The Kraken wrapped up a five-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, a game that could arguably be considered their worst of the season. Until that game, the Kraken had been competitive in every game, even when outplayed. Carolina is a strong team, and losses like that will happen, but to walk away with only one point out of a possible six in the final three games of the homestand raises questions about just how good this team is this season. My answer: I really don’t know.
The Kraken are 4-4-1, with several performances that inspire optimism about the team, but also some areas of concern. Before the season started, I would have likely been content with this record at this point. The first nine games of the schedule were neither particularly easy nor overly challenging, with five of the nine matchups against playoff teams from last season, implying that a .500 points percentage for this season might be acceptable.
Insights to date
It is way too early to know if any of these insights will persist over the entire season, but here are a few things that have stood out over the first nine games.
Compete
One noticeable improvement this season is the Kraken’s compete level and their ability to bounce back when trailing. Even in the Carolina game, where they were badly outplayed for two periods, they managed to claw back with a goal from Jared McCann to get within one. They couldn’t close the gap, but they generated several good looks at the net after McCann’s goal, hinting at a momentum shift. Although it was their worst game of the season, they still managed to give themselves a chance in the third period.
Scoring
Another early insight is that the team seems to be scoring more this season. They are averaging 3.0 goals per game, compared to 2.2 through the first nine games last season. Their shooting percentage is 10.5 percent, which isn’t great, but it’s an improvement from last season’s 9.1 percent. According to Natural Stat Trick, however, the Kraken have averaged fewer high-danger shots this season, which might indicate another issue—they aren’t generating as many quality shots as last year. This could be related to the small sample size and the varying quality of opponents so far this season, but it could be indicative of a problem.
Face-offs
The Kraken won only 31 percent of face-offs in the second period of last Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg scored twice in that period, so I went back and reviewed the goals for the entire game to see if any face-off losses were linked to goals against. They weren’t; possession had changed hands multiple times since the previous face-off on all Winnipeg goals. Longtime readers and listeners know we’ve discussed the (un)importance of face-offs for some time, but it’s worth checking in on this topic periodically.
I’ve added face-offs—specifically, ‘shot attempts after a face-off’—as an area for deeper investigation in the coming weeks. That list is getting long.
Other Musings
One concerning trend is that the Kraken have routinely given up the first goal of the game this season. In six of the nine games, they’ve allowed the first goal, going 2-3-1 in those games. While that record is better than the league average, it’s not a habit they should continue.
Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes marked the first time this season that Andre Burakovsky didn’t see any ice time on the power play.
It was great to see Matty Beniers get going with two goals against Winnipeg on Thursday, including the late third-period tip-in goal that tied the game.
The reunited line of Beniers, Jared McCann, and Jordan Eberle seems to be working well. That trio has scored four goals over the last two games, though they’re currently the only line producing.
Oliver Bjorkstrand is averaging 14:30 of ice time this season, nearly two minutes less than last year. This is partly due to more penalty-kill time for the team and his reduced power play time early on. Regardless, I’d like to see him get more ice time.
I’ve liked the power play this season; the Kraken seem to have several zone-entry options and more variety once they establish possession. One thing that surprised me in the Hurricanes game was Bjorkstrand playing on the left point in a couple of early power plays. In at least one later opportunity, he returned to his usual right point, but neither position generated any shot attempts. This is something I’ll keep an eye on over the next few games.
Nothing would please me more than seeing Shane Wright put up a couple of points against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Just a reminder: the Kraken are still off to their best start in franchise history,
At this point in the 2022-23 season, the Seattle Kraken went on an incredible run, securing 25 out of a possible 28 points from games 10 to 23. This feels like a great time to put together a similar stretch.
Speaking of incredible stretches of play, the Everett Silvertips have been on fire this season, with a record of 12-2-0 and six consecutive wins. Their next home game is on November 9, and the Kraken have no game that night.
Performances of the week
Sawyer Mynio (SEA-WHL) – Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman and Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio recorded seven points over his last four games.
Carson Rehkopf (BRA-OHL) – Kraken forward prospect Carson Rehkopf posted six points in two games over the weekend for the Brampton Steelheads.
Jared McCann (SEA) – Last week, I mentioned that Jordan Eberle is having the best season start of his career. This week, I’m highlighting Jared McCann for his own strong season start.
Maybe it’s just my nerves talking, but this feels like a crucial week in the early stages of the season for the Kraken, as they head to eastern Canada for games against the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators, followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Boston Bruins. Coincidentally, all three Canadian teams currently sit at a .500 points percentage, identical to the Kraken. Regardless of their records, I don’t think any of these games will be easy, and this week should serve as a good benchmark for the team. Securing four out of eight points would be acceptable, but earning five or more would be a nice confidence boost for the season.
Last Saturday, the Seattle Kraken came back from a two-goal deficit against the Minnesota Wild to win the game, something they never did last season. Fast forward to this past Saturday, when the Kraken won a Saturday night home game for the first time since April 8, 2023. It’s still early, just six games into the season, but this team continues to feel very different from last year.
The return of depth scoring?
One of the keys to the Kraken’s success in the 2022-23 season was their depth scoring, with a lineup that essentially featured three second lines and a third line. That season, the Kraken had 19 games where five unique players scored goals. In contrast, they managed only seven such games during the 2023-24 season. However, this season, two out of their first six games have already featured five or more unique goal scorers.
In 2022-23, the Kraken got significant production from the so-called fourth line of Morgan Geekie, Daniel Sprong, and Ryan Donato. While this season’s fourth line of Yanni Gourde, Brandon Tanev, and Tye Kartye hasn’t matched that production yet, they’ve been effective at driving zone time and generating shot attempts. They’ve also added two timely goals this season: Kartye scored a crucial third-period goal to tie the game against Minnesota, and Tanev netted a go-ahead goal against Nashville, just three minutes after the Predators erased a 2-0 lead.
It’s too soon to say if the Kraken will see the same kind of depth scoring they had in 2022-23, but through Sunday’s games, they are tied with Vegas and New Jersey for the most unique goal scorers.
Areas for improvement check-in
Last week, I highlighted three key areas where the Kraken needed to improve: penalty killing, the power play, and reducing unchallenged shots from the slot. Both the penalty kill and power play have shown moderate improvement. The penalty kill improved from 71.4 percent in the first week to 77.8 percent in the second week. The power play saw a slight uptick, moving from 14.3 percent to 15.4 percent. Though still ranked 25th in the league in power play percentage, I’m encouraged by the increased zone possession and the variety of options we’re seeing.
Here’s a breakdown of the percentage of power play time allocated to players, along with some of the individual stats they’ve generated while on the man advantage.
It’s fascinating to see that Montour doesn’t have a registered shot on goal during the power play this season, despite leading the team with 25 total shots on net through the first six games. I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—keep doing what you’re doing, Monty!
Another area of opportunity I mentioned last week was reducing shots against from the slot. Based on the eye test, it feels like those chances have been more limited since the Minnesota game, where the issue was particularly noticeable. Below is a visual comparison of goals against the Kraken in Week 1 versus Week 2.
There’s probably a better way to measure this, but it’s clear that the number of goals coming from the slot has decreased over the last three games, which confirms what I’ve been seeing. On the flip side, the goals Seattle has conceded are now coming from less dangerous areas, which might point to a different issue. We’ll keep an eye on this moving forward.
Kraken face-offs
Ah, face-offs—one of my favorite topics! In last week’s Monday Musings, I mentioned that the Kraken had only won 31 percent of their face-offs on the power play. When the opposing team gains possession, it allows them to clear the puck and limit the Kraken’s scoring chances while the team regroups and attempts to re-enter the zone. This was likely a major factor hindering the power play during the first three games of the season.
I’m happy to report that the Kraken have won 75 percent of their power-play face-offs over the last three games.
Chandler Stephenson leads the team with a 53.6 percent face-off win rate in all situations, and an impressive 81.3 percent on the power play. This is one of the many underrated contributions Stephenson brings to the team. He played a key role in the Kraken’s overtime winner against the Flames on Saturday. He won the opening face-off, and although the Kraken briefly lost possession, the Flames never really established control. Jordan Eberle eventually scored the game-winner on that very first shift. Bylsma called out in his post-game presser that getting Stephenson out first in overtime is part of his strategy, because gaining possession first is critical.
Other Musings
Public Service Announcement: The Kraken’s home game Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche is at 5:30 p.m. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve told about this time change, and they had no idea—despite having tickets! The game is on ESPN that night, which explains the earlier start time.
Saturday’s home win against the Flames was the Kraken’s first victory over Calgary at Climate Pledge Arena in franchise history. Now, there are only two teams the Kraken have yet to beat at home: Toronto and Tampa Bay (and Utah, if you count them, although Seattle did defeat Arizona at home).
We still need Matty Beniers and Andre Burakovsky to get going. Burakovsky looks like he’s close, but Matty has seemed a bit off at times and isn’t generating the shots I’d expect from him. He missed an open net Saturday, which would have been a pretty goal. It’s early, so I’m not worried yet.
Saturday night’s win against the Flames was the Kraken’s second win of the season in a game where they never held the lead. Last season, they only managed that feat once. So far, they’ve only led for 25 percent of their total game time this season.
Vince Dunn missed his second game of the season on Saturday night. I’m really hoping he draws back in this week as some of the stronger teams in the league visit Seattle.
It feels like ages ago, but the Nashville game was incredible—seven different goal scorers!
We’ve got an official name change: Kraken prospect goaltender Niklas Kokko is now going by Nikke Kokko in North America. Nikke earned his first North American professional win on Friday night.
Player performances
Clarke Caswell (SC/SEA) – The Seattle Kraken’s fifth-round pick from the 2024 NHL Draft recorded six points over two games this weekend for the Swift Current Broncos.
Cale Fleury (CVF) – One of the original expansion selections for the Seattle Kraken, Fleury scored a hat trick in the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ 6-5 win over the San Diego Gulls on Saturday night.
Jordan Eberle (SEA) – The newly appointed captain is off to the best start of his career, with five goals in the Kraken’s first six games of the season, including the game-winning goal in overtime on Saturday night.
Goal of the week
What I really liked about this goal was that Yanni was at the tail end of his shift and was heading to the bench for a change, but he spotted the opportunity and stayed on the ice to set up the first pass to Jared McCann. Those are the little things I love seeing in this game.
This will likely be the toughest stretch of games so far this season, with Winnipeg, Carolina, and Colorado coming to town. I was hoping for five points last week, and the team ended up with six, so it feels like we’re playing with a bit of house money right now. This week, the minimum goal should be three points, with four being the target. Obviously, we’re all rooting for more, but keeping pace is perfectly fine at this point in the season. I know Colorado is having a rough start, but I wouldn’t count out any team that has Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen.
How about you? How are we all feeling about the team right now?
The Seattle Kraken had just one preseason game since last week’s Monday Musings, a 6-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. It was the perfect game to end the preseason, with both teams fielding nearly full-strength rosters. Shane Wright scored two goals, and Philipp Grubauer delivered a solid performance in net, which should help boost his confidence. The game felt as close to a regular-season matchup as you could get.
One thing that stood out on Wednesday was the Kraken’s level of competitiveness. Jordan Eberle set the tone with a clean check on Mattias Ekholm behind the net, which eventually led to a Kraken power play after Leon Draisaitl took exception to the hit. Will Borgen went into “psycho mode” without crossing the line or committing a penalty. Competitiveness doesn’t mean fighting or hitting more; it’s about being fearless and battling for every inch of the ice. While I don’t want to read too much into a preseason win, it was a satisfying way to head into the regular season.
Shane Wright is getting to the inside
Getting inside for shots is crucial because it greatly increases a team’s chances of scoring, often referred to as generating “expected goals.” Last season, the Kraken struggled to create these high-danger chances, which impacted their overall goal scoring. They ranked 28th in the league, averaging just 2.61 goals per game.
Enter Shane Wright. We talked a lot last season about Wright’s innate ability to generate shots from the high-danger area, often called the “home plate,” in front of the opposing team’s net during his time in the AHL. It’s one thing to see that kind of play in junior hockey, but when Shane consistently displayed this ability last season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, it really stood out. Players in the AHL are bigger and tougher than the 16-to-20-year-olds you face in junior leagues, so his success there is even more impressive. Again, without reading too much into the preseason, his shot opportunities have been consistently of high quality.
Looking at the shot attempts from the Kraken’s projected regular-season centers this preseason, Wright has been generating a significant number of dangerous chances, which has resulted in three goals.
It’s still just preseason, but this is very encouraging for a team that needs to add more scoring if it hopes to compete for a playoff spot. In case you missed it, Alison Lukan wrote a terrific piece about how players find ways to get to these high-danger areas for shot opportunities.
Roster set for now
In case you missed it, the Kraken’s general manager made a couple of timely roster moves over the weekend. On Saturday, they placed John Hayden and Josh Mahura on waivers with the intent of assigning them to Coachella Valley. On Sunday, after both players cleared waivers, the Kraken assigned Hayden and Ryan Winterton to Coachella Valley and recalled Josh Mahura. This played out exactly as expected with Hayden and Mahura clearing waivers. The Kraken don’t have enough cap space to keep Winterton on the roster for opening day, so without a trade, it was always going to come down to Hayden or Mahura.
By sending Mahura down and then recalling him, the Kraken can now send him back without needing to clear waivers again, as long as he doesn’t spend more than 30 days in the NHL. This is a strategic way NHL teams manage cap space. It is entirely possible that Mahura will be sent down and recalled for Seattle’s first road trip of the season on Saturday. As of now it appears the Kraken will be carrying an extra defenseman as opposed to an extra forward. It’s interesting because last season, Kraken forwards missed 119 games due to injury, compared to just 25 games missed by defensemen, implying the depth is more needed in the forward group.
CHL players to become eligible for the NCAA
A little bit of breaking news from last week, according to senior writer Jim Connelly from USCHO, the NCAA is planning emergency legislation that will open the door for Canadian Hockey League (QMJHL, OHL, WHL) players to become eligible to play in the NCAA. This issue has been developing for about 10 months and seemed to reach a tipping point when former CHL player Rylan Masterson filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and several schools.
Historically, CHL players have been banned from participating in NCAA hockey. Lifting this ban would have a significant and disruptive impact on the North American junior and college hockey ecosystem. Even experts are unsure of the full implications, but here are my thoughts on the potential impact across the leagues:
NCAA: Lifting the ban will significantly increase both the quantity and quality of players eligible for college hockey. This will especially benefit mid- to lower-tier schools, helping them build up their programs more quickly.
CHL: I don’t believe the CHL will be as affected as some have predicted. In theory, players who were previously reluctant to sign with CHL teams for fear of losing NCAA eligibility will now be able to play in the CHL without jeopardizing their NCAA options. This could expand the CHL player pool.
USHL, BCHL, etc.: These leagues, which have traditionally served as feeder leagues for the NCAA, will be the most impacted. There will be less incentive to play in these leagues if players can now maintain NCAA eligibility while playing in the CHL. U.S. players may continue in these leagues, but some Canadian players who would have played there might now opt for CHL teams. Players like Cale Makar, Macklin Celebrini, and Adam Fantilli chose the NCAA route and played in these leagues—one wonders if they would have made the same choice if the CHL-to-NCAA path had been available.
Change is always challenging, but ultimately, this will create more options for players and their careers, both on and off the ice. This should be applauded.
Other musings
As of Monday morning, the Kraken have not announced a captain for the upcoming season. I still expect a captain to be named before Tuesday’s game. If I were betting, I’d pick Jordan Eberle, though I did speculate a few months ago that Adam Larsson could also be a candidate. Either would make a great captain.
Tuesday’s opener will be the first time in four seasons that the Kraken start the season at home. The team has never won a season opener or a home opener.
The Kraken have never earned more than four points in their first five games to start a season.
The Kraken’s power play went 2-for-26 during the preseason. There was a lot of mixing and matching of AHL and NHL players as they adjusted to the new coaching staff’s special teams systems. The power play looks noticeably different from last season, and from the eye test, it seems more dangerous, with a lot more puck and player movement.
The “percentage of shots on target” measures how many shot attempts (shots on net, missed shots, and blocked shots) were either goals or saved by the goalie. 87 percent of Shane Wright’s shot attempts this preseason were on target.
I just learned that not all teams play the same number of preseason games. In the Pacific Division, Calgary and Edmonton played eight preseason games, while the rest of the division played six. How is this possible?
The New Jersey Devils went 1-6-0 in the preseason but have started the regular season 2-0-0.
Chart of the week
Preseason play has revealed one key trait about Brandon Montour: he’s not afraid to shoot. Take a look at his shot attempts per game.
Player performances
Carson Rehkopf – The Seattle Kraken’s 2023 second-round draft pick has burst out of the gates with 10 points in his first five OHL games. Expect frequent updates on his progress.
Berkly Catton – The Kraken’s first-round selection from the most recent NHL draft tallied five points over two games for the Spokane Chiefs over the weekend. Catch the Chiefs in the Puget Sound on Nov. 22, when they face the Everett Silvertips.
Abbey Murphy – Off to a strong start with seven points in four games for the Minnesota Gophers. Highlighting her impressive start, Murphy also scored an incredible penalty shot goal.
The Kraken have an interesting start to the season, opening at home against St. Louis, followed by three road games in four days: Minnesota on Saturday, Dallas on Sunday, and Nashville on Tuesday. While it’s not the toughest four-game stretch to begin the season, it’s also not the easiest. Historically, the Kraken have struggled out of the gate since joining the league, but perhaps a new coach is just what the team needs to start off on the right foot.
In case you missed it, the good people at King5 put out this handy schedule to help you find the Kraken games on TV this season.
We made it. In less than 24 hours, the dreaded Kraken offseason will officially be over. Go Kraken!
We are now just days away from the Seattle Kraken’s regular-season opener. The Kraken are currently 1-3 this preseason, with two games remaining. I view preseason games as intense practices; everyone is still figuring things out and learning new systems. If you’re worried about preseason results, keep in mind that the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche are a combined 0-7-0 this preseason.
Curious case of Eduard Sale
It was nice to see the Kraken’s first-round selection from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Eduard Sale, score on Saturday night. Sure, it’s just a preseason game, but Sale’s transition to North American hockey has been challenging, so any bright spots are great to see. I think he has looked more comfortable this preseason than some of the other Kraken prospects from his draft year, but you always want your first-round picks to stand out more than Sale has shown to date.
HIP! HIP! SALE! 🚨
Eduard Sale’s first in #SeaKraken colors comes after impressive movement on the power play and an absolutely FILTHY saucer pass by Ryan Winterton.
Last season, Sale began playing for the Barrie Colts of the OHL. It was his first time playing for a team outside his home country, so you can understand the challenges an 18-year-old faces when playing in a foreign environment for the first time. He is the lone remaining rostered prospect who could be sent back to juniors, but the Kraken have some options for where they could send him. We covered this extensively last year with Shane Wright, but normally, 19-year-old CHL players must either play in the NHL or be sent back to their CHL teams.
Because Sale was drafted while playing in the Czech Extraliga, that clause in the NHL-CHL development agreement doesn’t apply. With Sale, the Kraken have the option to send him to the AHL this coming season, a possibility that looks more and more likely. It worked for Wright last season, so it could work for Sale this season.
Roster spot and cap space
The Kraken remain very close to the salary cap, with less than $5,000 of cap space if they were to fill 21 of the 23 maximum roster spots. They simply cannot add a 22nd or 23rd player. This seems like a risky position to be in at the start of the season. I’ve speculated that a trade was imminent, but trades are rare this close to the season, so carrying just one extra player might be the plan.
Coming into camp, I felt that the final roster spot would come down to Josh Mahura, Ben Meyers, or John Hayden. All three have played well enough to justify their spots, but there can be only one, and it’s possible that all three could be put on waivers to be assigned to Coachella and accrue some cap space for the start of the season. There’s also a scenario where Ryan Winterton makes the team to start the season, but unless there’s an injury, he’s unlikely to crack the starting lineup, so it might make more sense for him to play in the AHL. He also does not require waivers to get to Coachella Valley.
Checking in on Karson Kuhlman
Karson Kuhlman only played 39 games for the Kraken over two half-seasons. I always had a soft spot for Kuhlman. He was a waiver claim during the inaugural season and even came on our podcast for a fun interview. He worked hard on the ice, and, in my opinion, scored one of the most important regular-season goals in season two. During the Kraken’s impressive 2022-23 season, they had a 1-2-2 record heading into their sixth game of the campaign, facing the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche.
The season was starting to feel like a repeat of Season 1. The scrappy Kraken were up 2-1 in the third when they allowed a shorthanded goal seven minutes into the period. Kuhlman scored six minutes later, and the Kraken held on to win. The Kraken would go 6-3-1 over their next 10 games. That was Kuhlman’s only goal with the Kraken that season. He was eventually put on waivers and claimed when Seattle needed to make room for Eeli Tolvanen, a waiver claim of their own.
Kuhlman played the rest of the season for the Winnipeg Jets and the entire 2023-24 season with the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. This season, he took his talents to Finland, signing with Lukko in Liiga. He’s off to a great start with two goals and four assists in his first seven games.
Other musings
We got our first look at Brandon Montour last week, and he’s coming in as advertised. His willingness to activate offensively should open some doors for other Kraken players. He had 16 shot attempts in his two preseason games—the most of any Kraken player.
He’s unlikely to make the opening-day roster, but Jacob Melanson has impressed me this preseason. Melanson flies a bit under the radar but appears closer to the NHL than I expected. He’s the type of player who can step into a fourth-line role without sacrificing his development. He had a goal in the game against Edmonton on Saturday, but go back and check his board play here to set up the Meyers goal.
We didn’t get to see much of Jani Nyman, but he did show off his powerful shot in his lone preseason game on Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. Nyman was assigned to the Firebirds on Saturday. He’ll be a fun one to watch in Coachella Valley this season.
Another player assigned to Coachella Valley was Lleyton Roed. Roed caught our attention as early as last spring when he played in the Calder Cup Finals with Coachella. If you haven’t checked out this profile piece on him, do it!
In case you missed it, the LA Kings will be without their top defenseman to start the season. Drew Doughty fractured his ankle in a preseason game last week. Doughty was second in the league in time on ice per game and led the Kings in power-play time last season. I’ve speculated that the Kings might take a step back and miss the playoffs this season, and this injury won’t help their chances.
The NHL regular season actually starts Friday, when the New Jersey Devils play the Buffalo Sabres in the first of two games in Czechia as part of the NHL Global Series. They play at 10 a.m. Pacific on Friday and 7 a.m. on Saturday. Sounds like a great way to start the weekend.
Also coming up this weekend is Faceoff: Inside the NHL, the docuseries on Prime Video. This six-part series is produced by the same company behind F1: Drive to Survive. If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend, put this at the top of your list—should be some great hockey content!
Micah Blake McCurdy just released his point projections for the 2024-25 season. It’s not a straightforward binary projection, but McCurdy’s mean projection puts the Kraken fourth in the Pacific Division.
I’m probably in the minority, but I love the 1:30 p.m. start time for next Tuesday’s opening day. There’s nothing I’d rather take a half-day off work for than hockey.
Did anyone see that reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, allowed eight goals on 29 shots in Winnipeg’s preseason game against Minnesota on Friday? Just thought I’d point that out if anyone’s worried about a goalie’s preseason performance.
Goal of the week
Despite being sent back to his junior team, we are still keeping an eye on Andrei Loshko.
Porter Martone – A consensus top-five draft pick for the 2025 NHL Draft, Martone recorded one goal and five assists in his first two games of the season for the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL.
Michael Misa – Another high-end prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, Misa tallied seven goals and one assist in his first three games with the Saginaw Spirit.
Matvei Michkov – The highly regarded Russian prospect, selected seventh overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, has three goals and three assists in three preseason games for the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers visit Seattle on Oct. 17. He should be exciting to watch.
The week ahead
The Kraken have two final preseason games this week. With most junior players sent back to their respective teams and several others assigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, expect the Kraken to field a roster that will resemble their starting lineup next Tuesday. If there’s one thing I’d like to see in these last two preseason games, it’s some production from Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, and Jared McCann. All three have looked fine but have yet to make it onto the score sheet. Also, keep an eye out for Andre Burakovsky to return to the lineup and Vince Dunn to make his preseason debut. Both players will be key to the Kraken’s success this season.
With less than eight days to go, who’s ready for some regular-season hockey?
This is going to be a wild week in the hockey world, kicking off Monday with a rare Stanley Cup Final Game 7. This will only be the second Game 7 in a Final in the last 10 years. There are numerous storylines: Connor McDavid could cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats by potentially bringing the Cup back to Edmonton and to Canada, while the Florida Panthers are aiming for their first championship in franchise history. It’s going to be a remarkable story, regardless of the outcome.
In addition to the Stanley Cup Final, there will be at least one more Calder Cup game, the NHL Awards show, the NHL Entry Draft, and if all that wasn’t enough, free agency will begin next Monday, July 1. Here are some thoughts on the coming week.
Will there be any more trades?
There’s a lot of buzz right now about trades leading up to the NHL Draft, but we hear this every year. So it’s hard to tell if this is just hype or if this year will be different. There was a flurry of trades last week, highlighted by the Kings and Capitals making a one-for-one swap of Pierre-Luc Dubois for Darcy Kuemper and the Flames sending Jacob Markstrom to the Devils for Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick. Is that the end of the pre-draft fireworks, or are there more coming?
Every time names get floated as potential trade candidates, I get about 10 text messages either asking for my opinion or individuals sharing their opinions with me on whether the Seattle Kraken should make a play for them. The hottest names in the trade rumor mill are Trevor Zegras, Martin Necas, and Patrik Laine.
All three come with some inherent risk. Necas, a pending restricted free agent, would be the best fit in Seattle, but what would it cost to get him, and how will his next contract look? Evolving-Hockey estimates Necas’ contract at close to $9 million per year. The Kraken have cap space, but such a contract would consume a lot of it, leaving several holes to fill in the forward group with few dollars available.
I might be in the minority here, but I think Trevor Zegras would be a great addition for the Kraken. He has immense skill and had a rough season due to ankle surgery followed by a groin injury. Zegras’ cap hit is more manageable at $5.75 million per year, and the Kraken could potentially acquire him at a lower cost. The question is whether the 2023-24 season was just a blip or if that’s the player Zegras will be.
I don’t think Laine makes sense for the Kraken to pursue unless Columbus retains salary and/or sweetens the pot to make the risk associated with his $8.7 million cap hit worthwhile. The Kraken need goals, which Laine can provide, but that’s all he can do, and this team might not be able to afford his deficiencies in other areas. Despite the rumors, I don’t see this as a fit.
If I were the Kraken, I’d look at Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers and Tampa Bay’s Tanner Jeannot. Both players have been mentioned as potential trade candidates but aren’t getting a lot of headlines right now. They are very different players, but both could fill a need the Kraken had last season. Ehlers can reliably score 20 or more goals in a season, and Jeannot has the physical edge that seemed to be missing from Seattle’s lineup last season.
The Kraken have been among the top teams in terms of quantity of draft picks over the last few years. With one first-round pick, two second-round picks, and two third-round picks this draft, the team doesn’t need all those picks. Given their quantity of picks and solid prospect pool, the organization is well-positioned to package some of those chips together for talent that can help next season.
Draft thoughts
Assuming no trades, the Seattle Kraken will be drafting in the eighth position on Friday night when the NHL Draft kicks off. The top 10 of the draft class is loaded with defensemen, and the Kraken’s prospect pool lacks high-end blueliners. It’s not guaranteed, but I anticipate the Kraken drafting a defenseman with their first selection at eighth overall. I’ve been fascinated by Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh, but that’s based on reading a dozen articles and getting caught in a YouTube vortex. No matter how much research we do, the Kraken scouting staff will have logged thousands more hours in preparation for this draft. They know what they are doing. Regardless of who they pick, they should get a great player at eighth overall.
Here is a look at the Kraken’s draft history:
Expect a ton of draft content coming to Sound Of Hockey this week, including a live blog for day two of the draft.
Other musings
It sure would be nice to know what Matty Beniers’ and Eeli Tolvanen’s contracts will look like next season before free agency begins to see how much budget the Kraken have to play with on July 1. Hopefully, they are close and have a good idea where they might land.
A couple of people have asked if the Kraken might be interested in Winnipeg’s prospect, Rutger McGroarty. Of course, they would be interested, but I just don’t think he is what the Kraken need right now. Based on all post-season availabilities from the Kraken front office, they are trying to get better now, not seasons from now. McGroarty would be a great prospect, but he doesn’t fit that agenda.
Another circulating rumor is the possible trade of Brandon Tanev to Ottawa. This would make a lot of sense from the Seattle Kraken’s side. If they are looking to get better, they need to clear additional cap space and roster spots to repurpose those slots with more scoring. Fans love Brandon Tanev, but this is the truth.
The 2023-24 NHL season will go down as having the most games ever played in a single season, with 1511 total games. Last season had 1508. This record will be instantly broken the next time the NHL expands.
I really hope Chris Driedger gets a shot in the NHL next season. He has been solid all year for the Coachella Valley Firebirds and was narrowly beaten out by Joey Daccord at the beginning of the 2023-24 season as the second goalie in Seattle. He deserves another shot.
Ryan Winterton is having a great Calder Cup Final. He has five goals in the first six games of the series and has been generating a lot of shots. I wonder where the Kraken brass will have him penciled in next season. Based on his late-season call-up games, I thought he needed another year of development in Coachella Valley, but now I’m not so sure.
Watching Coachella Valley through the playoffs, I realize that the Seattle Kraken don’t have a bona fide third goalie they can count on in a pinch if either Grubauer or Daccord gets hurt for an extended amount of time next year. Only Niklas Kokko and Victor Ostman are under contract for next season, and I am not sure they would be ready to step in to a prolonged stint in the NHL. They have used three goalies in each of the last three seasons, so this leaves me to expect the Kraken to sign a goalie who can move between the AHL and NHL next season.
Although not Kraken-related, I am interested to see where Ivan Demidov gets selected. He is said to have elite skill but hasn’t been battle tested, since he spent the season in the MHL, which is a large gap to the NHL. I think Demidov will end up being one of the big stories of the first round.
I expect the 2024-25 schedule to be released this week. Word around the campfire is that for the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Kraken will open at home. If I am a betting man, I would put money on Oct. 8.
It is extremely unlikely that the Kraken would be able to take him in the second round, but I’ve been obsessed with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård ever since someone sent me this video.
Two minutes of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård breaking up plays on the forecheck, hustling for loose pucks, winning body positioning, and running over grown men like it's nothing.
The Calder Cup Finals have given us some great goals including this one from Shane Wright, but the setup from Cale Fleury at center ice was incredible.
This is going to be a wild week of activity, and I anticipate the Kraken making moves to bolster the team for next season. We already have a ton of content planned and will keep you abreast of any breaking news. If you have any thoughts or questions, let us know in the comments section below.
Enjoy Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals, and then buckle up for what will surely be a busy week for the Seattle Kraken.
Regardless of the playoff picture, I still enjoy watching the Kraken right now, especially when they win. The Kraken completed their California swing with wins against the Sharks and Ducks and a loss to the Kings in between. Sure, the victories were against two of the weaker teams in the league, but wins are wins, and you certainly wouldn’t want to see them lose to those teams, would you?
Shane Wright looks good
In my limited viewing of Coachella Valley Firebirds games and discussions I’ve had with people inside the Kraken, Shane Wright’s development has been very positive this season. The 20-year-old center has looked impressive since being called up on March 31, though I understand it has only been a few games. While I am excited about Shane, I remain cautious with prospects, knowing there’s an inherent bias in valuing something you possess. Nonetheless, we can appreciate what we’ve seen from him so far.
He scored a goal in his first game against the Sharks and added two against the Ducks on Friday night. However, his contributions extend beyond goal scoring. Wright plays sound defense, delivers quick, creative passes, and consistently positions himself well for scoring. He did make a few mistakes in his three games so far, but these should serve as learning opportunities.
When he was called up for three games in November, Wright appeared competent but cautious, often opting for the safe play to avoid errors. Although he wasn’t on a line with Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz that time, which might have altered his current role with the big club, he now exudes more confidence and poses a greater threat on the ice than before.
Tremendous give and go between Wright and Schwartz in the neutral zone and then another that ends in a royal road feed from Eberle to Wright for the goal pic.twitter.com/pn3bs2wj9I
When evaluating Shane Wright’s development, I often compare it to the development path of Quinton Byfield, the Los Angeles Kings’ centerman. Their paths are not identical, but Wright and Byfield share similarities. Byfield, drafted second overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, was an OHL player. Due to the pandemic, he was allowed to spend his draft-plus-one season in the AHL and began playing most of his games in the NHL from the 2021-22 season onwards. However, it wasn’t until this season, four years after his draft year, that Byfield began to hit his stride at the top level, just as pundits were speculating that he might be a bust.
Shane is currently in his draft-plus-two season and, by all indications, will become a regular in the NHL next year, his draft-plus-three season. If he follows Byfield’s trajectory, we might not see his full capabilities in the NHL until 2025-26. The broader point is that we still need to be patient. What we should look for is progress in his development, which we have undoubtedly observed since he joined the franchise.
Other Musings
Friday’s win against the Ducks was Seattle’s eighth regular-season win against Anaheim since the inception of the Kraken, the most wins they have posted against any one team. The Kraken have the chance to beat the Sharks for the eighth time on Thursday in Seattle.
Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton were scratched from games this week, a strategy often deployed when developing players to provide them with a different perspective of the game. This allows them to apply what they have learned from the handful of NHL games they’ve experienced at ice level and observe it from above. We would expect the duo to get another game or two at the NHL level before being sent back to Coachella Valley.
I would not pencil Morrison or Winterton into the lineup next year. Both show promise, but I am not convinced they will be ready to be regular NHLers next season.
Congratulations to Lleyton Roed on scoring his first professional goal on Sunday, just a week after signing his first professional hockey contract.
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) April 8, 2024
After experiencing lots of challenges this season, Matty Beniers has been finding the net more often, with goals in four of his last six games. Below is his 10-game moving average of goals scored per game, which shows his scoring trend over 10 games at a time.
The IIHF Women’s World Championship kicked off last week, and one of the marquee games of the opening round is Canada versus USA at 7 p.m. PT, airing Monday on the NHL Network. Check it out if you are so inclined.
Speaking of international tournaments, it will be interesting to see how many Kraken players will participate in the men’s version of the IIHF World Championships in Czechia, which kick off in May. One player expected to represent Denmark is Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard. I’ve discussed him extensively this year, but this will be an opportunity to see how he fares against a number of NHL players.
The Kansas City Mavericks, the Seattle Kraken’s ECHL affiliate, clinched the Brabham Cup over the weekend, an award given to the top team of the regular season. In full transparency, I had never heard of the Brabham Cup before.
We alluded to it last week, and now it has been confirmed: Jani Nyman is joining the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Everett Silvertips closed out their first-round series against the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. They will face the Portland Winterhawks in the second round, which kicks off on Friday in Portland. The Winterhawks won six of the eight regular-season games between the two teams.
Player performances
Niklas Kokko (PEL/SEA) – Since last Monday, the Kraken goalie prospect won a decisive Game 7 in the opening round of the Liiga playoffs and then won the first two games of the semifinal matchup against his former team, Karpat. He has a .925 save percentage in those two games.
David Goyette (SBY/SEA) – The Kraken’s second-round selection from the 2022 NHL Draft had nine points, including four goals, in the Sudbury Wolves’ first-round series win against the Mississauga Steelheads. The Wolves won the series in five games and will now face Ty Nelson and the North Bay Battalion in Round 2.
Shane Wright (SEA) – We’ve talked about him a lot lately, but he has four points in his three games with the Kraken since he was called up.
Goal of the week
The goal of the week comes from the semifinals of the SHL playoffs, Växjö Lakers vs Rögle BK.
The analytics community has long understood that outhitting an opponent in a hockey game does not necessarily lead to more wins. The overarching idea is that if you’re outhitting an opponent, it likely means you don’t have the puck. Recently, I’ve noticed a broad group of media outlets highlighting hitting as if it were a key component of success on the ice. This has made me somewhat uneasy, so I decided to investigate how well the Kraken perform when outhitting opponents versus being outhit this season.
When the Kraken are “close” with their opponent in terms of the number of hits delivered, or they deliver at least four fewer hits than their opponent, their winning percentage is significantly higher.
The week ahead
The Kraken will play their last two home games this week, taking on the Coyotes on Tuesday and the Sharks on Thursday. Despite the challenges of the past six weeks, I’ll be sad to see the season end. I still love watching the team play, and if it weren’t for the unrealistic expectations created by last year’s team, I would have been content with this season. The Kraken are laying the groundwork to become a perennial playoff contender, rather than a team that gambles too early and risks having to rebuild. In short, while I would have been thrilled to see them in the playoffs, I appreciate the direction they’re heading.
I have a personal backlog of offseason analysis and investigation, but please let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to focus on as the season winds down.
