It is that time of year where we all do some self-reflecting, so I thought it would be a great time to share my top 10 Seattle Kraken events of 2022.
#10 – The 2022 trade deadline
On the surface, the Kraken did not have one specific big trade that overwhelmed fans, but the sum of the parts will set this organization up for a while. With only seven picks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the prospect cupboards were empty. By contrast, the Vegas Golden Knights had 12 selections in their first NHL Entry Draft in 2017.
General manager Ron Francis added 10 draft picks scattered across the 2022, 2023, and 2024 drafts, which includes three second-round selections in the 2022 draft. That directly led to the Kraken selecting Jani Nyman, Niklas Kokko, and David Goyette. Time will tell if any of the picks accumulated during the trade deadline will materialize into impactful players, but the more chips you have on the table, the more likely one of them will hit.
#9 – Outreach efforts of the 2022-23 season
The Kraken organization and players have been a lot more visible in the community in the first couple months of the 2022-23 season. It warms my heart to see these players getting out in the community. Part of this is directly related to COVID restrictions the team had to face last season, but another reason is the players and players’ families are feeling more comfortable with the community at large. Expect to see more of this in 2023 and beyond.
Rooted in our community 💙#SeaKraken players are getting out into the community that has supported us since day one & we're excited to continue making a difference. pic.twitter.com/FfgFxnQPHU
The returns on this trade have yet to be realized. Otherwise, I would have it in the top five. Bjorkstrand was acquired on for a third- and a fourth-round pick. That is a steal for a player of Bjorkstrand’s caliber. The Kraken put themselves in an excellent position to use their salary cap space as a weapon. Bjorkstrand only has four goals on the season, shooting just 4.7 percent, but he is much better than his numbers have shown with the Kraken and will eventually breakout.
Wait, wait. What?! Seriously?! Oliver Bjorkstrand, who is much better player overall than Patrik Laine, was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for 3rd and 4th round draft picks 2023. These are terrible decisions by Columbus in our eyes. pic.twitter.com/2mAtiL4p3y
There are still some haters out there, but Buoy has been an absolute treat to watch at Kraken games. Kids (and dogs) adore him. He has been a great addition to the club, and I will not accept any slander against him.
I mentioned it last week in my Monday Musings, but the health of the team this season has been a big advantage. The roster has been very consistent all year and is a big contributing factor to where the team is in the standings. Only 25 unique players have suited up for the Kraken this season versus 30 unique skaters at this point last season.
#5 – Launch of the Coachella Valley Firebirds
From an overall effort, the launch of the Firebirds should be No. 1. There was so much involved in getting this franchise off the ground, from building Acrisure Arena to signing 20+ players, plus hiring the entire coaching and support staff around the club. The Coachella Valley Firebirds will be one of the main contributors to developing talent for the Kraken, and it was important they do it right. The team is also performing well on the ice with a 19-6-3 record and is currently tied for first place in the Pacific Division in the AHL.
November was an absolute blast to be a Kraken fan, as the boys went 10-1-1 in the month. The record was nice, but they also rattled off impressive wins against the Kings, Rangers, Capitals, and the Golden Knights. It proved they can play with the big dogs in the league. Despite the rough patch they are going through right now, the Kraken are in a good position and will compete for a playoff spot, thanks to their performance in November.
Matty Beniers scores just seven seconds into overtime to give the Kraken seven (!) wins in a row pic.twitter.com/zCLulfHCP4
#3 – Shane Wright slipping to No. 4 overall in the NHL Entry Draft
Even a week before the draft, nobody thought Shane Wright would have dropped to No. 4 in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. We have heard time and time again, you build your team through the center position, so when Wright was available to Seattle, the Kraken jumped on him. It might not be apparent right now, but the long-term outlook of this franchise being centered by Matty Beniers and Wright bodes well. This could go down as one of those significant moments in the franchise’s history.
Going into the offseason, the Kraken’s top issue to address was goal scoring. The Kraken were 28th in the league in goals scored last season, so they went out and signed one of the top goal scorers available in free agency without mortgaging the future. Burakovsky has always been known as a great shooter that has played in crowded lineups. In Seattle he is averaging the most time-on-ice per game of his career and is on pace to set career bests in goals and points.
After his second season with the Michigan Wolverines, Beniers signed his entry-level contract with the Kraken on April 10 and joined the team immediately. Matty represented hope and the future of this franchise, and when he signed, there was a significant buzz amongst the fans in anticipation.
The Kraken organization and media folks did their best to lower expectations for the 19-year-old rookie by preaching patience, but Matty never got the memo. He scored nine points over his 10 games in the 2021-22 season and has carried that kind of performance into the 2022-23 season. Beniers is currently tied for second in goals on the team and third in points.
If you think I have missed something or have a special Kraken memory you would like to share, please do in the comments section below so we can all enjoy it. Happy New Year, everybody.
Along with Kraken fans, we here at Sound Of Hockey continue to wait on any late-breaking news regarding NHL-level roster moves. We will cover it here whenever any additional transactions are announced.
In the meantime, however, we wanted to revisit Seattle’s crucial 2022 NHL Draft one more time. Last week I wrote about the players drafted by the Kraken. Today, I will offer some perspective that compares Seattle’s draft class with the rest of the league.
What are public draft analysts and scouting services saying about the Kraken’s draft picks? Looking at history, what can we expect from this class? And how do Seattle’s assembled prospects project relative to the field? We will consider these questions and more, and also offer some takeaways pertaining to other teams along the way.
We should note that it is wise to be guarded in the immediate aftermath of a draft. We do not even know what Shane Wright will be in the NHL, must less Seattle’s later picks. But, generally speaking, how does Seattle’s group project? Let’s dive in.
The Kraken accumulated a deep class of high-end talent
In case you missed it, before the draft, we gathered rankings from 19 public draft analysts and scouting services and developed a composite draft ranking: The Sound Of Hockey Big Board.
Seattle was the only team to select five players within the top-50 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. Buffalo and Montreal selected four such players each, and no other team drafted more than three. With long odds facing any prospect outside the top half of the first round, accumulating this depth of highly ranked prospects in a single draft is impressive. For context, nine teams left the draft with no players ranked within the top 50.
Public draft analysts praised Seattle’s work
Public analysts were generally complimentary of Seattle’s draft, frequently referencing it among the strongest draft classes assembled:
Chris Peters of Flo Hockey (link): Seattle Kraken: A
Corey Pronman of The Athletic (link): Seattle Kraken: A
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (link): Seattle Kraken: “No. 2 winner” of day one; “No. 1 winner” of day two
Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN (link): Seattle Kraken: “Winner”
Peter Baracchini of The Hockey Writers (link): Seattle Kraken: “Winner”
Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News (link): Seattle Kraken: “perfect draft”
Mark Schieg of The Hockey Writers (link): Seattle Kraken: “Winner”
Mike Morreale of NHL.com (link): Seattle Kraken: Best draft (discussion starts at 25:00)
Projecting future contributions from Seattle’s draft class
Byron Bader of Hockey Prospecting has studied the likelihood of a player becoming a contributor at the NHL level based on draft position. He researched two thresholds: (1) the likelihood of being a “star” performer who produces at a high-end, point-per-game threshold and (2) the likelihood of being an “NHL” player, which he defines as playing at least 200 games in the NHL.
I like this approach to interpreting the projected impact of a draft class because it is less abstract than Wins Above Replacement (WAR) or similar metrics. As Josh Horton’s investigation demonstrated historically, even the largest draft classes can be counted as a success if they produce just a few NHL-level performers. Bader’s work quantifies those probabilities and helps us make projections.
Bader delivered his results in tiers. For example, he reported that a second-round pick has a 29.5 percent chance of becoming an NHL player and a 2.4 percent chance of becoming a star. Yet, we also know from other studies that high-second-round picks yield significantly more value than late-second-round picks, as one might expect.
Bader’s public findings are also a bit quirky in a few areas. For example, his results suggest a higher likelihood of finding a star performer in the late-first round than in the mid-first round. This is very likely an issue with small sample size.
For these reasons, I reverse engineered a smoothed model from his public findings that projects “likelihood” of being a star performer or NHLer based on draft position. Graphically, the models look like this:
I applied this model to the picks in the 2022 NHL Draft and created a projection of how many NHL lineup players and star performers each team can expect from its draft class.
(Note that some scouts have suggested this was a mediocre draft class. If so, all of the probabilities listed above could be downgraded, but the expectations of each team relative to the others should remain consistent.)
Based on pick position alone, the Kraken project to generate the fourth-most NHL players from the their draft class, with approximately three NHL regulars being an expected outcome. Only the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Buffalo Sabres project to generate more such players.
When it comes to probable star power, again, the Kraken have the fourth-best odds of turning up a star player based on Bader’s model. In this measure, they rank behind only the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, and New Jersey Devils.
This should serve as something of a reality check on our expectations. A player picked at No. 4 overall is not a certainty to be a high-end performer. If Shane Wright becomes a 65-to-70-point producer on an annual basis, the Kraken will have out-performed their “star” expectations in this draft, even before considering the rest of this class.
Projecting future contributions using the Sound Of Hockey Big Board
The expectations set forth above assume historical average draft performance at each draft position. The results do not tell us anything about whether a draft class could be expected to over-perform or under-perform its draft position.
In an effort to gain some perspective on this question, I also applied Bader’s work to the players drafted in the 2022 NHL Draft based on their Big Board rank, rather than draft order. In other words, I engaged in a thought experiment: What if the Sound Of Hockey Big Board represented the “correct” order in which players would have ideally been drafted? In that scenario, the first player on the Big Board would be ascribed the highest likelihood of becoming a star or NHL player under Bader’s analysis, and so forth down the line.
To be clear, this is not how Bader’s work was intended to be used. This alternative view is simply meant to give some perspective on how each draft class could expect to turn out if the 19 public scouting services we compiled were “right” about the proper ordering of this class.
By this metric, the Seattle Kraken fare even better relative to the competition, projecting to produce both the most NHL lineup regulars and star performers from this draft.
In terms of raw figures, the Kraken project to generate slightly fewer lineup regulars than expected based on their draft position alone (3.03). This is due in large part to Seattle “reaching” far down the Big Board to draft goalie Niklas Kokko at No. 58. And, while the Kraken are No. 1 overall, Montreal, Buffalo, Arizona, and Chicago all closely trail Seattle, each projecting to produce just under three NHLers.
The Kraken take by far the biggest leap up in terms of likelihood of generating a star player, however. This is largely due to the fact that Seattle procured the No. 1 overall player on the Big Board, Shane Wright, at the fourth pick. Conversely, Montreal and New Jersey tumble down in their “star” probabilities because, in the eyes of the Big Board, those teams reached for Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, respectively.
Other draft classes stood out, for better or worse
The Carolina Hurricanes project to exceed draft expectations because they employed a very specific strategy. The Big Board study suggests that the Carolina Hurricanes produced the most NHL-level talent relative to the team’s draft capital. Carolina turned picks projected to generate the 20th-most value in the league and procured the 12th-most value according to the Big Board. How did Carolina accomplish this? The strategy was clear: target Russian players that other teams were reticent to select. Of course, it remains to be seen if global events create a long-term impediment to those players joining the NHL. But “on paper,” the draft looks good.
The Minnesota Wild had a good draft too. The Wild also drafted very well based on the Big Board, projecting to have acquired the sixth-most lineup regulars despite draft capital worth only the ninth-most in the league. Minnesota selected Liam Ohgren (No. 17 on the Big Board) at No. 19 overall and then followed that up with Russian Danila Yurov (No. 12 on the Big Board) at No. 24 overall. Couple those two early value picks with a late value pick of Servac Petrovsky (No. 106 on the Big Board) at No. 185 overall and the Wild could very well look back on this draft fondly.
The Detroit Red Wings characteristically underperformed according to public draft boards. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Big Board was not a fan of Detroit’s draft. Steve Yzerman-managed teams have notoriously veered away from consensus in their draft decision making, yet they still seem to uncover stars (remember, Detroit went “off the board” with the No. 6 pick in 2019 and selected now-rising-superstar Moritz Seider). Detroit utilized the eighth-most valuable draft capital, but produced just the 16th-most value according to the Big Board.
The Chicago Blackhawks may have also left value on the table. To add insult to the injury that has been Chicago’s NHL-level offseason moves, the Big Board did not like Chicago’s draft either, relative to the the draft capital utilized. According to the Big Board, Chicago reached on every single one of its picks except for its second first-round pick Frank Nazar. For similar reasons, the Big Board downgrades the Arizona Coyotes’ draft too.
Takeaways from Seattle’s draft
The Kraken had a productive draft. Needing to build out the team’s prospect pool, volume was a focus: the team made 11 draft picks overall. But the Kraken did not sacrifice high-end quality either, generally winning rave reviews from draft analysts for their ability to find highly ranked prospects with their six picks in the top 68.
According to Hockey Prospecting’s historical work, Seattle fans can reasonably expect three-or-more of the team’s picks to emerge as NHL regulars down the road, with a 50-50 chance that one of those regulars develops into a star player.
If the Big Board is to be believed, Seattle’s draft may over-perform even those lofty expectations. This Kraken class may project as the best in the NHL, and the team’s chances of finding a star player could rate significantly higher than expected based on draft pick value alone.
Now we wait and watch. With rookie development camp in the rearview mirror, preseason training camp will be our next opportunity to check in on the development of this class.
SEATTLE – Shane Wright said it best this week when describing how hearing his name called at the NHL Draft fulfilled a childhood dream. He’s right, and most of the players participating in the Seattle Kraken’s first development camp lived that dream out in some way. They heard their names called, and those in attendance at the draft got to pull an NHL jersey over their heads and pose for pictures.
Kraken prospect Tye Kartye didn’t get to live out that dream, but the forward was at camp this week with an NHL contract in his back pocket.
“There’s a lot of different paths,” Kartye said after the final day of development camp.
He was passed up by the NHL, first in 2019 after scoring four goals and 24 points for the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds. The following season he scored 26 goals but was passed up again as well as in 2021 when the OHL shut down due to the COVID pandemic.
“The first year I went through it, I don’t think I deserved to get drafted. So obviously it’s disappointing, but I kind of saw it coming,” Kartye, 21, said. “Then got passed up again and that was after a good season. That was a little more disappointing.”
While they didn’t draft him, the Kraken were interested enough and invited him to their training camp last fall. He said it didn’t take long to say yes to the invite.
Kartye gets Kraken camp invite
He played well in camp before last season, just hoping to expose the Kraken to his skill and leave an impression. Eventually he was returned to the Greyhounds for his final year of junior with no promises of where he would play in 2022-23.
“It was kind of like ‘you did a good job, and we’ll keep watching you,’” he said about the message Seattle gave him. “That obviously gave a boost to your confidence after a good camp. So, I kept that going through the start of the year.”
Armed with renewed confidence and positive encouragement from his coaches with the Greyhounds, Kartye had a good 2021-22 season. His coaches reminded him to keep grinding, knowing that his path to pro hockey was far from over.
He responded with a monster season, scoring 45 goals with 34 assists for 79 points in 63 games, good for fourth in the league scoring race.
“Everything came together for me, and the hard work for the first four years really paid off in that year,” Kartye said. “Just being older doesn’t mean you’re gonna have a good year. You look at the league and there’s guys throughout the league who are 20 and don’t live up to expectations. I definitely think that part of it was having the experience, but there’s a lot of other factors that went into that as well.”
It turns out that the Kraken were watching and started checking in with him around the holidays.
Signing his first NHL contract
Impressed, Seattle offered him an entry-level contract in early March.
“I was just ecstatic because this is what you’ve been trying to do for your whole junior career and you never know if it’s gonna happen,” Kartye said. “When you finally get that call with the offer. It’s a pretty special day.”
Getting signed is exciting enough, but when it comes from a hall-of-famer like Kraken general manager Ron Francis, who just happened to play his junior hockey for the same Soo Greyhounds franchise, it’s a little extra special.
“He’s a legend in the Soo,” Kartye said with a smile. “The rink is on Ron Francis Way.”
Kartye, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 199 pounds, had a good showing at development camp. It was highlighted by him scoring a goal during the team’s midweek scrimmage.
He likely will start the season in the American Hockey League with the Coachella Valley Firebirds for his first pro hockey experience. Growing up in Ontario, he’s not familiar with the Valley but has heard about the weather and, as a golfer, is going to bring his clubs with him.
Expect to see Kartye at Kraken training camp in the fall, and since the Firebirds are starting their season in Seattle, he’ll be around one way or another. Even though he has a signed contract, Kartye isn’t taking things like development camp for granted.
“I’m just taking all the things I learned here and trying to implement them throughout the summer,” he said. “Just trying to be the best player I can be for training camp.”
It remains to be seen how much NHL time he’ll get, but Kartye is an example for younger players. He’s proved that even if you’re overlooked and passed up in the draft, that doesn’t mean giving up on pro hockey dreams.
“I would always tell the younger guys on my team in their draft year this is what happened to me,” Kartye said. “I had a good year and was one of the leaders on the team, so I tried to just implement to the young guys that the draft is not the be-all end-all. Obviously, everyone wants to get drafted and that’s your first option. But if it doesn’t work out, it’s definitely not the end of the road. There’s a lot of different paths.”
After an eventful draft for the Seattle Kraken, the team’s prospect development camp gets underway at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle on Monday. With qualifying offers due just a couple hours after that, and NHL free agency scheduled to open Wednesday, July 13, at 9:00 am Pacific, it is an exciting time in a crucial offseason for the second-year expansion franchise.
But before looking forward, we wanted to quickly recap Seattle’s 2022 NHL Draft, with information from public scouting reports and the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. Seattle drafted an astounding five players within the top-50 on the Big Board. No other team drafted more than four.
Player development is a long road, so it is a bit foolhardy to reach any conclusions in the days after the draft. But the Kraken’s performance against the Big Board is notable given the strong performance of the Big Board as a predictive tool overall. The Big Board accurately “predicted” 28 of 32 first-rounders, and the player listed No. 32, Owen Beck, was selected with the first pick of the second round (No. 33). The other three players that “fell” out of the Big Board’s top 32 were No. 26 Jagger Firkus (more on him in a minute), No. 29 Ryan Chesley (drafted No. 37 by the Capitals), and No. 30 Calle Odelius (drafted No. 65 by the New York Islanders).
I wrote profiles on four of their draft picks pre-draft. I would have written profiles on Seattle’s top two picks (Shane Wright and Firkus) as well if I thought there was any chance at all that those players would be available for the Kraken to select with their top two picks.
Where can I find public scouting reports on these players?
Pre-draft prospect write-ups are available at the links below:
Corey Pronman of The Athletic (link) ($$): 127 ranked prospects
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (link) ($$): 100 ranked prospects
Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff (link): 100 ranked prospects
Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet (link): 32 ranked prospects
Elite Prospects (link) (top 32 free; full list $$): 121 ranked prospects
McKeen’s (link) (top 32 free; full list $$): 224 ranked prospects
Tony Ferrari of Hockey News (link): 100 ranked prospects
Adam Herman of Bleacher Report (link): 32 ranked prospects
Age: 18 | Height: 6’0.5″ | Weight: 199 lbs | Right shot | 32 goals, 62 assists, 63 games played
What does the Big Board say?
The Sound Of Hockey Big Board loves Shane Wright at the fourth pick. Wright was No. 1 on the board, and it was not particularly close. He was No. 1 on 15 of 19 public boards that we tracked. And, he was No. 2 on the other four. He was also No. 1 in my analytics ranking. According to Elite Prospects, the Kraken have now walked away with the No. 1 overall prospect in back-to-back drafts.
What do the scouts say?
“With high-end hockey sense highlighted by his tremendous offensive intelligence, Shane Wright can make a lot of plays. While he lacks dynamic puck skills in terms of handling, he has one of the better shots in this draft class with a quick, deceptive release… He does a lot of the things you hope a center does in terms of puck possession, making plays and contributing in his own end.” – Chris Peters
Instant reaction
I tried to capture it on draft day. The potential Wright brings to this organization to contribute as a top-six forward during his entry-level contract—in tandem with Matty Beniers—could change everything. After day two of the draft, Ron Francis admitted that the potential to have Wright in the lineup this year or next impacts how the Kraken will approach free agency. As we look toward Wright’s prime, his statistical profile points us to Mathew Barzal or (perhaps a poor man’s) Steven Stamkos as career comparables.
On draft night, the media narrative about Shane Wright was one of disappointment. But just moments after being drafted, Wright sat down with Mike Morreale and Adam Kimelman of NHL.com and gave this mature and professional interview. This is remarkable stuff that speaks highly of his character. I’m looking forward to the Seattle community embracing this player.
Jagger Firkus ranked No. 26 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. He was the highest-ranked player available when the Kraken selected. Firkus’s highest ranking came from Chris Peters. Firkus was No. 21 in my analytics ranking. Getting Firkus at No. 35 was one of the best value picks in the top-50, even if the selection pales in comparison to the Wright selection.
What do the scouts say?
“He’ll likely never be a ‘big’ player, but with his game built on shifty, elusive routes, nifty pucks skills, strong vision and a wicked release, he won’t need to be. He will need to prove capable of handling the rigors of pro hockey where time and space are limited and dekes are less likely to work. If he can do that, then there is a top-six forward group waiting for him to add dynamic elements.” – Cam Robinson, EP Rinkside
Instant reaction
Before the draft I mentioned Firkus as a player I liked based on his analytics, but I did not write a profile on him because I did not think there was a real chance he would be there at No. 35. Of the 19 public boards we tabulated, not a single one ranked him below No. 34.
Firkus is a pure scoring wing. He has an elite shot, ranked in the top three in the draft by six of seven scouts on the Elite Prospects staff. Beyond that, Firkus knows how to score in a variety of creative ways at the junior level, by moving and positioning himself without the puck. Most tellingly, he frequently gets to the tough area of the ice directly in front of the goal despite weighing only 151 pounds.
Now, it is almost certainly true that Firkus will not be able to find success at the NHL level with such a slight frame, but if he can add 20 pounds, there is nothing to suggest that he will not continue to be able to find success despite being the “smallest guy” on the ice. Given the physical maturity that needs to come, scouts suggest Firkus is likely a couple years away from being able to contribute at the NHL level.
Recommended reading
Hey Kraken fans, get excited for Jagger Firkus.
An old school gunslinger with super slick mitts, and shifty exciting speed.
No. 49: Jani Nyman, LW, Ilves (Liiga)/ KOOVEE (Mestis)
Age: 17 | Height: 6’3.5″ | Weight: 217 lbs | Left shot | 18 goals, 17 assists, 34 games played for KOOVEE
What does the Big Board say?
Nyman was ranked No. 50 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. He was one of the more highly ranked players on my analytics chart when he was picked, checking in at No. 37 overall.
What do the scouts say?
“[Nyman’s] greatest asset is his shot. Give him time to load the puck for a wrister, snapshot, or one-timer, and chances are it’ll be in the back of the net. He just loves letting it rip and the velocity is incredibly impressive. He can also display some very nifty mitts and moves when he is in possession of the puck, looking like quite the skater with the puck too. Without it, he can be lumbering and disinterested. It’s almost as if he’s conserving energy for offensive opportunities only.” – McKeen’s
Instant reaction
I wrote about Nyman pre-draft as a player of interest. Nyman brings power forward size and the ability to use it to create scoring opportunities for himself. Nyman’s other standout skill is his shot, which grades solidly above average for most scouts. On the other hand, scouts report that Nyman needs to improve his off-puck skating game and learn to use his size to impact the game in other ways. Elite Prospects says: “The catch, of course, and this is common with players his size at his age, is that Nyman’s skating isn’t even close to an NHL average projection.” Between the size and scoring touch, Nyman’s upside is significant as a top-nine forward; but it also sounds like there is a fair chance he doesn’t get more than a cup of coffee in the NHL if the skating does not improve.
Recommended reading
2022 NHL DRAFT: FINLAND – Jani Nyman, LW, Koovee by @DraftLook
"The combination of a plus shot, a large frame, and decent instincts tends to be enough to form a solid middle-six scorer and role player, which would be good value for a second-round pick"https://t.co/wP6bN2DE3bpic.twitter.com/XokQ4FH0YF
Kokko was ranked No. 293 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board, only ranked by one public source, Future Considerations, at No. 182 overall.
What do the scouts say?
“[Kokko’s] game relies on consistency and standing primed for recovery, keeping as much of the top half of his net covered as possible even when he’s maintaining his edges and staying on his feet. There’s still a bit of a game-read lag . . . [and] it’s not likely that his hands will ever be the strongest part of his game.” – Elite Prospects
Instant reaction
Before the draft, I wrote that the Kraken could look to feed their pipeline of goaltenders, and pinpointed the three picks between No. 58 and No. 68 as a prime area where a selection could be made. According to scouts, Niklas Kokko is a Finnish goaltender well trained in the classic Finnish disciplined and reactive style but with significant work left to be done. Drafting goaltenders is difficult because the development path is typically quite long; but when “throwing a dart” at a goaltender, it is never a bad idea to aim for a player coached by Ari Hilli at Kärpät in the Finnish junior league (more on him below). You can see why the Kraken may have been willing to “go off the board” on this one. Kokko is signed in Finland through 2024-25. If all goes well with his development, he could come to North America after that.
Recommended reading
In a previous stop at The Athletic, Ryan Clark wrote a story discussing Kokko’s goaltending coach, Ari Hilli. Hilli is famous for his work with goalies at Kärpät, including several who have found success in North America, such as Niklas Backstrom, Tim Thomas, and Pekka Rinne.
No. 61: David Goyette, C/W, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Age: 18 | Height: 5’10.25″ | Weight: 175 lbs | Left shot | 33 goals, 40 assists, 66 games played
What does the Big Board say?
Goyette was No. 39 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board, with a high rank of No. 20 by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Goyette was also No. 33 in my analytics ranking.
What do the scouts say?
“Slow first half but had a strong [second] half of the season after barely playing last season. A very talented player with great skating skills and puck skills. I can’t help but think of Jonathan Drouin when I scouted him, a very similar style of play.” – Jérôme Bérubé, HockeyProspect.com
Instant reaction
Like Nyman, I profiled Goyette before the draft. Goyette led a very poor OHL team in scoring and rose in the eyes of most scouts over the course of his one season in the OHL. The only question was how high had he risen by the time of the draft. Goyette drives offense with his vision and passing as much as his shot. Some scouts note a game inclined toward the perimeter, so he might be a puck-handling winger long term (more like Jaden Schwartz or Jordan Eberle). Scouts also emphasize that his defense needs to come along, but there is nothing in his profile that should hold him back from being a better defender.
David Goyette’s my favourite prospect in this draft. Fast, skilled, tenacious. He’s going to light up the OHL next year and make the pick look darn good. https://t.co/Uis088tUJJ
Age: 18 | Height: 5’10” | Weight: 196 lbs | Right shot | 9 goals, 42 assists, 66 games played
What does the Big Board say?
Nelson checked in at No. 46 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board, with a high rank of No. 31 by DraftPros. McKeen’s had Nelson at No. 46. Nelson was No. 27 in my analytics ranking.
What do the scouts say?
“Early on, [Nelson] looked like one of, if not the best, offensive defender available this year. However, as the season progressed, some holes in his game became more obvious, and as OHL teams adjusted to him (and game planned for him), his overall impact decreased… These inconsistencies made Nelson a bit of a difficult player to assess and project this year. At times, he was aggressive in leading the attack, standing out as a puck mover. He has a booming point shot and this can be a major weapon for him as he quarterbacks the power play and works inside the blue line.” – McKeen’s
Instant reaction
Given his strong analytics, I wrote about Ty Nelson pre-draft too. Nelson is not tall, but he is physically mature, and scouts suggest he can play strong positionally and along the boards in the defensive zone. Outside his own end, scouts say he has above average movement skills, but needs to learn how to best harness them. He has the vision and shot to be a contributor on the power play. Reportedly, Nelson is also a charismatic team leader (more on that below). There are a lot of elements here, but it still needs to all “come together” for him.
Recommended viewing
No. 91: Ben MacDonald, C, Noble & Greenough School (HS MA)
Age: 18 | Height: 5’11.75” | Weight: 180 lbs | Left shot | 14 goals, 15 assists, 22 games played
What does the Big Board say?
MacDonald checked in at No. 136 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. MacDonald’s highest ranking came from Corey Pronman, who ranked the Massachusetts high schooler as his 76th prospect. MacDonald did not factor into my analytics rankings.
What do the scouts say?
“[MacDonald’s] not a burner but can create through the neutral zone with speed. He also shows the ability to slow the game down and create off the perimeter with his vision.” – Corey Pronman of The Athletic
Instant reaction
MacDonald is a potentially underexposed New England high school prospect, but the development runway is significant here. He will play next season with the West Kelowna Warriors in the BCHL. After that he’ll join the Harvard Crimson. MacDonald has good bloodlines though; his father Lane MacDonald won the Hobey Baker with Harvard. The Kraken clearly saw something to bet on here, as they packaged two draft picks to move up to draft him. (Per the trade value chart, the Kraken “won” the trade, by the way.)
Recommended reading
The Hockey Writers have collected a lot of the information that there is out there on MacDonald. Check it out here.
No. 100: Tyson Jugnauth, LD, West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
Age: 18 | Height: 6’0” | Weight: 161 lbs | Left shot | 9 goals, 41 assists, 52 games played
What does the Big Board say?
Jugnauth ranked No. 114 on the Big Board and No. 83 in my analytics rankings
What do the scouts say?
“Jugnauth is a slick skating, Wisconsin recruit who is a very effective puck mover. He uses linear crossovers well when leading transitional attacks, allowing him to disguise his intentions as he cuts through the neutral zone. When you combine that with his quick hands, it makes Jugnauth very effective at gaining the offensive zone.” – McKeen’s
Instant reaction
Jugnauth is the last of the Kraken’s draft picks that I wrote about pre-draft. His analytics portend an interesting offensive defenseman, and scouts credit his vision and transition play, in particular. But Jugnauth will need to add size and a physical edge to his game in order to hold up in his own zone. Jugnauth will play for the University of Wisconsin next year.
Age: 19 | Height: 5’10” | Weight: 190 lbs | Left shot | 41 goals, 40 assists, 68 games played
What does the Big Board say?
An over-age, re-entry candidate (after losing last year in the OHL), the Big Board has Robertson ranked at No. 128.
What do the scouts say?
“[Robertson is] an all-around player who brings great energy on each shift. He’s not afraid to go to dirty areas for redirections and rebounds. He has great hands along the boards and in tight and is able to control and protect the puck well in traffic.” – McKeens
No. 164: Barrett Hall, F, Gentry Academy (HS MN)
Age: 19 | Height: 6’0″ | Weight: 170 lbs | Left shot | 25 goals, 30 assists, 25 games played
What does the Big Board say?
Hall was not ranked on the Big Board.
What do the scouts say?
“Looking for a sleeper prospect? Look no further than Barrett Hall… Puck skills define Hall’s game. He’s a dexterous handler, moving his top hand across his body while he handles, reaching out to bait the poke check, then quickly retracting the puck to evade. Tricky passes are no issue for him, as he kicks pucks skate-to-stick and deflects them through his legs without entering a glide.” – Elite Prospects
No. 196: Kyle Jackson, LW/C, North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Age: 19 | Height: 6’2″ | Weight: 190 lbs | Left shot | 25 goals, 30 assists, 25 games played
What does the Big Board say?
Another over-age prospect who could join the AHL as soon as this year, Jackson was ranked No. 182 on the Big Board.
What do the scouts say?
Jackson is a “highly intelligent two-way center who was one of the most improved players in the OHL this year. Elevated his play even further in the OHL playoffs helping North Bay reach the East finals.” – McKeen’s
Friday morning the NHL Entry Draft moved into rounds two through seven, and the Seattle Kraken were quite busy. Coming into Friday, Seattle had 11 remaining picks, highlighted by four in the second round. The Kraken ended up with 10 picks after making one trade with the Boston Bruins to move up and select Ben MacDonald in the third round.
General manager Ron Francis made it clear earlier in the week that the club was looking to add scoring, and that was evident by the players he chose on Friday. All the skaters selected (there was also one goalie taken), are goal scoring, offensively minded players. It’s unknown how many of these prospects will ever sign or make it to the NHL, but Francis certainly gave himself a chance with the selections made.
Francis played his junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League, and you have to wonder if he was feeling nostalgic during this draft. If you count Thursday’s first pick, Shane Wright, the Kraken took five players from the OHL.
A couple of picks to highlight and watch for when the team holds its first ever Prospect Camp – July 11-14 – are Jagger Firkus and third-round pick Ty Nelson. Both are big-time offensive producers and could develop into gems for the Kraken. If nothing else, Nelson won the draft outfit competition with his blue checkered blazer and matching blue fedora.
This was a quality pick for the Kraken, who as Ron Francis said last week were looking for scoring. That’s what you get with Firkus. He potted 36 goals, with 44 assists, for 80 points in 66 games last year in the WHL. He’ll need to try and put some weight on that frame, but he’s lightning quick and is an outstanding play maker. He will be back in Moose Jaw, and their new uniforms, next season but he’s a prospect with a high ceiling ahead of him.
He was great during spring’s CHL Top Prospect Game, and his draft stock rose to the point that some suggested he’d be selected late in the first round. The Kraken benefitted for the second straight day with a guy slipping to them.
Firkus loves the sport and spoke highly of practicing in his basement with a shooting trainer that his parents purchased for him.
“My parents set it up for me for a couple of years ago,” Firkus said to the media Friday. “It’s really good. Probably the best present I ever got and something that I still use to this day. You set it up like four feet from the wall so when you hit the target, it doesn’t quite hit the wall.”
Pick 49: Jani Nyman, F, 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Ilves – Liiga
The Kraken picked up some needed forward size with Nyman who can skate well for a big man. He scored 18 goals in a Finnish pro league last season and has a great shot. He is one of the younger players in the draft – he doesn’t turn 18 until the end of July – so he may be a long way away from the NHL.
Good sized goalie who is athletic in the net and covers a ton of ground. In 29 games last season for Karpart in Finland’s U20 league, he had a goals against average of 2.06 with a .914 save percentage. The Kraken only had one goalie in their prospect system, so Kokko gives them needed goalie depth.
A skilled center with great skating ability, Goyette scored 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points in 66 games during his rookie season in the OHL with Sudbury. That’s some impressive scoring for a kid his age and continues the Kraken theme of getting offensive depth in the system. Scouts like his skating and play-making ability with the puck while wanting more consistency out of him.
Third Round
Pick 68: Ty Nelson, D, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, North Bay Battalion – OHL
Nelson, while a defenseman, is all offense. Scouts praise his skating ability and offensive instincts, and he plays with no fear. The biggest knock on him is that he’s on the smaller size but not afraid to play a heavy game. If he can put on some muscle, he may have a shot.
“He just has high character,” Kraken director of amateur scouting Robert Kron said. “He’s got a high compete and is very positive. He works really hard, he’s a strong kid, a right-hand defenseman who skates well and has a hard shot.”
Nelson also once broke a puck in half.
Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion from the OHL has his shot hit the crossbar, the puck breaks with half going in and half staying out😱😱
Pick 91: Ben MacDonald, F, 6-foot-0, 181 pounds, Noble and Greenough School
Seattle moved picks 117 and 132 to Boston to make this selection and go the high school hockey route with MacDonald. He’s ranked 60th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and scouts like his pace of play and overall skill. He’s an under-the-radar pick who is committed to play at Harvard, which makes one assume he has the smarts.
“Our regional guys were passionate about him,” Kron said. “They had a big belief in his ability. He plays high school, which is a difficult league to judge, but he’s got good size and speed.”
Jugnauth is committed to the University of Wisconsin next season and just finished a year in the BCHL where he scored nine goals and 41 assists for 50 points in 52 games. That was second in the league among defensemen. Scouts like his puck handling skills and ability to exit the zone to go along with his offensive ability.
Scored 41 goals last season and 81 points in the OHL. He was passed up in last year’s Draft so he is an older player at 19 years old. Scouts like how hard he plays and has good hands while showing no fear in attacking the net.
Hall split time between the Wilderness and high school hockey with Gentry Academy. In high school he scored 55 points in 25 games with 25 goals. He’s committed to play NCAA hockey with St. Cloud State and is definitely a project to keep an eye on.
Seventh Round
Pick 196: Kyle Jackson, F, 6-foot-2, 191 pounds, North Bay Battalion – OHL
Jackson is an over ager, having been passed over in the draft before. He was invited to the Nashville Predators Development Camp last year prior to scoring 30 goals and 62 points in just 45 games last season.
Complete and utter chaos. But Corey Pronman called it. And I doubted it. It is easy to imagine both Matty Beniers and Shane Wright donning the Deep Sea Blue in Seattle’s top-six forward group for many years to come. He was not on our radar in the mock draft, as we assumed he would be long gone. This is a fantastic break for the Kraken.
Wright was No. 1 on the Big Board and No. 1 in my analytics rankings. There were no players higher on either list available at the time of Seattle’s selection, obviously.
What does he look like on the ice?
What are scouts saying?
“[Wright] is such a well-rounded player because of how well he thinks the game. His success is built around micro play driving and terrific reads, with and without the puck. He anticipates the actions of his teammates and those of the opposition so well, and this puts him a step ahead of the competition on many nights. When you combine this with his high-end skill, elite shooting mechanics, and strong skating ability, you have a player who should become a more than reliable top-six forward at the NHL level.” – McKeen’s
Closely scrutinized as the likely No. 1 pick all year, he was mostly commonly criticized for simply being “very good” but not great. Scouts also seemed hung up on a calm demeanor on the ice that at times gives the impression of disengagement. (Think the opposite of Yanni Gourde’s demeanor.) But the production was there. He led the OHL in points per game among draft eligible players and ended up No. 1 overall on my analytics board. The Kingston offense ran through him; he made everything work. Scouts put elite grades on his passing and hockey sense. His defense, physicality, skating, and shot all check in solidly above average too. This provides a solid floor for Wright as a top-six forward, with upside to be an All-Star. This is a tremendous outcome for the Kraken.
