Kraken Notebook: Opening Night roster set, Joey Daccord’s big night at ASU

Kraken Notebook: Opening Night roster set, Joey Daccord’s big night at ASU

Here we go! The Seattle Kraken’s Opening Night roster is officially set, with the team making its final cuts on Sunday. John Hayden cleared waivers to get to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, while Ville Ottavainen and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard were also assigned to the AHL affiliate. With Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans beginning the season on injured reserve, Seattle now sits at the 23-man roster limit, keeping one extra forward, one extra defenseman, and three goalies.

In this Kraken Notebook, we’ll examine where some of the young players (and Cale Fleury, who is not exactly a “young” player anymore) fit into the mix, and we’ll hear from Joey Daccord about what it meant to him and his family to have his number retired by Arizona State University over the weekend.

“The kids” will play a big role

Seattle’s front office has maintained since the end of last season that it wanted to improve the roster over the summer while also leaving opportunities for young players to break into the NHL lineup.

Indeed, the Kraken kept Jani Nyman and Berkly Catton—something that always seemed likely from the start of training camp—while Ryan Winterton played his way into the conversation and ultimately secured a roster spot with a two-goal exclamation mark in the preseason finale against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

While these players’ inclusion on the Opening Night roster doesn’t guarantee they’ll stick around for the entire season, it’s significant to be part of this initial group. And even for players like Fisker Mølgaard and Ottavainen, simply reaching the final round of cuts is noteworthy.

“It means a lot because you’re in the final stages here,” head coach Lane Lambert said on Sunday. “And let’s be clear, this is an NHL season, which is 82 games. It’s an Olympic year, which condenses those 82 games, and you’re going to need players. There’s a lot of games in a short period of time, and so anyone who’s here at this point in time… it bodes well for them, for sure.”

Exactly how the remaining young players will be used remains to be seen. 19-year-old Catton took a step in the wrong direction in his final preseason game, getting called for three separate stick infractions and turning the puck over multiple times. 22-year-old Winterton, meanwhile, took another step forward with his strong performance, and Nyman has apparently landed in a fourth-line role.

Since that final exhibition, practice lines have given us a clearer idea of how Lambert plans to deploy his youngsters early on.

Try to limit your outrage when Catton is a healthy scratch early in the season. Staying with the Kraken is valuable for his development, even if it means primarily practicing with the team and only getting into occasional games.

It’s also notable to see Winterton slotted on a third line with Mason Marchment and Chandler Stephenson. The winger clearly made major strides in his offseason training, and after knocking on the door in previous years, he’ll now look to prove he belongs in the NHL full time.

This is the time for Cale Fleury

On the back end, an opportunity has emerged for 26-year-old Cale Fleury to finally stick in the NHL—at least for a while.

With Evans out for at least the first month and Brandon Montour’s status still uncertain (he did not skate Sunday, and Lambert said he remains day to day as he recovers from a procedure to remove a bursa from his ankle), Fleury has made the roster.

“I think he’s shown himself very well in camp,” Lambert said. “First of all, he’s done a pretty good job on that second unit power play in the absence of [Vince] Dunn and Montour overall. He’s shown me the ability to defend, and he is at his best when he keeps it simple and moves pucks. And I think he’s had a pretty good training camp.”

Fleury knows this is a pivotal moment in his career—one where he needs to seize the opportunity and prove he belongs as a full-time NHL defenseman.

“As far as how it’s been the last few years, it’s just been close, but not there,” Fleury said. “And I’m at the point in my career where I need to be there. Like, if I’m down [in the AHL] again, it’s just— it’s not where I want to be. So for me, I just need to continue to be consistent and show that I can compete at this level each and every night.”

Fleury added that he significantly changed his body composition this offseason, adding lean mass to help him better handle the grind of an NHL season and the type of role he’s expected to play—which differs from his top-pairing duties in Coachella Valley.

“The role that I would play in the NHL is a lot of defending hard against bigger, heavier guys on the bottom line. So just trying to improve speed by improving strength.”

It appears he will be leaned upon in the first month of the season to help Seattle through its injury woes.

Joey’s big night at ASU

Over the weekend, Joey Daccord was honored before an ASU game against Penn State as the first player in the history of the program to have his jersey number retired.

The images circulating on social media of Daccord and his family traveling to and from Tempe were remarkable—the entire crew made the trip from Seattle and back on a private jet. It was a whirlwind weekend, but that was the only way Daccord could fit the ceremony into a packed schedule that also included a Kraken team-bonding getaway to Port Orchard, Wash., the night before.

“We got back from [the team bonding trip] around one o’clock on Friday afternoon, and my flight was at 2:30,” Daccord said. “So I just raced home, grabbed my stuff, my clothes, my jacket, and picked up my parents, my family, my brother and all my friends, and we went right to the airport. And then, I got back around midnight.

“Arizona State hooked it up. They sent a plane to come get me, which was great. I kind of told them, ‘Hey, the only way this is gonna work is if I can be back to practice the next day.’ There’s no commercial flight at midnight to come back to Seattle, so they made it happen. I really appreciated them taking care of me and my family, so that was sweet. Great, great travel experience.”

Daccord has never been shy about his love for ASU. Since completing his third season as the program’s starting goaltender—when it was still in its infancy as a Division I team—he’s never missed an opportunity to share his passion for the school and its hockey program.

Back in the building where his foundation funded “Dacs’ House,” a suite for families of children undergoing medical treatment, Daccord and his family stood on the ice for a pregame ceremony and watched as his number was raised to the rafters of Mullett Arena.

“I never really envisioned [having my number retired],” Daccord said. “When I did my official visit, Coach [Greg] [Powers’] vision for me was I was gonna go there, I was gonna help the team kind of get to where the university and the program wanted to be, and he was like, ‘You’re gonna come here, you’re gonna sign in the NHL, play in the NHL, and one day we’re gonna retire your jersey.’ So just over 10 years later from my official visit, having that moment kind of come full circle, the chills when it was happening… Just a really special night.”

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.

Monday Musings: The return of Seattle Kraken hockey

Monday Musings: The return of Seattle Kraken hockey

The preseason is done, and we’re just days away from the season opener at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday night, when the Seattle Kraken take on the Anaheim Ducks.

Every season starts with a sense of optimism, and this one is no different. With seemingly every media outlet down on the Kraken’s playoff chances, Seattle should come into the year with a chip on its shoulder and a “prove them wrong” mindset.

I’m not saying this is a no-doubt playoff team, but I do think they’ll be more competitive than pundits are giving them credit for. One of the biggest challenges last season was defensive structure, and the arrival of new head coach Lane Lambert should help tighten that up. The Kraken also made some subtle but strategic moves this offseason, acquiring Mason Marchment and Frederick Gaudreau, along with free-agent signings of defenseman Ryan Lindgren and goaltender Matt Murray. None of these moves are flashy, but each one addresses a specific need.

The return to depth scoring?

One of the keys to success for the Kraken this season will be rediscovering the depth scoring they had in 2022–23. That season, Seattle was one of just six teams with six or more players scoring 20-plus goals. During 2024–25, four teams hit that mark—and all four made the playoffs. There’s nothing magical about the 20-goal threshold, but it’s a solid indicator of depth scoring.

In fact, the Kraken’s 2022–23 success went deeper than just their top scorers. Beyond their 20-goal players, another seven skaters had 13-plus goals that year.

To see how Seattle’s current depth stacks up against the Pacific Division, I did a quick analysis. I looked at each team’s current roster, summed total goals over the past three seasons, and divided by total games played to get an average goals-per-game rate. I filtered out anyone with fewer than 50 games over that stretch, then isolated the top 12 forwards and top six defensemen for each team to visualize potential depth scoring.

The chart below gives a quick snapshot of where each Pacific team’s goals are likely coming from by using the players’ historical scoring rates as a proxy:

This is a simple analysis, but it highlights how the Kraken are light on elite goal scoring (the “dark red” tier) yet well stocked in the middle tiers. Collectively, their roster averaged the fourth-most goals per game (3.201) in the division over the last three seasons. The blank cells indicate players with fewer than 50 NHL games during that span—guys like Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Ryan Winterton.

Berkly Catton has made the team… for now

One of the biggest preseason questions was whether Berkly Catton would make the roster and play more than nine games, the threshold for burning a year off his entry-level contract. Step 1 was simply being on the roster at the NHL’s deadline, and as one of 23 players who made that cut, he’s cleared that first hurdle.

Catton has shown flashes that he can play at the NHL level. He looked terrific in the preseason game against Calgary, but also had a rough outing against Edmonton, taking three penalties in the first period and committing a couple of turnovers. The talent is clearly there, but the jump from junior to the NHL is huge, and he’ll need time to adjust to the pace and physicality. He’s still learning, but every shift he plays this season is another step toward becoming a cornerstone piece for Seattle’s future.

It’s worth noting how rare it is for a 19-year-old rookie to play a full NHL season. Last year, only two did: Matvei Michkov (26 goals, 37 assists) and Will Smith (18 goals, 27 assists). If Catton sticks and produces at Smith’s level, that would be a massive success.

Other Musings

  • The Kraken trimmed the roster to the NHL-required 23 players on Monday, meaning Catton, Nyman, and Winterton have made it, for now. The team isn’t required to stay at 23, though.
  • The real intrigue will be how those three slot into the lineup. At least one should dress on Thursday.
  • Fun fact: Ryan Winterton has played the most NHL games of any third-round pick from the 2021 Draft.
  • Frederick Gaudreau scored in the shootout last Monday. He’s a shootout dynamo, converting 52.6 percent of his career attempts, the best on the Kraken and fifth-highest in the NHL.
  • Seattle’s 2025 first-round pick, Jake O’Brien, was injured in the final 20 seconds of Brantford’s game against Windsor on Saturday and needed help off the ice.
  • In case you missed it, Joey Daccord had his jersey retired by Arizona State University. Watch here.
  • The much-anticipated PWHL schedule dropped earlier this week, with PWHL Seattle’s home debut set for November 28 (Black Friday).
  • Only four home games in October! That must mean it’s road trip season.
  • The AHL kicks off this week, and Coachella Valley’s young roster is packed with Kraken prospects. This should be a fun Firebirds season to keep tabs on.

Goal of the week

Let’s see what one of the Geekies has been up to.

Player performances

Julius Miettinen (EVT/SEA) – The newly signed Kraken prospect was on fire this weekend, posting four goals and three assists in three games.

Kim Saarinen (HPK/SEA) – The Finnish netminder and Kraken prospect is off to a strong start in Liiga, going 4-0-3 with a 1.82 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

Ryan Winterton (SEA) – It’s only preseason, but Winterton impressed with two goals in the finale. He might slot into the fourth line, but don’t expect it to be a “traditional” grinding fourth line. He has also skated on the third line in recent practices, with Jani Nyman on the fourth.

The week ahead

The Kraken open their season at home with two great matchups: the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

With Joel Quenneville back behind the bench in Anaheim and a promising young core, the Ducks are expected to take a step forward this year. Both teams want to be in the playoff hunt come April, so even though it’s just one game, this matchup matters for early division positioning.

Saturday’s tilt with Vegas will be a real test. The Golden Knights are, in my opinion, the best team in the Pacific and maybe the entire NHL. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Kraken’s depth and Lane Lambert’s system stack up against Vegas’s firepower.

And finally…

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to Sound Of Hockey Fest over the weekend, and to all of our incredible guests. I’m constantly blown away by this community’s passion; it’s what keeps us inspired to do what we do here at Sound Of Hockey.

Let’s have a great season—and as always, Go Kraken!

Ep 356 – LIVE FROM SOH FEST! – 1st Period, with Everett Fitzhugh

Sound Of Hockey Fest 2.0 was an absolute BLAST!

On this week’s episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, you’ll hear the “1st period” from the event, in which the guys welcomed Everett Fitzhugh onto the stage for some food talk, Tigers/Mariners talk, and of course, TONS of Kraken talk.

Lots of thoughtful discussion about how training camp shook out for Seattle and where the players fit in. Plus, some big laughs and significant booing from the crowd.

The other two “periods” from Sound Of Hockey Fest will be published in the coming days.

Enjoy!

SUBSCRIBE! ENJOY! REVIEW!

Down on the Farm – Catton makes his case for the NHL roster

Down on the Farm – Catton makes his case for the NHL roster

Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll cover the latest prospect news from Kraken training camp, as well as the week that was for Kraken prospects playing in junior leagues and overseas. For our feature this week, we reviewed every shift from Berkly Catton’s five preseason games to evaluate where he stands in his quest to become an NHL regular. Let’s dive in.

Catton proves he is ready for NHL time, but must continue to develop

Though the Kaapo Kakko injury likely ended any conversation on whether Berkly Catton will make the NHL roster to begin the year (he will), Catton has been very active this preseason attempting to show that he is ready for a full-time NHL role. From my perspective, there has been far more good than bad.

Catton began camp playing center where he showed the speed necessary to traverse the rink end-to-end, getting low in support in the defensive zone before joining or leading the rush the opposite direction. This is an important trait for a center in new coach Lane Lambert’s system, which asks a lot of its centers defensively. From the center position, Catton was all over the ice hunting the puck. He won more than his share of puck battles and was undaunted physically even if he wasn’t able to body defenders away from the puck due to his stature.

Offensively, Catton regularly set up his teammates with crisp, pinpoint passes to take open ice in transition or for shots in the offensive zone. There were shades of rookie Shane Wright in Catton’s passing game where Catton would rush a no-look feed not realizing he had another split second to make a more accurate pass. As with Wright, this is correctible with repetitions at pro pace.

Similarly, Catton was overly aggressive at times, particularly with east-west passes along the offensive and defensive blue lines. The NHL game is all about speed and pressure, and those plays could lead to bad turnovers as opponents scout and key in on it. Taking the simpler north-south play more often and trusting his puck possession skill a bit more will help him there.

In transition, Catton is one of Seattle’s best players already with the pace, puck handling, and vision to dice up opposing forechecks and get into the offensive zone with possession. This was even more notable when he was playing on the wing in the latter portion of the preseason. At the wing position, Catton is more likely to find himself high in the defensive zone when a turnover occurs, and this gives him a chance to create breakaway chances or other transition advantages (as he did early in the Vancouver game, see below).

Catton has a quick release on his shot and good offensive instincts to get to the scoring areas where he can find rebounds, deflections, or passes from his teammates. That said, the shot is not particularly hard or pinpoint by NHL standards right now. This is something that a 19-year-old player can continue to develop.

Most concerning from an NHL perspective is his instinct to tie up an opponent with his stick after losing a puck battle. We talked about this as something that showed up in his junior games. It was particularly glaring in the team’s final preseason game when he took three minor penalties on plays of this kind. Put simply, that cannot happen. Catton will be off the team if he’s taking penalties with regularity. The solve for Catton is in more conservative body positioning that protects against a breakaway, even if he loses some advantage in a puck battle, and in trusting his feet more defensively. He can catch just about anyone if he’s skating.

Kraken reassign 20 players to the AHL, waive Meyers and Stephens

Last Saturday the Kraken reassigned forwards J.R. Avon, Jagger Firkus, David Goyette, Justin Janicke, Andrei Loshko, Ian McKinnon, Jacob Melanson, Logan Morrison, Carson Rehkopf, Lleyton Roed, and Eduard Sale, defensemen Lukas Dragicevic, Kaden Hammell, Tyson Jugnauth, Ty Nelson, Gustav Olofsson, and Caden Price, and goaltenders Nikke Kokko, Jack LaFontaine, and Victor Ostman to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

All of these players could be reassigned to the AHL directly without waivers because they were either signed to AHL contracts (Janicke, McKinnon, Olofsson, and Lafontaine) or waivers-exempt. Melanson is the only player in this group that I thought had a legitimate chance at the Opening Night roster. I still believe he has a shot to play NHL games this year if he can keep pushing.

On Thursday, Oct. 2, the team waived forwards Ben Meyers and Mitchell Stephens for the purpose of reassigning those players to the AHL. If no other teams claim them, they will join the Firebirds too. Waiver claims will be reported at 11:00 am PT on Friday, Oct. 3. Meyers and Stephens are top depth players who will play in the top-six for Coachella Valley and should see NHL games at some point during the year.

[Author’s Note, Fri, Oct. 3, 2:00 pm PDT: Meyers and Stephens cleared waivers and will report to Coachella Valley.]

Within the last week, the team has also placed injured forward Kaapo Kakko (out six weeks) and defenseman Ryker Evans (out six-to-eight weeks) on injured reserve, which opens their rosters spots for other players.

These moves, along with one more noted below, leave the team with 26 players in camp for 23 spots. Forwards Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Ryan Winterton, and Jani Nyman, and defenseman Ville Ottavaien, could all be reassigned to the AHL without waivers. Forwards John Hayden and Tye Kartye, defenseman Cale Fleury, and goalies Matt Murray and Philipp Grubauer would all require waivers to be reassigned. One or both of the backup goalies will stick to begin the year. (I suspect the answer will be “both.”)

It’s also worth reminding that Catton cannot go to the AHL because of his age and the CHL/NHL transfer agreement that bars 19-year-old CHL players from the AHL.

Notes on three more Kraken players

Max McCormick | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the Coachella Valley Firebirds announced that the team’s first and only captain, forward Max McCormick, would miss the season with a hip injury. This is a difficult blow for the AHL club, both from a leadership and production perspective. McCormick had a knack for getting to the goal front and producing when the Firebirds most needed it. The team made it to the Calder Cup Finals both years McCormick was healthy and in the lineup for the AHL playoffs before faltering without him last year.

The Kraken television broadcast mentioned John Hayden as the captain of the Firebirds during a preseason contest earlier this week. It would be a worthy title for Hayden, assuming he’s not needed on the NHL roster to begin the year.

Nathan Villeneuve | F | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

In addition to the AHL reassignments noted above, the team also reassigned injured forward Nathan Villeneuve to his junior team, the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, leaving Catton as the only 18- or 19-year-old junior-eligible player still in camp. While Villeneuve was always a long shot to remain with the team after camp, the injury was a disheartening development for a young player who was pushing for the second-straight camp displaying some pro-ready aspects of his game. Instead, he’ll look to finish his junior career on a high note before turning pro after his OHL season ends.

Julius Miettinen | F | Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Julius Miettinen missed all of Kraken camp with an upper-body injury, but he was back in the lineup for the Everett Silvertips right away, and he made an immediate impact. He scored twice and added an assist in last Friday’s game against the Wenatchee Wild. After adding another assist on Saturday, Miettinen is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.

[Author’s Note, Fri, Oct. 3, 2:00 pm PDT: Miettinen’s new week is off to a good start too, with the Kraken announcing that they have signed him to an entry-level contract.]

Kraken prospects data update

Loke Krantz also had a case for player of the week, scoring two goals and recording an assist in his only game for Linkoping HC U20. The degree of difficulty involved in tallying three points immediately after missing a few weeks with an injury tipped the scales in Miettinen’s favor, though.

Beyond Miettinen, Jakub Fibigr, Jake O’Brien, Blake Fiddler, and Will Reynolds also returned to their junior lineups last weekend. Fibigr, O’Brien, and Fiddler wasted no time getting on the scoresheet.

Semyon Vyazovoi returned to the crease for Salavat Yulaev Ufa for the first time in more than two weeks. The raw results were not spectacular (five goals against on 37 shots), but it was good to see him back in net and playing a full game for the first time this season. He’ll look to build on this performance moving forward.

Kim Saarinen continues to draw regular starts for HPK and perform well. He was 2-0-1 this week with a 1.99 goals-against average. Among all Liiga goalies with at least five starts, Saarinen is first in GAA (1.79) and second in save percentage (.912).

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker

2: Kim Saarinen

1: Julius Miettinen

Seattle’s Finnish prospects are now three-for-three, though you could argue the Swedish Krantz was unjustly denied this week.

Previewing the week ahead

Barrett Hall and St. Cloud State kick off their NCAA season today, Oct. 3, against Augustana University. Zaccharya Wisdom will likely debut for his new NCAA team, Western Michigan University, next Thursday, Oct. 9, against Ferris State University.

The Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a matchup in Sweden’s U20 league between Krantz’s Linkoping HC and Karl Annborn’s HV71. Annborn had been playing up with the senior HV71 team, but he was absent from the senior lineup on Thursday, Oct. 2, which could indicate he’s back with the U20 team. If so, we’ll get our first Kraken prospect head-to-head game of the 2025-26 season.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects

If you’re here, you likely have an affinity for following players who will be the next stars of the NHL game. We recently published our preseason 2026 NHL Draft watchlist. Consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna will make his NCAA debut for Penn State University on Friday. You can watch the game on NHL Network or the NHL YouTube page.

Recent prospect updates

September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in

* * *

If you have a prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey.

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 – Ryan Winterton nets two in Kraken preseason win over Oilers

Three Takeaways – Ryan Winterton nets two in Kraken preseason win over Oilers

The Seattle Kraken wrapped up their preseason schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Winning and losing doesn’t matter much in preseason, but it’s still nice to finish with a winning record at 3-2-1. This game also marked the end of training camp. The team will have the next two days off for team-building activities before returning to practice Saturday in preparation for the regular-season opener at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 9.

Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-2 Kraken win over the Oilers.

Takeaway #1: Special teams

The Kraken special teams got plenty of work in this one. In the first period alone, there were eight penalties, four for each team. The period ended 3-1 in Seattle’s favor, and all three Kraken goals came on special teams. Josh Mahura and Eeli Tolvanen scored power-play goals with blasts from the point, while Ryan Winterton added a shorthanded tally after intercepting a poor pass by Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard below the goal line and wrapping it into an open net. Tolvanen’s goal came during a 5-on-3. Jaden Schwartz provided the screen on both of the power-play goals by Mahura and Tolvanen.

Seattle’s penalty kill technically gave up just one power-play goal on five Edmonton attempts, including some 5-on-3 time. However, the Oilers’ second goal came seven seconds after a penalty expired, showing there’s still work to do in cleaning up those situations. Last season, Seattle occasionally allowed goals just after a kill or power play, an area that could still use improvement.

Berkly Catton had a rough night, spending time in the box for three stick penalties. Coach Lane Lambert said, “He’s not the only one who took stick penalties and hooking and this and that. We just have to clean that up overall, as a group.”

Takeaway #2: Slow start in the second

Seattle jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and almost looked like they expected Edmonton to fold. After the Oilers scored late in the first and started the second on the power play, momentum shifted. The Kraken struggled to clear the zone, and Edmonton cut the deficit to one. Joey Daccord held strong as Seattle adopted a bend-don’t-break approach for about 10 minutes before regaining some offensive push.

On one hand, it was good to see Seattle weather the storm, but this is not a formula for consistent success. Coach Lambert noticed the lack of spark and shuffled the right wingers, moving Tolvanen, Winterton, and Jani Nyman around. The change worked, and Seattle began generating chances again, finishing the period ahead 3-2.

Takeaway #3: Winterton’s big night

For a guy battling for one of the final roster spots, Winterton definitely left a solid final impression in the minds of the front office and coaches on Wednesday. The 22-year-old winger had two goals, including a shorthanded tally, despite getting just 10:07 of ice time. His second came early in the third to restore a two-goal cushion. Off a slick feed from Freddy Gaudreau, Winterton corralled the pass on his backhand, shifted to his forehand, and lifted it over Pickard’s glove. These were the first goals of the preseason for the 22-year-old forward.

Winterton started the night with Schwartz and Shane Wright, but with so many early penalties, he rarely played with them. He later settled in alongside Tye Kartye and Gaudreau, and the trio clicked well. Asked if he got what he wanted from shuffling the right wings, Lambert replied, “I did out of Winterton.”

Winterton earned first-star honors and yeeted the fish after the game.

Looking ahead to the regular season

There are still roster decisions to come, but preseason is in the books. Now, the focus shifts to the regular season and hopefully getting a couple key players back from injury in time for the meaningful games. Despite dealing with injuries, Seattle finished with a winning record (3-2-1), and all three goaltenders turned in solid performances. Adding Matt Murray provides extra competition in the crease, which should help push everyone.

Nyman didn’t score Thursday but saw time with Wright and Schwartz, where he looked comfortable and got some scoring chances. He consistently gets into scoring positions, but he seems to need a playmaker to set him up.

How do you think this preseason went for the Kraken? Are you more or less optimistic about the upcoming season? Comment 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.

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