely draft ninth.
Draft analysts are projecting a drop-off in talent after the top five this year. Given the option, it’s always better to draft high, but as we know, there are always players who should have been selected higher and top picks that don’t pan out. Don’t worry too much about it. Let the chips fall where they may.
Other musings
Saturday night’s win over the Blues marked the Kraken’s 35th win of the season, one more than they had last season.
For as well as the team has played lately, the power play has been atrocious. They’ve scored just one power-play goal in their last 24 opportunities, spread across eight games. That’s their worst stretch of the season in that regard.
Jaden Schwartz notched his 25th goal of the season on Saturday, his highest total since scoring 28 back in 2014–15. He’s been excellent for the Kraken this year. Assuming he plays on Tuesday, it’ll be his 81st game of the season, a new career high.
If you haven’t seen Darren’s piece on Mikey Eyssimont last week, go check it out. He scored another goal Saturday night. He had five goals in 57 games with Tampa Bay before being traded to Seattle, and now has four in just 19 games with the Kraken. He’s basically a more skilled Brandon Tanev, for a fraction of the cost.
Speaking of goal scoring, the Kraken will finish the season averaging around 2.96 goals per game, up 0.37 from last season. That’s the fifth-largest increase in the league. It probably says more about last year’s team than this one, but 2.96 is right around the league average.
Shane Wright scored his 19th goal of the season Saturday night. I think it’s safe to say he has exceeded expectations. Before the season, I often pointed out his ability to get shots off from inside — the high-danger area. Take a look at his goal location chart.
Shane and Matty are both sitting on 19 goals. It sure would be nice to see them each hit 20 on Tuesday.
Joey Daccord has played a ton this year, but there are still nine goalies around the league with more starts than him.
Congrats to Kraken prospects Carson Rehkopf and Nathan Villeneuve, who both played their first professional hockey games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds this past week. These are two of my favorite Kraken prospects, and I think Villeneuve has an outside shot at making the Kraken next season.
Another one of my favorite prospects, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, scored his first AHL goal on Sunday. It was OFM’s fifth AHL game, and even in that short time span, he’s looking more comfortable as he adjusts to the smaller North American ice and the different AHL playstyle.
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) April 14, 2025
Stick taps to all the staff around the Kraken Hockey Network. The production has been excellent in its first year. I’ve heard viewership numbers for Kraken games have tripled compared to when they were under ROOT. Making the games available over-the-air was a fantastic decision. Not exactly a hot take, but making the game more accessible is the best way to grow the game.
Goal of the week
This one comes from our old friend Morgan Geekie, who scored his 32nd goal of the season with this blast that defies physics:
Boston goal!
Scored by Morgan Geekie with 08:04 remaining in the 2nd period.
Joey Daccord (SEA) – I’m giving Joey a pass on the Utah game. Throw that one out, and he’s 3-1-0 with a .961 save percentage in April. Where would this team be without him?
Berkly Catton (SPO–SEA) – Two goals and 10 assists in his last three playoff games for the Spokane Chiefs.
Julius Miettinen (EVT–SEA) – The second-round pick from the 2024 NHL Draft scored the overtime game-winner Saturday night in Everett’s 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the second round of the WHL playoffs. He also had a secondary assist on the overtime winner Friday night.
The week ahead
One game remains on the Kraken schedule: Tuesday night at home against the Los Angeles Kings. It’s hard to say what kind of effort we’ll see from L.A. The Kings and Oilers are locked into a playoff matchup, but their seeding isn’t finalized. The Kings currently hold a two-point edge on the Oilers, with three games remaining for L.A. and two for Edmonton.
As luck would have it, the two teams face each other Monday night. If the Kings win in any fashion, they’ll clinch second place in the Pacific and home-ice advantage in the first round — making Tuesday’s game against the Kraken meaningless for them. But if they lose in regulation, the two teams will be tied, and that Tuesday game could determine home ice.
The game means very little for the Kraken, and plenty of people will argue that losing helps their draft odds — but you already know I don’t subscribe to that kind of chatter. Winning is still more fun than losing, and going out on a high note feels like the best way to end the year. If you were in the building Saturday night, you know how fun the environment can be at Climate Pledge when the boys put on a show. The players have shown some real compete lately, and I’d like to think that’s partly because they care about playing for the fans.
This is likely the final Monday Musings of the season. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of you readers. I spend a lot of time putting this together, and I love doing it. It means a lot that you take the time to read and comment on the topics I explore, the theories I come up with, and the random collections of thoughts that go through my head.
Although Musings will take a break during the Kraken offseason, I’ll do my best to go deep into a few topics along the way. First up: a deep dive into Kraken scoring this season. If you have any other topics you’d like me to explore, drop a note in the comments and I’ll build a plan to dig in.
All I’ve asked for down the stretch is for the Seattle Kraken to play competitive games that are enjoyable to watch. Over the past week, that’s exactly what they delivered during a tough three-game stretch. The Kraken lost in overtime to the Calgary Flames, blew the doors off an injury-riddled Edmonton Oilers team, and then got handled by a Stanley Cup-contending Dallas Stars team.
Even in the Stars game, it was a one-goal game heading into the third period. But when Mason Marchment scored just 28 seconds into the period, it felt like that was all the Stars would need to put the Kraken away. If you had told me the Kraken would go 1-1-1 for the week, I would have taken it.
I try to be objective when analyzing this team, and it feels like they’ve been more competitive than their record suggests. One stat people often look to beyond the standings to evaluate a team is goal differential. I take a slightly different approach by excluding empty-net goals for and against, which I call ‘adjusted goal differential.’ Historically, teams with a positive adjusted goal differential are more likely to make the playoffs, while those with a negative one tend to miss out. Teams hovering around zero are usually the bubble wild-card contenders.
Here’s a look at the adjusted goals for/against across the league, with the net result of the two metrics shown in the right-side graph.
The diagonal line represents where ‘adjusted goals for’ equal ‘adjusted goals against.’ The idea is that teams above the line—those with a positive ‘adjusted goal differential’—are more likely to be playoff teams. As of Monday, every team above the line is currently in a playoff spot, with the only exceptions being the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, who are in playoff positions despite being below the line.
The key takeaway from the graphic is that teams close to the diagonal line have been in the playoff hunt over the past month, except for one outlier: the Seattle Kraken.
I’m not saying the Kraken should be a playoff team, but they probably should have been in the mix down the stretch of the season.
PWHL to Seattle
On last week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast, I shared my belief that Seattle will be named as one of the expansion cities for a new PWHL team for the 2025-26 season. I haven’t received official confirmation, but I’ve reached out to several sources both locally and nationally. What I’ve heard has given me enough confidence to say that this is going to happen. I’d put the likelihood at 75 percent, and we could hear an announcement as early as Tuesday of this week.
A few months ago, I published an article arguing that Seattle would be a great location for a PWHL team, but the timing didn’t seem right. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I believe Seattle is an ideal market. The PWHL has always aimed bigger than any of its predecessors in professional women’s hockey, and expanding aggressively aligns with that vision. Seattle and Vancouver are strong markets for pro women’s hockey, and I assume the Kraken organization is leading this effort. If they are, they’ll do it right. They certainly make mistakes, but they operate at a first-class level. That kind of launch in a key market would likely appeal to the PWHL.
Seattle PWHL arena thoughts
One challenge I speculated about in January was the arena situation. The turnout for both the USA-Canada game in 2022 and the PWHL Takeover Tour earlier this year proves there’s real demand for elite women’s hockey. Those two games drew 14,500 and 12,608 fans, respectively, undeniably impressive numbers. However, those were marquee events, which are traditionally easier to rally fans around when they’re one-offs rather than part of a full season.
The PWHL’s average attendance over the past two seasons was 5,485, less than a third of Climate Pledge Arena’s hockey capacity. That said, the 5,485 figure lacks context. New York’s attendance has dragged the league average down, and Toronto played its first season in the limited-capacity Mattamy Athletic Centre.
I don’t know what the forecast would be for attendance over 15 regular-season games in Seattle, but I’ve speculated that a hybrid approach could work—splitting games between Climate Pledge Arena and Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Both venues are managed by Oak View Group and could help tap into different geographical markets. I haven’t heard anything to suggest this is the plan, but it could be a good solution if arena availability becomes an issue and/or they want to expand their reach. In the PWHL’s first season, three of the six teams played in multiple home arenas. This season, only the Boston Fleet continue to do so. You also have to consider whether the Kraken Hockey Network, along with their local TV and streaming relationships, is part of the appeal of Seattle for the PWHL.
The thought of having a PWHL team to call our own really excites me. I already watch plenty of women’s hockey, but it’s more scattered: split between the PWHL, college hockey, and national team games. Having a dedicated team to follow, with appointment-based viewing both on TV and in person, would take engagement to another level. Instead of catching random games when schedules align, I could follow a team consistently, learn the players’ stories, and invest in their journey throughout the season.
A Seattle-based PWHL team would provide a rallying point for local fans, building a community around women’s hockey much like the Kraken have done. It’s one thing to appreciate the game from afar, but having a hometown team would make the experience more personal, immersive, and meaningful.
Other musings
The Kraken’s 6-1 win over Edmonton on Thursday night was their largest margin of victory this season since they beat Montreal back in October.
It was also just the third time in 15 games that the Kraken have beaten the Oilers in franchise history.
As shared by the Kraken Hockey Network, the Kraken’s three goals in 111 seconds against the Oilers on Thursday were the second-fastest trio of goals in franchise history.
No matter how much Alison Lukan disagrees with me, I don’t think a goal scored by the same team should be counted as a “response goal.” In my opinion, a response goal should only be when a team answers a goal against with one of their own. A goal for that comes within a set interval of another goal for should be considered a “pile-on goal.” Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The Kraken rank third in the league in pile-on goals (12) and first in response goals (12) using a 60-second interval. (I also don’t think we have consensus on the interval length either.)
Earlier this season, I mentioned that Seattle was one of the most disciplined teams in the league and didn’t put themselves shorthanded often. Before the trade deadline, the Kraken averaged 2.2 shorthanded situations per game, the third-fewest in the league at the time. Since the deadline, they are averaging 2.9 per game. This really bit them in the butt on Saturday when the Stars had five power plays and executed on two of them.
I think we can safely assume Jani Nyman will make the Kraken roster next fall.
The WHL playoffs kicked off over the weekend, and here’s your friendly reminder that you can watch all games for free on Victory+. The Everett Silvertips versus Seattle Thunderbirds series is shaping up to be a doozie.
The first game of the Portland–Prince George WHL playoff series was wild. Portland entered the third period with a three-goal lead, only for Prince George to score four straight to take the lead. Portland then tied the game with about three minutes left, forcing overtime where Prince George won it on this play:
Terik Parascak scores his second of the night for the W!
The @PGCougars storm back from a 5-2 deficit to take Game 1 in overtime 🔥
The Coachella Valley Firebirds announced they have signed Justin Janicke to an AHL contract for the 2025-26 season. Janicke, a Kraken seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, was not signed by Seattle but remains in the system. Now that he’s in the organization, it should be a smoother path for him to eventually sign with the Kraken. He had a terrific season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, leading the team with 15 goals and finishing second with 34 points.
Ryan Donato (CHI) – The former Seattle Kraken forward had four goals and two assists over his last three games. He has 29 goals this season, and assuming Chicago doesn’t sign him to an extension before July 1, he will be hitting the free agent market this summer.
Scott Ratzlaff (SEA-WHL) – The Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender saved 89 shots on 94 attempts in his two games against Everett over the weekend in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. He won the first game and would lose in overtime in the second game. Go check out this series if you get a chance.
Victor Ostman (SEA-CVF) – Victor Ostman posted a shutout for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in just his third career AHL game. The Kraken-signed goaltender has spent most of the season with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL.
The week ahead
The Kraken will face the Dallas Stars again on Monday night to close out their second-to-last homestand of the season before hitting the road for five games. Their first stop will be Wednesday night in Vancouver, where they could deliver a serious blow to the Canucks’ playoff hopes with a regulation win. The Canucks are 5-3-2 over their last 10 games, but they’re chasing the Blues for the final wild-card spot. St. Louis has won nine straight and currently holds a six-point lead over Vancouver, which has just eight games remaining. The Kraken then head to San Jose for a Saturday night matchup—at least on paper, a lighter opponent than they’ve faced lately.
Beyond the three Kraken games, it’s shaping up to be a jam-packed week of hockey, featuring three I-5 rivalry games in the Everett–Seattle WHL series and a possible PWHL expansion announcement. Not to mention the ongoing playoff races, especially in the East.
I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t keeping an eye on the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators—and the potential impact their results could have on the current lottery odds.
The Kraken wrapped up the last week of games with a 1-2-0 record. The win came against a very bad-looking Chicago Blackhawks team, where the Kraken spotted the Blackhawks an early two-goal lead and then promptly rattled off six unanswered goals in the 6-2 win. The Kraken looked to implement a similar strategy in their next game against the Minnesota Wild, spotting the Wild three goals in the first five minutes. Unfortunately, that was where the game would stay until the Wild added an empty-net goal with less than two minutes left.
The final game of the week was against the Edmonton Oilers, who were missing the services of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Kraken were missing Chandler Stephenson, which forced a big shake-up of the lines.
John Hayden moved over from wing to play fourth-line center, while Shane Wright then moved up to center Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz. With the Schwartz move, Jani Nyman slotted into Schwartz’s previous spot alongside Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers. Finally, Eeli Tolvanen moved to a line with Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky. The final score was 5-4 Edmonton, which included an empty-net goal by the Oilers and then a 6-on-5 goal for the Kraken.
I am not going to overanalyze the games, given the context of this team’s position at this point in the season, but it seems like there have been quite a few defensive breakdowns over the last few contests. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the team is missing two true centers in the lineup or just flukey plays that lead to the breakdowns. Either way, this team is still competing, and that is all I am asking for at this point in the season. Even in the Minnesota game, the Kraken were still generating chances when they could have collapsed after going down 3-0 five minutes into the game.
Other musings
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Kraken had more expected goals than their opponents in the games they lost last week and fewer expected goals in the game they won.
Shane Wright’s 19:54 of time on ice during the Minnesota game last Wednesday was a career high.
In the Kraken-Blackhawks game last Tuesday, it was the fifth time that both Matty Beniers and Shane Wright scored in the same game. They are 4-0-1 in those games.
This is the Andre Burakovsky I remember before he got hurt in February of 2023.
Congrats to the Wisconsin Badgers women’s team, who won an epic championship game to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State and Wisconsin have traded national titles for the last five years. Check out this rundown of this incredible game.
Last week, I applauded the Kraken penalty kill since the trade deadline after losing two of their top penalty killers in Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde. Since then, they have allowed three power-play goals over eight shorthanded opportunities for a penalty kill of 63 percent. I will take the blame for jinxing them.
The Kraken are six standings points behind where last year’s team was at this point in the season. The Kraken will need to earn 73 percent of the remaining points over the next 11 games to tie last season’s point total.
Something to keep an eye on in the Kraken prospect world: The Seattle Kraken have two players with expiring rights on June 1. Both Kaden Hammell and Andrei Loshko will need to be signed by that date; otherwise, they will become free agents and eligible to sign with any NHL team.
Shame! Shame! Shame! Last week, I mentioned that HV71 and Modo of the Swedish Hockey League were playing a best-of-5 series in the relegation series. Turns out it’s a best-of-7. After dropping the first two of the series, HV71 won the next three. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard and HV71 will now have two cracks at avoiding relegation.
On Monday, the WHL announced that the Penticton Vees will be the newest WHL team and that they will be accepting applications for an expansion franchise in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The Vees were a BCHL team this most recent season and will immediately join the WHL for 2025-26. The Chilliwack franchise is expected to join the league for the 2026-27 season.
The WHL also announced a new streaming partnership with Victory+. Games will be available for free through the platform, kicking off with the 2025 WHL playoffs this Friday.
The 2025 NCAA men’s hockey tournament bracket is set and begins Thursday. There are no Kraken prospects playing in this year’s tournament, but there are several high-end NHL prospects which will be fun to watch. All games are available across the ESPN family. Check start times and channels here.
The University of North Dakota fired their head coach, Brad Berry, on Sunday after 10 years with the program. I can’t help but wonder if former Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol could be a candidate to return to his alma mater and the school where he coached for 11 seasons.
Finally, I’ve had a lot of people ask me about Seattle Kraken season ticket renewals. Usually, season ticket holders would be a couple of months into their monthly installments for next season’s tickets by now. We haven’t heard much publicly from the team since Samantha Holloway sent an email to fans in January that implied changes were coming. I don’t know much more than what has already been circulating for months—that April is when season ticket holders should expect more information.
Goal of the week
There were a couple of Kraken prospect goals I liked this week, but when I saw this goal, I knew it was the one.
OH MY GOODNESS 🤯
Bryan Rust’s second of the period is a thing of beauty!
Tyson Jugnauth (POR/SEA) – The Kraken’s fourth-round pick from the 2022 NHL Draft finished his WHL regular season with 24 points over his last 20 games. Portland’s opening-round playoff series against Prince George kicks off Friday in a four-versus-five matchup. Don’t forget you can check out WHL playoff games on Victory+.
Semyon Vyazovoy (UFA/SEA) – The Kraken selected Vyazovoy in the sixth round of their first draft back in 2021. The backup goaltender for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL stopped 34 of 35 shots across two games this week to wind down the KHL regular season. Vyazovoy finished the season with a .938 save percentage over 28 games, which was second in the league. Goalies and Russian players often take a longer path to the NHL, but Vyazovoy seems to be tracking well at this point in his career.
Joel Hofer (STL) – The backup goalie in St. Louis and former Portland Winterhawk made 50 saves on 52 shots in his two starts and wins this week for the Blues. Those wins were big for St. Louis, as they are currently in the second wild-card spot.
The week ahead
The Kraken will finish off their string of road games (they’re practicing at home on Monday before flying out again) with a game in Calgary, where they can play spoiler to a desperate Flames team fighting for its playoff life. The Kraken are 2-1-0 against the Flames this season, with all games decided by one goal. All three games were played before the trade deadline, so this should be a challenging task—but who am I kidding, all games have been a challenge this season.
On Thursday, the Kraken will return home for three of their final five home games of the season. The first game of the homestand is against the Edmonton Oilers, against which the Kraken are just 2-11-1 in franchise history. It doesn’t get any easier on Saturday, when the Dallas Stars come to Seattle for a two-game series against the Kraken, with the second game on Monday, the 31st. The Kraken are 16-15-5 at home this season, and I find myself rooting for a .500-plus points percentage at home, but that might be a tough ask given the games remaining.
What say you? Are you still watching? What are you looking for down the final stretch?
The Seattle Kraken spent the last couple days back in the friendly confines of Kraken Community Iceplex for the first time in three weeks, following a lengthy 4 Nations Face-Off break that led into a three-game road trip.
There have been several interesting nuggets from their late-week practices, including Yanni Gourde continuing his progression toward a return from sports hernia surgery (he skated in a red non-contact jersey Thursday but was a full participant on Friday), Tye Kartye heading to Coachella Valley on a conditioning loan, and Nikke Kokko remaining with the big club as he enjoys what is expected to be a relatively brief first stint in the NHL.
I also caught up with Jared McCann for the first time since he broke his scoring drought with a game-winning goal against the Florida Panthers last Saturday and gained some insight into his mindset during the slump.
We have all that and more in this Kraken Notebook.
McCann’s confidence returning
McCann leads the Kraken in scoring this season with 43 points, tallying a respectable 15 goals and 28 assists in 60 games. But considering he was in a league of his own as Seattle’s most reliable goal-scoring threat for his first three seasons in deep sea blue—amassing 96 goals in that span—he’s off the pace we expected heading into 2024-25.
Before he took Adam Larsson’s saucer pass and ripped it past Sergei Bobrovsky at 7:03 of the third period against the Panthers, he had notched just two goals in the previous two months, both of which came on empty nets. His confident finish to secure Seattle’s 2-1 victory in the Sunshine State was a breath of fresh air for fans, players, and coaches alike.
“I mean, I hadn’t scored in a while before that, so it was good to kind of get the confidence back,” McCann said. “Obviously, I’ve just got to keep shooting the puck. I’ve hit probably three or four posts the last couple of games here, so they’ve got to go eventually.”
Players are keenly aware when things aren’t going their way, and McCann knew he had been gripping his stick too tightly.
“It sucks, but I’ve been through it before with, obviously, other teams. I’ve been through droughts before, but I’m just trying to contribute in any way I can, whether it’s setting somebody up or generating offensive-zone chances. You don’t always have to score. I just try to contribute as much as I can.”
Even though he hasn’t been scoring at his usual clip, McCann is on track to set a career-high in assists. However, he insists he hasn’t changed his approach.
“I still feel like I’m a shoot-first guy, but I do think there were opportunities last year where I could have passed the puck a little bit more. But [Shane Wright’s] been doing well for us, and we’re just trying to get him the puck as much as we can right now.”
Head coach Dan Bylsma is encouraged by McCann’s recent play, pointing to his 14 shots on goal in three games since the break as a sign the 28-year-old winger could be regaining his scoring touch.
“I think it’s just good to see him get a goal there, but better to see him underlining his game with being a pointed shot guy, not just a shot from distance, not just flippers on net,” Bylsma said. “Where they’re coming from and the quality of those shots are huge indicators for his game.
“He’s shown a history of scoring in a lot of different ways, and that’s the focus, the process, and that’s why getting the result and the game-winning goal in Florida was big.”
SOH creating drama in the room
When McCann spoke about being productive despite his goal-scoring struggles, he unsolicitedly praised linemate Wright’s performance and mentioned trying to set him up as much as possible.
Meanwhile, McCann’s other linemate, Andre Burakovsky, was sitting nearby, listening in. This is key context for what happened next.
I asked McCann if he was excited about Jordan Eberle’s recent return from a serious pelvis injury that had kept him out since Nov. 14 and if he hoped to play with him again—without considering that reuniting McCann and Eberle would mean splitting up McCann and Burakovsky.
McCann replied, “I hope so. It’s up to the coach, but he’s been grinding the last couple of weeks—”
At that point, Burakovsky interrupted and jokingly berated McCann for completely writing off his current linemate. I won’t repeat what Burakovsky said since I wasn’t interviewing him directly, but he gave McCann a hard time for confirming he wanted to play with Eberle. It led to a good chuckle between McCann and me before he continued discussing Eberle.
“No, it’s just, [Eberle’s] been grinding the last couple of weeks here, and obviously he’s been working really hard to get back into game shape. And the last couple of games here, obviously, we haven’t been playing our best, but he’s a big part of our team. We’re just happy to have him back.”
Kartye partye in Coachella Valley
We suspected a move was coming with Tye Kartye, and the team confirmed it Thursday, sending him to the Coachella Valley Firebirds for a conditioning stint.
The 23-year-old winger hasn’t played since Feb. 8. Although Mitchell Stephens had already been sent down to the AHL, Kartye hasn’t been used much at center, so even with Stephens’ demotion, there wasn’t a clear path to playing time for Kartye.
By sending him down on a conditioning loan, the Kraken do not have to expose him to waivers, and he can remain with the Firebirds for up to 14 days. His salary still counts against the cap, though.
This seems like an ideal scenario for both the Kraken and Kartye. He needs playing time, and we’ve seen him dominate at the AHL level before. Hopefully, this stint gives him a confidence boost for when he returns, perhaps after the NHL Trade Deadline, when he could be relied upon more.
Gourde getting closer
Gourde, widely viewed as a trade candidate ahead of the March 7 deadline, is inching closer to returning from hernia surgery that has sidelined him since Jan. 2. On Thursday, he wore a red non-contact jersey and participated in the first half of practice. By Friday, he graduated to full participant, though he was rotating with recently recalled Ben Meyers on the fourth line.
Bylsma said Gourde is unlikely to play Saturday against Vancouver, but I’m predicting he’ll be ready to go Tuesday when the Minnesota Wild visit.
Trade deadline chatter heating up
As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches, players inevitably start thinking about their futures. Even those hoping to join a contender must face the reality that they could be packing up and moving to a new city with new teammates, coaches, and staff at a moment’s notice.
I’ve sensed it in the dressing room, too—plenty of chatter is happening behind the scenes, and players who could be moved are well aware of their situations.
“It’s hard not to think about that stuff, realistically,” McCann said. “We obviously haven’t had our best year, and at the end of the day, it’s a business, and [the front office] has to do what they have to do if it makes the team better.”
McCann himself has been through a deadline deal and understands its impact.
“I’ve been traded on the deadline, and it obviously sucks picking up and moving, but it’s just part of the business.”
Bylsma also acknowledges how much this time of year weighs on players.
“It’s part of being a pro,” he said. “And it’s something you have to… go with it. Go with the controllables, and go with what you can control, and stay focused on playing your best hockey, and let the cards fall when they fall.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The Seattle Kraken returned to action over the weekend following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, splitting a pair of games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
On Saturday night, the Kraken edged out the Panthers in a tight 2-1 win. Captain Jordan Eberle made his return to the lineup after a lengthy absence due to a pelvic injury back in November. Despite the extended break for the team, the Kraken looked sharp, with Joey Daccord delivering a strong performance in net. Shane Wright recorded assists on both Kraken goals, scored by Kaapo Kakko and Jared McCann.
Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t go as well, with the Kraken falling 4-1. While the Kraken didn’t generate many quality scoring chances, they also didn’t concede many. Seattle is now 0-9-0 in the second game of back-to-backs, making them the only NHL team without a point in that situation this season.
Return of the captain
Eberle looked solid in his return, especially considering the long layoff and the challenge of coming back from such a unique injury. He logged 14 minutes of ice time on Saturday, primarily in a fourth-line role, with 57 seconds on the power play in the first period. He registered two shots on goal and, more importantly, helped stabilize the fourth line, giving the other three lines more rest between shifts.
In the previous 10 games, Tye Kartye and Mitchell Stephens averaged less than nine minutes of ice time per game, while Brandon Tanev, the other fourth-liner, averaged under 13 minutes. With Eberle back, Coach Dan Bylsma was able to rely more on the Tanev-Eberle wing pairing, occasionally double-shifting Shane Wright to center the fourth line. This provided a more dynamic fourth-line threat compared to a Tanev-Stephens-Kartye combination. While it’s hard to measure the direct impact, in a close 2-1 win, even small advantages can make a big difference.
Eberle played just under 12 minutes on Sunday and had two notable turnovers. While his timing might take a few more games to fully return, the early signs are promising.
4 Nations Face-Off: Quick thoughts
The 4 Nations Face-Off was a hit, not only among die-hard hockey fans but also with casual viewers. I heard from several non-hockey-fan friends and coworkers who tuned in and loved the USA-Canada games. The gold-medal game between the USA and Canada drew 9.25 million viewers in the US—the largest audience for an NHL-sanctioned game. For context, last year’s Stanley Cup Final Game 7 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers had 7.66 million viewers.
The tournament also introduced some creative elements worth considering for the NHL:
Three-Point System: The 4 Nations used a system where regulation wins earned three points, overtime or shootout wins earned two, and overtime or shootout losses earned one. This setup could encourage teams to take more risks late in regulation to secure a full three points, especially in tight playoff races.
10-Minute 3-on-3 Overtime: While extending overtime might reduce shootouts, research suggests the current system may not need much tweaking.
New Camera Angles: The tournament featured fresh perspectives, including cameramen on the ice after goals, new in-game angles, and a referee cam. While still needing refinement, these innovations show promise.
the on-ice camera for goal celebrations is such a nice addition to 4Nations… hope to see this in the postseason pic.twitter.com/4POY7hGcwY
Brandon Tanev played 16:19 against Florida on Saturday—his highest ice time since Dec. 10—including 2:26 in the final five minutes.
The Kraken are now 5-2-1 all-time against Florida but 1-6-1 all-time against Tampa Bay.
Joey Daccord’s win on Saturday was his 20th of the season, marking a career high.
Jani Nyman continues to impress, leading all AHL rookies with 23 goals. I expect we’ll see him with the Kraken later this season.
Prospect Berkly Catton reached 100 points in the WHL over the weekend. While he’d benefit from a more competitive setting next season, the NHL-CHL development agreement limits his options to either the NHL or the WHL. There’s a chance he could make the Kraken roster, which would make this a non-issue.
For context on Catton playing in the NHL next season, only six players from the 2023 NHL Draft have played more than nine games in the NHL this season.
The Kraken won two coach’s challenges over the weekend: goalie interference on Saturday against Florida and an offside call on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Berkly Catton (SPO/SEA): The top Kraken prospect is riding a 12-game multi-point streak, with eight points over three games this weekend.
Nathan Villeneuve (SBY/SEA): The 2024 second-round pick had five points in his last three games. Despite flying under the radar, he’s a physical forward with 55 points in 47 games for the Sudbury Wolves.
Shane Wright (SEA): Wright tallied three points over the weekend and has 12 points in his last 10 games.
The week ahead
The Kraken play just two games this week, both against Western Conference teams vying for a wild-card spot. They’ll wrap up their road trip against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday before hosting the Vancouver Canucks at home on Saturday.
St. Louis has struggled lately, going 3-5-2 in its last 10 games, while Vancouver is clinging to the final wild-card spot but dropped two regulation games over the weekend. Though the Kraken are out of playoff contention, they have a prime opportunity to play spoiler.
Trade deadline looming
As much as the focus should be on the ice this week, the NHL Trade Deadline is just 13 days away, and speculation is heating up. Under GM Ron Francis, the Kraken have historically made moves close to the deadline, so big changes may not happen until next week.
Darren Brown put together a solid primer on the Kraken’s trade deadline approach. I’ve mentioned it before, but I still think an extension for Yanni Gourde could be in the cards. The Kraken need a fourth-line center next season, and if the two sides can find common ground, it would be a smart move to keep him in Seattle.
If you have thoughts or reactions to anything in this post or anything Kraken-related, let me know in the comments section below!
Getting called up to the NHL is supposed to be a thrilling moment for a player who has worked his way through various levels of Czech pro leagues and then spent just over a season in the American Hockey League.
With Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer temporarily out of the lineup because of an “unfortunate accident” at his home in November, 27-year-old Aleš Stezka got the second call-up of his career. With Grubauer unavailable, Stezka was needed to back up Joey Daccord for Seattle’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 12.
On the evening of Nov. 11, Stezka flew from Coachella Valley to Seattle, arriving late at night. He picked up a rental car and drove to his downtown hotel around midnight, where he parked in the hotel garage and made the seemingly innocuous decision to leave his gear inside the vehicle.
“I checked the car like three times [to see] if somebody could see the bag from the outside,” Stezka recalled. “And I used my light on the phone, and I couldn’t see in because I had very dark windows.”
Assuming his gear was safe in the hotel garage, Stezka went inside to get a few hours of sleep, knowing he would be back early in the morning to begin his gameday preparations. But when he returned to the car, he immediately recognized that something was amiss.
“I found out at like 6:30 a.m. I came to the car, because that’s a gameday, I wanted to be at the rink a little bit earlier to figure out everything,” Stezka said. “I came to the car and saw the broken window, and I was just like, ‘F**k!’
“I don’t know if the guys used lights, something special [to see in], but they just broke the window, take my hockey gear. They left the sticks in the car, just took the bag.”
The brazen smash-and-grab theft was especially disappointing for Stezka because it was still relatively early in the season, and all his gear was new. This included his Firebirds/Kraken combo mask that he had just unveiled three weeks prior. His bag also contained backup gear, including a second mask, a second pair of skates, and a second catch glove and blocker.
“It was actually crazy, because I never think it can happen, you know? And I just came to Seattle very late. I came to the hotel, like, 30 minutes after midnight. And I was [going to] wake up at something like 6 a.m., so I just parked at the hotel parking garage. But it’s my fault. I just left the stuff, left the hockey bag in the car.”
A gameday scramble
Fortunately for Stezka and the Kraken, he still had his equipment from the 2023-24 season, which he spent entirely with the Firebirds. There was just one problem with him wearing that set for the game later that night: some of that gear was 1,000 miles away in Coachella Valley.
When Stezka realized what had happened, he immediately got in touch with the Kraken to let them know about the incident. With Seattle’s game against the Blue Jackets looming in just 12 hours, head equipment manager Jeff Camelio and director of team services Brennan Baxandall sprang into action.
“I found out at 7 a.m. that his gear was stolen, and we instantly started trying to figure out how we were going to piece gear together to get him on the ice for that night,” Camelio said. “So luckily, we had [some of his old gear] from training camp, so that worked out. We had an old chest protector that he used, old pants, basically just outfitted him with all the old equipment that we could, and then we had some stuff actually flown in from Palm Springs that he had just switched out of.”
What they didn’t have was Stezka’s old pads, gloves, and mask, so they tagged Firebirds assistant equipment manager Justin Sommer to fly from Palm Springs with those items.
“Jeff, Baxy, and everyone around helped me a lot to fix the problem,” Stezka said. “They called the guys in Coachella. Our equipment guy [for the Firebirds], he just flew before the game with the old gear from last season.
“It was easier because that’s my old gear, but I feel so bad… I feel so bad because I had pretty new gear in [the bag].”
**Editor’s note: The gear shown in the above tweet is the gear that was stolen; the photo was taken a few days prior to the incident, during Stezka’s first of two call-ups in quick succession. The header photo is from last season and shows the replacement equipment he used in the game against Columbus.
It was an overwhelming situation for Stezka, who went from being excited to be part of the NHL roster, trying to fit in and quietly go about his business, to being smack-dab in the middle of a chaotic problem that required mountains getting moved on his behalf.
“It was my second call-up ever… I’m a new guy, and everything around that. But the guys helped me a lot here in the locker room too, [saying], ‘Don’t worry, just be ready for the game, and the guys will help you with everything.’ I was very grateful for them.”
Indeed, Stezka’s old gear did arrive in time for him to back up Daccord for the game, though perhaps his setup wasn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing as he had hoped after he replaced his shiny new duds with a beaten-up set from the previous AHL season.
“Jeff did a good job. He called Shifty, he sent him the mask, and Shifty did it in like one week, he did a new mask,” Stezka said. “And he’s a beauty. He helped me a lot, sending me every detail, and I’m very happy to work with him.”
Goalie gear thieves remain at large
One might wonder what would possess somebody to steal a set of custom gear fit for a 6-foot-4 professional hockey goalie, especially considering that it has his name embroidered on it and should be easily spotted as stolen goods.
But that question remains unanswered, as the gear still has not been recovered.
“[The Kraken] talked to the police, I talked to the hotel manager as well, but the gear still [hasn’t been] found,” Stezka said. “Me and my wife—I know Jeff, too, and the team—we’re trying to watch the goalie markets, the black markets, anywhere you can sell gear, but nothing.”
Stezka still feels terrible that the incident happened and (perhaps unfairly) blames himself for not bringing the equipment into the hotel with him that fateful night. But he also learned from the experience.
“I learned you never, never, never leave your stuff in the car… Shit happens, but I feel very bad because it’s a lot of money for a team, and I’m very glad for everyone who helped me on both sides.”
Added Camelio: “This was the first time I’ve had a whole set of goalie gear stolen. So this was a first for me in 25 years.”
If you happen upon a set of pro-spec True goalie gear with “Stezka” stitched into it, and/or a custom Aleš Stezka Firebirds/Kraken mask, please contact your local authorities.
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
