If the Seattle Kraken are going to have any success this season, it will be in large part because their top offensive player is performing at the peak of his powers. Jared McCann, 30, who missed 30 games last season and could often be seen flexing his leg between whistles in the 52 he played, is back in Training Camp and says he’s feeling 100 percent.
“Last year was obviously disappointing for me,” McCann said. “It was the first time in my career I had that injury bug where it was just every night, something was happening. And I mean, to be honest with you, I’m kind of blessed that it was only one year [of my career]. Obviously, knock on wood, but I feel great.”
Right from the jump last season, you knew McCann wasn’t fully recovered from whatever was ailing him at the end of 2024-25. As the season wore on, he still racked up 20 goals and 20 assists, but there’s no question it was a down year for him statistically. And as the team packed up its lockers on the last day of the 2025-26 season, McCann shared that he had already undergone an end-of-season procedure to address the quadriceps issue that nagged at him all year.
“If I got hit in the quad, my leg would go kind of numb, and it would just— it’d be stinging for a while. It would go away eventually, but then we’re playing the next day or playing a couple days later, and it just kept snowballing.”
After the procedure, McCann hung around Seattle longer than usual to stay close to the Kraken training staff (he also credited them with getting him through as many games as he ended up playing). Once he felt like he could rehab away from team staff, he moved back to Toronto. Through rehab and training, he started to feel like himself again around the 10-week mark after the procedure.
Jared McCann skates past former Blues forward Jordan Kyrou. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
McCann specifically noted that he had lost the ability to jump last season, something hockey players do a lot to strengthen their lower bodies in off-ice training. Once that capability came back, he knew he was close to full recovery.
“I feel like that part of the summer, you know, 10, 12 weeks, was where I was like, ‘Ok, I feel like this is coming back. Like, it feels good again.’”
Is McCann primed for a big season?
On Day 1 of Training Camp on Thursday, McCann skated on a line with Matty Beniers and newcomer Mackie Samoskevich, a potential top-line trio. For his sake, this would be a great season for McCann—who is entering the last year of his contract—to mesh well with his linemates and aim for the 30-goal threshold that has eluded him since he potted 40 in 2022-23. But while Kraken fans have high hopes that a healthy McCann can regain his high-scoring form, he says he doesn’t focus on that stuff.
“I know what makes me successful on the ice, and that’s what I’m focused on is just, ‘What can I do to help this team win more games?’ … I’m not worried about all the other stuff going on right now. I’ll leave that up to [general manager Jason Botterill] and my agent. That’s why I pay him so much.”
Meanwhile, coach Lane Lambert knows how important McCann is to the success of his team.
“He’s a guy that we count on,” said Lambert—who really has never had the benefit of a top-form Jared McCann in his lineup. “I see his production when he’s healthy, and he’s a guy we need from that standpoint.”
“I put the work in this summer, and I’m excited,” McCann said. “I’m excited to feel good again.”
Matty doubles down
The next thing Sound Of Hockey talked to McCann about was Matty Beniers’ recent comments to The Athletic about high-profile players like Jason Robertson shunning Seattle. Beniers told Mark Lazerus in the article, “If you don’t want to be here, we don’t want you, anyway.” The comment got a lot of traction and made its way around social media.
McCann echoed Beniers’ sentiments on Thursday.
“We feel like Seattle has a bad rap right now, but nobody can really understand why,” McCann said. “Because everybody who plays here loves it… Even guys that have moved on to other teams, they even say to us that this was an amazing place to play. Our fans are great, I mean, look at the facilities we have around, right?
“The team does whatever they can to make the players feel comfortable, make the families feel comfortable, and we added some pieces on the management side of it. I wish I had a straight answer for you when it comes to why guys don’t want to be here, but I don’t.”
At the very same moment McCann was saying that to SOH outside the dressing room, Beniers was inside addressing the supersized Day 1 media scrum and doubling down on his initial comments.
“I heard a lot of people liked that,” Beniers said. “It was just the honest truth, right? It wasn’t necessarily a dig at [Robertson] or anybody else, but it was just like, ‘Hey, we want guys that want to be here that love this city and want to be here and want to win here.’ So it was just an honest answer to the question, and it seemed like people kind of grabbed onto it and ran with it.
“It sucked when it happened, and the media had a big, fun day with it, saying, ‘Hey, look at how bad Seattle is. Robertson doesn’t want to go there for all this money.’ So I think it was kind of our duty to say, ‘Hey, no, it’s great here. We love it, we want to win here, we’ve got great fans here.’”
The comments from McCann and Beniers came on the heels of Botterill telling the Sound Of Hockey Podcast on Tuesday:
“I don’t know what the right word is, whether it’s frustration, disappointment, I’m not quite sure. All I know is, hey, we’re going to continue to look to improve this team. We’re going to try to find all avenues from that perspective.
“To say that players don’t want to come to Seattle, I disagree with that. If you look at our history here, we’ve had free agents come here, whether it’s Brandon Montour, Chandler Stephenson, Ryan Lindgren. The players, when they’ve gotten here, I think they’ve been treated extremely well. We can talk about Bobby McMann, but it’s also Joey Daccord, Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, these players have re-signed within the organization… The things that we added to the mix here and stuff again this year just help, hopefully, build our reputation on this is where players can maximize their ability and be in a winning environment.”
Of course, the perception of what it’s like to play in Seattle would change quickly if the team can start winning. Whether that can happen this season is a big question mark, but regardless, the players, coaches, and management appear to be coming in with a big chip on their collective shoulder. They seem determined to change the perception of playing in the Pacific Northwest.
Shane Wright is back
The timing of Shane Wright having to “face the music,” so to speak, and address the media for the first time since his agent publicly requested a trade out of Seattle for the 22-year-old forward was a bit ironic. Beniers had just reiterated his stance that the team only wants players who want to be here, and in comes Wright, for whom the desired offseason trade never came to fruition.
What we’ve learned over the last few days is that the organization and Wright at least appear to be on the same page in wanting to make the most of an awkward situation.
“I mean, whatever outside noise, I’m not really caring about that, not really focused on that at all,” Wright said. “I’m here and committed to the team, and I want to make sure I have a good camp and get ready for the season and do what I can to help the team win.”
To Wright’s credit, he handled himself well in the presser, though he did imply that the noise was a creation of the media, and that’s simply not true; remember, it was his agent who opted to make the trade request public. Even so, he faced difficult questions with poise and reiterated multiple times that he’s committed to performing to the best of his abilities for the organization and his teammates.
“Hockey’s a business,” McCann said. “I’ve been through it, like a lot of guys have. You’ve got to do, sometimes, what’s best for you. But at the end of the day, Shane’s come in here, he’s worked his butt off, he’s battling the guys on the ice. He’s doing everything to show that he wants to be here. Honestly, if [the news about the trade request] didn’t even come out, you wouldn’t have been able to even tell.”
Watching Wright, he does appear to have taken a step in his development this offseason. He looks fit as a fiddle and was absolutely flying in his first official on-ice session of camp. His first day aligned with what Botterill told the Sound Of Hockey Podcast about Wright earlier this week.
Shane Wright is back in Kraken Training Camp. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
“My conversations with Shane are certainly private, with Shane and with any other player,” Botterill said. “But I think I’ve been very consistent throughout the summer and throughout last year that we’re very excited to have Shane in our organization. And our job is to continue to develop Shane into the best player possible. He has these attributes that are very impressive, speed, shot, hockey sense, and I think… he came in in amazing shape. He looks like he’s dedicated here and excited about the season and to get going here.”
Added Wright: “Nothing’s changed at all. I’m here, I’m a member of the Kraken, and I’m committed to the team. And these are my teammates, and that’s it.”
Training Camp Tidbits
Though the group was split into two sessions, we can already begin piecing together what the coaching staff is thinking about for its initial forward lineup.
Jared McCann // Matty Beniers // Mackie Samoskevich Bobby McMann // Chandler Stephenson // Jordan Eberle Berkly Catton // Shane Wright // Kaapo Kakko Jani Nyman // Freddy Gaudreau // Ryan Winterton Curtis Douglas // Ben Meyers // Jacob Melanson
Of course, we’re way too early to start etching anything in stone, but from those five lines (there were more assembled with players expected to play either in the minors or juniors), we can already start to see combinations that could end up together, as well as which players are on the bubble.
Mackie Samoskevich getting his first “official” action with the #SeaKraken.
Notably, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard was on a line with Jagger Firkus and Eduard Šalé. Is this an indication that all three are destined for Coachella Valley? Or will we see any of them skate with solidified NHLers at some point over the next couple weeks?
Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour were officially added to the leadership group as alternate captains on Wednesday.
Dunn shared that he’s never worn a letter in his life and called it a huge honor. “I’ve always looked at myself as a leader, even last year, trying to lead by example. Now there’s just a more visual demand on my chest. I’m very honored to wear it, and I don’t take those things lightly.”
“It doesn’t change anything,” Montour said. “It’s nice to obviously be recognized, and hopefully my teammates feel the same way [about me]. I’ve experienced a lot in this league… I’ll try to share my experience and help out as much as I can.”
The Kraken hired veteran hockey executive Chuck Fletcher as a senior advisor to Jason Botterill earlier this week. Fletcher, Botterill, and Patrik Allvin all worked together in Pittsburgh earlier in their careers. Fletcher previously served as GM of the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers and most recently held the same advisory role with the New Jersey Devils. News of the hiring brought a… shall we say… mixed reaction on social media, especially from Wild and Flyers fans.
Botterill implied that the hiring was another result of the internal audit performed in the offseason by Sportsology.
“We’ve talked about different ways we can strengthen our organization. Bringing in both Chuck and Patrik, yes, I have a familiarity with them. But obviously, they’ve had a ton of different experiences since that time. If you look at our group, I think we have a group that does a very good job at evaluating players, but having a couple people come into our organization that have that experience as general managers, have the experience of sitting in the chair, certainly helps me out in different situations.
“With Chuck, it’s a situation where obviously [he’s] been a general manager before. I think, especially with some of the things that we’ve talked about and looked at off the ice on making sure there’s a smoother transition from our player development from Coachella Valley up to Seattle… I think Chuck could help out Troy Bodie and our staff down in Coachella Valley there. Chuck’s experience at evaluating players across so many different leagues can be very helpful there. Patrik Allvin will work closely with me at the team level here.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The full group will take the ice at Kraken Community Iceplex for the first time on Thursday, with preseason kicking off Saturday.
NHL camps have been shortened for the foreseeable future, with only two weeks (instead of three, like in past years) to prepare for the regular season and four preseason games (instead of six). So, roster cuts will happen fast and furiously as Seattle’s front office works toward its Opening Night group.
Like any season, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Kraken as they open camp. We gathered our team here to give our own answers to those questions and make a few predictions along the way. Enjoy!
Q1: What caught your eye at Kraken Rookie Camp or the Prospect Challenge games?
John Barr: One of my biggest takeaways from the Prospect Challenge games was that Jagger Firkus looked a cut above everyone else. His shot and release have always been there, but his pace and vision looked outstanding. He even handled the physicality along the boards from time to time. I’m not overreacting to what I saw, but it’s encouraging to see the progress.
Blaiz Grubic: Jani Nyman is huge. He is now listed at 6-foot-4, two inches taller than his draft-year height.
On the opening day of rookie camp, I stood near the glass during a drill, and his stature was impressive. His shot remains his greatest strength, and it was on full display as he scored in drill after drill.
Nyman’s skating also caught my eye. He takes a while to reach top speed, but his movement looked more fluid once he got there.
Darren Brown: I went in thinking Tyson Jugnauth was going to stand out, and he proved me right. He’s so smooth and elusive, and in the game we watched in person in Abbotsford on Saturday, his poise while skating the puck out of danger gave me reason to believe he’s at the top of the call-up list for blueliners this season.
We often hear that the concern for Jugnauth is whether he can defend well enough to stop NHLers. But every time I noticed him in the defensive zone, he had the puck on his stick and was skating it out of harm’s way.
Curtis Isacke: I thought Oscar Fisker Mølgaard looked physically bigger—which is not to say “big,” but he looked meaningfully sturdier. And this development came with no diminishment of his crisp skating or impressive handling skills. He routinely abused his competition in one-on-one drills at rookie camp.
We know Mølgaard can contribute defensively and on the penalty kill. If more strength further elevates his forechecking and puck-protection skills, he could be a real factor in driving transition play for the NHL team this season.
Q2: What is the headline story you will be watching as Kraken Training Camp begins?
Blaiz: The headline story for me is whether Shane Wright can earn a larger role.
I recently posted Five questions heading into Training Camp, and that was my first one. I want to see the offseason distractions fade and Wright focus fully on hockey.
I have not lost faith in Wright. At only 22, he can still become the player the Kraken envisioned when they drafted him. A major step forward would mean moving up the depth chart and into a second-line role. This will remain a key storyline into the regular season, too.
Curtis: On paper, the top-nine winger roles are set: Bobby McMann, Jared McCann, and Berkly Catton in some combination at left wing, and Jordan Eberle, Kaapo Kakko, and Mackie Samoskevich in some order on the right side. But I still think an important story to follow in this camp concerns two young, skilled wingers we’ve already mentioned: Firkus and Nyman.
Both need to prove there is substance and depth to their NHL games beyond the occasional offensive flash. If one or both “look like they belong” in the NHL during camp, it could prompt a roster move to break the logjam or at least put them first in line for a call-up when injuries strike, and perhaps eventually vault them ahead of the likes of Freddy Gaudreau or Ryan Winterton.
John: I think Shane is obviously one of the storylines to watch, but I’ll also be watching Jared McCann. If the Kraken expect to take a step this year, I think they need a healthy and fully functioning Jared McCann. He’s really been the best player on the roster every year, but injuries have stifled his production over the last few seasons.
Darren: My two biggest storylines are Wright and McCann, but since I don’t want to double up, I’ll go with how Bobby McMann fits in. We obviously got a good look at the scoring winger after he was acquired late last season, but it will no longer have the temporary feel it did when things were unraveling for the Kraken down the stretch.
Getting McMann in the fold more permanently was important to general manager Jason Botterill this summer, and now is his time to show he was worth the long-term investment.
Q3: What could we see at Training Camp that would be an indicator the Kraken may exceed expectations?
Darren: I’ll just echo John’s sentiments from the previous question and say that everyone needs to get through camp at full health. Key players were dropping like flies at Training Camp last season, and McCann—as critical a piece of the team’s success as there is—never really got to full strength.
There are young players knocking on the door, but there isn’t a lot of veteran depth in this organization right now. So, stay healthy, fellas.
Blaiz: My expectations for the Kraken are higher than most. I see them as a team capable of making the playoffs.
As poorly as last season ended, the Kraken held a playoff spot through March 18, 67 games into the season. They then went 3-10-2 over their final 15 games and fell out of the picture.
At camp, I want to see players aged 23 and younger create healthy competition for roster spots. Only Matty Beniers and his former Michigan teammate, Mackie Samoskevich, cleared the 30-point mark last season. More consistent offensive production from that age group would go a long way toward the Kraken’s success.
Players who spent last season in Coachella Valley, including Jagger Firkus, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, and Jani Nyman, can help provide that competition and offensive boost.
John: Indicators of a successful team in Training Camp? Nothing. As flashy and exciting as some players might look in Training Camp and preseason games, I don’t think we will know how this team might perform until we get 10 games into the season.
Curtis: I think Blaiz is onto something in the sense that we can be reasonably confident in the defensive production we’ll get from Josh Mahura or Cale Fleury. Up front, we have a pretty good sense of the level of play we can expect from Gaudreau or even Kakko.
If young players are making a push for those roles, and there is a legitimate conversation about whether, for example, Ty Nelson is the team’s best bet as a third-pair defenseman, it could raise the ceiling on the season. If Samoskevich is outplaying a veteran for a top-six role and power-play time, our hopes might justifiably rise—even if John is right that you can’t earn standings points in Training Camp.
Q4: Which player has the most to prove at Training Camp?
Darren: Wright. The guy requested a trade this summer, and when that didn’t come to fruition, his agent changed his tune and made it sound like Shane is fully committed to the team. A big reason he wanted out in the first place was his usage, but he still has to show this team and its coaching staff that he deserves bigger minutes.
Plus, he may now have to reassure his teammates that he wants to be here and contribute. At 22 years old, he created his own drama this summer. Now, if he wants to quiet that noise, he has to start performing like the top forward he thinks he is.
Curtis: Some might consider this a “zag,” but I’ll say Vince Dunn. Rewind a couple years, and we were talking about Dunn as a No. 1 defender with impressive two-way skills. Due to a mix of injuries, performance malaise, and some speed bumps adjusting to Lane Lambert’s systems, I think many have shifted Dunn from the “franchise cornerstone” category into the “probable trade bait” category.
Now going into a contract season, and still only 29, Vince Dunn was named an alternate captain for the first time. Can he build off that vote of confidence and reassert himself as a skilled force on the blue line? And, if so, does he play himself back into the future story of this team—and perhaps even make himself an early extension candidate?
John: If we’re just talking about Training Camp, I would say Jani Nyman. The team gave him plenty of opportunities last season, but he didn’t seize them and prove he was ready for the NHL. To be effective, he can’t just make the team and play in a fourth-line role. He needs to earn a spot in the top nine and prove he can be trusted with more minutes.
If he doesn’t break through this season, he’s in danger of slipping into the “really good AHL player” category.
Blaiz: Jared McCann is my candidate for a player with something to prove. A lower-body injury has lingered for the past two years, and Training Camp should show whether he is fully healthy.
McCann led the Kraken in scoring through the franchise’s first four seasons. He was on pace to lead the team again last season, but he missed 30 games because of injury.
Since scoring 40 goals in 2022-23, McCann has not reached the 30-goal mark again. He scored 29, 22, and 20 goals over the past three seasons. Even while managing the injury, he was on pace for 32 goals last season, so reaching 30 goals again would be a worthy target as McCann enters a contract year.
Q5: What under-the-radar story or player has your attention over the next couple weeks?
Curtis: I’m curious if there is a “surprise” young player who sticks with the NHL team longer than we would expect. Two years ago, Nathan Villeneuve survived multiple rounds of roster cuts before being reassigned to his junior team closer to Opening Night. Last year, it was Oscar Fisker Mølgaard who left an impression with his lengthy training camp stay.
If I had to guess on a similar bit of “will-he-or-won’t-he” drama this season, Villeneuve would be a decent bet to repeat, but I’ll throw out Ty Nelson.
Blaiz: Dolan Gilbert. Who, you might ask?
Gilbert is the Kraken’s first full-time emergency backup goaltender, or EBUG, and he is on the Training Camp roster. The role marks a bit of an end of an era, as NHL teams must now carry a full-time EBUG who travels with the club.
Previously, the home team had an EBUG in the building who could play for either team if needed. Gilbert explained his role this way: “I’ll be traveling with the team per the new rules, so [participating in] scratch skates, injury skates, rehab skates or whatever they are, being available there. Giving some time off to the goalies on the Kraken, and let them be ready for game nights is the big thing.”
While he doesn’t factor into any roster decisions, it will be fun to see him practicing with NHL players.
John: Competition. It’s no secret the Kraken lack high-end talent, which means they have a glut of middle-six forwards. Other than Matty Beniers centering the top line, I think all lineup combinations are on the table. This should create healthy competition for who gets which opportunity.
I don’t expect Ryan Winterton to be on the power play, but he could sneakily earn an expanded role this season. I wonder if we’ll get a glimpse of that over the next few weeks.
Darren: Curtis got it. I love watching which youngsters stick around deeper into Training Camp.
Bonus: Who scores the first goal in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Calgary Flames?
Curtis: I’ll go with Vince Dunn. We’re kind of guessing which “group” will play in this game, but if there is any line or pair that I think will get the home game rather than Sunday’s road game, it’s the Dunn-Larsson duo. So, let’s say Dunn.
John: Nathan Villeneuve. He is going to get a greasy one.
Blaiz: Since it is the first preseason game, there is a good chance I pick someone who does not even dress. That said, I am going with Shane Wright.
He has the offensive tools to succeed, and I think he starts the season on the right—or Wright—foot by scoring goal No. 1.
Darren: This reminds me of the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch on Saturday Night Live, where Will Ferrell—playing the late Alex Trebek—gets so fed up by the idiocy of the contestants that he makes the Final Jeopardy question, “Where are we right now?” Then he accepts any semi-coherent answer as correct.
Imagine Ferrell saying, in his best Trebek voice, “Name a Kraken player. Any player will do, just name one.”
To which I say, “Karson Kuhlman.”
Now, in my best Sean Connery, “YOUR ASH IS MINE, CURTISH ISHACKE!”
Is there anything you’re looking for during training camp? If so, share it with us in the comments section.
With Rookie Camp drawing to an end Tuesday and Training Camp starting Thursday, NHL hockey is back, baby!
Training Camp is condensed this year with the NHL moving from an 82- to an 84-game regular-season schedule. To account for the two additional games, the preseason schedule has been reduced from six games to four. That also shortens camp.
During the 2025-26 season, the Kraken had 21 days between the start of Training Camp and their first game. This season, they have only 14 days.
Let’s take a look at five questions as the Kraken head into their shorter-than-before Training Camp.
1. Can Shane Wright earn a larger role?
One of the bigger clickbait stories this offseason followed agent Kurt Overhardt’s comments suggesting general manager Jason Botterill had agreed to trade Shane Wright. There was likely a conversation about a possible trade, but no deal has materialized. More recently, Overhardt told Emerald City Spectrum that Wright is “fully committed [to the Kraken].”
Shane Wright (photo/Brian Liesse)
Wright played largely in a third-line role last season. He also received protected deployment, which limited his defensive-zone starts. His most common linemates were Kaapo Kakko and rookie Berkly Catton, and the three had the fewest defensive-zone starts among Kraken forwards.
On the other hand, Wright ranked among the top three Kraken forwards in offensive-zone starts, but he converted those opportunities into only 27 points.
Points are not everything. Head coach Lane Lambert discussed Wright’s 200-foot game during his end-of-season news conference.
“Everybody’s going to look at Shane Wright’s season and go, ‘Oh, gee, he had this many points [this year], and he had that many points last year,’” Lambert said. “Ask Shane if he feels like he’s a better player now than he was at the beginning of the year, and the answer would be yes, he does. Sometimes the points can fool you a little bit. I thought Shane got stronger defensively, I thought he got stronger on face-offs, and I thought he improved his 200-foot game. And what I see about that is that that’s a better formula for the future with him than in the past.”
Wright is only 22 and has plenty of room to grow. He is also building trust with the coaching staff, but he now needs to seize the opportunities that come his way.
Camp will show whether Wright can earn more than a third-line role. The coaching staff will evaluate his defensive and offensive game to determine whether a larger role is warranted. As for a trade, time will tell. It would not make sense to move Wright at a low point in his value, and the Kraken are unlikely to walk away from his upside without a strong return.
2. Is Jared McCann fully healthy?
Jared McCann (photo/Brian Liesse)
Seattle sniper Jared McCann missed the final three games of the 2025-26 season. On April 16, he underwent a procedure to address a lower-body injury that had been nagging him throughout the campaign. McCann also underwent surgery after the 2024-25 season to repair a lower-body injury, but that injury never seemed to fully heal, causing him to miss parts of last season’s Training Camp.
The one-time 40-goal scorer ended up missing 30 games last season because of the injury. He settled for 20 goals in 52 games, but that was a 32-goal pace if he had been healthy for the full season. Since scoring 40 in 2022-23, he has not surpassed 30 goals again, recording 29, 22, and 20 goals in the following three seasons.
McCann often stretched and tested his leg between plays last season, and the injury clearly affected his game. By undergoing the procedure immediately after the season, McCann gave himself as much recovery time as possible. Now, eyes will be on him during Training Camp to see whether the injury lingers.
McCann is the Kraken’s all-time leading scorer with 283 points, and a fully healthy version of him (especially in a contract year) could provide the offensive boost Seattle needs.
3. Where will Mackie Samoskevich fit in the Kraken lineup?
Training Camp will offer the first chance to see Mackie Samoskevich on the ice in a Kraken uniform. Acquired from the Florida Panthers this offseason, Samoskevich arrives with potential to add speed and scoring to Seattle’s lineup.
Botterill described Samoskevich as a player with “speed, skill, and scoring ability.” He added that the 2025 Stanley Cup champion “can contribute offensively and add a spark to our lineup.”
Samoskevich plays on the right wing but skated in a bottom-six role with Florida. He could be in line for a promotion in Seattle.
With Eeli Tolvanen signing with the New York Rangers, Samoskevich could land on Chandler Stephenson’s line, or he could reunite with former Michigan teammate Matty Beniers.
Training Camp and preseason games will show where the coaching staff is thinking of slotting in Samoskevich.
Training Camp offers a chance to see how those prospects are progressing and whether they are ready for NHL action.
Jani Nyman, Oscar Fisker-Mølgaard, Jagger Firkus, and Logan Morrison ranked as Coachella Valley’s top four players in points per game (20 games played minimum) last season.
Firkus is the only player in that forward group who has yet to appear in an NHL game. Still, he appears close to breaking through and has looked good in Rookie Camp. Nyman has played 40 games with the Kraken, but his scoring touch has not consistently translated to the NHL.
On defense, Ville Ottavainen, Ty Nelson, and Tyson Jugnauth are players to watch. Jugnauth and Nelson led Firebirds defensemen in scoring with 45 and 35 points, respectively. Ottavainen is a more defensive-minded defenseman.
At face value, there isn’t much available space for a player to jump into the NHL roster if they weren’t there last year. But injuries always happen, so some of these players will find themselves in Kraken uniforms sooner or later.
Darren Brown gave a full breakdown of young players who could impact the lineup this season, so give that a read if you want to learn more about which guys are knocking on the door.
5. How will the defensive pairings shake out?
The Kraken’s defensive group appears mostly set for the 2026-27 season. Jamie Oleksiak is the only departure, having signed with Vancouver as a free agent. Seattle has seven returning defensemen.
The pairings, however, will look different. Expect Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson to continue leading the Kraken in ice time. They have been paired together now for five seasons.
The bottom four could feature new combinations, though. Ryker Evans and Ryan Lindgren could compete for a spot on the second pairing to play alongside Brandon Montour. Lindgren may have the edge. His defensive-minded game would give Montour more freedom to join the offense, and he was paired frequently with Montour last season so there is already familiarity.
Ryker Evans (photo/Brian Liesse)
Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury will likely compete for the final regular spot on the blue line, with the other acting as the seventh defenseman. Lindgren, Mahura, and Evans are all left-shot defensemen, so one may need to play on his off side.
Preseason incoming
The Kraken open their preseason schedule Saturday, Sept. 19 against the Vancouver Canucks, providing the first game-action look of 2026-27. The four-game exhibition slate will give the coaching staff limited time to evaluate the group before Opening Night, so these questions will have to get answered quickly.
What questions do you have as the Kraken head into Training Camp? Let us know in the comments below.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Welcome to the first edition of Monday Musings for the Seattle Kraken’s 2024-25 season.
For those who don’t know, Monday Musings is my weekly column filled with half-cooked thoughts, insights, and, well… musings.
The season is here-ish
The dreaded hockey offseason is over, and we finally got to experience Kraken hockey for the first time in five months on Sunday. I was in pure bliss as I rode my Lime scooter to Climate Pledge Arena to watch some preseason Kraken hockey. I enjoy other sports, but nothing quite hits like hockey. Preseason games serve as a stress-free appetizer to the regular season, and while winning is fun, for me, the preseason is all about seeing how younger prospects compete against NHL veterans.
Last night, we got to see Berkly Catton, Jagger Firkus, David Goyette, Nathan Villeneuve, and Lukas Dragicevic all suit up for the Kraken. Dragicevic has since been returned to his junior team, the Prince Albert Raiders, while the other four are sticking around in Kraken camp, at least for now. While there were some mistakes from the group, there were also flashes of their potential. It’s exciting to see them without the immense pressure of winning or losing a regular-season game.
As the preseason progresses and the regular season approaches, we’ll start analyzing and scrutinizing the lineups and gameplay. But for now, let’s just celebrate the fact that hockey is back.
TV broadcast
On Sunday, we also got our first taste of the new Kraken Hockey Network (KHN). To be transparent, I didn’t watch it live but caught up with the broadcast Monday morning to share my initial reactions. As mentioned in the Signals from the Deep Podcast, we won’t see all the bells and whistles of the new broadcast until the final preseason game. The production quality in this first one felt very similar to Root’s broadcasts from last season, which is a good thing.
One notable improvement was the lack of the annoying audio-video sync delay that plagued past broadcasts. I’ve heard this issue was related to the NHL’s digital board advertisements. Since there were no digital ads in this broadcast, it remains to be seen if the delay will return once those ads are reintroduced.
The Kraken are betting big on the Kraken Hockey Network, and I’m excited to see how the final dress rehearsal goes and how the broadcast evolves over time. This is a massive undertaking, so don’t expect perfection right out of the gate. I encourage everyone to be patient. The most important aspect of KHN is the expanded access it provides to Kraken fans. With the move to over-the-air and Amazon Prime Video, the games are now available to 96 percent of households across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. While I don’t know the exact percentage of homes that had access last year, I imagine it was significantly lower—likely under 50 percent.
Here is where you can find Kraken games over the next 30 days:
Signals from the Deep
I’m really excited about the reboot of the official Kraken podcast, Signals from the Deep, hosted by Piper Shaw. For whatever reason, last season’s version didn’t quite resonate with me. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with it—it just didn’t click. I’ve mentioned this on the podcast before, but I think Piper has even more to offer the fans. Giving her another platform to share player and team stories is a great opportunity. She has a unique ability to get players to open up and show more of their personality than we typically see in interviews.
The first episode featured the one and only Alison Lukan and a fun interview with one of the Kraken’s newest players, Brandon Montour. While I think they still have a few kinks to work out, the show is headed in a great direction and should be a fun listen every two weeks. If you haven’t already, check out the first episode of this season.
Who will be captain?
Another major theme of the preseason will be who steps into the captain’s role. Based on Ron Francis’ comments during his postseason availability, it sounds like he wants to name a captain for the 2024-25 season. We’ve discussed it a lot, but the challenge is that there’s no clear frontrunner. My running theory has been that the team would sign Adam Larsson to an extension, then name him captain before the regular season begins. The first part of that plan is done, but after speaking with Jordan Eberle for an upcoming episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, I think he’d be an excellent choice as well.
The complication with Eberle is that he’s only signed for two more seasons. However, he’s incredibly well-spoken, honest with the media, and I assume that translates to the locker room. While being a great speaker isn’t a requirement for being captain, what really stood out to me was how much Eberle understands the importance and opportunity of growing the hockey fanbase here in Seattle. For now, I’ll stick with my Larsson prediction, but Eberle would also make a fantastic captain.
Other Musings
I don’t put much stock into preseason or even early season lines, but the combinations taking shape look pretty exciting. Eberle and Shane Wright seemed to click last spring when Wright was called up toward the end of the season. Wright had a lot of chances inside the slot against the Flames.
Another line that looked good was Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matty Beniers, and Jared McCann, but that wasn’t surprising.
I could be wrong, but Nathan Villeneuve might be the Kraken’s first non-first-round draft pick to play a preseason game immediately after being drafted. He led the Kraken in shots and scored the only goal.
Each season, there’s usually a prospect or two I follow by watching their junior games. I can already tell Villeneuve will be one of them this year. He’s fun to watch and plays with a bit of an edge. They didn’t show it on the broadcast, but after Villeneuve scored, he gave Flames forward Dryden Hunt a little tap with his stick as they skated back to the bench. It seemed to annoy Hunt—exactly what Villeneuve wanted. He’s going to be fun to follow.
I was hoping we would get to see Tyson Jugnauth and Andrei Loshko in the lineup on Tuesday, but both were returned to their respective junior teams on Monday morning. Neither of them have an NHL contract but both looked good in training camp.
Aside from Jugnauth, Loshko, and Dragicevic, others sent back to juniors on Monday included Kaden Hammell, Julius Miettinen, Ollie Josephson, Clarke Caswell, Caden Price, Jakub Fibigr, and Alexis Bernier.
It’s way too early to draw conclusions, but Andre Burakovsky has looked impressive in training camp. Regular readers know I’ve always been a fan of his and believe he’s one of the best shooters on the team. His puck handling has stood out and should open up more shooting opportunities. If the Kraken are going to make the playoffs this season, a rebound year from Burakovsky will be crucial.
The only downside this weekend was hearing that one of the Kraken’s top prospects, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, got injured in his first SHL game. Looks like he’ll be out for eight weeks.
The WHL kicked off this weekend, and the Thunderbirds played a fun opener in Vancouver. They took a 2-0 lead in the third period, only to give up three unanswered goals before scoring an equalizer with six seconds left to send it to overtime. Vancouver scored in overtime to claim the extra point.
Vancouver also played in Everett the following night for the Silvertips’ season opener. The Giants spoiled exceptional-status player Landon DuPont’s WHL debut with a 4-3 win over the Tips.
Make sure to keep an eye on Landon DuPont this season. He’s young, but he’s projected to be an elite talent, not just in the WHL but also in the NHL one day.
Goal of the week
Nathan Villeneuve led all Kraken players in shots on goal with five, including this one.
It’s so good to be back, and I’m still buzzing from being in the arena on Sunday. The next preseason game is Tuesday night when the Kraken head to Vancouver. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts or reactions about the upcoming season in the comments below.
The Seattle Kraken participated in the 2024 Rookie Faceoff hosted by the Los Angeles Kings this weekend, the first time they have taken part in such a prospect tournament. Seven teams participated in the series, but the Kraken rooks played in two games.
Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, Sept 14 – Kraken won 5-1
Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday, Sept 15 – Golden Knights won 5-3
New Coachella Valley Firebirds coach, Derek Laxdal, emphasized that this would be a “business trip” for the Kraken youngsters, and they did turn in a decent performance that taught us quite a bit about Seattle’s future. Here are our Three Takeaways from the series.
Jagger Firkus stresses the value of rookie tournament in finding the next level of compete and in getting to know the newly drafted rookie #SeaKraken as well. The message from Coach Laxdal was the LA tournament is a “business trip.” pic.twitter.com/HKSTGaXYZ7
Niklas Kokko started against the Colorado Avalanche on Sept. 14, performing exceptionally and stopping 29 of 30 shots. Despite the Seattle Kraken coming out flat-footed and being under heavy pressure for the first 10 minutes of the game, Kokko remained calm and made timely saves, keeping the game tied 0-0.
Buoyed by Kokko’s strong performance, the Kraken rookies exploded for three goals in the second period and never looked back. They easily defeated the Avalanche 5-1. Kokko played strong positionally and never let the Avalanche back into the game. The solitary goal was scored on a power-play rebound late in the third period.
Kokko’s development this season will be closely monitored, as he prepares to adjust to the North American pro game. He will play in either in the AHL or ECHL this season, but from this small sample size of one game, he looks like he can play.
Takeaway #2 – Players that impressed
Two players surprised with their excellent play: Andrei Loshko and Nathan Villeneuve.
Loshko lights the lamp
Loshko was a versatile presence in both Rookie Faceoff games, contributing in all situations. He saw ice time on the power play, penalty kill, and at even strength. Despite usually playing as a winger, he was frequently deployed on the faceoff dot for Kraken special teams.
In the first game, Loshko formed a dynamic line with Jacob Melanson and Nathan Villeneuve. Their chemistry was evident as they generated numerous scoring chances. Loshko capped off the performance with a wrist shot goal from the slot.
Loshko is entering his 20-year-old season, which means he is eligible to play in Coachella Valley, if the Kraken sign him to an entry-level contract (he is currently unsigned). If Loshko keeps up his strong play in training came, reporting to the AHL is in the cards.
Villeneuve drops the gloves
2024 second-round draft pick, Nathan Villeneuve, proved to be a physical force on the ice. Following a strong first game, he was elevated to the top line, joining Jagger Firkus and Berkly Catton.
Despite being just 18, Villeneuve quickly made his presence felt. Known as a gritty player in the OHL, he dropped the gloves in both games over the weekend, showcasing his toughess. Villeneuve also contributed offensively, scoring a shorthanded goal on a 2-on-1 rush with Jagger Firkus.
Villeneuve seemed to earn the coach’s trust and was out on the ice late in the second game as the Kraken attempted to get the equalizer with goaltender Victor Ostman on the bench.
Honorable mentions
Jagger Firkus – Tallied one goal and three assists for four points. His defensive play was also impressive; he made some key poke checks on the penalty kill that led to a goal and a breakaway opportunity.
Jakub Fibigr – Despite playing just one game, Fibigr showcased his defensive prowess. He was not hesitant to join the attack and capped off his outing with a snipe from the left point, securing the third goal for the Kraken.
Tucker Robertson – Robertson played in the second game against the Golden Knights and was a standout despite the team’s heavy shots against. He was involved in many of the Kraken’s offensive chances and scored the second Kraken goal by tipping in a shot from Caden Price.
Takeaway #3 – Kraken didn’t quit
Colorado Avalanche – Sept. 14
Despite the 5-1 score, the Avalanche dominated play for the first period. However, the Kraken improved as the game went on and eventually took over. Kokko’s stellar performance kept the Kraken in the game until the offense could find its rhythm. Once they had scoring chances, the Kraken capitalized, netting three goals in the second period and ultimately reversing the momentum.
Vegas Golden Knights – Sept. 15
The Golden Knights controlled the play early in this game and built a 4-0 lead. Led by Jagger Firkus’ three-point performance, the Kraken showed resilience, scoring three consecutive goals to narrow the gap to one. Despite pulling goaltender Victor Ostman, the Kraken couldn’t equalize and fell 5-3 to Vegas. But, the team’s push to get back in the game showed some heart and tenacity.
The Seattle Kraken have been active this offseason, making a splash in free agency and shaking up the coaching staff. With the NHL preseason starting in just over a month, we wanted to go over what we expect to see from the Kraken under new bench boss, Dan Bylsma.
Coaching style
Bylsma’s approach to coaching stems from the relationships he is able to build. We often hear that he is well-prepared, direct, and clear in his messaging, and he creates a balance between being firm on what the player needs to do to succeed while keeping the atmosphere light and positive.
One comment we’ve heard on his coaching style is that his offense relies heavily on the stretch pass, where his players leave the defensive zone early and try to receive a long pass for an odd-man rush. This worked in Pittsburgh, where they had highly skilled players, but can the Kraken replicate that success? His time in Coachella Valley showed that he has updated his style to match the players on his team and adopted a similar system to what the Kraken were using under Dave Hakstol. So, perhaps his approach to systems in Seattle will be different to that of his time with the Penguins.
Buzz words
Dan Bylsma’s coaching style is all about a fast north-south transition game. (**Editor’s Note: That is a bit of an inside joke from one of the Sound Of Hockey Patreon Mailbag sessions.)
Thank you to Sound Of Hockey Patreon member Mike N. for submitting a question and triggering this article. Mike asked, “… what should we be looking for when the team takes the ice in preseason?” as well as some definitions for some buzz words around Bylsma’s coaching style. Let’s start with some definitions:
Transition game – How the team moves from defense to offense. Typically, speed and control contribute to a better transition game.
Fast – When mentioned in the same breath as coaching, this typically refers to the pace at which the team gets the puck out of the defensive zone and through the neutral zone.
North/South – North is the offensive zone and South is the defensive zone. It involves excelling in both zones and getting up and down the ice quickly. Our own Darren Brown wrote about systems and “playing fast” back in April.
Really, the above words can be used in any combination to describe what any team or coach is trying to do. If there are other buzz words causing confusion, feel free to comment below and we will try to define them.
Indicators of success for Bylsma
Preseason games have a few purposes: one of which is to practice and fine tune for the regular season, and another of which is to determine who makes the final Opening Night roster. And while personnel for NHL teams during preseason can vary dramatically from game to game, we should start to get a glimpse at Bylsma’s strategies during these games, as his players put systematic tweaks into practice. Here’s what we will be looking for in these games.
Dan Bylsma (Photo/Brian Liesse)
North/South
North (offense)
The No. 1 goal for the Kraken this season should be to increase scoring if they are to have any success. Seattle was 29th in the NHL in goals scored in 2023-24. This can be tracked simply by looking at the goals scored per game, but this does not take into account the quality of opponent. Another statistic to consider is high-danger shots. Seattle was also 29th in the NHL for high-danger shots at 252 during the 2023-24 season, per Moneypuck.com, which tracks high-, medium-, and low-danger shots.
For the eye test folks, you will want to watch if the Kraken are getting shots from between the face-off dots. Under Hakstol, the Kraken played a possession game and cycled the puck along the boards looking for an opening to get the puck into the high-danger areas. Many of their shots, though, ended up coming from the points when they struggled to get pucks to the middle. We do not expect the approach to change dramatically, but watch if the Kraken are able to get the puck off the boards more frequently.
Another big part of offensive success comes from the power play. New assistant coach Bob Woods will be in charge of running the power play with Jessica Campbell also providing guidance. The Kraken have seen improvement year-over-year with the power play, topping out at 20.7 percent last season. This ranked the Kraken in the middle of the NHL, but continued improvement will be welcomed. Seattle has upgraded personnel for this area as well with the additions of Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, so perhaps these changes will give the team a boost with the manpower advantage.
Read more about the Kraken power play in an article by our own John Barr. Once again, it’s important to focus on where the shots are being taken; more shots from within the face-off dots will lead to more offensive success.
South (defense)
There is not much to change on the south end of the ice, as the Kraken were eighth best in the league in goals against with 232. Out of the top 10 teams in goals against, the Kraken were the only team to not make the postseason. With the addition of Montour and the expectation that Ryker Evans makes the Kraken full-time this year, it does seem to shift the mindset of the D corps to lean more offensive, so it will be interesting to see how Seattle’s play in its own end evolves.
Moneypuck.com also tracks high-, medium-, and low-danger shots against. The Seattle Kraken were No. 1 in the NHL for allowing the fewest high-danger shots against (239), second at medium-danger shots (577), and 19th at low-danger shots (2727). This highlights that under Hakstol, the Kraken would give teams shots from low-percentage areas but really protected the more dangerous areas. If the Kraken are to continue their defensive effectiveness, watch for shots against to continue coming from the perimeter and from farther away from the net.
Fast transition game (controlled zone entries versus dump and chase)
The first few years of Kraken hockey featured a primarily dump-and-chase style. The Kraken would shoot the puck deep into the offensive zone and then use a forecheck to control it. The jury is still out on whether this was Hakstol’s preferred way to gain the zone or the best he could do it with the players he was given. Hakstol’s approach was partly defensive as well, as the other team cannot score if the puck is in their defensive zone. Bylsma will face similar personnel challenges, as the Kraken still lack elite offensive punch.
There has been a lot of research on the benefits of controlled zone entries. Research by Eric Tulsky and Thibaud Chatel is a good place to start if you want some additional reading. To summarize, successful controlled zone entries lead to a two-fold increase in shots on goal compared to dump and chase. This is something else to keep in mind while watching the games to determine if the Kraken tend to carry the puck into the zone or use a dump-and-chase approach. This will continue to evolve into the regular season as other NHL teams finalize their rosters and tweak their defensive play.
Players to watch
There are many interesting players to watch during training camp and preseason. We’ve divided these players into three groups: new free agents, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and players returning to junior hockey.
Two players new to Coach Bylsma’s system are free-agent signings Stephenson and Montour. Both are expected to be key contributors on the Kraken’s top lines. Identifying their linemates and seeing how on-ice chemistry develops during preseason will be a crucial storyline to follow.
Joining a new team as a free agent can be a rocky road for some players, so getting off to a good start will be important for these two players, who will face plenty of expectations to produce right away.
Coachella Valley Firebirds
From the 2023-24 Firebirds roster, two players stand out: Shane Wright and Ryker Evans. They are widely expected to make the Kraken roster full-time this year. Evans played 36 games with the Kraken last year and 25 games with the Firebirds, and with how the roster is now shaped, the organization is clearly expecting him to be with the big club. It will be interesting to watch how these two slot into the lineup and whether they look like they can keep up with NHL-level talent during the course of a full season.
Beyond these two players, there is a group of players getting closer, but who we expect to play for Coachella Valley this year. This group will be eager to show how they have improved during Training Camp. While this is not an exhaustive list, these are players we will be monitoring closely in preseason.
Logan Morrison
Ryan Winterton
Lleyton Roed
Tucker Robertson
Jacob Melanson
Ville Ottavainen
Jani Nyman
Jagger Firkus
David Goyette
Ty Nelson
Watching how long these players stick around during camp can be an indicator of how well they are performing and how they are perceived by the Kraken. There is still at least a roster spot or two to be had, so while we don’t *expect* these players to make the team full-time, it can happen.
Look no further than Tye Kartye, who made the most of his opportunity during the 2022-23 playoffs and then continued to impress in training camp to secure his spot on the roster. Even if none of these players make the team out of camp, this is a great chance to get a glimpse of the Kraken’s future while they play against elevated talent. They also may be call-ups in the event of injuries.
Players returning to juniors
Some of the top prospects in the Kraken organization are 19 or younger and not eligible to play in the AHL. These players either have to make the Kraken full-time or be returned to the CHL.
Carson Rehkopf
Berkly Catton
Eduard Sale*
It is a long shot for Rehkopf or Catton to make the roster for the full season, but if they put on a strong showing in rookie/training camp and preseason, they could stick around for up to nine games in the regular season. After that point, their entry-level contracts are no longer slide-eligible, meaning playing more NHL games would burn the first year of their entry-level contracts. Watching how these players are fitting in and hanging with legitimate NHL players provides a preview of the future.
Sale has an asterisk next to his name because it is unclear where he will play this year. Since he was playing in the Czech Extraliga when Seattle drafted the right winger, he is eligible to play for the Firebirds this year. At 19, he is also eligible to play in the CHL. The case for him playing with the Firebirds is strengthened by his 12 points in 10 games during the OHL playoffs, but he still hasn’t hit the level of production expected of a first-round draft pick. Additionally, Rehkopf was traded to the Brampton Steelheads, so Sale no longer has a fellow Kraken prospect with him in Kitchener.
While this is just speculation, with 38 points in 49 games in the CHL, returning to the Kitchener Rangers feels like the most likely destination for Sale.
#OHLRangers have completed a trade with the Brampton Steelheads
This article was inspired by one of our Patreon Mailbags. Thank you, Mike N., for the question and your support. (**Editor’s note: If you aren’t already a Patreon subscriber, you can become one today!). If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. You can follow me on the X at @blaizg.
