We’re in that time of year where every passing day feels like one step closer to hockey season. A new milestone is met, a new storyline emerges, a new roster takes shape. One such milestone is the end of Kraken rookie camp, which officially wraps up Tuesday with the team’s prospects hitting the ice one last time before the veterans appear for main training camp.
“This is big-boy hockey now,” Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal said Sunday. “Now you get the vets coming into your practices, tempo is going to pick up, the puck’s going to move a lot quicker… When that puck drops here on Thursday, training camp starts. You have to be ready, and they will, but this is where the kids really take that step in learning.”
So what did we learn about those kids during Seattle’s rookie camp? Plenty. Let’s dig into the biggest takeaways from practices and the two exhibition games, which the baby Kraken split against Vancouver’s prospects.
It really is a talented group
The Kraken prospect pool is widely regarded as one of the NHL’s top 10, and in some rankings it lands even higher. But you don’t truly get a sense of the group’s quality until you see the players in real game situations—with referees, fans, and opponents in another club’s NHL colors.
Saturday’s dramatic 5-3 comeback win in Everett and Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Kraken Community Iceplex gave us two strong showcases of what Seattle has in its pipeline.
The Saturday lineup was noticeably stronger, thanks to the presence of the three prospects I believe have the best chance of cracking the Opening Night roster—Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Jacob Melanson. All three sat out Sunday.
When Catton and Nyman were on the ice with linemate Jagger Firkus, Vancouver’s prospects spent most of their shifts on their heels. The trio was dynamic, creative, and productive: Catton posted a goal and an assist, Nyman added a goal, and Firkus collected two assists (though Nyman’s tally should have been credited to Firkus).
Catton, in particular, looked like he didn’t belong in a prospect showcase game—in the best way possible. He repeatedly blew past defenders and generated prime scoring chances, hitting the crossbar on one rush and later finishing a dazzling breakaway that tied the game as part of Seattle’s three-goal comeback.
Catton did everything necessary to prove he’s ready to at least compete for a full-time roster spot at main camp. And Nyman, with his massive frame and wicked shot, often looked like a man among boys.
Meanwhile, Melanson showed his trademark grit and pro-level motor. He won’t put up flashy numbers, but his straightforward, punishing style screams bottom-six NHL forward at some point in the near future. I expect him to push for a depth spot or at the very least be a first call-up candidate.
“Just look at him. He’s a killer,” Laxdal said of Melanson. “Jacob is the prototypical power forward. He’s the type of player that if he’s forechecking you, and he’s going to put you through the boards, he’s also going to have a stick on puck. He’s the type of player that nobody wants to play against, and those players are important on a franchise and in an organization.”
Even with Catton, Nyman, Melanson, Ville Ottavainen, and others sitting out on Sunday, Seattle’s prospects still came within a couple bounces of another win, hitting at least four posts that I can remember.
After those two games, and wrapping my head around the quantity of players that have a real chance to make the NHL one day (we haven’t even talked about Eduard Sale, Tyson Jugnauth, Jake O’Brien, Blake Fiddler, Caden Price, or the many other players that showed flashes of brilliance), I’m more convinced than ever that the Kraken have impact NHLers coming in the next couple of seasons.
Nathan Villeneuve continues to make his presence known
Speaking of hard-nosed players, Nathan Villeneuve played in both games, and I noticed him nearly every shift. He has a knack for going to the hard areas and doing everything he can to get under the opponent’s skin.
He also scored Saturday’s game-winner, tipping a shot into Vancouver goalie Aleksei Medvedev’s pads before collecting his own rebound, waiting out the netminder, and burying the puck into a yawning cage.
“I love these games,” Villeneuve said. “I mean, it’s a gritty game because everyone’s trying to prove themselves. So it’s my game to play, and I get excited more than nervous to play these games.”
He didn’t score Sunday, but again left a mark—sneaking behind the defense for a breakaway in the second period and driving several odd-man rushes when the game opened up.
David Goyette “starting to decorate”
David Goyette also made a strong impression and should bring confidence into the main camp after a sometimes bumpy 2024-25 season.
A prolific OHL scorer with 117 points in 68 games for Sudbury in 2023-24, his first pro season was more of a grind. With Coachella Valley, he managed just six goals and 12 assists in a depth role while learning the demands of a 200-foot game.
“As a first-year pro, you’re always trying to adapt as fast as you can to the level, just coming from junior hockey,” Goyette said. “But especially— you put in so much work during the summer. I worked really hard, and you’re trying to impress the coaching staff here and management to show them what you worked on this summer. And it’s always good for them to have an opportunity to see you compete against guys in your similar age group.
“I think I’m happy with my game… Every time you go on the ice, you’re trying to showcase yourself, show them what kind of player you are. So I think I did a good job, and it’s going to propel me leaving here into the main camp.”
He was particularly noticeable Sunday when Catton and Nyman were absent, creating several dangerous looks in the first period and scoring in the second by swatting home a rebound from the slot.
Back in 2022, Goyette was outstanding in his first Kraken camp and preseason before returning to Sudbury to torch the OHL. But his modest numbers with the Firebirds last year raised questions about his confidence and trajectory. Laxdal offered clarity on Sunday.
“There obviously is a skill set there that we want to build on, and for these young players to be able to survive at the next level—even if you just want to survive in the American Hockey League—you have to build a foundation of being able to play a 200-foot game.
“It’s like if you build a house, right? You can’t just build the four walls and the roof unless you have a foundation. So these kids have to build that foundation that allows them to survive at the pro level. And that’s one thing I think David went through last year. He was building his game to allow himself be able to perform and have those offensive numbers that we’ve seen in junior. So going forward now, he’s put the work in in the summer, and he committed; he’s in great shape. If you look at these two games here, kind of building a new book on this year, hopefully now the foundation is being built. We’re putting the floor on, the walls are going up, and now he’s starting to decorate.”
This is a big training camp and season for Goyette. He’s likely headed for another year in the AHL, but if he builds on this foundation, he can push his way back into the conversation as one of Seattle’s top prospects.
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.
So, you took a little break from hockey after the Kraken season ended? Totally fair. There was sunshine and vacations, and maybe you jumped on the roller coaster called Mariners baseball this summer. Hey, it happens to all of us… just not me.
I’ve been waiting for hockey, and hockey is finally back on the horizon.
A lot has gone down around the Pacific Division while you were away, and if you missed any headlines, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered in the Lapsed Fan’s Guide to the 2025 Pacific Division Offseason. We won’t cover Seattle’s moves here, since we covered those last week, but we’ll run through everything else you need to know about team’s divisional rivals heading into 2025–26. And of course, we’ll talk about how it all impacts the Kraken, because that’s what you really care about.
Anaheim Ducks
80 points in 2024-25 (12th Western Conference, 6th Pacific Division)
Additions: Chris Kreider (22 G), Mikael Granlund (22 G), Ryan Poehling (12 G) Subtractions: Trevor Zegras (12 G), Isac Lundestrom (4 G), Brian Dumoulin (2 G), John Gibson (11 W)
The Ducks were very active this offseason, and one of their biggest moves came off the ice. They fired head coach Greg Cronin after a 21-point improvement over the previous season and replaced him with Joel Quenneville. Whether you think Quenneville should be back in the league is a debate for another time, but the bottom line is he’s here, and expectations are that he’ll make an impact.
This is a young, up-and-coming team. Assuming the Ducks sign RFA Mason MacTavish, they’ll have three players age 22 or younger who scored at least 20 goals last season. After finishing 30th in goals last year, they addressed that weakness by adding Kreider and Granlund without losing much.
Kraken impact: The Ducks finished ahead of Seattle last year and got better both on the bench and on the ice this summer. If the Kraken are playing meaningful games in March, I would expect Anaheim to also be in the conversation and a team Seattle will need to overcome in the standings.
Calgary Flames
96 points (9th Western Conference, 4th Pacific Division)
Additions: Ivan Prosvetov (20 W in KHL) Subtractions: Dan Vladar (12 W)
The Flames tied St. Louis in the standings last year but lost the playoff tiebreaker, making them the final team out. For a team that close, you might expect a splashy offseason, but that didn’t happen. Their biggest roster changes came way back in January, when they acquired Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia. Both struggled to produce in Calgary, but it’s too soon to assume they won’t be impactful as Flames.
Calling Calgary’s offseason “quiet” is a little misleading, though. The Flames did lock up several RFAs, including Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Morgan Frost, and Kevin Bahl. The big question is whether ninth overall pick Zayne Parekh sticks around this year. After a monster OHL season (33 goals, 107 points), he’s either playing in the NHL or heading back to junior, since there is no AHL option because of transfer rules.
Kraken impact: Calgary is still a team Seattle has to jump over to sniff a playoff spot. The surprising 96-point total last year was largely Dustin Wolf dragging the Flames into contention, though. Scoring remains their biggest challenge where they finished 29th in goals per game (2.68).
Edmonton Oilers
101 points (6th Western Conference, 3rd Pacific Division, Stanley Cup Final)
Additions: Andrew Mangiapane (14 G), Isaac Howard (prospect) Subtractions: Connor Brown (13 G), Corey Perry (19 G), Jeff Skinner (16 G), Viktor Arvidsson (15 G), Evander Kane (DNP regular season)
Edmonton lost a lot of firepower this summer, and the biggest storyline remains whether Connor McDavid will sign an extension. So far, no rush from his camp. Meanwhile, the Oilers again ignored their shaky goaltending, which still looks like their Achilles heel despite back-to-back Stanley Cup Final trips.
Kraken impact: Believe it or not, Edmonton only scored 14 more goals than Seattle last year. Factor in the Oilers’ offseason losses, and it’s not crazy to think the Kraken could outscore them this season. That said, as long as McDavid and Leon Draisaitl wear Oilers sweaters, they’re a dangerous team. Expect a slight step back, but not enough to put them in Seattle’s neighborhood.
Los Angeles Kings
105 points (4th Western Conference, 2nd Pacific Division)
Additions: Andrei Kuzmenko (6 G), Brian Dumoulin (3 G), Corey Perry (19 G), Joel Armia (11 G), Cody Ceci (4 G), Anton Forsberg (11 W) Subtractions: Jordan Spence (4 G), Tanner Jeannot (7 G), Vladislav Gavrikov (16 G), David Rittich (16 W)
The Kings got older this offseason, adding several 30-plus veterans, including 40-year-old Corey Perry (who just got injured in training and had knee surgery that will keep him out for six-to-eight weeks). But they still have talent spread across the age curve. Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, and Warren Foegele (all 29) combined for 94 goals last year, and a younger core of Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere, and Brandt Clarke continues to grow.
In goal, Darcy Kuemper returns for his second season. He was solid last year, but at 35, the risk of injury and declining play looms.
Kraken impact: The Kings added useful veterans without losing much. Unless their goaltending falls apart, expect another strong season. They’ll be tough to leapfrog in the standings.
San Jose Sharks
52 points (16th Western Conference, 8th Pacific Division)
Additions: Adam Gaudette (19 G), Philipp Kurashev (7 G), Jeff Skinner (16 G), Dmitry Orlov (6 G), John Klingberg (1 G) Subtractions: Fabian Zetterlund (17 G), Mikael Granlund (15 G), Luke Kunin (11 G), Nico Sturm (7 G), Jake Walman (6 G), Cody Ceci (4 G)
The Sharks were bad last year, but at least they were fun. They’re building around Macklin Celebrini, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, and 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa. They lost some vets but replaced them smartly while leaving space for prospects to earn NHL spots.
Kraken impact: San Jose should improve but still finish behind Seattle. What matters is they’ll likely steal more points from division foes, keeping the playoff race tighter.
Vancouver Canucks
90 points (10th Western Conference, 5th Pacific Division)
Additions: Evander Kane (DNP) Subtractions: Dakota Joshua (7 G), Pius Suter (25 G)
The Canucks’ biggest change came behind the bench. Rick Tocchet left for Philadelphia, and assistant coach Adam Foote steps in as a first-time NHL head coach. On the roster side, Evander Kane replaces some of Pius Suter’s goals, while Thatcher Demko enters the year healthy… for now. Additionally, I am sure this season won’t be filled with the same drama they had last season, right?
Kraken impact: With Tocchet gone, many expect regression. That’s good news for Seattle, who finished 14 points behind them last year. Still, Vancouver should be in the playoff mix late in the season.
Vegas Golden Knights
110 points (2nd Western Conference, 1st Pacific Division)
Additions: Mitch Marner (27 G), Colton Sissons (7 G) Subtractions: Tanner Pearson (12 G), Nicolas Roy (15 G), Nicolas Hague (5 G), Alex Pietrangelo (injury, 4 G)
Vegas pulled off the move of the offseason, landing Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal with Toronto, and just like that, one of the league’s best offensive teams just got scarier. On defense, early in the offseason, Alex Pietrangelo announced that he will be stepping away due to health issues. He logged more ice time than any other Knight last season, and his absence should be substantial.
Kraken impact: Vegas will still be Vegas, annoyingly good. Seattle will face them four times this year (up from three last season), so buckle up.
How the Pacific Division stacks up
So, there you have it. The Ducks got more dangerous, the Flames stayed quiet, the Oilers are dealing with big question marks, the Kings doubled down on vets, the Sharks are slowly climbing, the Canucks could slip, and Vegas just keeps flexing. For the Kraken, it means the path to the playoffs won’t be easy; too many rivals either held steady or improved.
But hockey’s funny that way. Seasons don’t play out on paper, and if Seattle can clean up its own micro-issues (yes, trailing first and back-to-backs, I’m looking at you), they can hang around in the mix. At the very least, it should make for a wild Pacific Division ride.
The return of Down on the Farm is right around the corner. Prospect seasons are underway. 2024 third-round goalie Kim Saarinen started HPK’s first regular-season game in Liiga, turning away 29 of 31 shots through regulation and overtime, only to lose in a shootout. 2025 fifth-round pick Maxim Agafonov has already played three regular-season games for his VHL club Toros Neftekamsk. (More on that in a moment.)
For now, we’ll continue with a Rookie Camp edition of Friday Film Room, breaking down on video of Julius Miettinen, the aforementioned Agafonov, and Jakub Fibigr. One tweak I’m making this week is to include a “best-case peak projection” alongside the “50th-percentile peak projection” I have been providing previously.
The former is what it sounds like: If everything comes together for this player, what could he become and when will he get there? The latter projection is an attempt to predict an “average” peak outcome and “average” timeframe to get there. If you have questions or Film Room requests, don’t hesitate to reach out below or on social media @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Julius Miettinen | Forward | 19 years old | 2024 second-round pick (unsigned)
Video: All Shifts | Everett Silvertips vs. Portland Winterhawks (AHL) | Apr. 16, 2025
Notes: Julius Miettinen is a workhorse with the size, physicality, and skating to be an NHL player. He can show pro-ready defensive skill and compete at times, too—particularly when the difficulty of the situation ratchets up. I thought his play at the 2025 World Junior Championship was a particularly compelling argument for Miettinen’s pro projection. He used his size to gain productive net-front positioning and win puck battles, and he used speed and anticipation to disrupt on the penalty kill and press the play on the forecheck. He was one of Finland’s best players en route to a round-robin victory over the more-talented United States and event runner-up status.
In junior, he was an indispensable player from the center position for the Everett Silvertips last season, often finding a way to score a gritty goal when his team most needed it. His ability to take tough matchups and win critical draws was also essential to Everett’s success. That said, there were quiet stretches for the player and times where his skill level with the puck on his stick looked closer to average by CHL standards. He’s not going to overwhelm in transition or off the rush, preferring to work in a support role that creates advantages for his teammates. This limited his point production and tempers his high-end projection.
2025-26 season outlook: Leading Everett (WHL) and Team Finland (WJC) in top-six roles, and developing his consistency and offensive production.
System rank: No. 7 (No. 6 forward)
Best-case projection: NHL third-line center (ETA: mid-2027-28) | 50th percentile projection: NHL fourth-line center (ETA: 2028-29)
Maxim Agafonov | Defenseman | 18 years old | 2025 fifth-round pick (unsigned)
Video: All Shifts | Toros Neftekamsk v. Magnitka Magnitogorsk (VHL) | Sept. 8, 2025
Notes: As mentioned above, Agafonov’s 2025-26 season is already underway in Russia at the second-tier professional level VHL—a league that is often analogized by scouts to ECHL-level competition. This is strong experience for the 18-year-old defender, and if first impressions are any indication, he’s on solid footing at this professional level. In the Sept. 8, 2025, game excerpted above, Agafonov was deployed in a second-pair, power-play quarterback role, and his broad skillset translated.
He looks sturdier this season in his 6-foot-2 frame when compared with the player I saw last season. Even playing against older competition he was willing to engage physically at the net front and along the boards, and he held his own. If he can continue to add muscle, he’ll really look the part of a professional defenseman.
Agafonov moved the puck capably through the neutral zone, effectively reading when he had the advantage to take open ice and connecting on stretch passes. In the offensive zone, the skill level is there to be an effective shooter and passer from the blue line. At times he uses his skating to cycle down lower into the offensive zone to create advantages, which is a good sign that the offensive production should tick up.
Questions remain about his overall hockey sense and defensive instincts. He seemed to drift and lose his mark in the defensive zone at times, conceding open net-front advantages. The physicality and fundamentals in his own zone need to progress, but this is not atypical for a young player. I don’t see a true carrying trait but a broad set of skills that could carry him higher than his draft status might have suggested if he can continue to make across-the-board progress.
2025-26 season outlook: Regular playing time for Toros Neftekamsk (VHL).
Jakub Fibigr | Defenseman | 19 years old | 2024 seventh-round pick (unsigned)
Video: All Shifts | Czechia vs. Switzerland (U20 Five Nations) | August 30, 2025
Notes: Fibigir’s 2024-25 season with the Brampton Steelheads was quieter from a point-production perspective than I would have anticipated, but his role never waned, and I saw strides defensively from a player that struggled at times in that regard as an OHL rookie the year before. He also continues to earn opportunities at the international level from Team Czechia in a top-four, power-play role—like he did at the 2025 U20 Five Nations tournament a couple weeks ago. All of this suggests to me that he’s well regarded by the coaches that work with him.
In the defensive zone, he leverages above-average skating skill and creativity to break the forecheck and quickly outlet the puck to teammates. He’ll disrupt the play at the blue line or along the boards at times, but overall could use a bit more decisiveness in his reads in those areas. He has enough skating speed to be a factor in transition offensively and save breakaways on the back check.
In the offensive zone, he has adequate skill with the puck on his stick at the blue line to find open teammates and get his shots through on net. I’d anticipate that the point production finally ticks up for Fibigr in the year ahead.
2025-26 season outlook: Top-four and power-play role for Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
System rank: Outside the top 20
Best-case projection: NHL No. 6 or No. 7 defenseman (ETA: 2028-29)| 50th percentile projection: Multi-year AHL second-pair defenseman (ETA: 2027-28)
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.
As of Thursday, Sept. 11, the Seattle Kraken are officially back on the ice preparing for the 2025-26 season. As always, on-ice activities begin with a Rookie Camp for players not yet established at the NHL level. This year’s group includes includes all Kraken prospects except those scheduled to play college hockey or overseas.
With this activity ramping up, there’s no better time to debut our Sound Of Hockey Seattle Kraken prospect ranking. Without discussing in advance, John Barr and I provided our own personal preseason prospect rankings, and then we combined them to create our Sound Of Hockey rank. At the end of this post, we’ll debate how our rankings turned out, as well as a couple bigger-picture topics.
Today—as we do annually at this time of year—we’ll also pass along a composite ranking of Seattle Kraken prospects from public scouting and draft analyst rankings, which we have dubbed the “Deep Sea Blue Chips.” This year we gathered player and system rankings from:
Let’s start with these analyst rankings and provide some takeaways, then we’ll dive into our Sound Of Hockey Seattle Kraken prospect ranking and a debate between John Barr and me.
The 2025 Deep Sea Blue Chips
Berkly Catton tops the Deep Sea Blue Chips as Seattle’s top prospect in the eyes of national analysts. This is hardly a surprise, but it may be a little more interesting that it wasn’t a consensus view. Elite Prospects ranked Jake O’Brien ahead of Catton in their recent rankings. I dug into their rationale last week. Overall, O’Brien checks in at No. 2 here.
Public analysts are bullish on Seattle’s 2025 second-round pick Blake Fiddler, who lands at No. 3 on this list. You can read up on Fiddler’s game in our Film Room feature. Next is 2023 second-round pick Carson Rehkopf, who has piled up goals at the OHL level, but will now look to transition that skill set to the professional level.
Interestingly, 2022 second-round pick Jagger Firkus rounds out the top five. After leading the CHL in scoring during his previous campaign, the undersized Firkus debuted in the AHL with a solid rookie effort last season, showing developed off-puck habits that could be a harbinger of better things to come. I’m inclined to believe that the national analysts have Firkus this high based on his junior resume. That said, I have to admit that I found a lot to like about his professional game last season, and while it will still take some time, I’m now fairly bullish on his future.
The Kraken have a deep prospect pool; is it elite?
Group wisdom puts the Kraken prospect pool somewhere around No. 8 in the league. (Interestingly, this is also where Seattle’s farm system ended up when ranked by total number of Top-100 prospects in our “data-only” analysis. Check out our 2025 NHL-affiliated prospect ranking here.)
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, Corey Pronman of The Athletic, and McKeen’s Hockey all view the Kraken as a top-seven system, complimenting the organization both for its depth and the high-end talent at the top in the form of Berkly Catton. Elite Prospects, which ranked the Kraken No. 13 overall, is slightly cooler on Catton, which likely impacted the ranking significantly because Elite Prospects was also complimentary of the team’s depth.
At the end of the day, the progress and performance of Seattle’s high-end players, particularly Catton, will determine whether the system is “elite” or merely “good.”
The Sound Of Hockey Seattle Kraken prospects ranking
Without further ado, let’s get to the inaugural Sound Of Hockey prospects ranking. Again, the ranking is an average of subjective assessments from John Barr and me. We broke ties by ranking the player with the higher “high” rank first. We proceeded accordingly through the top 20 and ties. Then we also ranked any player that received a top-20 vote from either of us. This process resulted in a ranked list of your top 24 Seattle Kraken prospects.
What stands out? What did we mess up? You can let us know in the comments. John and I will now debate it.
Seattle Kraken prospects ranking roundtable
Which Kraken prospect is most overlooked by the general prospect community?
John Barr: Nikke Kokko probably doesn’t get talked about enough, and when he does, it feels like another Kraken goalie prospect, Kim Saarinen, often gets ranked ahead of him. I get that goalies are really tough to project, but Kokko was one of the youngest goalies in the AHL last season and still put up some of the best numbers. He’s trending really well to step into the NHL in a couple of years and has elevated his game at every stage of his career so far.
Curtis Isacke: I agree with you on Kokko, John. Extrapolating to the goalies generally, it was baffling to me last season when Kokko was topping AHL rookies, and Kim Saarinen and Semyon Vyazovoi were leading their respective European professional leagues in save percentage, that none of them could garner any national recognition. That’s slowly starting to come, with Elite Prospects mentioning Vyazovoi, Corey Pronman preferring Saarinen, and McKeen’s ranking Kokko highly. It still seems like Kokko’s work is under-recognized.
Which ranking on the other person’s list was the biggest surprise?
Curtis: On the upside, I was pleasantly surprised to see how high you were on the goalies. As mentioned, I think you’re onto something there. Also, I like the bet on Eduard Sale’s talent, even if I was hesitant to go there. We often forget how young he is still. I’ll throw Ville Ottavainen’s name out there. While I think his play plateaued a bit this past season, he has the tools and experience to be a third-pair NHL defender soon. If the goal is to sort NHL players from those who may fall short of that level, I think he may outperform the public analyst consensus (No. 19) and come closer to your ranking. If the goal is to project upside, perhaps the national consensus is closer. On the downside, I’ll say Ty Nelson for some of the same reasons. I think he has legitimate third-pair NHL defenseman potential, which likely justifies ranking him a bit higher than No. 26.
John: I think we’re in the same ballpark on most prospects, with just a few bigger variances here and there. But maybe the biggest surprise was you ranking Caden Price at No. 9 when I had him at 17. Funny enough, I wrote earlier this week that he tends to fly under the radar, so I do like the player, I just don’t see his ceiling being quite as high compared to some of the other guys in my top 10. I’m excited to see how he plays in the AHL, but I probably need to see a full year from him before moving him up.
Which prospect could make my ranking look bad in a year?
John: Eduard Sale. I haven’t given up on him, and he still shows flashes where you see exactly why he was a first-round pick in 2023. But the cold stretches are just too frequent right now. Last season he was a 19-year-old in the AHL, so it’s not like anyone expected him to dominate, but there are plenty of examples of 19-year-olds who had much stronger seasons at that level. For me, he absolutely needs to show progress this year if he’s going to hold his spot in my top 10 by the end of the season.
Curtis: Oh, interesting! I was just complimenting you on what I thought was already a high ranking. In a similar vein, I’ll say David Goyette. This is a player who paced the OHL in scoring a couple years ago and fell out of our top 24 after just one (admittedly difficult) professional season. He needs to make big physical and processing gains to get his head above water at the AHL level, but he has the skill to do it. He could make my ranking look bad.
Which prospect has the most to prove this year?
John: There are a lot of candidates, but I’ll go with Ryan Winterton. He needs to break through this year if he’s going to make it. We’ve been excited about him for a while, and he even made his NHL debut back in Nov., 2023, but he hasn’t really shown yet that he should stick. Compare that with Jani Nyman’s debut, Winterton was in a fourth-line role, while Nyman was paired with Eberle and got some power-play time. So maybe that’s not a totally fair comp, but the bottom line is Winterton needs to establish himself, either by lighting it up in the AHL or proving he belongs in the NHL.
Curtis: Several of the returning AHLers come to mind for me. You picked a good one in Winterton, John. I’ll mention Goyette and Sale as well, two players we have already touched on a bit. Both dealt with prolonged quite stretches last season. If either player is similarly unproductive this season, they could see their AHL playing time cut, given the increased competition in Coachella Valley this year.
Broadly speaking, what was the most challenging part of making your rankings?
John: Honestly? The whole thing. I like all the prospects and want them all to succeed, so ranking them almost feels like picking favorites. Obviously, some players are ahead of others, but I hate putting anyone outside the top 20. On top of that, comparing players in different stages of their development, playing in different leagues, with my limited viewings… it’s tough. At times it felt like putting chips on a craps table—sure, there are odds and probabilities, but in the end, anything can happen with these guys.
Curtis: Well put, John. I agree. We’ll leave it there for now. What did we get wrong? Let us have it in the comments below or X/Twitter or Blue Sky.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
The time… has come. Seattle Kraken prospects will hit the ice at Kraken Community Iceplex on Thursday to commence rookie camp, a few days ahead of the organization’s full training camp, which gets underway in earnest on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
As we ramp back toward the regular season, we at Sound Of Hockey thought it was a good time to review what the Kraken did this offseason to retool their front office, roster, and coaching staff—and consider how things might look different in 2025-26.
Front office changes
After their third losing season in four years of existence, the Kraken wasted no time making changes at the top. Head coach Dan Bylsma was handed his pink slip, while Ron Francis moved out of the general manager’s chair and into a newly created president of hockey operations role. Jason Botterill, who had served as assistant GM since Year 1, was promoted to GM.
At first, this shuffle felt superficial. But with Botterill holding final say, the approach has already been different. He’s been more forthcoming with media and fans than Francis ever was, and he wasted no time wheeling and dealing early in the offseason. Still, his moves were measured—aimed at complementing the roster with a new coach and a handful of shrewd trades and signings rather than blowing things up.
This marks Botterill’s second shot as an NHL general manager, following his tenure with the Buffalo Sabres from May, 2017, through June, 2020. To backfill his old AGM post, the Kraken hired Ryan Jankowski, most recently director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes / Utah Mammoth.
A new bench boss
Bylsma’s dismissal after a 35-41-6 finish that left Seattle second to last in the Pacific Division led to a lengthy search for the team’s third head coach. After a thorough process, Botterill tapped Lane Lambert, the former Islanders head coach who had most recently been associate head coach with the Maple Leafs.
Lambert brings years of NHL coaching experience: four seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, followed by stints as an assistant with Nashville and Washington, then five years as Islanders associate head coach before replacing Barry Trotz at the helm. Lambert lasted two and a half seasons as New York’s bench boss, compiling a 61-46-20 record and earning one playoff berth.
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There's a great new Sound Of Hockey Podcast episode featuring two HUGE interviews with Lane Lambert AND Jason Botterill. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/tgcJT3s5yA
Known for his structured, detail-oriented approach, Lambert is expected to instill a tighter defensive system and decrease the breakdowns that plagued Seattle last season. To round out his staff, the Kraken parted ways with assistants Dave Lowry and Bob Woods and goalie coach Steve Briere, then hired Aaron Schneekloth (formerly Colorado Eagles head coach), Chris Taylor (formerly Devils assistant), and promoted Coachella Valley goalie coach Colin Zulianello.
Roster tweaks
On the player side, Botterill came out firing with a June 19 trade for gritty-but-skilled winger Mason Marchment from Dallas. Marchment, 27, enters the final year of his deal but projects to play a top-six role. He scored 22 goals and added 25 assists in 62 games last season and should replace some of the offense lost when Oliver Bjorkstrand was shipped to Tampa Bay at the deadline.
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In your favorite podcast apps, we have a fantastic new Sound Of Hockey Podcast interview with #SeaKraken forward Mason Marchment.
Marchment also brings something Seattle sorely needs: the ability to get inside and create space for teammates, similar to Kaapo Kakko’s impact after his midseason arrival. Matty Beniers’ production surged once Kakko came aboard, and Botterill is banking on Marchment having a similar effect.
Two days after the trade for Marchment, Botterill shed Andre Burakovsky’s hefty contract, flipping him to Chicago for Joe Veleno, who was then bought out. Five days after that, he landed versatile forward Frederick Gaudreau from Minnesota. A respected locker-room presence who can play center or wing, Gaudreau put up 18 goals and 19 assists last year and should provide depth, versatility, and some secondary scoring.
In free agency, Botterill surprised many by signing 27-year-old defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year, $18 million contract. Known league-wide as a warrior who will do whatever it takes to win, Lindgren should help stabilize Seattle’s back end. Botterill also added veteran goalie Matt Murray as depth; with Philipp Grubauer still in the fold, Murray is likely destined for Coachella Valley to start, but he gives the Kraken a veteran fallback option if Grubauer flounders again.
Botterill rounded out his summer business by re-signing restricted free agents Tye Kartye (two years, $2.5 million), Kakko (three years, $13.575 million), and Ryker Evans (two years, $4.1 million).
Did the Kraken improve enough?
Seattle didn’t land any blockbuster names this offseason, but the front office believes last year’s group underperformed. So the focus was on adding character players and hiring a coach who can extract more from the roster through structure and consistency.
There’s also optimism that Shane Wright and Matty Beniers can take meaningful steps toward becoming leaders, while rookies like Berkly Catton—and possibly Jani Nyman—could step in and contribute.
Whether these changes to the front office, coaching staff, and roster will be enough to push the Kraken into the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history remains to be seen. But the journey begins now.
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.
We are so back! The Seattle Kraken kick off their rookie camp on Wednesday at the Kraken Community Iceplex, which gives us another chance to check out players from their impressive prospect pool.
It goes without saying that Berkly Catton and Jani Nyman should be watched closely, as they figure to be in the conversation for the NHL roster, but we’re digging a bit deeper here to consider a few less-touted players that I’ll be closely monitoring.
I’m always excited for rookie camp to see how these prospects are sizing up in a slightly more competitive environment compared to development camp earlier in the summer. Without further ado, here are four players to keep an eye on in rookie camp.
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
“OFM” has been one of my favorite Kraken prospects since he was drafted. He’s been a strong two-way center for HV71 over the last three seasons, and he’s still just 20 years old. Mølgaard has attended three development camps with the Kraken, but this will be his first rookie/training camp.
His stat line from last season of five goals and 14 assists in 38 SHL games doesn’t exactly leap off the page. But considering the SHL’s lower-scoring environment, his age, and his role, that production is very good. Add in his experience playing for Denmark in Olympic qualifiers and World Championships over the last 12 months, and you’ve got a guy who already knows what it’s like to compete against NHLers.
When you watch him, pay attention to his defensive game. Many prospects struggle with that transition against NHL competition, but Mølgaard is ahead of the curve there. Don’t be surprised if he earns at least one preseason game… or two.
Tyson Jugnauth
The left-shot defenseman’s development path has been well-documented here. Drafted in the fourth round in 2022, Jugnauth spent a season and a half at Wisconsin before moving on to the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Late this past spring, he committed to Michigan State but ultimately chose to sign his entry-level deal with the Kraken.
Since joining Portland, Jugnauth has been a game breaker, racking up 179 points in 142 combined regular-season and playoff games. This summer, he took things a step further by moving to Seattle to train with Kraken staff, adding muscle and strength to his game.
On the ice, he’s always showcased plenty of skill, but now it will be interesting to see how that added strength helps him compete against pro-level players. Winning puck battles, holding opponents up defensively, and showing he can translate his WHL success are the big things to watch as rookie camp blends into main camp next week.
A right-shot defenseman taken in the second round of the 2023 draft, Dragicevic is one of seven Kraken prospects expected to play his first full pro season in North America this year.
A former forward, his calling card has always been his offensive ability, with the defensive side of his game lagging a bit. Word is he’s been focusing on his defensive play, so camp will be a good test of how far he’s come. He has the skill to create highlight-reel plays, but adjusting to the AHL level will be the next hurdle.
It’s worth remembering he looked out of place against Calgary in preseason last year, so I’ll be watching to see if he looks more comfortable this time around.
Carson Rehkopf
Since the team’s inception, Kraken fans have been clamoring for a true goal scorer. Carson Rehkopf might develop to be that guy. Selected 50th overall in the 2023 draft, his shot has impressed me more than anyone else’s in the system (although Jani Nyman’s shot is lethal too).
He scored 52 goals in 60 games in the OHL in 2023–24, then followed it up with 42 in 57 games in 2024–25. The dip in production isn’t a concern, but to stick in the NHL, Rehkopf needs to round out his two-way game. Honestly, I think he would have benefitted from playing NCAA hockey last season (if the CHL/NCAA eligibility rule had changed just one year earlier). The AHL will now provide that same test of structure and responsibility.
This year in Coachella Valley should give us early clues about what kind of player he could become at the NHL level.
Other quick thoughts on players of note:
Caden Price – The 2023 third-round pick continues to fly under the radar. He’s ranked higher on the Kraken’s internal prospect lists than most public analysts give him credit for.
David Goyette – A dynamo in junior, Goyette’s first year in Coachella Valley felt a bit underwhelming compared to the astronomical numbers he put up in the OHL. This season will be a big one for his development.
Eduard Šalé – The 2023 first-rounder had an ok year in the AHL as a 19-year-old, but for a first-round pick, you’d hope for a little more. Rookie and training camp could give us an early glimpse of him taking that next step.
Logan Morrison – We didn’t mention him on last week’s prospect-heavy Sound Of Hockey Podcast, but “LoMo” might just be a dark horse to crack the Kraken lineup at some point this season.
Rookie camp is here
The Kraken’s rookie camp is always fun, but this year feels especially intriguing with the influx of prospects expected to play in Coachella Valley this season. Some of these guys could be knocking on the NHL door sooner rather than later, and for others, it is going to be fun to see how they adjust to the next level. For fans, it provides a glimpse into the future and a benchmark to see these players in their respective development journeys.
