Down on the Farm – Rangers claim Tye Kartye, Kraken re-sign two forwards
This is “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week, we’ll have a little bit more of an NHL focus, but all of it pertains to the team’s young players and future roster. We’ll analyze the decision to waive Tye Kartye and where things stand after the New York Rangers claimed the young forward. We’ll also discuss the Kraken signings of forwards Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton. Finally, we’ll share some thoughts on the Kraken’s trade assets heading into next week’s trade deadline.
After that, we’ll have all of the usual stuff—Kraken prospect news, video, and data updates, the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, and a preview of the week ahead.
If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or answered in our next mailbag (ahem, maybe next week? or the week after if there if we see an active deadline), drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Kraken re-sign Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton to two-year deals
Ben Meyers, 27, signs two-year, $1,000,000 average annual value (AAV) extension
On Feb. 24, the Seattle Kraken announced that the team had extended forward Ben Meyers. Before signing, Meyers was a pending unrestricted free agent this summer.
Meyers has five goals and six assists in 33 NHL games this season. He has brought skill and strong skating to a fourth-line center role, ranking near the very top of the league in average skating speed and in the 82nd percentile in maximum skating speed, according to NHL Edge. He is also third among forwards on the Kraken in shorthanded time on ice per game played.
Meyers has talked about how the Kraken were one of the teams that strongly pursued him when he was coming out of the University of Minnesota in 2022, before he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche on April 13, 2022. (The Kraken were active in the amateur free agent market that year, signing Tye Kartye to an entry-level deal on Mar. 1, 2022. More on him in a moment.) Meyers re-signed with Colorado on a one-year, minimum deal for the 2023–24 season, before taking successive one-year, minimum deals with Seattle.
This is Meyers’s first standard contract for multiple years and above the league minimum. It puts him at the front of the group vying to provide depth contributions for the Kraken in the years ahead (i.e., somewhere between the team’s 11th and 13th forward). He’s a great player to have in that role.
Ryan Winterton, 22, signs two-year, $1,125,000 AAV extension
Also on Feb. 24, the Kraken announced an extension for forward Ryan Winterton. Winterton was scheduled to be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights this summer, so his return on some type of deal was always highly probable. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after the expiration of this contract.
Winterton has been a chess piece that Coach Lane Lambert has been able to move up and down the lineup without any significant drop-off in production. When he moves up in the lineup, his speed, defense, and forechecking play. When he’s on the fourth line, it hums. In 81 fourth-line minutes when Jacob Melanson, Ben Meyers, and a third winger not named Ryan Winterton have been out there, the group is minus-two and approximately even in shot quality share. Add in Winterton and the group surges: plus-one, with a 64 percent shot quality share in 51 minutes. Winterton has been a bottom-six play driver.
Flashing back to training camp, I think there were some nerves about which way it would go for Winterton. Would he get stuck in no-man’s land between a good AHL player and an NHL regular? Yet he made the team out of camp, and as we moved into the season, the Kraken repeatedly made difficult roster decisions rather than taking the easy way out and sending the (then) waivers-exempt Winterton down to the AHL. He was an NHL player in the team’s eyes. Winterton has rewarded that confidence and should be a building-block, defense-and-forechecking third- or fourth-line forward for years to come.
Tye Kartye waived by Kraken and claimed by the Rangers
The progression of Winterton and Meyers, as well as the arrival of hard-charging fourth-line winger Jacob Melanson, 22, created a squeeze for playing time at the bottom of the roster. The player who fell to the bottom of the list and often became a healthy scratch in recent months was 24-year-old winger Tye Kartye.
Kartye endeared himself to fans with a friendly personality off the ice and hard hits and timely goals on it. Unfortunately for Kartye, the on-ice production was just too inconsistent. There would be flashes, but also long dry spells. (Any player would prefer to be in the NHL. In hindsight, however, I wonder if some of Kartye’s offensive potential was sapped by earning a fourth-line role “early” and not getting another AHL season of featured-scorer reps.)
When the team activated Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers from injured reserve on Feb. 25, it needed to create a roster spot. The Kraken had three options: (1) reassign Melanson to the AHL (waivers-exempt); (2) waive one of the depth defensemen, Cale Fleury or Josh Mahura; or (3) waive Kartye.
In a choice among bad options, I understand the Kraken’s thinking in opting to waive Kartye. The Kraken believed that Melanson could provide more than Kartye in a fourth-line role this season, as evidenced by the fact that Melanson consistently played over Kartye in the last couple of months. At the same time, waiving a defenseman was likely unappealing because the team needs the depth there—particularly if Jamie Oleksiak is moved in a deal at the deadline.
That forced the team’s hand in exposing Kartye to waivers. Seattle’s loss was the New York Rangers’ gain, as the Blueshirts claimed Kartye off waivers on Friday, Feb. 27.
While many will (rightly) focus on Melanson passing Kartye on the depth chart, the Kraken also “chose” Meyers over Kartye. Before Meyers’s extension, he would have been another candidate to go on waivers. The team (correctly, in my view) determined that Meyers (on his new deal) was more valuable than Kartye (on his deal). Hence, Meyers and Melanson stay while Kartye goes.
Kraken asset value heading into the trade deadline
Believe it or not, the trade deadline is just seven days (and three Kraken games) away. Earlier this week, John Barr gave a primer on the team’s potential approaches, and then the Sound Of Hockey team convened to give our opinions on preferred paths.
The team has the following draft assets over the next two years:
The team’s other notable trade assets under 23 years old include forwards Shane Wright, 22; Jagger Firkus, 21; Jani Nyman, 21; Julius Miettinen, 20; Berkly Catton, 20, and Jake O’Brien, 18; and defenseman Blake Fiddler, 18.
There has been a lot of speculation about Wright in recent weeks. I’ve given my view of his value on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast and elsewhere. I’d be disinclined to trade Wright for Jordan Kyrou straight up. It’s close, though. I think fair-minded arguments could be made in either direction.
I have seen media speculation suggesting the fair cost for Kyrou would be Wright plus multiple other assets. I strongly disagree with that. Kyrou is a very, very good player, but packages like that should be reserved for the next echelon of player, such as Jason Robertson or Robert Thomas. If this is Wright’s market value, the team should rest easy keeping him.
To my knowledge, I don’t think anyone has actually reported that the Kraken offered Wright for Artemi Panarin. (This is likely because the Kraken never got to the point of making an offer, as Panarin indicated he wasn’t willing to sign in Seattle.) That said, if the Kraken were willing to go there, I probably would have been critical of that deal.
What should the Kraken do at the deadline? Let us know in the comments below.
Notes on four Kraken prospects
Julius Miettinen | F | Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Julius Miettinen reached 100 career assists in the WHL this week. His 1.40 points per game ranks 12th in the WHL. His +48 on-ice plus-minus is sixth in the WHL and second among forwards, one behind linemate Matias Vanhanen. He continues to show a pro-ready combination of skills. With Everett’s strength, it seems unlikely we’ll see a pro debut for Miettinen at the end of this year, but he should be a fixture in the Coachella lineup from day one next season.
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Mølgaard returned from his successful stint at the Olympics to score a goal in his only AHL game this week. Taken together, that work is enough to earn Mølgaard Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week in an otherwise quiet week. (Just don’t think about the timeline too much; Mølgaard deserves recognition.)
birds goooaaalll!!! pic.twitter.com/2kWsdUZomp
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) February 27, 2026
Alexis Bernier | D | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
Bernier continued his scoring ways last week, adding another goal and an assist in three games. His role is smaller on the stacked Chicoutimi Saguenéens roster. He doesn’t see the ice on the power play, and his penalty kill time is rotational rather than foundational. Even so, he is taking advantage of his opportunities. He has four goals and three assists in 11 games and has an even or better on-ice plus-minus in 10 of those 11 games. Check out his shifts from the Saguenéens’ Feb. 20, 2026, game below.
Nikke Kokko | G | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Goalie Nikke Kokko returned from a six-week injury to back up Victor Ostman on Friday, Nov. 20. Kokko then grabbed his first start on the second night of the back-to-back on Saturday, Nov. 21, against the Colorado Eagles. He faced 44 shots on goal and turned away 40 for a solid .909 save percentage. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Firebirds fell to the Eagles 6–3 after a couple of empty-netters. More importantly, Kokko made it through the entire game.
Kraken prospects data update
Jake O’Brien had three goals and three assists in three games this week, but the Bulldogs struggled when he was on the ice at even strength. Despite O’Brien’s individual scoring production, the team was minus-seven with O’Brien on the ice at even strength.
J.R. Avon also returned from a lengthy injury absence over the last week and tallied an assist in three games. With 10 total assists on the season, Avon has matched his previous professional career high, set in 60 games last season. He has played only 24 games this year.
Ostman had a Jekyll-and-Hyde week, posting a shutout against the Eagles on Friday, Feb. 20, only to give up six goals against the Henderson Silver Knights on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Semyon Vyazovoi had a strong seven-day stretch, winning two of three starts and posting a .917 save percentage in the process. He continues to rank among the KHL’s league leaders.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
3: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen
2: Jake O’Brien, Julius Miettinen, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi
1: Alexis Bernier, Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Logan Morrison, Victor Ostman, Zaccharya Wisdom
Previewing the week ahead
This week’s Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a Saturday morning opportunity to catch Kraken prospect Zeb Forsfjall in action in the SHL on FloHockey.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Carson Carels
Carson Carels is an athletic, skilled 6-foot-2, left-shot defenseman for the Prince George Cougars in the WHL. His 1.20 points per game are the most among first-time draft-eligible WHL defensemen. Well regarded within Canadian circles, he earned a spot on Canada’s 2026 World Juniors squad at 17 years old. Scouts credit his skating and two-way skill through the neutral zone as carrying traits.
He may not project as a true high-end player either offensively or defensively, but the all-around package should land him near the top of an NHL lineup down the road. Carels ranked No. 7 on the midseason Big Board.
Recent prospect updates
February 20, 2026: David Goyette suspended for 20 games
February 13, 2026: Projecting NHL futures for Logan Morrison and Jagger Firkus
February 6, 2026: Seattle Kraken prospects midseason mailbag
January 30, 2026: Kraken prospect trade value tiers
January 23, 2026: Alexis Bernier set to return, early 2026 NHL Draft thoughts
January 16, 2026: Jacob Melanson is speeding toward an NHL future despite the demotion
January 9, 2026: World Juniors reports, CHL trades
January 2, 2026: Mid-season Kraken prospect ranking
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.
Three Takeaways – Kraken lose 5-1 to the Blues
The Seattle Kraken dropped their second game in as many nights, falling 5-1 to the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis came out firing. The Blues put eight shots on net, rang two shot off the posts and got a goal from Dylan Holloway before Seattle even registered a shot. Holloway later added a second-period goal and an empty-netter to complete the hat trick.
After the opening goal, Seattle pushed back. Kaapo Kakko scored the equalizer to make it 1-1. The Kraken then outshot the Blues 10-3 over the next stretch.
That momentum did not carry into the second period, however. St. Louis scored twice in the first 95 seconds and never looked back. Philipp Grubauer made several strong saves to keep the game close, but the offense never followed.
Here are three takeaways:
Takeaway 1: Top line?
Jared McCann, Matty Beniers and captain Jordan Eberle form Seattle’s top line. You would not have known it in this one.
The trio recorded zero shots at five-on-five despite leading the team in ice time. McCann has 22 points since the calendar turned to 2026. Beniers has 14, and Eberle has 13. Still, the line went scoreless for the second straight game.
Pointless nights happen. But generating no memorable chances against a team ranked 31st in the league is more concerning.
Per MoneyPuck, the line produced just 0.131 expected goals, the lowest of Seattle’s four lines. Shane Wright’s line led the way at 0.750. Chandler Stephenson’s group posted 0.488, followed by Ben Meyers’ line at 0.430.
Before the Olympic break, Seattle averaged 3.53 goals per game in 2026. One goal in each of the last two games will not win consistently. The offense needs to get rolling again.
Takeaway 2: Starting slow
For the second straight game, Seattle looked slow out of the gate. The intensity was not there early.
On offense, the Kraken forced passes instead of putting pucks on net. With the Kraken trailing, the situation called for a sustained push and a focus on getting pucks to the net front, but that push never materialized. Instead, Seattle committed 18 turnovers and stalled its own momentum.
The Blues controlled the first eight minutes and scored first. Seattle responded to tie the game, but the second period opened with two quick goals against. St. Louis struck again in the opening minute of the third. Those early goals in each period halted any comeback before it could begin.
Takeaway 3: Powerplay blanked
After going 0-4 on the power play against Dallas, Seattle finished 0-3 against St. Louis. The unit is now 0-7 since the break.
The Kraken generated five shots and just 0.08 expected goals across six minutes of power-play time. Quality chances were nearly nonexistent.
Seattle still converts at 22.4 percent on the season, which ranks 11th in the NHL. This is a two-game sample, but the Kraken powerplay looked slightly out of sync, which made it difficult to connect on one-timers and get pucks on net.
On to the next
St. Louis entered the night ranked 31st in the league, but the Blues gave the Kraken more than they could handle and clearly looked like the better team.
On Saturday, Seattle faces Vancouver, which sits 32nd in the NHL. If there is a lesson from this loss, it is simple. Rankings do not matter if the team is not ready at puck drop.
The Kraken return home looking to reset. Two losses to start the post-Olympic stretch are not ideal, but the Kraken still hold the final wild card spot. The response now matters more than the stumble, especially with a home crowd ready to push them and help fuel that home-ice advantage.
Leave any comments or questions 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.
Three Takeaways – Kraken stumble of out post-Olympic gates, lose 4-1 to Stars
Well, that wasn’t the post-Olympic start the Kraken wanted, but it also wasn’t terribly surprising.
Facing an outstanding Dallas Stars team that has had their number, the Kraken just didn’t generate much offensively and didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. And although their defensive structure looked decent for much of the night, pucks still found their way into the back of Seattle’s net, while the team struggled to solve Casey DeSmith—who continues to be a massive thorn in the Kraken’s side this season.
“We failed to execute on a lot of different situations,” coach Lane Lambert said. “For whatever reason, apparently we had a pass-first mentality instead of a shoot-first mentality. That just doesn’t work with our hockey team. There’s no excuse for it, there’s no reason for it. We’ve got to be better.”
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-1 Kraken loss to the Stars.
Takeaway 1: Ice tilted, but also some bad bounces
The Kraken shouldn’t get too big of a pass for how that game played out. Dallas was undoubtedly the better team, and Seattle mustered just three shots in the first period and six in the second.
“We had opportunities to shoot the puck, and we didn’t, that’s just the bottom line. We need to get more pucks to the net,” Lambert said. “It certainly wasn’t our game, and certainly not the way we want to play and not the way we had been playing before the break.”
But…
I didn’t think the effort was that bad. While the offensive side left plenty to be desired, the team—and its goaltender—defended better than the four goals against by the 6:14 mark of the second period might suggest.
Joey Daccord and the Kraken simply got some bad bounces. Three of the four goals against—both of Wyatt Johnston’s tallies and Matt Duchene’s—came off redirections of shots that would have missed the net. That’s not to say they weren’t legitimate goals; Dallas did exactly what good teams do by getting traffic to the front and getting sticks on pucks. But it wasn’t as if the Kraken were throwing pizza pies into the slot or repeatedly blowing assignments.
Despite the four goals against and a .875 save percentage, Daccord looked sharp and came up with a few spectacular stops to keep things from getting more out of hand.
Enormous save by Joey Daccord on Jason Robertson in the last minute of the 1st period to keep the #SeaKraken deficit at 1-0.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 26, 2026
Seattle had two power-play opportunities in the frame but came up empty. Got outshot 11-3, though the period didn't *feel* that lopsided. pic.twitter.com/A1XJJ03Mko
The result wasn’t there. The execution wasn’t there. But it wasn’t a total structural collapse, either.
Takeaway 2: Tye Kartye is the odd man out
Lambert alluded last week to the fact that Seattle was going to have a roster decision to make upon returning to action.
The last time the team faced a numbers crunch while nearly fully healthy, the front office elected to send Jacob Melanson to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, since he was one of just three players—along with Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton—who could be sent to the AHL without requiring waivers.
With Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers both returning from injured reserve Wednesday, making the Kraken fully “healthy” (except for Matt Murray, who remains on IR), it was somewhat surprising to see Tye Kartye no longer listed on the Kraken’s official roster.
His removal suggests he will likely appear on waivers Thursday when the NHL processes its transactions. Once placed on waivers, teams around the league will have 24 hours to claim him. If no one does, he can report to Coachella Valley.
It’s something I’ve wondered about for a while this season. Melanson has shown he brings an edge and seems to be a better fit for the fourth-line grinder role that Kartye has occupied for much of his NHL career to date.
Here’s hoping nobody claims Kartye.
Takeaway 3: Ryan Lindgren injured
Former Kraken forward Colin Blackwell had a rough start to the night, getting dropped like a bad habit while trying to lay a check on the much bigger Jamie Oleksiak in the opening minutes.
On his next shift, Ryan Lindgren caught him with a thunderous hit that sent both players crashing hard to the ice.
Goodness, gracious. Tough start to this game for Colin Blackwell.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 26, 2026
He gets leveled by Ryan Lindgren, and both players have since gone down their respective tunnels. #SeaKraken https://t.co/XaEy8RPSUG pic.twitter.com/rPEpUAjOt0
In the end, though, it was Lindgren who got the worst of the collision.
Blackwell briefly went down the tunnel but returned and finished the game. Lindgren stayed on the bench momentarily before heading to the locker room and did not return.
Replay showed Lindgren’s knee smashing hard into the ice, and the medical staff was working on his leg on the bench before he exited. If I had to guess, that’s likely the injury area.
Lindgren’s exit put things into flux for the Kraken, who had to roll five defensemen for almost the entire game after the injury occurred on Lindgren’s second shift of the game.
He is a tough customer, so it takes a lot to knock him out of a game. That suggests he could miss some time, which would open the door for Cale Fleury or Josh Mahura to re-enter the lineup.
It would be unfortunate if the Kraken were to lose Kartye via waiver claim and then have to place Lindgren on IR—an injury that, had it happened 24 hours earlier, might have eliminated the need to expose Kartye in the first place.
—
The Kraken wrap up the second leg of their back-to-back Thursday in St. Louis. That might be a good opportunity to flush this one quickly.
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.
Kraken Roundtable: The final push
The Seattle Kraken emerge from the Olympic break in a welcome position, sitting third in the Pacific Division and very much in the playoff picture. The roster is essentially healthy, with Ben Meyers and Berkly Catton expected to come off injured reserve and give this team the full depth chart it envisioned back in October.
But with the trade deadline looming, four key players are pending unrestricted free agents, and general manager Jason Botterill will soon have to decide whether to extend them, trade them, or keep them for the stretch run with no guarantee any will re-sign. With the final playoff push about to take hold, we asked our writers to take stock of where the Kraken stand and where they might be headed next.
What do you think is the single biggest reason the Kraken are in a playoff spot right now?
John: It’s hard to pinpoint one specific thing the team is doing right because it’s been different things at different parts of the season. But if I have to pick one, it’s the defensive structure. The structure Lane Lambert has brought to this team was critical in accumulating points early in the season and built the foundation for everything that’s followed. The Kraken were 24th in the league last season in goals against per game, and they’re currently sitting ninth, allowing 2.88 goals per game.
Curtis: I agree with goal suppression being the biggest single reason, John, but will take it in a slightly different direction and highlight the goaltending. According to Evolving Hockey, the Kraken saved 7.6 goals above expected last season, which equates to about .1 goals per game. This year the total is 45.8 goals above expected in 56 games, equating to about .8 goals per game. Other sources are directionally similar. The Kraken are in the fight most nights because their goalies are usually saving a tally against more than they “should” and did last year.
Blaiz: The biggest reason the Kraken are in a playoff spot right now is their performance in the second leg of back-to-back games. Seattle is 4-3-2 in those games this season. Before their win Dec. 23, you’d have to go back to Feb. 13, 2024, for their previous back-to-back victory. Last season, they went 0-12-0 in the second leg and earned zero points.
Those nine games have produced 10 points. Without them, the Kraken would sit at 53 points and be seven points out of a playoff spot. Joey Daccord has been a major part of that turnaround, earning all 10 points while starting seven of the nine “second-leg” games. Matt Murray made the other two starts, and Philipp Grubauer has not started in the second of a back-to-back.
Darren: I got to read what all of you wrote for this one before making my own decision, and I think you’re all winners. All these pieces have certainly been big contributors to the team’s success.
If I can just add two quick pieces, Grubauer’s turnaround this season has been something I did not see coming and has made it so that the team has a chance to win regardless of who is in net, who they’re playing, and what the wacky schedule has brought. Also, there seems to be a real buy-in from the team on what Lambert is selling. He often says that if they play to their systems, they’ll have a chance every night, and it does seem the players believe that.
What’s the biggest surprise of the season — good or bad?
Curtis: I’ll build off my previous answer and also highlight the play of Grubauer in particular. Joey Daccord has been a relatively consistent positive across the last two seasons (.36 goals above expected per game last season according to Evolving Hockey; .50 goals above expected per game this year). But it is Grubauer who flipped from a large net negative in 2024-25 (-.49 goals above expected per game) to a dominant positive in 2025-26 (1.07 goals above expected per game).
Similarly, Hockeyviz had Grubauer at -.73 goals above expected per game in 2024-25 and has him .5 goals save above expected per game this season. His raw save percentage numbers jumped up from his career-low .875 rate to a .916 mark–which more closely resembles the numbers he was posting before joining the Kraken.
Grubauer’s rebound from contract liability (he cleared waivers last season and went to the Coachella Valley Firebirds) to arguably the team MVP so far is my biggest surprise.
Darren: Bingo, Curtis.
Blaiz: I agree with Curtis’ answer on Grubauer, so I will go with the biggest surprise on the bad side: letting Morgan Geekie walk almost three seasons ago has come back to bite Seattle in a huge way.
Since then, Geekie has scored 82 goals for Boston. Of course, he is skating on a top line with Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, two elite offensive talents, but even so, Geekie continues to produce. He has 32 goals this season and leads the entire NHL in goals per 60 (G/60) at 1.967. For context, Jared McCann is the closest Kraken skater over that same span with 67 goals and a 1.225 G/60 rate. The Kraken will continue to search for scoring, but they had Geekie in the system and let him go for nothing.
John: I think Grubauer surprised us all, but I’ll take a different path on this one. I don’t know if I was overly optimistic about the acquisition, but I was surprised by how bad the Mason Marchment fit was with the Kraken. I expected a goal-scoring Yanni Gourde type, but it just flat-out didn’t work. It wasn’t really consequential, but it was still shocking to see. Credit to the Kraken for cutting bait and shipping him off to Columbus.
Darren: How about the rise of some of the youngsters in the Kraken system? I guess we shouldn’t be that surprised, but seeing homegrown talent begin to make up a significant portion of the NHL roster is encouraging. Joining the likes of roster mainstays Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Ryker Evans have been a few new faces emerging as “regulars.” Ryan Winterton has played a huge role and just signed a new two-year contract, Jacob Melanson has fit in beautifully on the fourth line and helped turn the team around when it was struggling, and Berkly Catton has proven himself NHL ready as a true rookie who we thought could be returned to the WHL this season.
That’s exciting stuff for a team that is very much in the playoff hunt now.
Who is your Kraken MVP at the break, and why?
Blaiz: Captain Jordan Eberle is my MVP at the break. Eberle is the only Kraken player to reach 20 goals so far this season. He leads the team in both goals (20) and points (38), all after returning from a pelvis injury that ended his 2024-25 season. At 35 years of age, he is on pace for 30 goals, a mark he has never reached in his career. His previous career high was 28 goals in his rookie season. With him set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, if he chose to chase a Cup elsewhere, I would understand. But his leadership and production still make a strong case to bring the captain back for another season or two.
John: I’m going to go with Matty Beniers here. He’s been playing such a strong two-way game all season, which has really contributed to the team’s success defensively, and in January he really started to chip in offensively.
Darren: I’m with you, John. I still want Beniers to contribute more offensively–he’s on pace for about 20 goals again this season–but at 23 years old, he looks like a proper NHL veteran.
Curtis: I tipped my hand on my team MVP in my previous answer. It’s Grubauer for me.
Which area of the roster still concerns you the most heading into the stretch run?
Darren: The biggest problem with the roster is the same issue that has dragged it down since Day 1: a lack of elite offensive talent. Catton could become this one day, but as of now, there’s still no gamebreaker in Seattle. It would be great to see the Kraken add another player who can score at Jared McCann levels of frequency now, then let some of the youngsters mature into (hopefully) star players in a couple years.
John: The penalty kill. It started the season unlucky, then turned flat-out awful, only to eventually rebound a bit before slipping again right before the Olympic break. I feel like having an average penalty kill over the remaining games would do wonders in helping Seattle lock in that playoff position.
Curtis: I agree with Darren to some degree; it’s the goal scoring, particularly at even strength. For much of the season, the team has not created enough shot quality to sustain success, only to be buoyed by puck luck, power-play goals, and strong goaltending. If this playoff run dies out over the last 26 games, it will likely be because the offense can’t get them over the line.
Blaiz: The three-headed goalie situation does not necessarily concern me, but it is the area I think about most because it takes up a roster spot.
Matt Murray has been practicing with the team for a while but has not been activated off injured reserve. When he is activated, someone will need to be sent down to Coachella Valley to make room. That creates a short-term squeeze, and with five games before the March 6 trade deadline, the Kraken need every point they can get. After the deadline, the roster limit is lifted, which will remove this concern.
If you were Jason Botterill, how would you approach the trade deadline?
John: This team isn’t a serious Cup contender, but they absolutely want to make the playoffs, so their approach to the trade deadline is going to be tricky. I’d be listening to offers that make the Kraken better over the next few years, not necessarily just better this season. There’s a scenario where I’d trade one of the middle-six forwards on an expiring contract and backfill that spot with Jacob Melanson and/or Logan Morrison.
Curtis: I’d endeavor to use the deadline as leverage to extend a couple veteran forwards, preferably Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle on two-year deals. I’d keep the phone lines open on big game (Robert Thomas? Jordan Kyrou? Jason Robertson? Filip Forsberg?) in case a team gets motivated to deal. I’d move any unsigned, pending UFA forwards (Schwartz, Eberle, or Eeli Tolvanen) or defenseman Jamie Oleksiak if a first-round pick (or comparable value) is offered. I suspect this approach would generate an Oleksiak deal, but nothing else. I’d live with the downgrade defensively for the stretch run.
Blaiz: The Kraken should take a swing at a scoring forward if a true point-per-game caliber player becomes available, like the players Curtis mentioned. Jason Botterill should listen to every offer. But he should avoid rentals that only help this season. If a near point-per-game player is available and can either be extended or is already under contract for two or three more years, that is the type of move I would make. It all comes down to the price. The deal Los Angeles just got for Artemi Panarin is the type I would make in a heartbeat.
Darren: I think you’re all very smart. The only thing I’m not particularly keen on from the above answers is Curtis’s willingness to move a player for a first-round pick. I’d like to take a break from trading useful players for draft capital for a while. I would keep the veteran UFA’s for a playoff push, even if it means letting them walk this summer.
Now talking out of the other side of my mouth, Oleksiak for a first isn’t a terrible deal, though.
Wait, no, I’m keeping Oleksiak for the playoff run. There. That’s my answer. No trades for draft picks.
What’s one bold prediction for the Kraken in the final third of the season?
Curtis: The scoring will start to come for Berkly Catton. I’ll say seven goals and 11 assists for him in the team’s last 26 games despite relatively modest ice time and no significant power-play usage.
Blaiz: Shane Wright will break the 20-goal mark. He started the season slow, but in the final week before the break he scored four goals to push his total to 11. He needs nine more over the final 26 games. If he stays confident and continues to get opportunities, I would not be surprised to see him reach that milestone.
Darren: The Kraken will finally swing a relatively big trade for a scoring winger. I think the reporting out there that they were aggressively pursuing Panarin tells us this is the kind of player they’re seeking and are willing to pay to make it happen.
John: You want bold? How about the Kraken finishing second in the Pacific. They’re playing their best hockey of the season, and they’re finally healthy. Change my mind.
Is this a playoff team?
Blaiz: 100% Yes. Will they be a Stanley Cup favorite? No. But I do not think teams will enjoy matching up with them in the first round. The Kraken are comfortable playing tight, low-scoring games. As I mentioned in the March update of Strive for 95, they have played their best hockey against the top of the league, posting a .611 points percentage. I believe they have what it takes to return to the postseason, and I will go a step further and say they will put any first-round opponent on upset alert.
John: Yes. I think their biggest threat to taking their playoff spot is the Los Angeles Kings and even though they traded for Artemi Panarin right before the Olympic break, they lost Kevin Fiala due to a broken leg sustained in the Olympics.
Curtis: I don’t love the chances of several of Seattle’s competitors, as you point out, but in isolation this still doesn’t feel like a playoff-caliber team to me. There’s enough of the season left for water to find its level, so I’ll say “no,” but it’s very close. Matty Beniers’ continued ability to drive an effective scoring line may be the x-factor. They were hot before the break. Will they come back the same way? Regardless, it should be an intriguing stretch run. And that is what we wanted coming into the season.
Darren: I was supposed to answer this one before Curtis, but I can’t let us end this Roundtable with a “no playoffs” response. I’ve covered this team closely since its inception, and I can tell you the vibes in the dressing room feel a lot more like the playoff vibes we felt in 2022-23 than the “we’re out of it” vibes of the other seasons. The team believes they’re a playoff team, and I believe they’re a playoff team.
Curtis: Agree. Better ending.
Seattle Kraken Strive for 95: March playoff push update
The dust has settled on a thrilling Olympic competition, in which both the Women’s and Men’s USA ice hockey teams came away with gold medals after respective 2-1 overtime victories against Canada. The women trailed Canada 1-0 late in the gold medal game when Hilary Knight, captain of both Team USA and the Seattle Torrent, forced overtime with a redirection with 2:04 remaining. Defenseman Megan Keller finished the job in overtime and secured gold for Team USA.
On the men’s side, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head and stole the game for Team USA. After Jack Hughes had a tooth knocked out by a high stick, he scored the winner in overtime on a great play and pass from Zach Werenski.
Additionally, Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen will bring back bronze medals after defeating Slovakia 6-1 in Finland’s final game of the tournament. Congrats to all the Olympic athletes.
Now the focus shifts back to the NHL. Most teams, minus the Olympians, returned to practice Feb. 16 and will resume regular-season play Feb. 25. The Seattle Kraken, who find themselves in third place in the Pacific Division, start with a back-to-back Wednesday in Dallas and Thursday in St. Louis.
January recap
With the Olympic break, February was split. The games on Feb. 3 and 4 are included in the January update. The three games from Feb. 25 through 28 will be counted as part of March.
The Kraken needed to put together a big month in January to get back into the playoff mix, and that is exactly what they did. With a big win in Los Angeles to close out pre-Olympic play on Feb. 4, Seattle opened a three-point buffer over the Kings, who are just outside the playoff cutline.
The Kraken hold an 11-6-2 record in 2026, putting them back on pace for 95 points. The 24 standings points earned are first in the Pacific over that span. Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer split starts as evenly as possible over a 19-game stretch, with Daccord starting nine and Grubauer 10. Each earned 12 standings points in their starts.
Seattle also found a scoring touch, averaging 3.53 goals per game during the month. At that rate, they would rank third in the NHL behind Colorado at 3.84 and Tampa Bay at 3.55. Even with the surge, the Kraken sit 23rd overall at 2.88 goals per game.
With the standings so bunched up, 16 of the 19 games were against the Bubble tier. Seattle played almost every other night, with two instances of two days off and four back-to-back sets. The condensed schedule created a playoff-like pace and rhythm in which the Kraken excelled.
Updated tiers
A gap is starting to open between playoff and non-playoff teams, though several remain within striking distance.
Notes on tier movement
Playoff Bound tier
The group remains the same, but several teams are knocking on the door. Montreal, Detroit, and Pittsburgh are all pushing, with Pittsburgh posting a surprising 12-3-3 record in 2026. Any of those could move up next month. On the flip side, Colorado still leads the Presidents’ Trophy race, but its 7-7-2 record in 2026 ranks 24th over that stretch. Minnesota is another team to watch. The Wild are winning, but many of those victories came in overtime or shootout. In 2026, they have only four regulation wins.
Bubble tier
The separation is widening. Florida, Philadelphia, Nashville, and San Jose sit just above the Tankers tier. There is a noticeable range within this tier, which is reflected in the spacing.
Tankers tier
Four teams join this tier: New Jersey, the New York Rangers, St. Louis, and Calgary. All posted losing records in 2026 and sit at least 11 points out of a wild-card spot.
March and late-February games
As mentioned earlier, the March breakdown includes the three games on Feb. 25, 26, and 28. After the Kraken jump right back into the thick of it with a back-to-back against the Stars and Blues, they have one other back-to-back in March, traveling to Vancouver on March 14 before returning home to face Florida on March 15.
From Feb. 25 through March 31, Seattle will travel 10,472 miles. With 17 games, that averages 616 miles per game, and the stretch includes the longest road trip of the season at six games. Fortunately, the Kraken get their second six-game homestand, followed by a quick trip to Vancouver and then two more home games. That means eight of nine games from Feb. 28 through March 17 are at Climate Pledge Arena, with the lone road game a short hop north.
The NHL trade deadline is March 6. It remains unclear whether Seattle will buy, sell, or stand pat. General manager Jason Botterill took a swing at Artemi Panarin, though it did not materialize. Botterill has shown he is willing to be aggressive if the right deal emerges. VP and assistant general manager Alexandra Mandrycky was recently asked at a season ticket holders event about the Kraken’s trade deadline strategy. She said the team is always looking to improve, whether through a short-term addition or by adding future assets, and that the Kraken will survey the market and only make a move if it improves the team.
Updated target percentages
With teams moving from the Bubble to Tankers tiers, the required points percentages have shifted slightly. Here are the updated monthly targets.
Tier targets
Playoff Bound tier
This tier presents a challenge with five games in the month. Seattle will face Dallas, Carolina and Colorado once, and Tampa Bay twice. Tampa Bay entered the break at 14-1-1 in 2026, while Carolina sits at 12-3-3. The good news is Seattle owns a .611 points percentage against this tier this season, their best mark against any tier. Target: five points out of 10.
Bubble tier
There are eight games against this tier. Only two of those teams hold playoff spots coming out of the break. Seattle will face Ottawa, Columbus, and Buffalo once, and Florida and Nashville twice. Target: 10 points out of 16.
Tankers tier
With St. Louis joining this tier, Seattle has four games here. They will play St. Louis and Vancouver twice each, including two back-to-backs. The Kraken are 3-4-1 against this tier this season for a .438 points percentage, their worst mark against any tier. These are must-have games, especially given their struggles against this tier. Seattle must be ready at puck drop and set the tone early against these teams. Target: six points out of eight.
Wrapping up
The Kraken opened calendar year 2026 in strong fashion and must keep rolling. They sit one point behind Edmonton with two games in hand. Anaheim and Los Angeles remain close, so Seattle cannot afford a slide.
Dallas is first on Feb. 25. The Stars had seven players at the Olympics, which could create early rust for that team as a whole. They also have Jason Robertson, a notable Team USA snub, who will look to add to his 32 goals.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to leave them 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.