“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll highlight Caden Price’s solid AHL debut in Coachella Valley, breaking down his many strengths, and identifying areas for further development as he gets acquainted with the professional game. This week’s update will be a little shorter than usual due to some travel involving this Sound Of Hockey intern, but we’ll still pass along video and data from around the Kraken system, as always.
If you have a Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Let’s dive in.
Analyzing Caden Price’s pro debut
Caden Price has played in just nine professional games, all this season, with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. But he has already shown a broad base of skills that could be the foundation of a successful NHL career.
He’s an excellent athlete, who excelled in fitness training at Kraken rookie camp. This translates into his skating, which is equal parts agile and powerful. There are always gains that can be made, but his smooth skating is a solid building block for him. Defensively, he can win races to break a forecheck and cut off attack angles. With the puck on his stick, he’s an asset transporting through center ice and into the offensive zone, particularly in reduced manpower scenarios.
Similarly, while he can continue to get stronger, he doesn’t look outmatched physically so far. He can make plays with his body and strength when needed.
Price also flashes very good two-way stick skills. Defensively, he’s active trying to disrupt rushers at the blue line. Offensively, he’s able to carry the puck deep into the offensive zone with forward-like feel. On his first shift in the video below, he roves deep into the offensive zone, wins a puck battle with physicality behind the net, and then holds just long enough to find an open teammate net front for a one-timer goal. It’s a very good sequence for Price.
On the negative side, he needs to bring down the frequency of his mistakes. His breakouts can be skillful one moment and then hesitant or confounding the next. He doesn’t always make the best reads off the puck or make the right decisions with it, which raises some questions about his instincts and ice vision.
I do think he can make strides with more repetitions, though. The discrete skills are there to succeed. He just needs to coalesce them all. By the end of this season and early next, we may see a much steadier player. If so, we’ll be looking at a likely NHLer.
Notes on four more Kraken prospects
Ollie Josephson | F | Freshman | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)
Ollie Josephson scored two goals and added two assists in two games for the University of North Dakota last week. Josephson has not been known for his offensive counting stats, even in junior hockey, so it is good to see some offensive finish showing up against this older, stronger level of competition. The performance makes Josephson our Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.
Nikke Kokko | G | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Kokko returned to the lineup on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and earned the win over the Colorado Eagles. He had missed 11 days with a lower-body injury suffered during the Firebirds’ Oct. 24 game against the Calgary Wranglers. Though the raw numbers weren’t very strong for Kokko in his return (he allowed five goals on 24 shots), he should be helpful for a Firebirds team that is looking to improve its early-season defensive production. Through nine games, the Firebirds have given up almost 3.9 goals per game, which tied for second most in the AHL.
Ty Nelson | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Nelson also returned from a multi-week injury on Wednesday, Nov. 5, against the Eagles. Nelson has been a stalwart, steadying presence on the blue line for the Firebirds since early last season. He’s another piece, along with Kokko, that will be crucial to righting the ship defensively.
J.R. Avon | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Speaking of the Nov. 5 game, J.R. Avon scored the game-winning shootout goal for the Firebirds that night. His success reminded me of my conversation with him back in camp. When I asked him to highlight areas where he feels he can make a difference on the ice, he noted his speed and also his shootout skills. Check and check, so far, for Avon.
In better news, the Coachella Valley Firebirds win 6-5 in a shootout, with a goal from J.R. Avon the decisive shootout score. pic.twitter.com/nDmnedeABD
Julius Miettinen had two goals and added an assist in Everett’s only game over the last seven days. The Silvertips will be more active over the next seven, with four games scheduled before our next update.
Jake O’Brien leads the OHL in total points and points per game (among those with at least five games played). His 25 assists are also tops in that league.
Semyon Vyazovoi, 22, remains scalding hot. He has won his last six starts in a row and is now just .03 points off the KHL save percentage lead. He leads all under-25 KHL goalies in save percentage by a wide margin.
With Kokko back, Jack LaFontaine has returned to the Kansas City Mavericks. Victor Ostman started every game while Kokko was out.
The Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week pit Kraken prospects Clarke Caswell and Zaccharya Wisdom against each other on both Friday and Saturday.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Mathis Preston
Spokane Chief Mathis Preston is the highest-regarded U.S. Division WHL player eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. Most public draft analysts project him as a top-10 pick. He has six goals and eight assists through Spokane’s first 15 games this year.
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.
On an appropriately wet and dreary morning, PWHL Seattle invited some season ticket holders to the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPoP) for their team name and logo reveal. Due to an apparent IT snafu, both the name and logo were leaked prior to the event, but that didn’t put a damper on the excitement from fans. There were a surprising number of them, many already with jerseys, who showed up for the team early on a weekday morning.
The Big Reveal
The wait is over, PWHL Seattle is dead, long live the Seattle Torrent. Alison Lukan was on hand to announce the new team name, and was joined on stage by general manager Meghan Turner, head coach Steve O’Rourke and most of the players (except those currently in Cleveland with Team Canada and Team USA for the rivalry series).
O’Rourke and Turner weren’t shy about their anticipation for the season. Even without any formal practices, the team already is building an identity. “We’re looking to be a positive force on the ice'” said O’Rourke, “it starts with the coaching staff connecting to the players , and the players to each other and that’s when you start to see the force come together.” He wants the fans to feel that force, both when the team takes the ice and when they are out in the community.
These are exciting times, Turner admitted she hasn’t been sleeping and O’Rourke already fired up about a potential rivalry with Vancouver, telling Lukan, “There’s no getting around it. We came in together, we’re gonna be judged together, so the rivalry’s on.” Over 150 Seattle fans are already planning to attend the season opener in Vancouver, which had both leaders waxing poetic about the incredible support the team has already received from the community. O’Rourke pointed to the amazing atmosphere created by Sounders fans who travel when the team plays in Vancouver, and is eager to build on that tradition.
Turner is also looking forward the home opener on November 28th. “We’re ready to go,” she said, “we want teams to come in to Climate Pledge and be a little nervous about stepping on the ice.” She told the crowd that “the fans mean everything to us…and if the Takeover Tour was any indication, Climate Pledge is going to be buzzing.”
The name and logo were made official with a hype video highlighting the area’s natural beauty, the unstoppable nature of water, the intensity of the players, and how these elements will come together to build the teams identity. Hilary Knight also sent a video in her Team USA uniform and shared her thoughts on the branding. She (and Alison) also encouraged folks to tune in to the first game of the rivalry series today at 4:00pm on the NHL Network (or at Rough and Tumble Pub).
Goalie Corrine Schroeder took to the podium next, seeming nervous, but also maybe excited to be speaking to the crowd. She praised fans enthusiasm since day one, and the teams eagerness to become a part of the incredible Seattle sports community.
Team Reactions
What was Schroeder’s first impression of the logo? She loved it, and thought it fitting, both in the literal sense, with all the waterways and rain the area, but also was fitting in terms of team identity. “That’s what we want to be like,” she said “we want to be relentless, we want to be unpredictable, we really want to be a powerhouse.”
First-round Torrent draft pick Jenna Buglioni also weighed in, excited that the branding fit with other sports teams in Seattle. She was eager for the Torrent to “carve our path” in the rich history of Seattle sports. She also enjoyed the iconic S, saying it goes well with the “brother team” in the Seattle Kraken.
GM Meghan Turner admitted she had known the team name for a few months, and it was a hard secret to keep. She thought the name was fitting, bringing together power and momentum. “It’s relentless” she said, “and I think it will play in to how we expect to step on the ice”. Turner shouted out the league for the creation of the branding but admitted that “it’s our job to bring it to life and to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and we are really excited to do so.”
Team gear is available now for purchase at the Seattle Center Armory and online. The Torrent will take to the ice for their first ever practice next week on November 11th at Kraken Community Iceplex.
Reactions from fans online seem to be mixed. Personally, it’s growing on me, especially after all the talk of powerful waterways and forces of nature. Let me know, what do you think of the team name and logo?
The Seattle Kraken wrapped up their five-game homestand with a frustrating 6-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Seattle finished with a 2-1-2 record during these five games, earning points in four of five for a total of six. But this matchup had all the makings of a trap game, and the Kraken fell right into it, coming away with their first home regulation loss of the season in ugly fashion.
San Jose has a talented young core and a goalie that was drafted in the first round in 2020. The Sharks can score, as Seattle learned the hard way—they’re now tied for second in the Western Conference in goals scored at 48.
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring on San Jose’s first shot of the night. Jaden Schwartz lost a battle on the boards, and Tyler Toffoli jumped on the loose puck, feeding a wide-open Celebrini, who made no mistake. The Kraken responded with strong pressure in the first period, outshooting the Sharks 10-6 and tying the game 1-1 (more on that later). But just two minutes after that, former Kraken Alexander Wennberg found Ethan Cardwell, who one-timed the puck past Joey Daccord. From there, the Sharks never looked back, piling on four more goals.
Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov was outstanding, stopping 28 of 29 shots. He earned his third win of the season and is now 3-1 in his last four games.
Takeaway #1 – Winter is here
Ryan Winterton scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday night in his 34th career game. It felt like it was only a matter of time, but winter has officially arrived.
Just before his goal, Winterton nearly converted on a partial breakaway, but Askarov turned him aside. Moments later, he found open ice in the slot, corralled a deflected shot from Ryan Lindgren that bounced off Wennberg, and ripped it into the top right corner.
It was great to see Winterton get his first, even if it came in a blowout loss. Now that the monkey’s off his back, hopefully the goals start coming more frequently for a young player who seems to be proving himself as a full-time NHLer.
Takeaway #2 – Unraveled in the deep
Winterton’s goal tied the game 1-1, and it felt like the ice was tilted in Seattle’s favor for much of the first period. The team looked composed and confident—but that quickly unraveled as the Sharks regained control.
The Kraken struggled to make crisp passes in any zone, leading to turnovers and killing offensive pressure in the second and third periods. Lane Lambert didn’t mince words after the game: “I didn’t like our game. I didn’t like the way we played. I thought we were too loose, and we did not play to our identity tonight.”
Nothing went right, including goaltending. Daccord was pulled after allowing five goals, and Matt Murray entered in relief—only to give up a goal 30 seconds later when Toffoli scored on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box. Both Kraken goalies allowed goals on the first shot they faced.
Takeaway #3 – Power outage on the man advantage
After scoring a power-play goal in each of the previous three games, the Kraken went 0-for-6 on the man advantage. Worse, they gave up a shorthanded goal when Vince Dunn was stripped by Collin Graf. Daccord made the initial save, but Graf recovered the puck and fed Ty Dellandrea, who buried it. That goal made it 5-1 and ended Daccord’s night. The tally wasn’t on him, but at that point, the team needed a change.
5-1 San Jose. Shorthanded goal at 3:24 in the third period.
Colin Graf strips Vince Dunn at the point and gets a breakaway chance. Joey Daccord saves the initial chance but Ty Dellandrea collects the rebound and scores.
Seattle generated 13 shots on the power play, but in the end, the Kraken got Askaroved. The Kraken also missed the net eight times.
When you have open looks, the puck needs to get to the net. Missing the net and sending the puck off the glass and out of the zone kills momentum and resets the penalty kill for the opposition. We saw this far too many times on Wednesday.
On to the next
If you asked me which opponent at the start of this homestand looked most beatable, the Sharks would have been at the top of the list. Instead, they handed Seattle its only regulation loss of the stretch. While two more points from this one would have been nice, earning six points over five games is a decent result. The Kraken need to learn from this loss and quickly turn the page.
Seattle will now have Thursday and Friday to regroup before heading out on the road to face the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. That kicks off a short two-game trip, which concludes Sunday in Dallas for Seattle’s second back-to-back set of the season.
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.
The Seattle Kraken defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Monday night. The win pushed Seattle into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with 16 points.
It was Andre Burakovsky’s first trip back to Seattle since being traded to Chicago during the offseason. The move has worked out well for Burakovsky so far—he scored the Blackhawks’ lone goal and now has 10 points this season (five goals, five assists).
But even with Burakovsky’s goal that temporarily closed the gap to 2-1, Jamie Oleksiak opened the scoring in the second period, and the Kraken really never looked back.
Matty Beniers scored on the power play, and captain Jordan Eberle added an insurance goal to put the game out of reach. Beniers and Eberle assisted on each other’s goals, giving both two-point nights. Eberle now leads Seattle with five goals, while Eeli Tolvanen picked up an assist to extend his point streak to three games. Tolvanen has four assists through the first 12 games but has yet to find the back of the net.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Blackhawks.
Takeaway #1 – Offense!
After a lackluster offensive effort against the Rangers on Saturday, when Seattle recorded a franchise-worst 13 shots on goal, the message was clear: get pucks on net. Head coach Lane Lambert shuffled his lines before facing Chicago.
Tolvanen moved up alongside Beniers and Eberle. Kaapo Kakko joined Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz. Jani Nyman, scratched against the Rangers, rejoined the lineup with Shane Wright and Mason Marchment. Berkly Catton centered the fourth line between Tye Kartye and Ryan Winterton.
Based on the morning skate, it didn’t appear Catton would play, but the coaching staff opted to give him a look at center. The fourth line stood out with its energy, though Catton logged a team-low 7:07 of ice time.
Seattle started with urgency, firing eight shots in the first eight minutes. They slowed down after that and finished with 24 total shots. Still, it was encouraging to see the coaching staff identify a problem from the previous game and make changes that delivered results.
As John Barr noted in Monday Musings, the Kraken are averaging 23.9 shots per game—right on par with this performance, though there’s still room for improvement. Interestingly, Seattle had just five shots in the second period but scored twice.
Takeaway #2 – Special teams
Seattle excelled on both sides of special teams in this game. The Kraken successfully killed all three penalties, maintaining their strong defensive effort. Seattle has now gone two straight games without allowing a power-play goal. Chicago generated some chances, but the Kraken stayed active with their sticks, blocked shots, and leaned on a steady Joey Daccord in net.
In John Barr’s new 10 for 10 series, he noted Seattle’s penalty kill sat at 64 percent through 10 games. After two perfect games, that number is up to 71 percent—still not great, but trending in the right direction.
It only took eight seconds for the Kraken to convert on their first power-play attempt, and they were 1-for-2 on the night.
Beniers wastes no time! ⚡️ Buries it on the powerplay with helpers from Captain Eberle and Tolvanen. #SeaKraken up 2-0! 🏒 pic.twitter.com/304o2NnhmM
This goal was fun to watch. All five skaters touched the puck before Beniers buried it. Stephenson tied up his man on the draw, Beniers supported and moved it to Vince Dunn, who slid it over to Tolvanen for the shot. Eberle corralled the rebound and appeared to drift behind the net before sending a perfect backhand pass to Beniers in the slot, who fired it home. A thing of beauty.
After the game, Beniers said of Eberle’s pass: “You know, it’s funny, I knew it was coming. No doubt in my mind. That’s just the type of player [Eberle] is.”
Takeaway #3 – Joey! Joey! Joey!
It was a bit unexpected that Daccord wasn’t among the three stars of the night. He posted a .967 save percentage and allowed just one goal, saving 2.52 goals above expected per MoneyPuck. Connor Bedard led the rush on Chicago’s lone tally, getting around Adam Larsson to the puck along the boards and feeding Burakovsky for a quick five-hole finish.
What made Daccord’s outing so impressive was his calm positioning. He didn’t need to make any highlight-reel saves because he was square to the puck all night. When a goalie doesn’t need to scramble, it usually means he’s in full control.
With Chicago’s net empty, Daccord twice attempted a goalie goal to the delight of the Climate Pledge Arena crowd. His first shot had a real chance but was stopped by defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Fans erupted into a “Joey! Joey! Joey!” chant, encouraging him to try again. His second attempt missed the mark, but the crowd loved every moment. Seattle fans will have to wait a little longer for the elusive goalie goal.
This was a strong response to Saturday’s low-shot game. Chicago started backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom, so this was a matchup the Kraken should win—and they did. Next up, Seattle faces the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 5 to close out the homestand.
