For as bad as this road trip felt, the Kraken were just one lucky goal away against one of the best goalies and teams in the NHL from coming home with a 3-2-0 record. Instead, as they were holding on for dear life to push the game to overtime, Seattle got a bad bounce off a stanchion, and the game turned south with just 27 seconds left.
So, the Kraken limped home with four standings points. When you consider how badly two of the games on the trip went, four points isn’t terrible. But also considering their current spot in the standings, they pretty much need to win every game to even get back into the conversation, and two out of five isn’t going to cut it.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 2-1 Kraken loss to the Jets.
Takeaway #1: Best performance of the road trip?
On a trip where Seattle secured two wins (including a lopsided 6-2 win in Buffalo), it’s odd to point to a 2-1 loss as the team’s best game, but there’s a case to be made that this was their strongest top-to-bottom outing. The start was infinitely better than anything we’ve seen from this group lately, and they got rewarded with a 1-0 lead on a beautiful play by the Jaden Schwartz / Matty Beniers / Kaapo Kakko line.
MATTY MAGIC! 🚨
Schwartz goes over the top to Kakko, who sets up Beniers. Beautiful goal.
Coming through the neutral zone, Schwartz used his lob wedge to drop a perfectly weighted high flip onto the tape of Kakko in stride. Kakko, showing his impressive hands and vision, backhanded a saucer pass over the outstretched stick of Josh Morrissey. Beniers finished the sequence by chipping it over Hellebuyck.
It was a great first period, but things started to turn in the second when Jamie Oleksiak and Mitchell Stephens each got called for questionable penalties. The interference call on Oleksiak was hot garbage, and while the high-sticking call on Stephens was legit, it coincided with an obvious missed hooking call on Winnipeg.
Mark Scheifele converted on the first power play to tie it 1-1, and Winnipeg racked up a massive 19-5 shot advantage in the second, putting the Kraken firmly on their heels.
Takeaway #2: Tough break on the winner
Once the Jets gained momentum in the second period, they didn’t relinquish it. However, the way Seattle battled in this one was refreshing. They played well in their own end for the most part, and when things broke down—which they did on several occasions—Joey Daccord was excellent again, stopping 34 shots in total.
As the Kraken were desperately trying to hold on and get to an extra frame, they caught a terrible bounce at the worst possible time. Adam Larsson attempted to clear the puck with a chip off the glass deep in Seattle’s zone, but the puck hit a stanchion, took a left turn, and landed on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers.
Ehlers quickly found Dylan DeMelo in the slot, and his shot through traffic deflected off Vince Dunn’s pants and perfectly into the top corner.
There’s not much you can do when bad bounces like that happen. But if the opposition has you on your heels for long enough—and they’re one of the best teams in the league while you’re one of the worst—they will eventually break through. It’s just extra painful when that happens with 27 seconds left in the game.
Takeaway #3: When do we start rooting for losses?
Seattle still sits eight points out of the last playoff spot with five teams to leap over in 36 games. In today’s NHL, that is extremely unlikely, if not impossible. At some point, the hope for this team will shift to remaining competitive in games but losing to improve their draft position.
Have we reached that point? It feels like we might have.
If so, this was an ideal game for the Kraken, who played well despite minimal offensive production. It was a fun one to watch, and in the end, they didn’t hurt their chances of landing a high draft pick.
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.
Hockey is a fast-paced, free-flowing game that balances structure with improvisation. It is what makes hockey both chaotic and beautiful at the same time. Stoppages are unpredictable, so set pieces are rare unless they are performed directly off a face-off or during a man advantage situation like a power play.
Experienced hockey players read off one another, adjusting tactics on the fly based on where their teammates and opponents are and where they are skating. This sounds complicated in principle, but many of these plays are quite simple. Once you learn these patterns, it gets easier to spot them again and again.
This is the first article in the Tactics 101 series which examines some of these common patterns. In this first installment, we will talk about the midlanedrive.
How the midlane drive works
The premise of the midlane drive is very simple. On rush opportunities, an off-puck player skates hard to the net, creating a work space for their trailing teammates to work within. The midlane drive player will often choose a route that allows them to momentarily tie up a defender’s stick. They will also stop hard at the net, acting as an additional screen or passing option.
The midlane drive can be particularly effective in odd-man rush situations. When executed properly, this forces defenders to make coverage choices, opening up time and space for scoring chances.
A recent example
The easiest way to illustrate the concept of the midlane rush is to watch a goal that was created by it. Let’s rewind a few weeks back to a goal that Eeli Tolvanen scored against Montreal during an 8-2 Kraken victory.
To set the scene, the Kraken and Canadiens find themselves in an even-strength, albeit 4-on-4 scenario due to overlapping minor penalties. The play starts when former Kraken defenseman Will Borgen makes a nice read below the goal line to cut off a pass.
During this sequence, Matty Beniers has followed Montreal’s Lane Hutson down low to support Borgen. After Montreal turns over the puck, Beniers recognizes that two Montreal players are now trapped beneath the goal line. He heads up ice hoping to start an odd-man rush, confident that Borgen will get him the puck.
Tolvanen continues up ice with him, and weakside defenseman Josh Mahura, seeing an opportunity to jump into the play and create a 3-on-2, also joins the rush.
Manufacturing offense is all about creating time and space and forcing the defense to make coverage decisions. The midlane drive can accomplish both of these.
Eeli Tolvanen drives hard toward the net. If he can beat his check to the net, he can make himself a passing option for Beniers.
Montreal forward Juraj Slafkovsky now has a decision to make. Habs defenseman Logan Mailloux has a clear assignment, which is to mark the puck carrier, Beniers. However, Slafkovsky must choose between taking Tolvanen to the net or letting him go and instead marking Mahura.
If Slafkovsky lets Tolvanen go, Beniers could make an area pass to Tolvanen for an uncontested scoring chance. If Slafkovsky takes Tolvanen, it potentially gives Mahura an open look for a shot. Slafkovsky elects to mark Tolvanen. It is worth noting that Slafkovsky does a poor job of marking Tolvanen and finds himself chasing after his momentary hesitation causes him to lose body position on a hard-driving Tolvanen.
With Tolvanen partially covered, Beniers passes the puck to an open Mahura, who now has a shooting opportunity in the high slot.
Slafkovsky finds himself a step behind the play and shifts tactics. He abandons Tolvanen, desperately skating into no man’s land to try to block Mahura’s shot. Instead of shooting, Mahura passes it to a wide-open Tolvanen, who is not going to miss from there.
In summary, Tolvanen’s midlane drive opens up options for the Kraken forwards while forcing the Canadiens defenders into making coverage choices. In addition to driving the net, Tolvanen also stops at the near post. This is a great habit, and his willingness to stop at the net turns what was merely a great scoring opportunity for Mahura into a sure-goal for Tolvanen.
This is a rough sequence for Slafkovsky because his momentary hesitation results in him covering nobody. His defensive partner in this sequence (Mailloux) is also a rookie who only has a handful of NHL games under his belt, which may have added to the confusion.
Additional examples
The midlane drive is one of those things that is easy to see once it has been pointed out to you. Here is another example from the start of the season where the midlane drive creates space for a forward to score a goal. In this case, noted Kraken villain Martin Pospisil flat out sprints to the net, creating coverage confusion and forcing both Canucks defenders to back off, turning a not-so-dangerous 2-on-2 OT rush situation into a scoring opportunity for Connor Zary.
Returning to our Kraken, watch how Mahura leads the rush out of the zone in the below clip. He sees that he will not be able to get past the two Buffalo defenders, so he swings the puck out wide for Kaapo Kakko and drives the net, drawing/initiating contact with Owen Power on his way to the net. This momentary contact delays Power from stepping up by a half second, giving Kakko extra time to step inside and get a better angle for a shot and goal.
On this final example, notice how in the below play, Yanni Gourde, sensing that a 2-on-1 pass is not available, elects to drive hard to the net, creating confusion and drawing coverage towards him. This opens up space underneath for Brandon Tanev to cut to the slot, resulting in a goal.
As you can see from all of these examples, being the midlane driver is hard work. To be effective, you have to sprint and stop at the net, often taking or fighting through contact to get to your destination.
The midlane drive player is not always rewarded for their efforts on the scoresheet either. Gourde’s drive to the net makes Tanev’s goal possible, but he does not get credited with an assist. Everyone wants to be the open player on the rush because it is fun to get open looks and shots on goal, but without the all-out selfless effort of the midlane drive player, none of these goals happen.
The next time you watch a Kraken game, keep an eye out for the midlane drive. If you play hockey recreationally, give the midlane rush a try. It is one of the simplest ways to create time, space, and offensive opportunities for your team.
Just when you thought they’d never win again, they go and do something like this… AND TOTALLY REDEEM THEMSELVES!
Ok, so maybe they didn’t erase the last month of misery, and if we’re being honest, this was not a strong game from top to bottom. But the Seattle Kraken took advantage of stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and opportunistic scoring to rope-a-dope their way to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
“We clearly had to weather the storm in the first period and played a lot of D-zone as a result,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “Joey was excellent on numerous occasions.”
After being embarrassed for the second time in three games on the road trip Sunday in Detroit, this win was needed in a lot of ways for Seattle.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-2 Kraken win over the Penguins.
Takeaway #1: Joey did it all
I maintain a running theory that the Kraken tend to play better in front of Joey Daccord than they do for Philipp Grubauer because they are more confident Daccord will bail them out when they screw up; this confidence allows them to employ a freer brand of hockey. While Daccord was sidelined from Dec. 22 until Jan. 9, Grubauer generally played well and wasn’t often the issue. But Seattle also didn’t exactly pile up wins with Daccord absent.
Lo and behold, they’re now 2-0-0 in games he’s started since returning from injury. Meanwhile, the opposition has hung crooked numbers on the Kraken in games started by Grubauer. Both 6-2 losses in Columbus and Detroit were Grubauer games, though Daccord took mop-up duty against the Red Wings and ate three of the six goals in 53:44 of ice time compared to Grubauer’s 6:16.
Here’s my next theory: Part of the reason (and I’m certainly not giving them a pass because they stink at starting games far too often) that the Kraken are slow out of the gates is because they’re afraid to make mistakes early and get buried before they even start. That fear may have been reinforced in Detroit, when a few early mistakes led to the Red Wings scoring thrice on four shots to open the game.
On Tuesday, Seattle again looked horrific in the first period, but Daccord rescued his mates time and again, despite letting one in that he may have wanted back when Drew O’Connor’s slapper hit him in the chest but leaked out for an easy Philip Tomasino tap-in.
When the first horn sounded, the Kraken had been thoroughly kicked in the teeth with a 16-2 shots-on-goal whooping from the Penguins. Yet, they were tied 1-1.
As the game went on, you could see the confidence growing, and eventually, the freer brand of hockey appeared. The Kraken turned it on in the third period and finally put the Penguins on their heels.
Not only did Daccord stand tall in his goal crease, but he also helped get Seattle on the board with his first NHL assist. While the Kraken were short-handed, Daccord hit Jared McCann with an outlet pass in the neutral zone, and McCann found Chandler Stephenson at the offensive blue line. Stephenson streaked in and scored a squeaker that Tristan Jarry would have wanted back.
STEVIE DOES IT! 🚨
The #SeaKraken’s FIRST SHG of the season is a squeaker through Jarry, and…
It was quite the night for Daccord, who put a floundering team on his back and carried them to a desperately needed victory over the Penguins.
Takeaway #2: A quick turn of events
Seattle looked like a very different team in the third period, finally getting sustained puck possession and offensive-zone time—things they had practically none of in the first 40 minutes. The best stretch of play coincided with the two quick goals that turned the game for the Kraken.
It was remarkable how simple the plays were in the lead-up to Jamie Oleksiak’s goal that tied the game 2-2. Seattle held the puck in the Penguins’ zone for just under a minute and had several looks toward Jarry before Oleksiak broke through.
During that extended zone time, Seattle repeatedly got the puck up to the blue line, where defensemen Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson either passed to each other and then shot or just shot outright. The forwards—Andre Burakovsky, Stephenson, and Oliver Bjorkstrand—simply outworked the Penguins to retrieve the puck. They’d send it back to the point and start the process again.
They ran some variation of that sequence five times before the goal. It’s so simple and so effective; why don’t they do that more?
After the fifth try, Oleksiak jumped on the ice to replace Dunn, saw an opportunity with Pittsburgh’s defenders gassed, and had a clear lane to walk in and score.
“We needed the play from someone, and that was a great shift from Chandler’s line,” Bylsma said. “It was a huge boost for everybody seeing Rig put it in the back of the net.”
The winning goal, scored 50 seconds later, was also the result of hard work mixed with impressive skill. Josh Mahura drove the puck down low and fought through a check. He lost it, but Shane Wright got there just in time to support. Wright picked up the loose puck from the half wall, made an elite play to stickhandle in a phone booth, and pulled a no-look pass around a sprawling P.O Joseph and onto the tape of Eeli Tolvanen.
EELI GOALVANEN! 🚨
Beautiful dangle-and-dish by Shane Wright, and the #SeaKraken snag the lead 50 seconds after Oleksiak tied it.
Just like that, the game turned, and the Kraken were in the driver’s seat. With Daccord playing the way he was, you knew they weren’t going to relinquish control.
Takeaway #3: Ron Francis doing damage control
During the pre-game show on the Kraken Hockey Network, general manager Ron Francis joined John Forslund to address some of the speculation running rampant about the team recently. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke had been at the game in Buffalo, implying his appearance was out of the ordinary. Friedman also said on 32 Thoughts that Francis hadn’t been fully on board with hiring Dan Bylsma before the season and instead wanted Todd McLellan.
Francis’ appearance on KHN was largely in response to those headlines, as he aimed to pour cold water on both rumors and show that the Kraken are not in complete chaos.
Regarding Leiweke’s appearance on the trip, Francis said, “It was his birthday on the weekend, and I think he just wanted to go to some hockey games.”
And as for the Bylsma hiring, Francis said, “I’m the GM. I hired Dan; he’s my coach.”
Here’s my take: I don’t think the organization is in chaos, but I do think it is in crisis. Being in this tailspin and far out of the playoff race in mid-January is not where the front office expected to be. I also think that same front office is under pressure from ownership to be competitive this season.
So, that’s the crisis, and I think there’s some level of panic happening, which leads to concern that big changes could be coming. But do I think big changes are coming in the next couple of weeks? No. I believe Francis’ appearance on KHN solidified that theory. Everyone involved is working together to try to figure out a solution and get this team back on track, though it is probably too late for that.
Having said all that, it does say something about the state of this team that the GM felt the need to go on the broadcast and personally dispel swirling rumors.
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.
Onto the second half of the WHL season we go, and with it underway, most players who were away at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa have now returned to their respective clubs. That includes 2024 No. 8 draft pick of the Seattle Kraken, Berkly Catton, who rejoined the Spokane Chiefs lineup on Friday night in Everett, where Sound Of Hockey was able to catch up with him.
Though the Chiefs weren’t able to squeak away with the win at Angel of the Winds Arena in Catton’s return, falling 4-2 to the Silvertips, there definitely seemed to be an extra pep in his step. Whether it was the highs from the tournament still lingering or a newly revitalized Chiefs’ first line that Catton came back to, it was clear he was eager to make an impact.
The quick and nimble 18-year-old forward from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is doing everything he can to show his improvements to the development staff in Seattle, and it’s paying off.
Tough lessons learned from the WJC
When Canada opened the tournament with an unexpected loss to Latvia, many began to foresee its fate and were unsurprised when the team ultimately failed to medal for the second year in a row.
A lot of the blame fell on Hockey Canada and some of the questionable decisions made when constructing the initial roster in the first place. Nonetheless a loss is a loss in Catton’s book.
“No one wants to go through [those types of losses], but realistically, every hockey player does,” Catton said. “Adversity ultimately makes me a stronger person and a better player.”
Catton himself, a dynamic scoring forward that has continued to light up the WHL this season, was held to just one assist in five games at the World Junior Championship.
Despite the hardships and all that followed, Catton claimed it was important to learn these lessons early.
Kraken’s focus on Catton’s development
As for what the Kraken’s development program has focused on with Catton, they want to see him take more initiative in challenging game situations, working off the puck to create opportunities.
“They picked me because of how I’m able to make plays, but there are obviously more things we’ve wanted to work on. Mainly, building muscle and improving my straight-away speed are the areas they’ve wanted me to focus on.”
The 5-foot-10 Catton noted that he’s gained almost eight pounds since being drafted and now weighs 180 pounds.
Development staff impressed by Catton’s progress
In a recent interview on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini expressed admiration for Catton’s performance both at the World Juniors and in the WHL this season.
“Catton’s been a profile Hockey Canada guy since he was 15,” Tambellini said. “He’s been the captain, he’s been the best player, and as an 18-year-old, he’s now in an impact scoring role.”
Despite failing to meet the lofty expectations placed on by Team Canada, Tambellini and the development staff were pleased with how Catton handled the roles Canada gave him.
“He’s a second- or third-line center. He’s on the first power play,” Tambellini continued. “For an 18-year-old kid, that’s amazing—to have him in high-pressure games, in high-pressure moments, and having the responsibility to score in Ottawa with a packed building, and in such a hostile environment.
“From the Kraken’s standpoint, we love that he’s had that experience. You get to go up against the top guys, and you’re the guy going over the boards in those big moments. That only helps.”
Catton’s steady production in Spokane
Back in Spokane, Catton continues to produce solidly from game to game in the WHL. His point production expectedly hasn’t been as high as his draft season last year, where he put up 15 goals and 39 assists in just 30 games, but he’s still delivering what the development staff has been hoping to see.
They’re eager to see Catton play in more high-leverage situations, and with recent additions to the Chiefs’ roster, he’ll have more opportunities to prove himself down the stretch and deeper into the WHL playoffs, especially with his new partner in crime, Andrew Cristall.
Cristall was in camp with Catton for Team Canada initially, but astonishingly, the WHL leading scorer didn’t make the team. He’s thrilled he gets to join forces with Catton now.
“We were around the puck the whole night and getting looks,” Cristall said after Friday’s game in Everett. “He’s a special player. I think he found me a few times tonight where I didn’t think anybody really could.”
Catton admitted that it wasn’t going to be an instant connection, but having a player of similar caliber to him on his side nightly could only stand to benefit him and his development.
He said it might take him and Cristall some time to gain chemistry with each other, but it sure looked like they were already clicking.
After losing 4-2 at Everett on Friday, the Chiefs headed east to Wenatchee the following evening and absolutely lit it up, winning 12-2 against the Wild. Catton and Cristall combined for a ridiculous 14 points on the night, with Catton recording a goal and six assists.
The Everett Silvertips continue to roll. With a record of 30-5-3-3, they sit nine points ahead in the top spot in the West, showing no signs of slowing down.
Everett consistently dominates in shot totals and puts up crooked numbers night after night. They lead the league in both goals for and goals against, with a margin of over 25 goals in each category.
They took care of business on Friday night against the Chiefs, behind Jesse Sanche’s 43-save performance. He’s been nothing short of remarkable this season, leading the WHL with a .917 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average. No other goalie is within 0.40 of his lead.
After a tough loss on Saturday in Kent, where they blew a 4-1 lead to the lowly Seattle Thunderbirds and eventually lost in a shootout, the Silvertips bounced back with a commanding 4-1 win over the Tri-City Americans on Sunday.
Everett’s ability to battle through adversity is in a class above others in the WHL. They’ve only lost back-to-back games twice this season.
“I would say just as a team, we don’t really get frustrated,” forward Carter Bear said. “We just move on, learn from our losses, and come back together as a team. That regrouping shows on the ice.”
More on Bear’s game shortly.
But arguably the biggest news of the season for the Tips came this past week, when the team announced that beloved former team captain Austin Roest would be rejoining the club on an injury rehab stint from Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.
Roest was one of the Silvertips’ most dominant two-way attackers in the league last season, with 38 goals and 33 assists in 61 regular-season games, but he sustained a lower-body injury during Game 5 of the first round playoff series against Vancouver. He hasn’t appeared in a game for either the Admirals or Silvertips since.
Nonetheless, everyone we spoke to this weekend expressed excitement about getting back an established leader in the locker room. As for management, they’re just happy they didn’t have to shell out a pretty penny to bring him back.
“It was something that came together where we said, ‘What would an Austin Roest-caliber player cost to acquire at the deadline?’ And for us, we’re talking about multiple, multiple assets,” Coach Hamilton said. “When he’s in-house, he’s a former captain, like we’re not talking about a fringe player here, we’re talking about a Silvertip through and through; it was a no-brainer.”
In addition, Julius Miettinen didn’t dress for the Silvertips this weekend, still recovering from his time with Finland at the World Juniors. Coach Hamilton said the silver medalist should be back soon.
“When he’s not here, we feel that gap in our lineup,” Hamilton said. “Whether it’s face-offs, or being a big body around the net. As a skilled, big man, he has a lot of the attributes you like.”
Header photo by Larry Brunt, courtesy of the Spokane Chiefs.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. The Kraken went 1-3-0 over the last week, with two of those losses standing out as some of the worst games the team has ever played—a pair of 6-2 defeats in Columbus and Detroit. In classic 2024-25 Kraken fashion, it was one disastrous period in each game that sealed their fate. They surrendered four goals in the second period against Columbus and another four in the first period against Detroit. In those stretches, the Kraken looked out of sync, outclassed, and outcoached, resembling a 90’s expansion team.
You could also include the first period of the game against the Buffalo Sabres, where they allowed two goals and were outshot 15-7. While not quite as disastrous as the other two games, it was still a rough period. I hate to be so harsh, but those three periods stand out as some of the worst hockey this team has played all season.
To their credit, and consistent with what we have seen from the Kraken all year, they didn’t quit and battled through the rest of each game. However, in the cases of Columbus and Detroit, it was too little, too late. Certainly, injuries have taken a toll on this team. You might also excuse some of the sluggishness in the Detroit game as it was the second game of a back-to-back. But the issues run deeper than that.
Missing Yanni Gourde
I mentioned it last week, but this team really misses Yanni Gourde. While I don’t know how vocal he is in the locker room, his on-ice energy and effort often seem to inspire the team. The Gourde line has consistently set the tone, and in his absence, that spark has been missing.
In the last three games he played, the Kraken went 2-0-1, with his line providing a jumpstart when the team needed it most. Gourde also seems to deliver crucial energy boosts in pivotal moments. Unfortunately, while he’s eligible to return from injured reserve, he is not with the team on this road trip, and his return remains uncertain.
All eyes on the trade deadline
While I’ll continue rooting for the Kraken for every remaining second of the season, it’s hard to ignore the looming trade deadline on March 7. It seems likely that both Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde will be traded. Those are the obvious names, but could there be others?
I’ve loved Jaden Schwartz’s play this year. He’s been one of the team’s bright spots and could be an appealing trade target for a contender. With a Stanley Cup win (Blues, 2019) under his belt and one year remaining on his contract at $5.5 million, Schwartz could fetch a solid return if the Kraken decide to move him.
Another player that could be appealing for playoff teams is Oliver Bjorkstrand. He is tied for first on the team with 13 goals and is the type of depth scoring that could be attractive to teams that think they are Stanley Cup contenders. The thought of Oliver not being on this team pains me, but you’ve got to consider just about anything at this point, and for the right price, no one is untouchable.
The bigger question is what the Kraken are looking for in return. They had two huge drafts in 2022 and 2023, picking up nine first- or second-round selections, and seem to have had another solid draft in 2024. Do they want to stockpile more draft picks, or are they targeting younger players on the cusp of breaking into the NHL?
I’ve been championing a deal for Nick Robertson since the beginning of the season. Toronto might be a logical landing spot for Yanni Gourde, and a deal involving Robertson could make sense for both sides.
While trades will start to pick up in late January and early February, most of the action will likely happen closer to the trade deadline in March. Stay tuned—this next stretch could shape the Kraken’s future.
Other musings
Kaapo Kakko appears to be part of the long-term solution in Seattle. He has five points in his last five games, including two goals on Saturday in Buffalo. Notably, he set a franchise record by scoring the fastest two goals by a single player in Kraken history, just 1:40 apart.
Kakko remains the only Kraken player named to a 4 Nations Face-off roster. There’s an outside chance that Eeli Tolvanen could join Team Finland as an injury replacement. Erik Haula has been named to the Finnish roster but hasn’t played for the Devils since Jan. 4 due to a sprained ankle.
The Kraken have allowed the first goal in each of their last five games, going 1-4-0 in that stretch. This continues a season-long trend, as they are 9-19-0 when conceding the opening goal.
Despite being one of the league’s most disciplined teams this season, averaging just 2.9 penalties per game, the Kraken committed 13 penalties over the weekend. Three of Detroit’s six goals in their matchup came on the power play.
After clearing waivers last week, Daniel Sprong made an immediate impact for Coachella Valley, scoring three goals and adding an assist in his first two games. Prior to this, he hadn’t played since Dec. 28.
The Utah Hockey Club is implementing a creative initiative to attract more fans to their games, which reminds me of my 2020 pitch for an innovative program to increase attendance at Kraken games. As the saying goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The second-best time is today.” Dear Kraken, again….please steal this idea!
Jacob Melanson played his first game since early November for Coachella Valley on Sunday after being sidelined with a long-term injury. A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Melanson had a strong start to the season, scoring three goals in his first seven games. Earlier in the campaign, there was speculation that he could be one of the first forward call-ups, but the injury set him back. Known for his physicality, Melanson brings an edge to his game that could be a valuable asset for the Kraken when he’s ready to make the jump.
If you are looking for reasons to be optimistic about the future, listen to the latest episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast where we chatted with Seattle Kraken director of player development, Jeff Tambellini.
Berkly Catton (SPO/SEA): The Kraken’s first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft had an incredible performance on Saturday, racking up seven points in a single game against the Wenatchee Wild.
Lleyton Roed (CVF/SEA): The undrafted free agent signed by the Kraken last spring continues to impress, tallying two goals and three assists in two games over the weekend. Roed now has 11 points in his last 10 games.
Carson Rehkopf (BRA/SEA): Since returning from the World Juniors, Rehkopf has been on fire, recording six points in just three games.
The Kraken will snap out of this funk eventually, but the road ahead doesn’t get much easier. They’ll face a desperate Pittsburgh Penguins team on Tuesday, followed by a tough matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday to close out the road trip. After that, the Kraken return to Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday to take on the Los Angeles Kings.
While I’m still rooting for wins, what I’d most like to see this week is consistency throughout the games—even if the results don’t go the Kraken’s way.
On a positive note, I’m excited to see the continued progress of Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, and Kaapo Kakko. All three have been playing some of their best hockey of the season, and they look poised to become key parts of the future core of this franchise.
Welcome back to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Sound Of Hockey Podcast segment highlighting Seattle Kraken prospects in written form. We will be returning to our normal Friday time slot next week (hopefully). This week we present a tremendous interview with Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini, via the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. We’ll also get you notes on a junior trade, a suspension, and more, plus deliver all of the data you can handle.
As always, 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, formerly known as Twitter, @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on Bluesky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com. Let’s dive in.
Talking Kraken prospects with Jeff Tambellini
Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to talk with Tambellini about all things Kraken prospects. We started with a recap the World Junior Championship, highlighting, among others, the performance of Eduard Sale, whom Tambellini noted is playing his best hockey right now.
Later in the interview, we discussed two players who are a bit “hidden” from Kraken fans because they play in Europe.
The first was 2023 second-round pick Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, who Tambellini characterized as a top two-way center on his SHL team with first-unit power-play and penalty-kill responsibilities. Speaking to his development at a young age, Tambellini mentioned that Mølgaard, 19, had the opportunity to come play in the AHL this year, but opted to remain in Europe for one more season. The team expects to see him stateside and playing with the Firebirds next season. Mølgaard remains atop our Sound Of Hockey “data score” metric, and we can’t wait to get a closer look at him in Coachella Valley next year.
The other prospect called out by Tambellini was goaltender Semyon Vyazovoy. Vyazovoy, a 2021 sixth-round pick, is currently working in a goalie tandem for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, Russia’s top professional league. Despite his young age, he has found significant success there. As we noted last week, Vyazovoy, 21, is first in the KHL in save percentage among all goalies under age 24 with more than 10 appearances.
Vyazovoy has not yet signed a contract with Seattle, but over the summer, general manager Ron Francis indicated that the Kraken remained in contact with Vyazovoy’s agent about coming to North America. Tambellini’s obvious enthusiasm for the player suggests that Seattle’s interest in signing the Russian goalie prospect remains strong.
There was so much more in the conversation too. As we talked, Tambellini delivered insights you won’t get anywhere else on more than a dozen players in the system. If there’s a player you want an update about, chances are we discussed that player at length, so give the interview a listen. Big thanks to Tambellini for making time in his busy schedule to talk with us.
Notes on three more Kraken prospects
Tyson Jugnauth – Portland Winterhawks – WHL
It’s not an exaggeration to say defenseman Tyson Jugnauth, 20, is on the verge of traversing one of the most unique development paths in NHL prospect history. In his draft year, Jugnauth played in the BCHL, which (at the time) preserved his NCAA eligibility to play for the Wisconsin Badgers.
After a year-and-a-half in the NCAA ranks, Jugnauth moved to the WHL, where he has excelled as an offensive presence for the Portland Winterhawks. Now, as his WHL age eligibility lapses at season’s end, he is committed to return to college hockey for the 2025-26 season, this time with the Michigan State Spartans.
If Jugnauth ultimately enrolls at Michigan State (and is not signed by the Kraken first), he will be among the first players ever to move from the NCAA to the CHL and back the NCAA again. The latter move is only just now possible after the NCAA changed its eligibility rules to allow CHL players to play college hockey.
In the Sound Of Hockey Podcastinterview, Tambellini noted that the full implications of the NCAA’s decision remain to be determined, with a key factor being the NHL and NHLPA’s approach to draft rights retention under the new CBA. That said, Tambellini hinted that we could see a future where top prospects move from the CHL to college before moving into the professional ranks in the AHL and eventually the NHL.
As for the present with Jugnauth, he had a big week, compiling two goals and three assists in two WHL contests. He’s our Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week. I plan to dig deeper on Jugnauth’s play for the Winterhawks in a forthcoming column.
Carson Rehkopf – Brampton Steelheads – OHL
There is little doubt that Carson Rehkopf is among the most talented Canadian-born offensive players in his age group. For the second year in a row he finds himself at or near the top of the OHL scoring charts. Even so, as we discussed last time, Team Canada couldn’t find a regular role for him in the lineup at the 2025 World Juniors.
Tambellini found a silver lining, telling Sound Of Hockey that Rehkopf could use the experience as motivation to continue developing secondary skills that he will need to earn a coach’s trust at the professional level. Rehkopf’s fire is certainly burning bright right now with three goals and an assist in two games since his return to Brampton’s lineup.
In contrast with Rehkopf, Caden Price had an excellent 2025 World Juniors and is looking to maintain this momentum over the second half of the WHL season. As it turns out, those remaining games will come for the Lethbridge Hurricanes rather than the Kelowna Rockets after Kelowna traded Price in a classic WHL deadline deal involving a small mountain of draft assets.
In a unique peek behind the curtain, Tambellini told us that Kelowna was inclined to keep Price if there was a possibility Seattle would allow Price to return to the WHL for his age 20 season. After Seattle told Kelowna the current plan was to have Price in Coachella Valley next season, Kelowna decided to move the blueliner.
Price got into his first game for Lethbridge Friday night.
Bad Boys (OHL Edition)
What is this, a segment within a segment? Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve, who turned heads in the NHL preseason, was suspended for two OHL games as result of taking his third fighting major in Sudbury’s game against Peterborough last Sunday. A two-game suspension is mandatory in these circumstances.
Villeneuve has demonstrated in flashes that he can play with the necessary skill and sandpaper to succeed as a professional, but the challenge ahead of him will be harnessing his skills and temperament in the correct ways.
Sudbury's Nathan Villeneuve has been assessed an automatic two-game suspension as a result of actions (exceeding fighting major threshold) on Jan. 5th vs. Peterborough.
Kraken forward prospect Jani Nyman’s hard and accurate shot is finding the back of the net with increased regularity in recent weeks. He tallied four goals in four games since our last update. (Author’s note: The data in the post only goes through Friday, so it doesn’t capture this notable performance from Berkly Catton, among others.)
As of Friday, Jugnauth was tied for the organizational lead in scoring, an impressive feat for a defenseman.
Goalie Kim Saarinen, 18, sat on the sidelines at the 2025 World Juniors, so we are looking forward to seeing him get back in net regularly for his Finnish club team this week. While not technically covered by the update below (which went through Friday), he stopped 29 of 30 shots in his first U20 game back on Saturday.
Vyazovoy’s usage has ticked back up in recent weeks, a trend we like to see.
2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
Clarke Caswell: 2
Berkly Catton: 2
Tyson Jugnauth: 2
Alexis Bernier: 1
Andrei Loshko: 1
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1
Victor Östman: 1
Caden Price: 1
Nathan Villeneuve: 1
Semyon Vyazovoy: 1
Previewing the week ahead
The week ahead (which we are, admittedly, a day late in previewing) will see a number of WHL matchups between Kraken prospects and the Firebirds back with a full slate after a holiday break.
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.
