Following the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, the Kraken will pick seventh when the 2026 NHL Draft begins on June 26. (How did Seattle end up here, and how does the Lottery even work? Check out our pre-Lottery primer.)
Last summer the Kraken selected Jake O’Brien at No. 8 overall–a pick that is looking like a sound investment so far. O’Brien has amassed 116 total points across 68 regular- and post-season OHL games.
Could the Kraken find a similar high-end producer this year? Or is this the season Seattle finally drafts a defenseman in the first round? There is a relatively high degree of uncertainty in the prospect hierarchy this year as we enter the final pre-draft stages. There is also some uncertainty in the Kraken’s approach with assistant general manager Ryan Jankowski overseeing the amateur scouting process for the first time.
Let’s take a look at how the first 10 picks of the draft could play out.
2025 NHL Mock Draft – Top 10
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna | Left Wing | Penn State Univ. (NCAA)
Games played: 35, Goals: 15, Assists: 36, Points/game: 1.46 NHL Central Scouting: 1 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 83.9
From the jaws of disastrous defeat—their top pick potentially going to the bitter rival Boston Bruins if the ping pong balls had bounced differently—the Maple Leafs snatched victory, winning the draft lottery.
With the departure of Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs fell from a top-10 offense and power play in 2024–25 to a middling team in both categories in 2025–26. The Leafs need an injection of youth and scoring. Gavin McKenna is the most talented player in this draft and a perfect tonic for Toronto.
McKenna lit up the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers before enrolling at Penn State for his draft season. While he had some quiet stretches (and an off-ice incident) during his freshman year, McKenna finished the year with 51 points. This was the fourth-most among draft-eligible college players in the last 20 years, behind only Adam Fantilli, Macklin Celebrini, and Jack Eichel.
McKenna doesn’t have dynamic straight-line speed, but he can manipulate and beat defenses with his skating, possession, and passing in-zone. He creates space for himself and his teammates with the ease of a star.
Nitpicking his game, scouts fault him for floating around the perimeter too often. But even if he doesn’t improve in this area, the extremity of his skill level is unlikely to be denied. Mitch Marner or early-career Connor Bedard are reasonable comparisons, even if McKenna doesn’t fully hit his ceiling. He’s likely to slot into an NHL lineup right away.
2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg | Left Wing | Frölunda HC (SHL)
Games played: 43, Goals: 11, Assists: 22, Points/game: 0.77 NHL Central Scouting: 1 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 79.9
The San Jose Sharks will again pick in the top two after winning the second lottery drawing. Ivar Stenberg is the no-brainer pick here. Internal depth charts should not matter. There have been rumblings from analysts that other players are in the mix at No. 2 overall, but I would be surprised. There is a clear drop-off in talent level after Stenberg.
The younger brother of 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Ivar projects as a first-line winger down the road and is the most NHL-ready forward in the draft to help a team this coming season. Even in a draft with McKenna, Stenberg is the hottest prospect entering the draft.
Stenberg’s 2025–26 season in the SHL was the single best statistical season in the two-year sample I assembled for thousands of draft-eligible players. Stenberg compiled the third-most points ever by a draft-eligible SHL player, outpacing players like Elias Lindholm, Nicklas Bäckström, Leo Carlsson, and William Eklund, just to name a few.
Scouts credit a strong offensive package of possession, shot, and passing skills, matched by high-end hockey IQ. While one might expect a weaker defensive or puck-battle profile, he receives strong grades in those areas as well.
San Jose could be a contender for the next decade.
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra | Center | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Games played: 67, Goals: 29, Assists: 55, Points/game: 1.25 NHL Central Scouting: 6 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 44.5
After an exodus of impact skill, Vancouver needs high-end talent. The Canucks entered the draft with the best lottery odds and the best shot at acquiring one of the two impact wingers in this draft. Unfortunately, Vancouver fell out of the top two slots.
All is not lost, though. There have been murmurs from national insiders that Vancouver really likes center Caleb Malhotra, and with good reason. Malhotra may have done more to help himself in his draft season than any other player. Coming into the season, Tynan Lawrence was viewed as the consensus top center, and Malhotra was a bit of an afterthought coming off a mid-range season in the BCHL. His play was trending up in the BCHL playoffs for Chilliwack, though, and he took a giant leap in his draft season in the OHL with Brantford.
Malhotra flashes everything you could want from a center: defense, physicality, transition-driving possession ability, and passing and finishing skill in the offensive zone. Still, he has a limited CHL résumé. Will a team like Vancouver, drafting in the top five, trust a one-year evaluation over everything else? It’s a choice you’d rather make in the teens than that high. Still, the siren song of a center is strong.
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Carsen Carels | Left Defense | Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Games played: 58, Goals: 20, Assists: 53, Points/game: 1.26 NHL Central Scouting: 3 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 55.7
Like Vancouver, Chicago falls two positions in the draft order, and the picks in front of them leave the Blackhawks in a tougher spot. I suspect Chicago would have liked to see any of the three top forwards still available here, but that’s not how the board falls for them. Part of me wonders if this could result in the first true surprise of the draft, with the Blackhawks reaching a bit further down the board for a forward.
Carson Carels would likely be viewed as the best player available. While the Blackhawks still have Kevin Korchinski coming as a left-shot defenseman, the right-side depth chart is a bigger logjam, with both Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel looking like long-term pieces.
Carels’ 1.26 points per game this season is the highest mark by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in the 1990–91 season. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman also has the advantage of youth (born June 23, 2008) compared with the other prospects listed here.
When I’ve watched Carels, I’ve formed the impression of a very solid all-around player. He can defend with physicality, initiate the rush, and flash skill in the offensive zone. But I tend to view his upside as closer to a first-pair defenseman rather than a true “No. 1.” Similar to Chase Reid, I don’t see physically dominant tools or top-end upside. And since I’d put Carels’ offense slightly behind Reid’s, he’s likely to rank slightly behind Reid as a top-10 prospect for me personally. It’s close though.
5. New York Rangers: Chase Reid | Right Defense | Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Games played: 45, Goals: 18, Assists: 30, Points/game: 1.07 NHL Central Scouting: 2 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 54.3
The Rangers could use an impact center in their system, but the supply just is not there at this point in the draft. Tynan Lawrence projects as a solid professional center, but his draft season has raised questions about whether he will bring above-average offense.
The Rangers could also use an impact, potential No. 1 defenseman, and that’s what Chase Reid could be. Reid stands out to me as the most dynamic offensive presence from the blue line in the draft. The 6-foot-2 righty is a strong skater and puck-driving catalyst. He has the offensive IQ and passing ability to lead a power-play unit and is progressing enough defensively to take difficult matchups.
On the other hand, Reid brings track record and upside questions. He has produced since he’s been in the OHL, but the résumé is short; he played 18 games of his 2024–25 season in the NAHL, which rarely produces high draft picks. And even if you’re buying the OHL production (I am), Reid may not have the pure physicality to dominate at the NHL level.
Reid gives the Rangers something they don’t have in their system and could be the heir to Adam Fox in the Big Apple.
6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff | Right Defense | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)
Games played: 36, Goals: 6, Assists: 14, Points/game: 0.56 NHL Central Scouting: 4 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.8
The Calgary Flames have shown an inclination toward drafting strong “data” profiles in recent years. This raises the possibility that the Flames go a bit off the board here and pick a forward like J.P. Hurlbert, Nikita Klepov, or maybe Ethan Beltchetz—players a data-oriented team may value in this range of the draft, but most public analysts have in the 10-to-20 range.
Though defenseman Daxon Rudolph has often been discussed a little lower, he has arguably the best overall data profile remaining at this point. Ideally, the Flames may prefer to add a left-shot defenseman to their existing prospect pool, but the only left-shot defenseman who could go in this range, Alberts Smits, brings more immediate impact and a lower offensive ceiling—two factors that don’t fit the Flames’ timeline or needs.
All told, Keaton Verhoeff, another right-shot defenseman, may be the player who appeals here. If there was a threat to McKenna’s status as the No. 1 overall pick coming into the season, many thought it would be Verhoeff. Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-handed blueliner, played his draft season at the University of North Dakota after a very strong run both offensively and defensively for the Victoria Royals in the WHL.
Verhoeff’s offensive production flattened a bit in the second half of his draft season, and his skating and four-way mobility drew some criticism from scouts. This has dropped him down most boards, but I wonder if some of this is unwarranted—the result of seeing the inevitable struggle at a higher competition level before the draft rather than after. Generally, I’m in favor of junior players pushing themselves like Verhoeff did, and it was not calamitous. He may be trending toward a solid pro rather than an All-Star at the moment, but there are still abundant offensive and physical tools to be excited about. He’s a worthy upside swing toward the end of the top 10 in this draft.
7. Seattle Kraken: Alberts Smits | Left Defense | Jukurit (Liiga)
Games played: 38, Goals: 6, Assists: 7, Points/game: 0.34 NHL Central Scouting: 2 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 32.5
Ideally, the Kraken would prefer to see one of the second-tier players (Malhotra, Reid, or Carels) fall here, but that does not happen in this scenario.
If given the opportunity, I’m curious to see how the team values Verhoeff. The team has used first-round picks on other players with strong, early breakouts and arguably underwhelming draft seasons (like Shane Wright and Eduard Sale). That said, Verhoeff is off the board here too.
The Kraken would likely be best served seeing if they can move the pick to obtain a proven NHL player. If the Kraken do pick here, it could come down to two defensemen: Rudolph and Smits.
Smits is the inverse of Carels and Reid. I’ve seen him dominate peer-level competition at the World Juniors for Latvia. He has high-level pro experience in both the top German and Finnish leagues, and he has the physicality to impose his will on a game at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. It’s easier to see a “No. 1 defenseman” outcome if everything clicks.
On the other hand, he does not have high-end offensive production, and I wonder if he will be afforded the opportunity to tap into it at this stage. He has already found so much success as a defense-oriented professional. Generally, I’m not a fan of taking a defensive defenseman high in the draft because the overall impact on NHL team success is limited compared with a dynamic offensive presence. That said, Smits appeals for the Kraken because he could step in (whether immediately or after some time in the AHL) to fill a void on the left side and on the penalty kill with Jamie Oleksiak’s projected departure.
If I were making the choices for Seattle, I’d also give consideration to Klepov or Hurlbert here (likely leaning toward the former player). Lawrence would be a solid investment, but I don’t see a path for him as a middle-six center in this system. He could be the pick if other system centers are moving out in an offseason trade. If Smits is the pick, I’d try to bring him to Coachella Valley to begin the year and give him as much power-play time as possible early in an effort to tap into latent offensive potential.
8. Winnipeg Jets: Tynan Lawrence | Center | Boston University (NCAA)
Games played: 18, Goals: 2, Assists: 5, Points/game: 0.39 NHL Central Scouting: 7 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.2
The next-best player still on the board is likely Rudolph, but teams tend to value forwards—particularly centers—in the top 10. I find it a little difficult to believe that the run of blue-liners would reach five straight.
Winnipeg could use a solid young center, and most would view Lawrence as the next-best pivot on the board. Lawrence is a strong skater with a good shot who does a lot of the “little things” well. He has strong hockey IQ and solid fundamentals, both offensively and defensively, at the center position. This gives him a relatively high “floor.” The question is: will he ever deliver the offensive impact to be a reliable top-six piece?
Games played: 40, Goals: 16, Assists: 29, Points/game: 1.13 NHL Central Scouting: 13 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 49.3
The Panthers hope this is the team’s one shot at a high-end pick in this Cup-contending window, so they take a swing on upside here. Wyatt Cullen has been a riser late in the draft process, and I would not be surprised if the helium continued to build as we approach the draft, making this pick look slightly less surprising than it might at first blush. The top player on this year’s U.S. National Team Development Program roster, Cullen led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship.
Belchetz, Klepov, and Hurlbert also have significant upside and could warrant a pick in this range. Viggo Bjork is an intriguing fit in Florida, too.
10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph | Right Defense | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Games played: 68, Goals: 28, Assists: 50, Points/game: 1.15 NHL Central Scouting: 5 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 51.1
Daxon Rudolph often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the top defense prospects in this class, but he shouldn’t be. Rudolph brings excellent offensive production for a 6-foot-2 righty. His 78 points are the most by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since the 2001–02 season (he played 10 more games than Carels). His 28 goals are the second-most in that same timeframe, behind only Carter Yakemchuk in 2023–24.
I’d put him behind Reid as an offensive player and behind Carels in terms of overall impact, but he projects as a top-four, two-way defenseman. The Predators have a strong system, but the one thing Nashville doesn’t have is a bankable right-shot defenseman. This makes Rudolph a good fit.
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Who do you see the Kraken drafting at No. 7 overall? Leave your picks in the comments below or on X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
The first big milestone of the Seattle Kraken offseason comes Tuesday evening with the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, which will be televised on ESPN in the United States starting at 4:00 pm PT. As was the case last year, the Lottery will be broadcast “live,” with the draft order revealed to teams and fans in real time.
The Lottery sets the order of the top 16 picks of the first round of the NHL Draft. For the second straight year, the Kraken enter the Lottery in sixth position and with the sixth-highest odds to move up to the No. 1 overall pick.
How does the Lottery work? How did Seattle end up with the sixth-best Lottery odds? Why does the Lottery matter so much for Seattle? And who could be there when the Kraken pick? Let’s dig into those questions and more in this 2026 NHL Draft preview.
The plan is to return after the Lottery with quick thoughts on a few potential draft candidates once the Kraken pick is set. Beyond that, we also have our annual 2026 NHL Draft “data-only watchlist” coming soon. (Check out the preseason version here.) Closer to the draft, we’ll have the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. (Check out the mid-season version here.) So, keep it tuned to Sound Of Hockey for your continuing 2026 NHL Draft coverage.
How does the NHL Draft Lottery work?
The NHL Draft’s default selection rule places teams in reverse order of the final regular-season standings, with “ties” broken in the same manner as they would be for playoff qualification.
The 16 teams that fail to qualify for the NHL playoffs are assigned weighted Lottery odds based on the reverse standings order. Teams are then assigned a portion of 1,000 four-number combinations based on their Lottery odds. (See the full list here.) In other words, the team with the fewest standings points has the best Lottery odds and the most four-number combinations, the team with the second-fewest standings points has the second-best Lottery odds and the second-most number combinations, and so forth.
The NHL Draft Lottery then utilizes 14 ping pong balls, which are placed into a machine that randomizes them and releases four sequentially.
There are two drawings. The team with the four-digit combination corresponding to the sequence of the first drawing “wins” the Lottery. “Winning” means that the team moves up as many as 10 spots in the selection order. If the team finished in the bottom 11 in the standings, it moves to the No. 1 overall pick.
If the “winning” team finished 12th to 16th from last in the standings, then it does not move to No. 1, but instead only moves up the maximum 10 selections. For example, if the No. 13 team “wins” the first drawing, it moves up to the No. 3 pick.
The process is then repeated a second time, with the only difference being that in this second draw, teams can only move up as high as the No. 2 overall pick. If the team that “won” the first drawing wins again, there is a redraw until a different team wins. (In the rare circumstance that the No. 12 team “wins” the first Lottery draw and moves up to the No. 2 overall spot, this second draw can move a team up only as high as the No. 3 pick.)
After the second draw is completed, the remaining teams are then slotted based on the default order. Accordingly, no team can “fall” more than two draft spots in the Lottery. For example, the team with the best Lottery odds can only move down as far as the No. 3 pick. (The Kraken can only move down as far as the No. 8 pick.)
For those who want to follow the NHL Draft Lottery interactively, PuckPedia has an online tool where you can input the ping pong ball numbers as they are drawn and generate live odds for each team prevailing. That said, I presume ESPN and other networks will have a similar display on their broadcasts.
The Lottery is meant to decrease the unintended anti-competitive incentives that result when bad teams are given the best draft picks—particularly in a sport where a single superstar can make a big difference.
Of course, we’d be naive to think the incentive to “tank” for a better draft pick doesn’t still exist, even with the NHL Draft Lottery. But under the Lottery system, the “worst” team in the league has only a 25.5 percent chance of drafting first overall rather than 100 percent.
In a draft with a singular superstar, this could make a big difference in the behavior of NHL front offices. The system attempts to strike a balance between giving weaker teams a chance at the best talent while maintaining the integrity of competition.
Where do the Seattle Kraken stand in the Lottery?
The Seattle Kraken finished the 2025–26 NHL regular season with 79 points—a three-point improvement on last season’s results, but 21 points short of the 2022–23 playoff campaign. After an offseason in which the team turned over most of the coaching staff and expressed optimism about returning to the playoffs, the team’s performance “disappointed,” particularly down the stretch.
Seattle’s point total was the sixth-lowest in the NHL. As calculated by Tankathon, Seattle’s odds of picking at any given selection, and each NHL team’s odds of selecting No. 1 overall, are as follows:
In other words, there is a 15.4 percent chance Seattle’s pick position improves, a 34.1 percent chance it stays at No. 6 overall, and a 50.5 percent chance it diminishes.
How important is the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery?
Historical analysis suggests that the projected career production of a draft pick drops off steeply from the No. 1 pick onward. This year, my crude Data Score method (release coming next week) shows a difference between the first overall prospect on my watchlist and the sixth of similar magnitude to the difference between the sixth and the last picks of the seventh round.
The 2026 NHL Draft looks relatively weak from my vantage point in its depth through the first round. It starts well: there are two players at the top worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in an average draft—Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.
After that, though, the draft lacks a supporting tier of talent that teams drafting in the three-to-five range would prefer to see. Before the season, there were a handful of players who looked like potential candidates to be picked in this range—including Keaton Verhoeff, Tynan Lawrence, and Ryan Roobroeck—but each has stalled in his production or taken steps back in scouting evaluations.
Looking at Data Score only, Seattle’s No. 8 pick last year, Jake O’Brien, would be the clear-cut No. 3 prospect if his profile from last year were dropped into this year’s draft.
Beyond the top five, there are a handful of players who might be a better fit in the five-to-10 range in an average draft, but those players will be pushed up in this draft due to the dearth of top talent.
All of this sets up a highly consequential Draft Lottery for the Seattle Kraken. If the Kraken move up, the team could obtain a transformative player. If the Kraken stay put or fall, it’s possible they miss out on an average top-10-worthy talent entirely.
2026 NHL Draft names to monitor
There are only two names to watch if the Kraken win the lottery. Failing that, the field is murkier, particularly if two high-producing defensemen are off the board by the time Seattle picks.
Gavin McKenna | Left Wing | Penn State Univ. (NCAA)
McKenna was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the fall after blow-torching the WHL in his draft-minus-one season. While he had some quiet stretches (and an off-ice incident) during his freshman year at Penn State, McKenna ended the year with 51 points. This was the fourth-most among draft-eligible college players in the last 20 years, behind only Adam Fantilli, Macklin Celebrini, and Jack Eichel.
McKenna doesn’t have dynamic straight-line speed, but he can manipulate and beat defenses with his skating, possession, and passing in-zone. He creates space for himself and his teammates with the ease of a star.
Nitpicking his game, scouts fault him for floating around the perimeter too often. But even if he doesn’t improve in this area, the extremity of his skill level is unlikely to be denied. Mitch Marner or early-career Connor Bedard are reasonable comparisons, even if McKenna doesn’t fully hit his ceiling. He’s likely to slot into an NHL lineup right away.
Ivar Stenberg | Left Wing | Frölunda HC (SHL)
The single best statistical season in the two-year sample I assembled for thousands of draft-eligible players was Stenberg’s 2025–26 season in the SHL. In fact, Stenberg compiled the third-most points ever by a draft-eligible SHL player, outpacing players like Elias Lindholm, Nicklas Bäckström, Leo Carlsson, and William Eklund, just to name a few.
Scouts credit a strong offensive package of possession, shot, and passing skills, matched by high-end hockey IQ. While one might suspect a weaker defensive or puck-battle profile, he receives strong grades in those areas as well.
Stenberg projects as a first-line winger down the road and is the most ready-made forward in the draft to help an NHL team this coming season. Even in a draft with McKenna, Stenberg is the hottest prospect coming into the draft.
Chase Reid | Right Defense | Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
From what I have seen of the top defense prospects in this draft, Chase Reid stands out as the most dynamic offensive presence. The 6-foot-2 righty is a strong skater and puck-driving catalyst. He has the offensive IQ and passing ability to lead a power-play unit and is progressing enough defensively to take difficult matchups.
That said, Reid brings track record and upside questions. He has produced since he’s been in the OHL, but the résumé is short; he played 18 games of his 2024–25 season in the NAHL, which rarely produces high draft picks. And even if you’re buying the OHL production (I am), Reid may not have the pure physicality to dominate at the NHL level.
That said, the skills are all there to be a No. 1 defenseman if he keeps pushing his development trajectory. For a team like Seattle that needs an injection of electricity on the back end, he’d be a good pick if the Kraken are selecting at No. 6 and he makes it there.
Carson Carels | Left Defense | Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Carson Carels was right there with Reid as a junior producer from the blue line. His 1.26 points per game this season is the highest mark by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in the 1990–91 season. The 6-foot-2 left-shot D-man also has the advantage of youth (born June 23, 2008) compared with the other prospects listed here.
When I’ve watched Carels, I’ve formed the impression of a very solid all-around player. He can defend with physicality, initiate the rush, and flash skill in the offensive zone. But I tend to view his upside as closer to a first-pair defenseman rather than a true “No. 1.”
Similar to Reid, I don’t see physically dominant tools or top-end upside. And since I’d put Carels’ offense slightly behind Reid’s, he’s likely to rank slightly behind Reid as a top-10 prospect for me. For Kraken fans, think Vince Dunn with the potential for better, more disciplined defense.
Caleb Malhotra | Center | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Setting aside Stenberg, Caleb Malhotra may have done more to help himself in his draft season than any other player. Coming into the season, Tynan Lawrence was viewed as the consensus top center, and Malhotra was a bit of an afterthought coming off a mid-range season in the BCHL. His play was trending up in the BCHL playoffs for Chilliwack, though, and he took a giant leap in his draft season playing with Jake O’Brien in the OHL for Brantford.
Malhotra flashes everything you could want from a center: defense, physicality, transition-driving possession ability, and passing and finishing skill in the offensive zone. Still, he has a limited CHL résumé. Will a team drafting in the top five trust a one-year evaluation over everything else? It’s a choice you’d rather make in the teens than that high. Still, the siren song of a center is strong.
Malhotra fits the profile of the player the Kraken have consistently targeted high in the draft. If the Kraken are picking somewhere between sixth and eighth and he’s still there, he’d be a natural fit.
Alberts Smits | Left Defense | Jukurit (Liiga)
Alberts Smits is the inverse of Carels and Reid. I’ve seen him dominate peer-level competition at the World Juniors for Latvia. He has high-level pro experience in both the top German and Finnish leagues, and he has the physicality to impose his will on a game at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. It’s easier to see a “No. 1 defenseman” outcome if everything clicks.
On the other hand, he does not have high-end offensive production, and I wonder if he will be afforded the opportunity to tap into it at this stage. He has already found so much success as a defense-oriented professional.
Generally, I’m not a fan of taking a defensive defenseman high in the draft because the overall impact on NHL team success is limited compared with a dynamic offensive presence. That said, Smits appeals for the Kraken because he could step in (whether immediately or after some time in the AHL) to fill a void on the left side and on the penalty kill with Jamie Oleksiak’s projected departure.
Keaton Verhoeff | Right Defense | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)
If there was a threat to McKenna’s status as the No. 1 overall pick coming into the season, many thought it would be Keaton Verhoeff. Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-handed blueliner, played his draft season at the University of North Dakota after a very strong run both offensively and defensively for the Victoria Royals in the WHL.
Verhoeff’s offensive production flattened a bit in the second half of his draft season, and his skating and four-way mobility drew some criticism from scouts. This has dropped him down most boards, but I wonder if some of this is unwarranted—the result of seeing the inevitable struggle at a higher competition level before the draft rather than after.
Generally, I’m in favor of junior players pushing themselves like Verhoeff did, and it was not calamitous. He may be trending toward a solid pro career rather than being a perennial All-Star, but there are still abundant offensive and physical tools to be excited about. He’s a worthy upside swing toward the end of the top 10 in this draft.
Daxon Rudolph | Right Defense | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Daxon Rudolph often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the top defense prospects in this class, but he shouldn’t be. Rudolph brings excellent offensive production for a 6-foot-2 righty. His 78 points are the most by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since the 2001–02 season. (He played 10 more games than Carels.) His 28 goals are the second-most in that same timeframe, behind only Carter Yakemchuk in 2023–24.
I’d put him behind Reid as an offensive player and behind Carels in terms of overall impact, but he projects as a top-four, two-way defenseman.
Other names to know: Viggo Björk (F), Ryan Lin (D), Tynan Lawrence (F)
Björk is a center who borders on universally beloved by coaches, teammates, and scouts, but he’s 5-foot-9. Ryan Lin is another offense-first defenseman coming out of the WHL, but he too has size concerns at 5-foot-11. Lawrence has the makings of at least a solid middle-six center, but the offensive impact has not been there in his draft season.
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Have NHL Draft-related questions? Get them to us in the comments below or on X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
In a year that was expected to be a major step forward for Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, the 22-year-old took a noticeable step back, at least statistically.
Once touted as one of the next faces of hockey during his junior days in the Ontario Hockey League, Wright’s name came up throughout this season in trade rumors, while he’s seen reduced responsibilities and has been stuck in bottom-six roles.
Given it was his second full season, you could chalk it up to a sophomore slump. But there are underlying concerns with his contributions.
Correlation isn’t always causation, but with the Kraken missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, there is speculation that a change of scenery could happen as soon as this offseason.
So let’s take a look at Wright’s tenure in Seattle so far and consider whether Wright is a player the Kraken should keep.
Development and early returns
It was consensus for months that Wright would be the No. 1 pick to Montreal in the 2022 NHL Draft. He himself, in interviews, believed he “deserved to be taken first overall.”
But then, one thing led to another, and Montreal came to the podium and selected… Juraj Slafkovsky. Whoa.
No one could have guessed Wright would be available at all, let alone at No. 4. Seattle took him, and quickly had to come up with a plan for such a highly touted prospect.
Ineligible for the American Hockey League because of his age, Wright tried to quickly make the jump to the NHL but looked out of place initially and only got eight games in each of 2022-23 and 2023-24. And for as ceremonious as his entrance into the NHL was, his early career since has lacked the same luster.
The first few years in the organization were adventurous to say the least. In that 2022-23 season, he split time between the Kraken, a conditioning stint in Coachella Valley, Team Canada at the World Juniors, and eventually joined the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.
In 2023–24, he joined the Firebirds full time, beginning to adjust to the pro level before brief call-ups to Seattle. By 2024–25, Wright became a regular in the Kraken lineup. His first full season is when he began to show glimpses of the player he could be.
With 19 goals and 25 assists in 78 games, he spent most of the season centering knowledgeable and consistent veterans. For the majority of the season, he was with Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had 16 goals in 61 games in 2024-25 before being traded, as well as Eeli Tolvanen who had 23 goals.
This past season, Wright’s totals dipped to 12 goals and 15 assists in 74 games. The team around him didn’t do him as many favors. Ranking 28th in team goals for, Wright spent a good chunk of the year on a youthful line with Berkly Catton and Kaapo Kakko, who each had their share of inconsistencies.
Wright’s utilization
Taking a closer look at Wright’s offensive production, he was more focused on attacking near the front of the net this season compared with 2024-25, when his production was more sprawled out in the zone and unpredictable.
While his shot production and offensive heat maps remained largely similar to his output in 2024-25, his shooting percentage dropped from 20.9 percent to 12.4 percent.
In 2024-25, he was a little more sporadic with his shot attempts. He had five goals from beyond the hash marks and spread his production throughout the offensive zone. To his credit, although he didn’t score as much, Wright was focused on getting to the high-danger areas of the ice this season.
The situations Wright was utilized in shifted. He was used 4.5 percent more in the offensive zone by the Kraken this year compared to 2024-25. He wasn’t relied upon as much in the defensive zone, taking 107, or 5.2 percent, fewer defensive-zone draws.
Despite the lessened role in defensive situations, Kraken head coach Lane Lambert still has hope for Wright and his future, whether it be for Seattle or elsewhere. He liked the improvements that he’s shown throughout the year as a 200-foot player, even if the offensive results haven’t been there.
Lane Lambert had some interesting things to say about Shane Wright. “Everybody's going to look at Shane Wright’s season and go, ‘Oh, gee, he had this many points, and he had that many points last year.’ Ask Shane if he felt like he's a better player now than he was at the… pic.twitter.com/j2zXYLEQ5X
But still, incremental improvement isn’t exactly what’s envisioned from a top-five talent. It’s becoming increasingly evident Wright doesn’t have the same draw like he once did.
During Jason Botterill’s postseason press conference, Wright was referred to only once, and that was in passing when talking about all of the young players on the team.
Trade value and comparable cases
It’s tough to gauge Wright’s value, given the uniqueness of his situation. Again, he’s still only 22 years old.
There’s the obvious worry that if Seattle were to trade him, he would land elsewhere and immediately find the offensive dynamic the Kraken had been hoping to unlock. Sometimes though, it’s just best for a player and an organization to go their separate ways. Are we at that point with Wright and the Kraken?
While the majority of the players drafted in the top five between 2011 and 2021 have stayed with their original teams, 36 percent of them were moved within the first five seasons.
One comparable situation is when the former Arizona Coyotes traded Dylan Strome. Like Wright, Strome was a former top-five pick who wasn’t living up to his lofty expectations right away, regardless of whether they were fair or not. Still, people were impatient with him.
The Coyotes dealt Strome to the Chicago Blackhawks after only 48 games in the NHL. Since being dealt, Strome has become a consistent player in the NHL for the Blackhawks and now the Washington Capitals. While the Coyotes—now the Utah Mammoth—would have loved if Strome panned out for them, they still received a valuable and consistent player in Nick Schmaltz, who has been a core player for the Arizona/Utah organization since.
It’s a difficult conversation to avoid. There are many factors to consider when moving on from a player as young as Wright. There’s lots of risk and lots of potential reward.
Do you think the Kraken should trade Wright? And if so, what could they potentially get in a return for him?
This is your Seattle Kraken prospects update. Usually, I’d say this is your “weekly” update, but we’re returning from a two-week hiatus resulting from conflicting personal and professional obligations (and some draft preparations). Thanks for hanging with me. We have a lot to catch up on.
In this week’s column, we’ll prepare you for the NHL Draft Lottery, get you caught up on the happenings in Coachella Valley, cover a championship for Clarke Caswell, and check in on Kraken prospects still alive in the CHL and SHL playoffs.
After that, we’ll have a final 2025–26 season data check-in and other news, notes, and video from around the Kraken system, as always.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be bridging into offseason mode, which will include more video deep dives, but could also include answers to your questions. So, if you have a Seattle Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or mailbag, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Firebirds streak into the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs
As the AHL regular season came to a close, the Coachella Valley Firebirds were bolstered by a number of returning players. The Kraken reassigned Jani Nyman, Jacob Melanson, and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard from the NHL team back to the Firebirds. Logan Morrison, Jagger Firkus, Ty Nelson, and Kaden Hammell all returned from injury of various durations, and David Goyette was activated following his league suspension. While young defensemen Caden Price and Lukas Dragicevic remain out of the lineup with injuries, the team began the Calder Cup playoffs as close to “full strength” as we have seen in months.
At first, it did not look like it would be enough. In Game 1 of the Firebirds’ first-round series in Bakersfield on Thursday, Apr. 23, the Condors caved in the Firebirds’ defense and bested Nikke Kokko for six goals on the way to a 6–1 blowout result. Offensively, the Firebirds continued a season-long struggle on the power play, getting blanked in six opportunities. The production was disappointing against a Condors team that had been mediocre defensively.
The Firebirds’ fortunes turned when they returned to Palm Desert. In Game 2 on Saturday, Apr. 25, the Firebirds amassed a 3–1 lead through two periods and a 4–2 lead midway through the third. The Condors did tie the game, but Fisker Mølgaard potted the game-winner with 3:10 remaining, his second of the game. Kokko again backstopped the Firebirds’ 5–4 win.
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) April 26, 2026
Then, in Game 3 the next night, the Firebirds overcame a slow start (just five shots in the first period) to mount a four-goal, second-period onslaught that effectively put the series away. With an empty-net goal and two assists, Fisker Mølgaard led the team with three points, and Kokko turned in his stingiest game of the series, playing particularly well in the first period to keep the Firebirds in it.
This 6–2 win put the Firebirds through to the best-of-five second round, where the top team in the Pacific Division, the Ontario Reign, were waiting after a first-round bye.
On Wednesday, Apr. 29, the Firebirds stole Game 1 on the road from their I-10 rivals on the strength of a 3–0 shutout win for Kokko. J.R. Avon notched two goals, and Fisker Mølgaard added the other. The young Dane leads the AHL playoffs in both goals (four) and points (six). His effort is good enough to earn him a Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week distinction. (We’ll, somewhat arbitrarily, give another player this distinction too because we’re covering three weeks with this update.)
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) April 30, 2026
The Firebirds remain in Ontario for Game 2 on Friday, May 1, before returning home next week:
Fri. May 01, 2026 – 7:00PM PDT @ Ontario Tue. May 05, 2026 – 7:00PM PDT @ Coachella Valley Thu. May 07, 2026 – 7:00PM PDT @ Coachella Valley* Sat. May 09, 2026 – 6:00PM PDT @ Ontario* *If necessary
Kraken hold the sixth-best odds in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
After a “disappointing” post-Olympic stretch, the Kraken finished this season with just 79 standings points, the sixth-lowest sum in the NHL. The final total was right in line with the 2024–25 season’s 76 points (amassed behind one-year coach Dan Bylsma) and the 2023–24 season’s 81 points (Dave Hakstol’s last season). Yet, the team held a playoff position well into March, which made the final outcome a calamitous letdown.
The silver lining from a franchise-building perspective is that the team now enters the May 5, 2026, NHL Draft Lottery in sixth position. This means the team has the sixth-best odds of moving up to the No. 1 overall pick—a 7.5 percent chance. Overall, the team has a 15.4 percent chance of moving up, a 34.1 percent chance of sticking at the No. 6 overall pick, and a 50.5 percent chance of moving down either one or two spots.
With tonight's loss, the #SeaKraken are locked into the sixth-best lottery odds in the 2026 NHL Draft.
For the second year in a row, the NHL will conduct the lottery live on air (as opposed to the old format, where the lottery was conducted shortly before the broadcast and sequestered). The Draft Lottery will be broadcast in the United States on ESPN, beginning at 4:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, May 5.
This draft is defined by two star wingers at the top, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, followed by a host of strong defense prospects, including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, and Alberts Smits. Brantford Bulldog Caleb Malhotra is emerging as the top center on the board, likely ahead of Viggo Bjork and Tynan Lawrence.
For more on how the NHL Draft Lottery works, the Kraken website has an explainer.
With respect to the draft more generally, Kraken fans should also be tracking the progress of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs. Seattle holds Tampa’s first-round pick, and NHL playoff teams are slotted with consideration given to their playoff performance. We will need to wait (at least) through the second round to know for certain where the pick will slot, but generally speaking, the earlier the Lightning lose, the better. The Lightning face elimination in Montreal on Friday, May 1.
Clarke Caswell wins a National Championship
During our last update, we noted that Kraken prospect Clarke Caswell helped propel the University of Denver to the National Championship Game. Denver and Caswell took full advantage, taking down the Wisconsin Badgers for Denver’s eleventh national title.
For his part, Caswell led all NCHC players with nine points in March and April, earning him Conference Rookie of the Month honors. It was a remarkable end to a successful freshman season for Caswell.
Clarke Caswell led @theNCHC with 9 points (4g/5a) in 8 GP in March/April.
Other Kraken prospects inch closer to titles of their own
Elsewhere, several Kraken prospects are continuing their march through the postseason.
Everett vs. Penticton (WHL)
Julius Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips are through to the WHL Championship after sweeping Ryden Evers and the Penticton Vees in the Western Conference Finals. Everett will take on the winner of the ongoing Medicine Hat and Prince Albert series in the East. Everett will host the first game of the WHL Championship beginning on Friday, May 8.
Miettinen has 10 goals and 8 assists across 13 playoff contests so far.
In the OHL, the Kraken have prospects alive in both remaining series. Jake O’Brien and the Bulldogs lead the Barrie Colts three games to two. O’Brien is tied for third in the OHL playoffs with 22 points (seven goals and 15 assists). O’Brien’s production earned him OHL Player of the Week honors and a share of the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week distinction as well.
Sat. May 02, 2026 – 4:30PM PDT @ Barrie Mon. May 04, 2026 – 4:00PM PDT @ Brantford* *If necessary
The winner of the Brantford–Barrie series will meet the victor of the Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires series, which Kitchener leads three games to one. Kraken prospects Nathan Villeneuve and Jakub Fibigr play for Windsor. Fibigr is fourth among all OHL defensemen in the playoffs with 12 points (three goals and nine assists), while Villeneuve has contributed three goals, one assist, and his typical hard-nosed style.
Fri. May 01, 2026 – 4:00PM PDT @ Kitchener Mon. May 04, 2026 – 4:05PM PDT @ Windsor* Wed. May 06, 2026 – 4:00PM PDT @ Kitchener* *If necessary
Chicoutimi vs. Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
In the QMJHL, Alexis Bernier and the Chicoutimi Saguenéens are tied with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies two games apiece in the semifinals. Bernier has two goals in the series and four points overall in the playoffs.
Fri. May 01, 2026 – 4:00PM PDT @ Chicoutimi Sun. May 03, 2026 – 1:00PM PDT @ Rögle Tues. May 05, 2026 – 4:00PM PDT @ Chicoutimi* *If necessary
Skellefteå vs. Rögle (SHL)
Overseas, Zeb Forsfjäll and Skellefteå AIK are up three games to one on Rögle BK in the best-of-seven SHL Championship Series. Forsfjäll has played in all four games and is plus-one with an assist.
The remaining schedule of games is as follows:
Sat. May 02, 2026 – 6:15AM PDT @ Skellefteå Mon. May 04, 2026 – 10:00AM PDT @ Rögle* Wed. May 06, 2026 – 10:00AM PDT @ Skellefteå* *If necessary
[NOTE: All of the upcoming games this week listed in this section can be streamed at FloHockey.]
Final Regular-Season Data Update
Jake O’Brien finished third in total points (93) and first in points per game (1.75) in the OHL.
Kim Saarinen finished the season with the top save percentage in Liiga (.916). Semyon Vyazovoi finished tied for fourth in save percentage in the KHL (.931).
Notes on four other Kraken prospects
Tyson Jugnauth | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Since our last update, Tyson Jugnauth earned a place on the AHL All-Rookie Team, a just reward for his hard work in getting to this point. The blueliner recorded his first playoff point, an assist, on Wednesday in the Firebirds’ Game 1 win over the Reign. Elsewhere in the Jugnauth family, younger brother Brayden has a chance to be the top pick in the WHL Draft, which begins on Tuesday, May 5.
Blake Fiddler | D | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
As we speculated previously, Blake Fiddler, the Kraken’s 2025 second-round pick, will reportedly be moving up to the NCAA ranks next season, committing to join David Carle and the defending champion University of Denver. It’s a sensible next step for Fiddler, who needs to improve his physicality and all-around game. Pioneers hockey will be must-see television for Kraken fans next season.
‼️🚨BREAKING🚨‼️
The Denver Pioneers have received a commitment from Blake Fiddler! 🪓🪓🪓
Following the elimination of Reynolds’ Newfoundland Regiment in the QMJHL playoffs, Reynolds has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Like other players before him, Reynolds joins the AHL club at the end of the season after his draft in order to learn and acclimate to the pro environment. It’s unlikely he will suit up for a game, but the hope is it’s a springboard for the player moving forward.
Kim Saarinen | G | HPK (Liiga)
In other news, goalie Saarinen was also added to the Firebirds’ roster. Like Reynolds, it’s unlikely Saarinen gets into a game over Kokko or Victor Ostman. Instead, the goal is to expose him to the staff and environment in Coachella Valley with their future working relationship in mind. At this point, I still think it’s likely Saarinen returns to Europe for at least one more season.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
4 wins: Jake O’Brien
3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Simas Ignatavicius
Ignatavicius is a likely top-50 pick, checking in at No. 39 on the midseason Big Board and No. 10 among international skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting list. The six-foot-three Lithuanian-American forward played the bulk of this season in the top-level pro league in Switzerland, the National League. He had seven goals, six assists, and was a plus-seven in 52 games.
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
