This 2024-25 season will be the beginning of the end of an era for the Seattle Kraken. Many of the team’s original players have already come and gone from the roster, but a group of core veterans that has stuck around through Seattle’s first three seasons in existence will begin filtering out next summer.
Roster stalwarts like Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson, Will Borgen, and Brandon Tanev are all set to become unrestricted free agents after the coming season, and the deals for Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jamie Oleksiak will end following 2025-26.
Meanwhile, a strong and growing prospect pool has produced several players that are knocking on the NHL door, and more could be ready for NHL gigs by the time some of the aforementioned veterans exit the fold.
So, while the 2024-25 Kraken will look fairly similar to the 2023-24 version, except with Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour providing upgrades over the likes of Kailer Yamamoto and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, the group will look very different next season.
With all this in mind, we decided to look into our crystal ball and make some way-too-early predictions on which of the players mentioned above will remain with the Kraken beyond the next two seasons.
Kraken UFA’s in 2024-25
Yanni Gourde
Yanni has been a fan favorite since being selected in the Expansion Draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning. A leader on the team, his willingness to go into the dirty areas of the ice and muck it up with players twice his size, smiling through getting punched in the face, has endeared him to the Seattle faithful.
But Gourde is no spring chicken at 32 years old. The key to his game is speed and energy, and while we still saw that last season, we also saw a decrease in his offensive production from 48 points (14-34—48) in 2022-23 to 33 points (11-22—33) in 2023-24.
With Matty Beniers and now Stephenson set to take the two top-six center spots, and Shane Wright potentially jumping into the third spot, that likely pushes Gourde down to a full-time 4C role, which would surely limit his ice time.
As much as it pains us to say this, we think this will be Gourde’s last season in deep sea blue.
Adam Larsson
The Big Cat has been an integral part of this team for three seasons, anchoring the top defense pair alongside the more offensively gifted Vince Dunn. Like Gourde, Larsson too is getting up there in years at 31, but his game and role are quite different than those of Yanni.
Larsson plays a stay-at-home style that serves well on the top pair now but could also bring value on lower defense pairings, even if the Swede loses a step or two over the coming seasons.
We also get the sense that Larsson loves Seattle. We could see him signing for a couple more years after this one.
Will Borgen
Borgen was a sneaky strong pick in the Expansion Draft. Chosen from the Buffalo Sabres, he was a relative unknown when his name was announced at Gasworks Park in July, 2021. After being mired in the pressbox during the Kraken’s inaugural season, Borgen has blossomed as a reliable, right-shot, two-way defenseman that brings an edge to his game.
He has good speed and instincts and is a quintessential middle- or bottom-pair type of player. We would love to see him take another step offensively this season, but even if he doesn’t, Borgen brings value.
At 27 years old, if he wants to return, we think the Kraken would want him back, though next summer will be the time for Borgen to cash in on the open market. Even so, we will predict a three-year extension for Borgen this season.
Brandon Tanev
Tanev is a player that the Kraken seem to value for his tenacious forechecking, energy, and penalty killing. But assuming good health, he is destined for the fourth line next season at a big $3.5 million cap hit.
We’re somewhat surprised Tanev hasn’t been traded already, being that he is entering the last year of his deal, but unless he’s willing to take a big pay cut and/or starts producing offense, we just can’t see him sticking with Seattle after this season.
Joey Daccord
Though he doesn’t quite fit in the “roster stalwart” category with the others (2023-24 was his first season as a full-time NHLer), Joey Daccord is also set to become a UFA after 2024-25 and deserves mentioning.
Daccord was perhaps the biggest bright spot in an otherwise frustrating 2023-24 season, and if he builds on that next season, he could approach star territory. If that does happen, and if he wants to stay with Seattle beyond his expiring contract, then he will be due for a monster raise from his current $1.5 million AAV.
Remember, Philipp Grubauer is still under contract for three more years at $5.9 million per, so if Daccord gets to a point where he will command big dollars, and Seattle wants him back, then Grubauer may have to go.
We will predict that Daccord stays after this season, and Grubauer exits, either through trade (unlikely) or buyout (more likely).
Kraken UFA’s in 2025-26
Jaden Schwartz
Schwartz has flown under the radar for much of his tenure with the Kraken, but he does a better job at going hard to the blue paint than any other forward on the team. So, he’s an important piece for the current roster.
But Schwartz has dealt with a lot of health issues the last few years that have pushed him out of the lineup for several extended periods. When this contract ends, Schwartz will be 34 years old.
We would not expect Schwartz back with the Kraken beyond 2025-26.
Jordan Eberle
While Schwartz has flown under the radar, Eberle has been a heart-and-soul leader of the team since Day 1 and showed his loyalty to the organization by agreeing to a two-year extension on the eve of last season’s NHL Trade Deadline.
But also like Schwartz, Eberle is getting long in the tooth and will likely slow down more than he already has over these next two campaigns.
We would not expect Eberle to remain a Kraken beyond 2025-26.
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Bjorkstrand is a different story than Schwartz and Eberle. A splashy trade acquisition from the Blue Jackets two offseasons ago, the Maestro has been a key cog for Seattle and has plenty of tread left on his tires at 29 years old.
Oddly, we still feel like he hasn’t hit his full potential with the Kraken. Perhaps the offensive upgrades made to the team this summer could help unlock more production from Bjorkstrand moving forward, but either way, we think the Kraken value his game.
We will predict that Bjorkstrand sticks around beyond 2025-26.
Eeli Tolvanen
Tolvanen’s career was in a tough spot when he arrived in Seattle and saw things turn around under former head coach Dave Hakstol. Given plenty of opportunity and good linemates, Tolvanen flourished and earned himself a two-year extension earlier this summer.
Notably, the length of that new deal does not buy out any of Tolvanen’s UFA years. While we don’t know which (if either) side pushed for that two-year term, it does feel like the heavy-shooting Finnish winger is setting himself up to test the open market two summers from now.
We will predict that Tolvanen performs well over the next two seasons but exits as a free agent after 2025-26.
Jamie Oleksiak
And finally, the Big Rig. We do believe Oleksiak is underrated. For a player his size, we know fans want to see him play more physically, but his reach and ability to clear the front of the net make him an important defender and a big reason why Seattle’s blue line was a strength last season.
The Kraken don’t have a ton in their prospect pool on the backend, but we know the organization thinks highly of Ville Ottavainen. Ottavainen has a similar profile to Oleksiak and could be two seasons away from being ready to take over that big, stay-at-home role at the NHL level (and for much cheaper than Oleksiak).
With Ottavainen coming and Oleksiak currently 31 years old, we will predict that Oleksiak does not return after his current contract.
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What say you, folks? Who stays and who goes over the next couple years?
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.
This will be a first pass at predicting the lines for the 2024-25 season. The picture will become a little clearer after training camp and preseason games, as we will see who is practicing together and if there is any chemistry between individual players. Obviously, to come up with line combinations, we have to make some assumptions on who will make the roster.
For purposes of this exercise, we will assume the following:
Ryker Evans and Shane Wright will be full-time Kraken players throughout the season.
This article was inspired by one of our Patreon Mailbags, where subscriber Katie had a question on what the special teams lines might be for the 2024-25 season. Thank you, Katie, for the question. (**Editor’s note: If you aren’t already a Patreon subscriber, you can become one today!) While we will mainly focus on special teams, we will also expand a bit on the original question and preview what Seattle could do for even-strength lines.
Remember, there was a handful of additions and departures that will alter the look of the upcoming season’s roster.
Departures
Alex Wennberg – Traded
Kailer Yamamoto – Free Agent
Tomas Tatar – Free Agent
Brian Dumoulin – Traded
Justin Schultz – Free Agent
Additions
Chandler Stephenson – Free Agent Signing
Brandon Montour – Free Agent Signing
Shane Wright – promoted from AHL
Ryker Evans – promoted from AHL
Josh Mahura – Free Agent Signing
All of the departures contributed to special teams at some point during the 2023-24 season, so there are open positions to fill. Factor in changes to the coaching staff as well, with Dan Bylsma, Bob Woods, and Jessica Campbell being brought in, we would expect special teams to change a lot from last season.
Power play lines
The power play looked different before and after the 2024 trade deadline, with the trade of Alex Wennberg and injuries to Andre Burakovsky and Vince Dunn. Here is how the Seattle Kraken power play lines looked at the end of the 2023-24 season:
Ryker Evans is expected to be on the roster full time and has had success on the power play in the AHL, but with the addition of Montour, he is at the bottom of the depth chart and will not be on the power play to start the year.
First power play line
Seattle’s two big free agent signings, Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, will make an immediate impact on the top power play unit. Stephenson won 52.6 percent of his face-offs last season, which is better than all Seattle Kraken centermen. In fact, no Kraken center was above 48 percent in the face-off dot.
Montour played on the top power play line for the Florida Panthers, who were sixth in the NHL with 63 goals. Montour averaged 3:54 of power play time per game, over a minute more than the Kraken’s top power play quarterback, Vince Dunn, who averaged 2:49 per game.
Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jared McCann were the top-scoring power play players with 25 and 23 points respectively. They have earned their spots on the top unit and will likely continue playing there into next season. Andre Burakovsky had the worst season of his career and is poised for a bounce back. He also has skills as a puck carrier and will be called upon to carry the puck into the offensive zone. If Burakovsky does not produce quickly, he could be dropped to the second unit.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Jared McCann (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Second power play unit
We would expect Seattle’s second unit to feature Beniers, who struggled to score consistently during a sophomore slump. Jordan Eberle will be the puck carrier into the offensive zone. Dunn will start out as the quarterback on the second unit and figures to again be productive. Even though Montour had more time on his team’s power play, he only had one more point than Dunn at 17. Montour is only a year removed, though, from getting 33 points on the power play, which is why we think Dunn will start the year on the second unit. Dunn could certainly jump back to the first unit if Montour’s doesn’t click with the top group.
Vince Dunn
Shane Wright and Ryker Evans will likely not make the power play to start the season but will be ready to step in if an injury arises or if a player is not meeting expectations. With head coach Dan Bylsma and assistant coach Jessica Campbell both coming from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, they have seen firsthand both Wright and Evans succeeding on the power play and will be ready to insert them onto one of the units as the opportunity arises. Wright will definitely increase the competition for a power play role, which will only make the Kraken better.
Patreon member Katie also asked about the possibility of seeing two defensemen on a power play unit. With the depth the Kraken have at the forward position, I see them using four forwards on most nights. They do have Evans, though, so a game situation could come up where they would deploy him, but typically you will see one defenseman on the power play.
Penalty kill lines
Here’s how the penalty kill units looked at the end of last season.
As with the power play, the penalty kill unit had some departures. Wennberg and Brian Dumoulin were traded, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was not re-signed. Stephenson is used to playing in all situations and will replace Wennberg. The Montour signing and expectations that Evans will make the team led to Dumoulin getting traded. McCann filled the the vacancy created by Wennberg’s departure after the deadline and could stay on the penalty killing unit. That leaves two vacancies to fill in the PK units.
With penalty killing, teams want to make sure someone is on the ice that can win a face-off. Of the forwards, only Brandon Tanev lacks in that department. We think Yanni Gourde and Tanev will be on the top penalty killing line, as they will often be more rested due to limited playing time in other situations. Their high energy approach was effective last year and should disrupt opposing power play units. Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak formed the top penalty kill defense pairing last year, and that will remain going into 2024-25.
The second unit will feature the two Kraken forwards that will play in all situations, Stephenson and McCann. Will Borgen has experience on the penalty kill and will take Evans under his wing. Do not expect there to be a true first and second line in terms of ice time, as they will most likely be deployed equally.
Even strength lines
Forward lines
There will be a few changes this year that might raise some eyebrows, but change is part of hockey, and it’s part of the Kraken striving to get better. Forward lines will change a lot during the course of the season, but here’s a combination we could see Bylsma trying at some point.
Beniers on the second line? The truth is Beniers scored only 37 points last year, which is not great for a first-line center. At the moment, Stephenson is the best center on the roster, and until Beniers or Wright develops past him, he will be on the first line.
With Wright making the team this year, he needs to play some sheltered minutes and be put in a position to score with wingers that can help contribute. A third-line role is perfect for this, and Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen have good shots and solid forechecking skills that can contribute to Wright succeeding. Tye Kartye, Brandon Tanev, and Yanni Gourde are players people love to watch because of their hustle and grinding style of play. They will do well as a change-of-pace line that can put the other team on its heels.
Defensive pairings
The defense pairs are easier to work out as there are fewer lines and players. Larsson and Dunn have played well together during the first three years of Kraken hockey, and there is little reason to break them up. We foresee Montour sliding into a second pairing with Oleksiak. Will Borgen, who led the Kraken defense in hits last year will play a stay-at-home defensive role and allow Evans to continue to develop his puck moving skills.
Wrap up
Line combinations will be fluid as chemistries are found and the new Kraken coaching staff experiments with what works and what doesn’t. Without a doubt, the forward lines are all improved for the upcoming season. The question is if the Kraken as a whole have improved enough to sneak into a playoff spot.
If you have any thoughts on the Kraken lines, please share them below in the comments. You can follow me on the X at @blaizg.
The World Junior Summer Showcase is an event I have circled on my calendar each year. After several long weeks without hockey, it’s an oasis in the desert. It heralds the start of a new hockey season.
What is the World Junior Summer Showcase? It’s an exhibition of top under-20 players hosted by the United States National Team in Plymouth, Mich. Participating countries play a handful of games against each other in a round robin format starting in the last week of July.
While there is no trophy on the line at the showcase, it serves as a vital summer benchmark for national teams in evaluating their players before they disperse to their club teams in the fall. In the months ahead, teams will make their final roster decisions before reconvening in December for the World Junior Championship.
The showcase holds appeal beyond the World Juniors too. For draftniks, the showcase features a handful of premier 17-year-old prospects we’ll see selected in spring. And, for those of us in the Pacific Northwest, this year’s event highlighted several Seattle Kraken drafted prospects in prominent roles.
What did we see at the event and specifically from the Seattle Kraken prospects? Let’s dive in.
2024 World Junior Summer Showcase overview
Four teams participated in the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase. Canada returned to the showcase after a multi-year absence, joining the United States, Sweden, and Finland. Canada and the United States maintained split-squad game rosters to begin their respective training camps, which they whittled down to a single team for the final few games of the showcase. Canada spent the majority of the last two weeks at its camp in Windsor, Ontario, before playing games in Plymouth on August 2 and 3.
The showcase featured 112 drafted players. The Seattle Kraken had six prospects play in games, second only to the Philadelphia Flyers who had seven players at the event. Overall, 31 NHL teams had players in Plymouth; only Edmonton didn’t have a player there.
In addition, each country roster had at least a few draft-eligible players. For example, Team USA played five players who may hear their names called in the 2025 NHL Draft, including James Hagens, Logan Hensler, and L.J. Mooney.
Seattle Kraken prospects at the showcase
Finland brought three Kraken players, goalie Visa Vedenpää, goalie Kim Saarinen, and forward Julius Miettinen. Vedenpää played in the 2023 showcase. Sweden brought forward Zeb Forsfjäll, who also participated last year. Canada played defenseman Caden Price and forward Berkly Catton in its showcase games and also had Carson Rehkopf at its training camp, but did not bring him to Plymouth for the main event.
Berkly Catton, F, Canada
Catton, Seattle’s 2024 first-round pick, carried over his strong play at Kraken Development Camp into the World Junior Summer Showcase. He only played one showcase game–Canada’s marquee contest against the United States–but his pace, problem solving, and passing stood out even against this elite competition. There are technical aspects of his skating he can continue to refine, but his legs and brain are at a different level than his peers. Particularly on the power play and in 3-on-3 overtime, he was a threat every time he touched the puck.
I thought Catton was Canada’s best skater at the showcase. Several prominent analysts, including Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, agreed.
Summer verdict: Catton is well regarded in Canada. Notably, he was the captain of Team Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year. But, coming into the showcase, I wasn’t sure what to make of Catton’s World Juniors prospects given his small stature and relative youth as an “underager”–meaning he is age eligible for not only the 2025 World Junior Championship but the 2026 tournament as well. Now, I’m virtually certain Catton makes Canada’s World Juniors roster and plays a top-six scoring forward role. Particularly since Canada is likely to be without Macklin Celebrini, Catton projects as a vital piece.
Caden Price, D, Canada
Canada brought a total of 11 bubble defensemen to the showcase, and Price, Seattle’s 2023 third-round pick, figures somewhere into the middle or bottom of that grouping talent-wise. Price activates well and flashes talent in the offensive zone, but his play-to-play consistency isn’t quite there yet, in my opinion. And he gets caught puck watching and chasing too much in the defensive zone for my liking.
Summer verdict: There are a lot of tools here, and he looks a lot more physical this year than he did at this time last year. But, absent a production breakout this fall, I don’t think he’s shown enough to make Team Canada’s talented WJC roster.
Carson Rehkopf, F, Canada
Rehkopf, a 2023 second-round pick, carried his scoring prowess from the OHL into Team Canada training camp, potting three goals in two games in Windsor, Ontario–including one off a slick assist from Catton.
From Canada camp, #SeaKraken Catton and Rehkopf (on an assist from Catton) scored, helping Canada Team Red to a scrimmage win yesterday; Team Red plays Sweden today (7/31).
In Plymouth, Finland plays a consolidated Team USA at 1 pm PT today; Miettinen draws in; Vedenpaa in goal. pic.twitter.com/OXPxdKCH1g
Rehkopf continues to be a lethal off-puck, spot-up shooter–like a corner wing player in the NBA. Add to that some solid skill transitioning the puck into the offensive zone, and you have a player primed for another big offensive season. (Rehkopf will likely play this coming year with the Brampton Steelheads after an August 6 trade from Kitchener.)
Rehkopf, who is a veteran of the 2024 World Juniors, did not accompany Team Canada when it de-camped for Plymouth. I view this as a strong indication that he is a virtual roster lock for the main team in December.
Summer verdict: He’s on Team Canada and in a top-six role. Canada looked at one line combination in camp that put him next to Catton. I’m sure Kraken fans would love to see that in December (and beyond).
Visa Vedenpää, G, Finland
Vedenpää, Seattle’s 2023 sixth-round pick, played in last year’s showcase alongside another Kraken goalie prospect Niklas Kokko. Kokko took control of the starting job at the 2023 showcase and carried that momentum into the 2024 World Juniors, where he was the clear starter to begin the event.
Vedenpää started three of five games at this year’s showcase, winning one of three decisions and saving 83 of 96 shots against. On the plus side, he almost single-handedly stole a win from Team USA in which USA outshot Finland 42 to 26 and even more thoroughly dominated the high-danger opportunities. On the other hand, Vedenpää was pulled from his last start against Canada after conceding seven goals in just over two periods. Overall, the raw numbers don’t look good, but I think that was more about Finland’s defensive stuggles than poor play from Vedenpää
While Vedenpää has a solid shot at Team Finland’s roster for the 2025 World Juniors, his club play this fall will go a long way toward deciding whether he has a chance to be the starter. He has a chance to earn Liiga ice time this fall with Kärpät.
Summer verdict: Vedenpää should make the 2025 World Juniors roster. I’ll predict Eemil Vinni gets the first start for Finland, while Vedenpää is a threat to take the job if Vinni struggles. Regardless, Vedenpää should get at least one start in pool play. Noa Vali is the other goalie contender here.
Kim Saarinen, G, Finland
Saarinen, fresh off signing an entry-level contract with the Kraken, started Finland’s last showcase game against the United States. He picked up a win, saving 17 of 20 shots in that game. He also saved all seven shots he faced when entering another game in relief of Finland’s other goalie, Veeti Louhivaara.
Like Vedenpää, Saarinen has his sights set on earning playing time in Liiga this coming season. But it is worth noting that Saarinen is an “underage” prospect in World Juniors parlance. 14 months younger than Vedenpää, Saarinen is likely a stronger candidate for the 2026 tournament, but a dominant fall could accelerate his timeline.
Summer verdict: Saarinen probably won’t be an active goaltender at the 2025 World Juniors. It’s possible, but I’d say still unlikely, he’s there as a third goaltender on the roster. Looking forward to the 2026 event, he’s a leading contender to start.
Julius Miettinen, F, Finland
Similar to Saarinen, Miettinen is age-eligible for the next two World Junior Championships. Miettinen, a second-round pick this past draft, began the showcase as a healthy scratch, before drawing in for two games midway through the showcase. He didn’t look out of place, but he also didn’t make an immediate impact.
This quiet play didn’t surprise me. At this point in his development, Miettinen plays a complimentary game. He does his best work on the forecheck and creating space and opportunity for his linemates off the puck. If he is going to take the next step, he needs to be a little more comfortable possessing the puck on controlled exits and entries and driving play in the offensive zone. This is what I’ll be watching for this fall with Everett.
Summer verdict: Like Saarinen, Miettinen likely won’t be on Team Finland this year but is a strong contender for the 2026 squad.
Zeb Forsfjäll, C, Sweden
Forsfjäll has been a fixture on Sweden’s international teams for years, played in the 2024 World Junior Championship, and brings 75 games of SHL experience. That said, Seattle’s 2023 sixth-round pick is more of an elite glue guy than a high-end talent. He can take difficult defensive matchups, win face-offs, and kill penalties. And, at this year’s showcase, he earned time as the bumper player on Sweden’s first power play unit too.
All told, Forsfjäll is a key figure for Sweden–even if he doesn’t figure to add much offensively. He donned the “C” as Sweden’s captain in the team’s showcase finale against rival Finland and wore the “A” as an alternate captain in other contests.
Summer verdict: He’ll be on the World Juniors team, likely in a leadership position. Just don’t expect many points.
Showcase takeaways
Buium shines. While Catton was Canada’s best player at the showcase, in my opinion, U.S. defenseman Zeev Buium was the best player overall at the event. Many had linked Buium to the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Draft–myself included–but Seattle bypassed the defender in favor of Catton. Buium will likely be the No. 1 defenseman for the United States at the World Junior Championship.
U.S. team looks strong. This wasn’t the unanimous takeaway among analysts, but the U.S. looks like the favorite at the 2025 World Junior Championship to me. Even if the San Jose Sharks don’t release center Will Smith to play in December, the U.S. talent pool at forward is impressive, headlined by returning stars Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard. Some have questions about the team’s depth at center and on defense, but I don’t view those areas as significant weaknesses. In any event, I think the squad scores its way out of any problems. The U.S. has never repeated as champions at the World Juniors. Coming off their 2024 tournament win, this team has a chance to make history.
Canada needs a boost. Beyond Catton, there weren’t many players in a Canadian uniform generating instant offense by themselves. Underager Gavin McKenna–who’ll be barely 17 years old at the time of the World Juniors–could be a crucial piece for Canada if he’s on the team. Canada also needs one of its goaltenders to step up and seize the role. Carson Bjarnason took a step in that direction with a solid performance against the United States in the showcase finale.
Up next: The Hlinka Gretzky Cup
What’s next in the hockey world? Before players report to their club teams in a few weeks, there is one major international tournament on the schedule–the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. This late-summer tournament features under-18 players and is an important pre-season level-setting look at prospects for the NHL Draft in the spring.
While there aren’t any drafted prospects at this tournament, there are local connections. Braeden Cootes, a 5-foot-10 forward on Team Canada, plays with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Cootes totaled 14 goals and 21 assists in 64 games for Seattle last season. Likewise, Jackson Smith, a 6-foot-3 defenseman on Canada’s roster, plays for the Tri-City Americans. Smith amassed eight goals and 21 assists in 62 games for Tri-City this past year. Ondrej Stebetak, a 6-foot-2 goaltender on Czechia’s roster, plans to play for the Portland Winterhawks this coming season after playing junior hockey in his home country previously.
The puck dropped at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday, and the games continue all week. NHL Network is carrying select games in the United States.
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 Everett Silvertips are back in atop the news cycle for the third week in a row with the moment their fans have all been waiting for all offseason.
After months of speculation of when a deal would finally be struck, that wait is finally over as the Silvertips have officially reached a deal with defenseman Landon DuPont on a WHL scholarship and development agreement, officially making him a member of the organization.
DuPont, 15, from Calgary, Alberta was granted exceptional status by the WHL on April 8, 2024, meaning he will be allowed the uncommon privilege of joining the league on a full-time basis at just 15 years old.
“We’re excited to have Landon and his family committed to the Silvertips,” said Everett general manager Mike Fraser in a press release. “We’re looking forward to having Landon suiting up with us this season having been granted his exceptional status. He’s a speedy, smart, dynamic player who will fit in nicely with our core group of defensemen.”
The Silvertips selected him with the first overall pick in the 2024 Bantam Draft, which made him the highest selected player in team history. He was the last player remaining from the draft who had yet to sign a scholarship and development agreement, but for good reason as his family negotiated with the league on the details, likely in regards to his age 15 season.
He is 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟.
Landon DuPont has been granted Exceptional Player Status and is eligible to play in the WHL on a full-time basis beginning with the 2024-25 WHL Regular Season.
DuPont has been deemed as a potentially generational prospect for some time, which has been cause for hype around the region and among Silvertips fans since Everett won the first overall selection. He was just the ninth player in CHL history to be granted exceptional status and just the second ever in WHL history behind Connor Bedard in 2020, as well as the second ever defenseman after Aaron Ekblad in 2011.
All this attention around him and he hasn’t even played a game yet. What’s made DuPont so special to be talked up like this?
He possesses a unique ability of creating time and space for himself on both ends of the ice with elite edge work, as well as an offensive prowess and openness to his game that few defensemen at his age possess.
Dupont has drawn comparisons to the likes of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Bowen Byram, proving that he’s been more than ready to compete at the WHL level through his play in the CSSHL levels.
The production for DuPont had been off the charts at Edge School in the CSSHL, delivering 19 goals and 62 points in just 30 games at the U-18 level. Across his two seasons and both the U-15 and U-18 levels at Edge, he tallied an astounding 34 goals and 109 points in 57 games. This type of production for a defenseman is simply unheard of.
While he possesses a smaller frame at just 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, he’s still only 15 years old and has plenty of growing and physical maturing ahead of him.
“Landon is a very exciting and dynamic young player who impacts the game all over the ice,” newly minted head coach Steve Hamilton said. “He’s an incredibly mature young man that’s ready for the transition to the Western Hockey League. Silvertip fans will love watching him develop in the years ahead.”
Selecting DuPont
How were the Silvertips even able to select DuPont in the first place? Weren’t they a top-seeded playoff team last year?
Well, they were, but recall the gargantuan trade they made with the Kamloops Blazers involving Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer the season beforehand. The Blazers were all in for a Memorial Cup push that year, selling a ton of their assets only to fall just short of the title as the host city.
And a byproduct of that push was that the Blazers lost almost all their top talent the year after, which allowed them to finish dead last in the overall 2023-24 standings.
It is safe to say that deal has done more than wonders for the Silvertips, as not only did they receive the pick that landed them DuPont, but they also got a large number of players and draft assets in the return, including current Seattle Kraken defensive prospect Kaden Hammell.
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
We've traded Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer to the Kamloops Blazers for four players and up to 10 @TheWHL Draft picks.
The initial acquisition of DuPont couldn’t have come at a better time for the Silvertips, ahead of one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory. Within this impressive defensive group set to return this season, DuPont will have more than enough veterans to help mentor him, with three defensemen in Tarin Smith, Eric Jamieson, and the aforementioned Hammell already being affilliated with NHL organizations.
DuPont’s father, Micki, was a WHLer himself before playing parts of four seasons in the NHL. In an interview with the league, he spoke about the life values he was able to learn from playing in the WHL, and what he has passed down to Landon.
“The friendships that you make, the things you learn, the off-ice skills,” Micki said. “I think those [skills] are really important. I’m happy that [Landon] will have the opportunity to go through all that.”
DuPont will be eligible for selection during the 2027 NHL Draft, and if all goes according to plan in his development, like four other exceptional status players before him, he could very well be selected first overall.
The Silvertips will open training camp at the end of the month, opening the season at home against last year’s first-round opponent Vancouver on September 21.
(Top photo of Landon Dupont: Chris Mast / Mast Images)
It’s been a long offseason of waiting around for news and notes to drop, but finally it feels like a corner has been turned, and the 2024-25 WHL season is beginning to take its shape.
One of the lingering questions for the Everett Silvertips was who would be their next head coach, and this week, the coaching carousel finally slowed to a stop.
Everett finalizes Mike Fraser as GM and Steve Hamilton as coach
Year after year, the Silvertips have been that pesky team that refuses to go away, producing countless amounts of under-the-radar talent that hasn’t once missed the playoffs in franchise history.
Despite being in contention on a regular basis, the team has never quite had enough to make it over the hump. Now, reaching the pinnacle will be in the hands of two new leaders.
The team finally named Mike Fraser the full-time general manager after he served as the interim GM following the departure of Dennis Williams, working his way to the top of the organizational ladder over the course of six years.
“My goal with the Silvertips continues to be a focus on developing exciting prospects on the ice and quality people that our community can be proud of,” Fraser said. “I also want to continue the winning tradition in Silvertip Country, and I greatly look forward to what lies ahead.”
Fraser, 45, didn’t wait long in making his first big move as GM, as not even a week later he announced long-time WHL head coach Steve Hamilton would become the sixth head coach in franchise history.
Hamilton, 52, has a plethora of experience behind benches over the past decade. He was with the Calgary Hitmen for the last six seasons, following four seasons coaching the Edmonton Oil Kings. He was an associate with the Oil Kings during their 2013-14 Memorial Cup-winning season.
During an introductory video made by the Silvertips, Hamilton harped on the winning culture that’s been established in Everett, as well as what made them so tough to play against when he coached for past teams.
“Everett’s always been known as an incredibly difficult team to play against,” Hamilton said. “[They’re] fast, tenacious, in your face, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fans they play in front of.”
While Hamilton shines in experience, his head coaching resume and record leave a bit to be desired, considering Everett’s lofty expectations of seriously contending for the next few seasons.
Never winning more than 36 games in a season, Hamilton only has a single playoff series win during his tenure as a WHL coach, winning only eight total playoff games and missing the playoffs entirely in four out of his eight seasons (excluding COVID years of 2019-20, 2020-21).
The highest his teams have ever finished for goals for in a season was seventh in 2018-19, and they have sat near the bottom of the league in this category. Considering how much Everett had to rely on scoring by committee for much of last season, not valuing that side of the puck as much might just cost the Silvertips later in the season when finishing games truly matters.
There is some upside, however, as Hamilton’s calling card as a coach comes on the defensive side of the puck. Plus, the players he’s worked to develop, most recently Top 10 NHL Draft pick Carter Yakemchuk in Calgary, have had success. His understanding for that side of the game is likely why Everett felt he was the best fit, especially to help maximize the talents of their NHL drafted bluelinersEric Jamieson, Kaden Hammell, and Tarin Smith.
“Our job as coaches is to get the most out of our group, wherever we are in a cycle,” Hamilton said. “And if we can max out the potential of the group, that’s certainly the goal year in and year out.”
Hamilton will have a lot to work with. This could arguably be the best roster/group of defensemen he’s had in his career, but this window of opportunity has to be seized.
“There’s really a lot to like about where the organization is positioned,” Hamilton said. “It was an opportunity to come into a situation where the team’s on the rise.”
There’s one more big domino to fall in Everett, as exceptional-status defenseman Landon DuPont has yet to sign to his scholarship and development agreement. There has been reassurance from a number of sides that the deal is all but done, but admittedly, the drama continues to build with each passing day.
Other U.S. Division coaching hires
Wenatchee: Don Nachbaur
The Wenatchee Wild wanted more stability with its new bench boss, and they found that stability courtesy of veteran coach Don Nachbaur, making Wenatchee his fourth destination in the WHL.
From WHL coaching milestones to NHL playing experience to international success, our new head coach has it all…
After spending 19 prior seasons in Seattle, Tri-City, and Spokane, and despite having yet to win a WHL title, the notoriously hard-nosed Nachbaur is a successful coach in league and is currently in third place all time for coaching wins. He is just eight wins away from the illustrious 700-win mark.
Spokane: Brad Lauer
The Silvertips and Spokane Chiefs followed similar timelines in each of their hiring processes, with both citing immigration issues as the primary reason for why they took so long.
But who wouldn’t want to wait for a guy like Brad Lauer? While his stint with the Winnipeg Jets failed to produce the expected special teams results, those results came easier for him with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Lauer lays claim to the highest winning percentage in WHL history at .792, and he led the Oil Kings to their second Memorial Cup in 2021-22.
Spokane GM Matt Bardsley said the hiring of Lauer came from the team’s desire to maximize the talent they have on the current roster, while fostering the younger players to step into more prominent leadership roles.
“Lauer understands that from the development side that it takes patience and repetition with young players,” Bardsley said. “But at the same time he’s mentioned multiple times preparing them for ultimately everybody’s goal to get to the NHL.”
Portland: Kyle Gustafson
The defending Western Conference champion Portland Winterhawks are about to enter a new era.
Taking his place is associate coach Kyle Gustafson, who’s been Johnston’s right-hand man since the beginning of his first tenure in 2011. He’s been with Portland practically every year since 2003 as either an assistant or associate coach.
Other news
Tri-City traded Kraken defensive prospect Lukas Dragicevic, along with goalie Eric Kahl to the Prince Albert Raiders for three players and a draft selection. Dragicevic, 19, reportedly put in a request with GM Bob Tory to be traded.
Spokane officially put in a bid to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. If Spokane is selected, it would mark the first time since 1998 that junior hockey’s marquee tournament would take place in the state of Washington.
Seattle Thunderbirds Scott Ratzlaff and Sawyer Mynio, and Chiefs center and Kraken prospect Berkly Catton are participants for Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase.
Mynio impressed in his WJSS game against Sweden on Wednesday with one goal and one assist.
All NHL teams aspire to accumulate talent throughout their lineup. While this can be accomplished through trades or free agency, the most cost-efficient way to acquire talent is through the NHL Draft. Drafted players are cost controlled throughout their entry-level contracts and require only draft picks to get them into the organization.
The Seattle Kraken have been wisely accumulating draft assets, selecting 36 players over the last four NHL Drafts. Early returns suggest that first-round picks like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright will be key contributors. Beniers already has 167 games under his belt, and we can expect Wright to be a full-time NHLer next season.
The Kraken have also seen recent standout performances from a pair of second-round picks. Both David Goyette and Jagger Firkus led the OHL and WHL respectively in scoring last season. Given these developments, how should we evaluate their progress? Statistically, are they tracking as home run draft picks and future stars? Or should we remain more reserved in our outlook?
Performance relative to age
Jagger Firkus (Photo/Brian Liesse)
One useful lens for analyzing progress is performance relative to age. Even within the same draft class, there can be a wide disparity in age. For the 2024 draft, top-ranked prospect Cole Eiserman (drafted No. 20 overall by the New York Islanders) is about 10 months (304 days) younger than Artyom Levshunov (drafted No. 2 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks). At this age, 10 months is a huge runway in developmental timeline. This effect is compounded in junior leagues like the OHL and WHL where players as young as 16 and as old as 20 are playing side-by-side against each other every night.
Intuitively, we should expect a 20-year-old to be far more physically developed than the average 18-year-old (the average age of each team was 18.7 in both the OHL and WHL last year). Without the context of age, we may be prone to draw faulty conclusions about a player’s long-term potential. So how can we contextualize the seasons that Goyette and Firkus just had?
In order to draw some rudimentary conclusions, we looked at the top 15 scoring seasons for both OHL and WHL players from 2014 to 2024. The jury is still out on the long-term ceiling of some of these players, but there is enough data to make some inferences. Within the OHL, the list includes current NHL stars like Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, and Jason Robertson, solid top-six players like Dylan Strome, and bottom-six forwards like Kevin Labanc. We also see players like Justin Brazeau and Aaron Luchuk who, to-date, have been unable to carve out NHL careers.
The common thread here is that standout performances in your 17- or 18-year-old season are often predictive of high-ceiling NHL careers. Standout performances from 19- or 20-year-olds should be taken with a bigger grain of salt. Included in this latter group are Christian Dvorak and Rory Kerins. While the former is a useful albeit replaceable bottom-six forward, the latter may or may not crack the NHL at all.
The WHL paints a similar picture. Two thirds of the top scoring seasons from the last 10 years are owned by 19 and 20-year-old players, many of which have struggled to hold NHL jobs. Kraken fan favorite Oliver Bjorkstrand has found success as a top-six forward while Sam Steel appears to have settled into a bottom-six role.
What is also notable is what the data doesn’t show. Superstar talents do not tend to linger in Major Junior for long. Connor Bedard just won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie. By the time he was 20, Connor McDavid had played nearly 200 NHL games and was scoring over 100 points per season. Post-draft, Mitch Marner spent another year with the London Knights before debuting in the NHL with a 61-point season.
With this in mind, we should be wary of projecting Firkus and Goyette as top-of-the-lineup stars. They both had excellent seasons, but their statistical profiles are more in line with solid middle-six forwards. While on the surface this may seem disappointing, this isn’t bad news. It is important to remember that even players selected early in the draft often do not become full-time NHLers.
Looking at five years of draft data from 2010-2014 and using the 100 games played mark as a threshold, we find that 82 percent of first-round picks became NHLers, but that number drops off to only 46 percent in the second round. Even then, reaching the 100 games played threshold is hardly indicative of being a true difference maker on a contending team. Solid middle-six forwards would be fantastic outcomes for Firkus and Goyette, and contending teams need this type of talent in the middle of their lineup to win.
Berkly Catton (Photo/Spokane Chiefs)
While our analysis leads us to some muted optimism for Firkus and Goyette, we should end on a more positive note. The Kraken’s most recent first-round pick, Berkly Catton, just wrapped up a very special season relative to his historical 17-year-old peers, putting him in rare company. Hockey analyst Cam Robinson summed it up best.
Every CHL draft-eligible skater to produce 50+ goals and 115+ points in the 21st Century:
• Sidney Crosby • Patrick Kane • Connor Bedard • Berkly Catton
Last season, the Kraken offense was ranked fourth from the bottom of the NHL. In drafting Catton, a dynamic rush scoring forward, they may have selected a player uniquely suited to address this gap.
