Seattle Kraken training camp is underway! To celebrate, the Sound Of Hockey welcomes not one, but TWO of Seattle’s top prospects for very fun interviews. Check in with Carson Rehkopf and Ty Nelson on this episode.
Also in this episode, the guys give their takeaways from the first few days of camp, plus fill you in on the latest Kraken news.
After the interviews with Rehkopf and Nelson, the guys shift to general NHL news, then segments.
Welcome to our latest Kraken Roundtable discussion, featuring John Barr, Curtis Isacke, and Darren Brown. In this discussion, we ask and answer a few pressing questions around training camp, which is now in full swing.
Enjoy!
Who has the most to prove in training camp?
John Barr: I think there are several players to keep an eye on, but I will call out Chris Driedger here. Driedger played a handful of games at the end of last season after returning from his knee injury at the IIHF World Championship in 2022, but I do not believe he has fully demonstrated he is at 100 percent. There is no secret that he is in a battle for the backup goalie position through the pre-season. Even if he is outperformed by Joey Daccord, I am sure he would like to send a signal to the rest of the league so he gets claimed, should Seattle put him on waivers.
Curtis Isacke: Kailer Yamamoto is facing a “prove it” camp. A former first-round pick and 20-goal scorer, Yamamoto was skating on NHL superstar Leon Draisaitl’s wing just five months ago. Even so, two different NHL teams parted with cap space or other assets this past offseason to move him off their rosters. Edmonton parted with the signing rights to Klim Kostin to trade Yamamoto’s $3.1 million salary to Detroit. Then Detroit bought out the Washington native’s contract. As I wrote about after Seattle signed Yamamoto, the diminutive forward had become a niche utility player in Edmonton. He needs to shake that mindset and remind the NHL of the broad skill set that made him such a dynamic WHL winger. Otherwise he risks falling into a category of borderline AHL players.
Darren Brown: I’ll go with Kole Lind, because he’s at an inflection point in his career. Will he be an NHL player, or will he be one of those guys that always stands out in the AHL, but–for whatever reason–just never quite makes it at the highest level? As I wrote in my “storylines” article on Wednesday, Lind did everything the organization could have wanted him to do in Coachella Valley last season, yet he has not yet been rewarded with a full-time NHL gig. Based on his output with the Firebirds, one would think he is deserving of a legitimate shot. BUT… There is again competition in camp, and he will have to prove that he belongs on the Kraken more than at least one of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Shane Wright, or Tye Kartye.
Who stood out at rookie or main training camp so far?
Curtis: Vince Dunn and Ryker Evans stood out to me on day one of training camp for their ability to drive transition play in drills and during the training camp scrimmages. Each has advanced ability to scan the defense and exploit weaknesses for advance, and both looked spry on their skates to start camp. At a time when the players are still trying to get in sync on breakout and transition schemes, a one-man transition attack can be pretty appealing, and both Dunn and Evans looked at ease seizing those opportunities on Day 1.
What’s more, I thought Evans held up fairly well in one-on-one and two-on-two defensive zone drills. If he can handle net-front physicality and tighten up his defensive zone coverage just a bit, he’ll be NHL ready. If the first day of training camp was any indication, he’s close.
Darren: I wasn’t able to make Day 1 of the main training camp, so I’ll stick with what I saw from rookie camp. I have to agree with Curtis that Evans looked great on that stage against fellow youngsters, and I was also impressed by Ty Nelson. He was constantly competing with his long-time buddy, Shane Wright, in drills and was sticking with him step for step. His shot is also very heavy, unsurprising for the player that led the entire OHL in shots on goal last season.
John: I probably should not be surprised, but Eduard Sale impressed me. He is a really smooth and silky player out there and scored a couple goals that were frankly pretty nasty. I did not get those same vibes from him at development camp back in July, but at the time, he revealed that he had not been on the ice much before that camp.
Observations on Shane Wright?
John: During rookie camp, I felt Shane stood out as one of the better players but not distancing himself from everyone in the camp. Ironically, in the main camp scrimmage of Day 1, he stood out from his peers that have been drafted over the last three years. It is way too early to think he will make the opening-night roster, but he looks like he belongs with the big boys.
Curtis: John, I agree that he doesn’t look out of place. But there were moments during the scrimmage on Day 1 that reminded me of Wright’s struggles last training camp. In these moments, I can almost feel him thinking the game a little too hard–striving for the perfect play rather than simply trusting his ample instincts and skills to play loose. For example, at one point he got the puck at the point with space and time but looked to feather a pass down to the slot, which was easily swatted away for a defensive clear. I think the arrow is pointed up on Wright, but I’d like to see him take some weight off his shoulders and simplify a bit.
Darren: I observed that he looks very mature. He’s a full-grown adult now, despite still only being 19 years old. I did not have a physique like his at 19 (and I still do not).
What are you looking for in the first pre-season games?
Darren: I personally will be focused on those guys that are competing with one another for roster spots. Daniel Sprong demanded a contract and a roster spot with his play in pre-season last year, and I’ll be curious to see which of the bubble guys make similar statements for this season.
John: Of the recent draft picks, I want to see glimpses of belonging at the NHL level. For the handful of selections from the 2022 and 2023 draft classes that draw into a pre-season game, it is unrealistic to expect them to look NHL ready. In fact, there could be moments of them looking foolish or simply making a poor read on a play that is uncharacteristic of an NHL player. Those mistakes will happen, and what better place to make those mistakes than a pre-season game? But what I want to see is moments of making NHL plays.
It could be years before we see these guys in regular-season games, but I expect Eduard Sale, Ty Nelson, David Goyette, and maybe Carson Rehkopf to draw into a pre-season game or two over the next few weeks. Getting glimpses of them performing against current NHL players would be fun and should showcase a bit of what might be coming down the pike for the Kraken.
Curtis: You both covered areas I’ll be watching too, so I’ll answer a little more generally. After the first day of training camp, Kraken coach Dave Hakstol spoke about prioritizing team compete level early in camp. I think the same goes for the first pre-season game. What level is the team setting for itself? Is the team playing fast and disciplined? These things could be harbingers of a fast start–and it might be necessary to get off to a fast start if this team wants to replicate, or exceed, its success from last season.
Welcome to the inaugural Deep Sea Blue Chips, a ranking of the top Seattle Kraken prospects according to public scouting services and prospect analysts.
As mentioned on Episode 252 of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, I compiled seven public sources providing rankings of the best prospects in the Kraken system and built an overall composite ranking. The sources I used are:
Similar to my process in building the Sound of Hockey Big Board, an NHL Draft prospect ranking, I built this list using a weighted geometric mean calculation. Why did I use a geometric mean? Read up here. Weights were assigned based on our assessment of the depth of experience, sourced reporting, or scouting insight factored into the component lists themselves.
How do the Deep Sea Blue Chips compare with the data-only list I made earlier in the offseason? Where does it depart from the views of Kraken fans polled via social media? Let’s start with the Blue Chips list and then I’ll take a look at those other questions.
Deep Sea Blue Chips
You can view the full list in Google Sheets HERE. The sheet includes each player’s composite rank and a lot more data about each player.
Important note on using the Deep Sea Blue Chips Google Sheet: To filter the data by various categories, highlight row 2, then select “Data,” “Filter Views,” and “Create New Temporary Filter View.” This will allow you to manipulate the data in a way visible only to you.
The fans weigh in
Is there anyone you think is underrated or overrated in our inaugural Deep Sea Blue Chips? Without divulging the list, I asked a few Sound Of Hockey community members on various social media platforms to make their own ranking of top Seattle Kraken prospects. I fashioned their answers into a composite list too. Here is what our (highly unscientific) sample of 12 Kraken fans came up with:
The fans are much higher than the scouts on forwards Jacob Melanson and Kole Lind, as well as Tye Kartye and Ty Nelson, but lower on 2023 defenseman draft picks Lukas Dragicevic and Caden Price, among others. Who do you think has it right?
The spreadsheets would like a word
A couple weeks ago I published a “data-only” ranking of every NHL-affiliated skater prospect. As detailed in that piece, I built the ranking based on Thibaud Chatel’s NHLe work. I didn’t rank goalies, but the Kraken skaters checked in as follows:
The data suggests David Goyette and Logan Morrison might be underrated by the scouts and the fans. On the other hand, draft year NHLe calculations raise some questions about the future potential of players like Eduard Sale, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, and Carson Rehkopf, for example. Do you think the scouting-based Deep Sea Blue Chips rank is better? Or do you favor the approach emphasizing scoring data?
Next Up: Discussing the year ahead
Your Sound Of Hockey prospect contributors discuss the Deep Sea Blue Chips ranking, the prospects we’ll be watching this season, and a few bold predictions. Any topics or players you’d like us to cover? Drop us a note on Twitter or in the comments below.
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.
Feel that? The air seems a little fresher than it has the last couple months, right? It’s crisper, cooler, and oddly more… exciting? Do you know what that is?
[Clears throat, takes big deep breath, shouts]: “That’s Kraken hockey, baby!”
The boys are officially back for their third season, and after several weeks of unofficial “captain’s practices” and two days of rookie camp, the real deal training camp begins Thursday.
The opening of camp also marks the start of true roster competition, and while most of the group is back from 2022-23, including the team’s top 10 forwards, top five defensemen, and top goaltender, there are some interesting storylines to watch over the coming weeks.
Let’s dig into those, shall we?
Veterans versus youngsters
Seattle only tinkered with its forward lineup this offseason, replacing departed fourth-line forwards Morgan Geekie, Ryan Donato, and Daniel Sprong with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Kailer Yamamoto, and Devin Shore. Where those newcomers slot in will make the most interesting storylines to watch, because there are also three (relatively) young forwards in Shane Wright, Kole Lind, and Tye Kartye who will be battling for spots on the Kraken.
The veterans
Yamamoto is a lock to make the team. Though he’s only 24 years old, this will be his seventh NHL season (he played nine games with the Oilers in 2017-18 before being returned to the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs). Out of the harsh media environment that is Edmonton, Yamamoto is just one year removed from a 20-goal campaign in 2021-22. We would not be surprised to see a resurgence from him this season with his “hometown” club.
Shore is a depth acquisition and on a two-way contract. He will need to dazzle in pre-season to get an NHL roster spot. He did play 47 games for the Oilers last season, but his signing screams veteran AHL presence with the opportunity to fill in when injuries inevitably happen at the NHL level. The 29-year-old has plenty of experience playing center, though, which is an area of need for Seattle.
Of the veteran players mentioned, Bellemare will be the most interesting case to monitor. With 660 career games under his belt, the 38-year-old brings plenty of NHL experience to the dressing room. But we don’t feel his spot on the team is guaranteed entering camp.
Though he isn’t new to the organization, we should also include John Hayden in the mix of veterans battling for NHL spots. Hayden performed well in a fourth-line role before getting injured against the Oilers last season. He is a proven NHLer, a right-shot forward that can play center, and he brings a physical element the team otherwise lacks.
The youngsters
Even though Lind is the same age as Yamamoto, we still are including him in this “youngsters” group because he’s never broken through as a full-timer NHLer. The most experience he got was in Seattle’s inaugural season, when he played 23 games with the Kraken and scored two goals and six assists.
If Lind was disappointed to be sent to the AHL last season, it didn’t show in his performance there. Instead, he had an enormous season with 30 goals and 32 assists in 72 regular-season games for Coachella Valley, then led the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals with a whopping 31 points in 26 playoff games. He is also the only one of the Wright/Kartye/Lind trio that requires waivers to get back to Coachella this season, so Seattle would have to expose him if they want to put him back in the AHL.
When last season ended, we assumed with nearly 100-percent certainty Kartye would be on the Kraken out of this season’s camp. Now, we’re slightly less sure, only because of the offseason signings made by Seattle. Though he was one of the heroes of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the 2022-23 AHL rookie of the year, an underwhelming performance in pre-season and good health among Kraken forwards could still mean Kartye starts the year in Palm Desert. If the team views him as an extra, it will make more sense to let him keep developing with the Firebirds. Still, we’re confident the Kraken have high hopes for Kartye to contribute at the NHL level this season.
And what of the Kraken’s No. 1 prospect, Shane Wright? Well, he has made huge strides in his development over the past four months and looked like a full-grown pro athlete at rookie camp this week. Though it does seem he will be allowed to play in the AHL if he doesn’t make the Kraken out of camp, he has maintained that he is focused on making the NHL roster, and the team seems to want to keep him. But like with Kartye, there’s no sense in keeping Wright if it means he will be watching from the press box most nights.
Shane Wright spoke to media today. Though it sounds like he will be eligible for the AHL if needed, he is fully focused on making the #SeaKraken out of camp. pic.twitter.com/XGQyiwlQp7
While most of the attention will be on the forwards, there is some competition for the last blue line spot(s) as well. Cale Fleury spent most of last season as a healthy scratch, but the team resisted putting him on waivers. Meanwhile, Jaycob Megna was acquired before the trade deadline from San Jose but only played six games for the Kraken. Carson Soucy got replaced by Brian Dumoulin this offseason, so assuming good health and that the team keeps only one extra defenseman, Megna and Fleury will likely be fighting for the last spot.
And we can’t forget about high-flying prospect Ryker Evans. We don’t *expect* Evans to make the Kraken immediately, but he should be near the top of the list to earn a call-up if an injury replacement is needed in season.
Andre Burakovsky set to return
It’s easy to forget that Andre Burakovsky was Seattle’s leading scorer through the All-Star break last season. The team managed without him after he tore his groin, but there was an obvious offensive gap that appeared, especially on the power play.
Burakovsky has been back on the ice for captain’s practices and is expected to be a full participant in camp. His performance will be worth monitoring.
Eyes on the goal crease
The playoffs were a positive experience for Philipp Grubauer, who looked like he had finally put his Kraken struggles behind him. It will be interesting to see what kind of start he gets out to this pre-season, but the real story in the goal crease is determining who will serve as his backup.
Chris Driedger is entering the final year of his three-year, $10.5 million contract. He returned to full health last season after tearing his ACL in the 2022 IIHF World Championship, but Martin Jones had taken his spot as the Seattle backup. So, Driedger got sent to Coachella Valley, only to find that Joey Daccord had full control over the Firebirds’ net. Daccord had a phenomenal playoff run and carried his squad to the finals, coming up one game short of a championship.
The Kraken re-signed Daccord for two years this offseason. Is this the year Daccord gets a chance as a full-time NHL goalie?
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.
Hi gang! First off, we wanted to thank you for your support over the years, dating back to the NHLtoSeattle days, when all we had to talk about was the political landscape of bringing an NHL team to the Pacific Northwest, arena construction updates, and goalie gear. While the content was a little different back then, those were important times for laying the groundwork of our corner of the hockey community, and many of you have stuck with us through thick and thin.
To all who have read our articles, listened to our podcasts, watched our videos, and engaged with us on social media over the years, we cannot thank you enough.
Now, as the Seattle Kraken enter their third season, our community has grown by leaps and bounds, and we feel the time is right to take the next step in our journey.
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The Seattle Kraken kick off official hockey activities with a two-day rookie camp on Monday and Tuesday, before the full training camp starts Thursday. A lot of the players that will attend the rookie portion are players we saw in the development camp the Kraken hosted in July, but expect higher intensity these next couple days.
A lot of these Seattle Kraken prospects could be years away from making their regular-season NHL debuts, and many will never play for the Kraken. But I always enjoy getting an up-close viewing of Kraken prospects at this point in their careers. Here are four players I am particularly excited about watching.
Carson Rehkopf
Calling out Carson Rehkopf is not exactly going out on a limb. He was the Kraken’s second pick (50th overall) of the most recent NHL Entry Draft, but I feel he could be one of those players we talk about years from now that other teams missed when they had the opportunity to draft him.
I tend to overvalue a prospect’s shooting abilities when compared to his peers, and Rehkopf’s shot really stood out in the group of players at development camp. Another aspect of his game that raised some eyebrows was his poise with the puck. He seemed very patient and often avoided making the obvious pass to instead create an even better scoring opportunity for his team. The sample size was small, and the scenarios were a little different in dev camp, so I hope his performance this week will be consistent with what we saw in July.
2023 fourth-round selection, Andrei Loshko, will not stand out like some prospects in terms of dangles or wicked shots. He is better known for his strong two-way game that could translate to the NHL one day. Originally from Belarus, Loshko has played the last two seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL, where he put up 70 points over 67 regular-season games in 2022-23. He is considered a bit of a sleeper, so it will be fun to set a baseline at this rookie camp to start tracking his progress over the next few years.
Lukas Dragicevic
I figure that any hardcore Seattle Kraken fan will have plenty of opportunity to see Lukas Dragicevic this season by watching the Tri-City Americans any time they are playing your local US Division WHL team. But it will also be exciting to see how he stacks up against the Kraken prospects. What really fascinates me about Dragicevic is that he switched to defense four seasons ago, explaining his high-end offensive skill. The word around the campfire is that Dragicevic will need to develop his defensive skill, but in the meantime, I will enjoy seeing his offensive prowess on display.
Tucker Robertson
It was not until the OHL playoffs that I watched a lot of Tucker Robertson, and he was a big reason the Peterborough Petes won that league’s championship. The OHL Final was particularly impressive. Robertson had nine points in the series against the London Knights, including one goal and one assist on the Petes’ 2-1 series-clinching victory in Game 6. Robertson might be that elusive right-handed center the Kraken could be looking for. He is expected to be in Coachella Valley this coming season.
If you are not able to attend either of the rookie camp on-ice sessions, a lot of the young players should stick around for at least several days of the main training camp that starts Thursday. The entire schedule can be found here.
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The boys recorded this one on Friday night, which meant cracking open a couple cold ones and chopping it up before Kraken training camp kicks off this week.
Lots of giggles are to be had in this one, as the guys play a challenging game of Let’s Get Quizzical and discuss some of the storylines entering camp.
Also on this episode, John, Curtis, and Darren give their takes on the Mike Babcock situation in Columbus (which more recently resulted in him resigning from the team), and they discuss NHL rule changes.
With a new crop of prospects from the 2023 NHL Draft, the Seattle Kraken’s farm system is starting to take shape.
The third draft class for Seattle was quite the haul, with 10 picks, four of which were selected in the top 60. Especially with some prospects from Seattle’s debut class graduating from junior hockey to Coachella Valley in the American Hockey League (AHL), the impact of the Kraken scouting staff’s diligence will be felt more now than ever before.
Below is one prospect to watch in the NCAA, Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Western Hockey League, and AHL for this upcoming season.
NCAA – Ben MacDonald (F)
Entering his first season at Harvard, the 19-year-old forward is coming off nearly a point-per-game season with the West Kelowna Warriors, where he scored 50 points in 52 games. The Kraken are clearly high on the Massachusetts native, having traded a pair of fourth-rounders for the privilege of taking MacDonald in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
OHL – Carson Rehkopf (F)
Perhaps an upset pick over Eduard Sale, one of the Kraken’s several second-round picks in the most recent NHL draft is described as a high-energy, high-upside type of prospect. The Kitchener Rangers forward is off to a blistering start in the OHL preseason and could be in for a monster season.
#SeaKraken prospect Carson Rehkopf in OHL preseason action tonight: 3 G, 2 A, 5 PTS, +4, 10 SOG
He now has 5 G, 6 A, 11 PTS, and 27 SOG in 4 GP this preseason.
He’s the choice by default as the lone Kraken prospect in the ‘Q,’ but thankfully for this exercise, Loshko is a pretty interesting prospect. The Belarussian center is entering a new situation after the Chicoutimi Sagueneens dealt him to Rouyn-Noranda. The 6-foot-1 forward finished with 70 points to lead the Sagueneens last season.
WHL – Lukas Dragicevic (D)
An analytical darling in the 2023 draft, Kraken statheads and WHL fans alike were likely thrilled to see Dragicevic in the Kraken system. The 57th overall pick, Dragicevic is a skilled defenseman capable of driving offense and running a power play.
He was already a point-per-game player as an 18-year-old, and the sky’s the limit for the Americans in a seemingly wide-open U.S. Division this upcoming season.
Overseas – Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (F)
His entertaining appearance on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast aside, Fisker Mølgaard is set to play for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League again after putting up four goals and three assists in 41 games last season. Noted as a detail-oriented center, we’re curious how his offensive game ticks up in his 19-year-old season.
AHL – Ryan Winterton
A significant shoulder injury limited Ryan Winterton the past two seasons, but when healthy, the 20-year-old forward was a dynamic force, especially in last season’s playoffs in the OHL with the London Knights. There, he posted 29 points in 21 games – including a 12-game point streak.
With two consecutive OHL finals appearances, including a Memorial Cup bid with Hamilton, under his belt, Winterton has little to prove in junior hockey. We’re excited to see how he fits in Coachella Valley alongside prospects like Tucker Robertson and Kyle Jackson.
Josh Horton
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and erstwhile Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.
Last offseason I did a series of articles that analyzed – at a high level – just how much the Kraken would need to improve to be contending for a playoff spot in their second season. At the time, the analysis was met with a bit of cynicism after such an abysmal inaugural season in 2021-22.
At the heart of that analysis was one simple metric, adjusted goal differential. Adjusted goal differential was essentially ‘goals for’ minus ‘goals against,’ excluding empty-net goals on both sides of the equation. The target I landed on for the Kraken to make the playoffs in 2022-23 was an adjusted goal differential of minus four or better because historically, teams that had a minus-four adjusted goal differential have had a roughly 40 percent chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
Based on Seattle’s results in its first season, I would have taken those odds any day of the week.
The Kraken had a brutal minus-59 adjusted goal differential in their inaugural season, good for sixth worst in the league. To get to that minus-four adjusted goal target, they needed to do some combination of scoring or allowing a 55-goal improvement in 2022-23. Fast forwarding, the Kraken blew that minus-four target out of the water by scoring 75 more goals in 2022-23 and allowing 16 fewer goals. Lo and behold, they clinched their first playoff berth with two weeks remaining in the season.
Offseason changes
It would be easy to just rinse and repeat for the upcoming season, but even though Seattle’s top three forward lines and top two defensive pairs remained intact, the Kraken saw a significant number of goals leave their roster this offseason. Restricted free agents Daniel Sprong and Morgan Geekie were not tendered qualifying offers and signed with Detroit and Boston respectively. Unrestricted free agents Ryan Donato and Carson Soucy signed with Chicago and Vancouver. That means 47 adjusted goals for walked out the door via free agency.
For you scoring at home, the Kraken had an adjusted goal differential of plus 32 last season. With 47 goals departing from the roster, that would put them at minus-15 for 2023-24, assuming no change at the defensive end of the ice. But they did make a few additions in the offseason that will partially offset their offensive losses. Enter Kailer Yamamoto, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Brian Dumoulin. Here is a look at their numbers from last season:
It’s not exactly an even swap if we are only looking at goal scoring. If all other metrics stay the same (which they won’t), the players subtracted and added to the roster put the Kraken at exactly zero in adjusted goal differential. According to the chart at the top of the post, that would put them at about a 50-percent chance of making the playoffs.
Other variables
Astute Kraken fans will quickly point out some of the missing names from this exercise. Shane Wright and Tye Kartye are highly likely to contribute in some capacity this coming season and are not accounted for in the tables. Other fans will point out that a full year of Andrei Burakovsky will certainly add to the goal totals for next season. Those are reasonable points to make, but goal projections will be part of a future post where I go a little deeper and project player-by-player game totals.
A quick note about adjusted goals against
To this point we have only really walked through adjusted goals for, but obviously there is another side of the equation: adjusted goals against. This is much harder of a number to forecast. The additions of Dumoulin and Bellemare could be seen as defensive improvements, but it is a challenge to determine how that would translate to goals against numbers.
Goaltending will also come into play when determining adjusted goals against. Goals against average (GAA) would seemingly be a perfect stat to analyze a team’s adjusted goals against forecast, but as it turns out, it is a horrible stat. The challenge is there are so many variables for goalies, such as quantity and quality of shots, not to mention the team’s overall defensive ability, which would also impact quantity and quality. We will save some goalie analysis for a future post.
Just a starting point
This might not give Kraken fans a lot of optimism headed into season three. Think of this more as round one of analysis when sizing up this upcoming season. We have noted the offseason changes and identified areas to explore in future analysis. Over the coming weeks we will dig into these areas to get you properly prepared for season three. If you have any thoughts or questions about the Seattle Kraken’s playoff chances heading into this season, leave a note in the comments below.
You’ve heard of a top-100 prospects list. But who needs those? At Sound Of Hockey we set out on a much more reckless endeavor: Let’s rank every skater prospect (both drafted and signed players) that meet two criteria entering the 2023-24 season: (1) younger than 25 years old, and (2) fewer than 50 NHL games played.
While we likely missed a few along the way, our research turned up 1027 skaters meeting these criteria–and we ranked them all. Our ranking is built on Thibaud Chatel’s NHL equivalency research and uses only quantifiable measures: prospect points per game, strength of the player’s current league, prospect age, and prospect height, with a minor adjustment for positional value.
The approach we used was similar to our approach in making a data-based ranking of 2023 NHL Draft and 2024 NHL Draft prospects. If you want the full gory details on method, check out this post describing the process from earlier this offseason.
For current purposes, it is likely sufficient to reiterate that this is a true “data-only” ranking with no adjustments for subjective preferences or the “eye test.” For example, Connor Bedard would be my No. 1 prospect if I were assembling a personal list, but the NHL equivalency-based approach I used here puts him fourth.
This “data-only” exercise is meant to compliment traditional scouting assessments. Are there players that the scouting lists have overlooked? If so, we can dig in and try to figure out if the player is simply under-appreciated or if there is a flaw in the player’s game that could hold the player back. The data is helpful in honing in on these outlier cases that may be worthy of a second look (for good or bad).
Without further ado, you can find the full ranking, with a lot of data on each prospect HERE.
Important note on using the NHL affiliate prospect ranking: If you want to filter the data by various categories, highlight row 3, then select “Data,” “Filter Views,” and “Create New Temporary Filter View.” This will allow you to manipulate the data in a way visible only to you.
Which prospects have the most impressive data profiles?
Based on prospect scoring, strength of league, age, height, and position only, here is your “data-only” top-100 prospects.
Prospect Ranking
Full Name
Team
Position
Height (ft in)
Age
Draft Year
Draft Pick
Chatel NHLe (unadjusted)
1
Adam Fantilli
CBJ
C
6′ 2″
18
2023
3
38.59
2
Alexander Nikishin
CAR
D
6′ 3″
22
2020
69
45.41
3
Matvei Michkov
PHI
RW
5′ 10″
18
2023
7
39.01
4
Connor Bedard
CHI
C
5′ 10″
18
2023
1
35.55
5
David Jiricek
CBJ
D
6′ 4″
19
2022
6
29.99
6
Brandt Clarke
LAK
D
6′ 2″
20
2021
8
33.58
7
Joakim Kemell
NSH
RW
5′ 11″
19
2022
17
35.64
8
Jiri Kulich
BUF
C
5′ 11″
19
2022
28
33.46
9
Logan Cooley
ARI
C
5′ 10″
19
2022
3
32.83
10
Kaiden Guhle
MON
D
6′ 2″
21
2020
16
33.55
11
Luke Hughes
NJD
D
6′ 2″
20
2021
4
26.22
12
Leo Carlsson
ANA
C/RW
6′ 3″
18
2023
2
26.57
13
Lukas Reichel
CHI
LW/RW
6′ 0″
21
2020
17
37.81
14
Lane Hutson
MON
D
5′ 9″
19
2022
62
26.22
15
Jakob Pelletier
CGY
LW/C
5′ 9″
22
2019
26
46.50
16
Quentin Musty
SJS
LW
6′ 2″
18
2023
26
24.80
17
William Smith
SJS
C
6′ 0″
18
2023
4
26.08
18
Luke Evangelista
NSH
RW
6′ 0″
21
2020
42
37.38
19
Marco Rossi
MIN
C
5′ 9″
22
2020
9
41.72
20
Gabriel Perreault
NYR
RW
5′ 11″
18
2023
23
25.83
21
Marat Khusnutdinov
MIN
C/LW
5′ 11″
21
2020
37
35.51
22
Simon Nemec
NJD
D
6′ 1″
19
2022
2
23.47
23
Jimmy Snuggerud
STL
RW
6′ 1″
19
2022
23
26.65
24
Ryker Evans
SEA
D
5′ 11″
21
2021
35
31.29
25
Roby Jarventie
OTT
LW
6′ 2″
21
2020
33
32.60
26
William Eklund
SJS
C/LW
5′ 11″
20
2021
7
33.03
27
Nikita Grebyonkin
TOR
LW/RW
6′ 2″
20
2022
135
29.11
28
David Reinbacher
MON
D
6′ 2″
18
2023
5
20.49
29
Juuso Parssinen
NSH
C/LW
6′ 3″
22
2019
210
39.11
30
Jeremie Poirier
CGY
D
6′ 1″
21
2020
72
27.38
31
Jean-Luc Foudy
COL
C
5′ 11″
21
2020
75
33.90
32
Alexander Holtz
NJD
RW
6′ 0″
21
2020
7
34.77
33
Ridly Greig
OTT
C/LW
6′ 0″
21
2020
28
32.16
34
Nikolai Kovalenko
COL
RW/LW
5′ 10″
23
2018
171
53.56
35
Jordan Spence
LAK
D
5′ 10″
22
2019
95
34.33
36
Simon Edvinsson
DET
D
6′ 6″
20
2021
6
22.60
37
Ville Heinola
WPG
D
6′ 1″
22
2019
20
31.73
38
Justin Barron
MON
D
6′ 2″
21
2020
25
27.81
39
Graeme Clarke
NJD
RW
6′ 0″
22
2019
80
37.38
40
Jordan Dumais
CBJ
RW
5′ 8″
19
2022
96
26.76
41
Tyson Foerster
PHI
RW
6′ 2″
21
2020
23
32.16
42
Cutter Gauthier
PHI
LW/C
6′ 2″
19
2022
5
24.73
43
Nikita Alexandrov
STL
C
6′ 1″
23
2019
62
40.42
44
Fabian Lysell
BOS
RW
5′ 11″
20
2021
21
29.12
45
Matthew Poitras
BOS
C
5′ 11″
19
2022
54
25.14
46
Colby Barlow
WPG
LW
6′ 0″
18
2023
18
22.39
47
Andrew Cristall
WSH
LW
5′ 10″
18
2023
40
23.14
48
Matthew Wood
NSH
LW/C
6′ 5″
18
2023
15
20.68
49
Sasha Pastujov
ANA
RW/LW
6′ 0″
20
2021
66
26.52
50
Pavel Mintyukov
ANA
D
6′ 1″
19
2022
10
20.84
51
Bogdan Konyushkov
MON
D
5′ 11″
20
2023
110
23.87
52
Connor Zary
CGY
C
6′ 0″
22
2020
24
33.46
53
Daniil Pylenkov
TBL
D
6′ 1″
23
2021
196
32.02
54
William Dufour
NYI
RW
6′ 2″
21
2020
152
30.42
55
David Goyette
SEA
C
5′ 10″
19
2022
61
24.62
56
Olen Zellweger
ANA
D
5′ 9″
20
2021
34
22.03
57
Dalibor Dvorsky
STL
C/RW
6′ 1″
18
2023
10
20.47
58
Niko Huuhtanen
TBL
RW
6′ 2″
20
2021
224
24.80
59
Vasili Ponomaryov
CAR
C
5′ 10″
21
2020
53
31.29
60
Shane Wright
SEA
C
6′ 0″
19
2022
4
24.00
61
Sean Farrell
MON
C/LW
5′ 9″
21
2020
124
33.26
62
Matthew Maggio
NYI
RW
5′ 11″
20
2022
142
27.72
63
Logan Stankoven
DAL
C/RW
5′ 7″
20
2021
47
28.58
64
Logan Morrison
SEA
C
6′ 0″
21
N/A
N/A
28.24
65
Zach Benson
BUF
LW
5′ 9″
18
2023
13
21.33
66
Ty Nelson
SEA
D
5′ 9″
19
2022
68
19.98
67
Shakir Mukhamadullin
SJS
D
6′ 4″
21
2020
20
23.59
68
Francesco Pinelli
LAK
C
6′ 0″
20
2021
42
25.31
69
William Wallinder
DET
D
6′ 4″
21
2020
32
21.70
70
Aatu Jamsen
LAK
RW/LW
6′ 1″
21
2020
190
27.16
71
Amadeus Lombardi
DET
C
5′ 10″
20
2022
113
25.31
72
Evan Vierling
PIT
C
6′ 0″
21
2020
127
27.72
73
Ty Voit
TOR
W/C
5′ 10″
20
2021
153
25.14
74
Samuel Bolduc
NYI
D
6′ 4″
22
2019
57
27.38
75
Ryan Leonard
WSH
C
6′ 0″
18
2023
8
20.30
76
Yegor Sokolov
OTT
LW/RW
6′ 3″
23
2020
61
36.51
77
Juraj Slafkovsky
MON
LW
6′ 3″
19
2022
1
21.03
78
Lukas Cormier
VGK
D
5′ 10″
21
2020
68
24.34
79
Gage Goncalves
TBL
C
6′ 0″
22
2020
62
33.90
80
Vladislav Firstov
MIN
LW
6′ 1″
22
2019
42
30.86
81
Joshua Roy
MON
W/C
6′ 0″
20
2021
150
23.35
82
Arseni Gritsyuk
NJD
RW/LW
5′ 11″
22
2019
129
33.19
83
Topi Niemela
TOR
D
5′ 11″
21
2020
64
23.47
84
Will Cuylle
NYR
LW
6′ 3″
21
2020
60
26.95
85
Trey Fix-Wolansky
CBJ
RW
5′ 7″
24
2018
204
50.41
86
Elliot Desnoyers
PHI
LW
5′ 11″
21
2020
135
28.68
87
Cruz Lucius
CAR
RW
6′ 0″
19
2022
124
21.32
88
Rutger McGroarty
WPG
C/LW
6′ 0″
19
2022
14
21.32
89
Michael Buchinger
STL
D
5′ 11″
19
2022
88
17.91
90
Nolan Burke
NSH
C
6′ 3″
20
N/A
N/A
23.76
91
Matvei Petrov
EDM
RW/LW
6′ 2″
20
2021
180
23.25
92
Isak Rosen
BUF
W/C
5′ 11″
20
2021
14
24.34
93
Adam Engstrom
MON
D
6′ 2″
19
2022
92
17.71
94
Semyon Chistyakov
NSH
D
5′ 10″
22
2019
117
25.62
95
Maxim Beryozkin
EDM
RW/LW
6′ 2″
21
2020
138
27.95
96
Jan Jenik
ARI
RW/C
6′ 1″
23
2018
65
33.90
97
Declan Chisholm
WPG
D
6′ 2″
23
2018
150
31.73
98
Rodwin Dionicio
ANA
D
6′ 2″
19
2023
129
16.88
99
Stanislav Svozil
CBJ
D
6′ 0″
20
2021
69
20.07
100
Sam Lipkin
ARI
LW/C
6′ 2″
20
2021
223
23.45
Digging into this data on the top-100 prospects a bit, I looked at just how much a player needs to score to be considered among this top tier of future NHL players. Depending on age and position, a major junior player needs to be scoring between one and two points per game to reach this upper echelon prospect status. An AHL or top European pro league player needs to produce between .4 and 1 points per game, while a KHL player can check in on the lower end of that range and still rank highly.
On the demographics side, Canada still leads the way in the hockey world, with 41 of the top 100 prospects hailing from the Great White North.
Of the top 100, 60 percent were first- or second-round draft picks. This underscores that NHL teams are efficient in identifying amateurs most likely to turn into productive professionals. It also supports the work of other draft analysts indicating that first- and second-round draft picks are by far the most valuable in generating future NHLers.
Of the top-100 prospects, only one was not drafted (reflected by the “null” in the chart above). Any guesses on who that might be? Keep reading for the answer.
Finally, let’s take an initial look at how these top-100 prospects are distributed across the NHL.
How do Seattle’s prospects stack up?
Since this website primarily covers the Seattle Kraken, many may be wondering where Seattle’s prospects stack up. The answer is: Quite well. Of course, the Kraken value data in their amateur scouting process, so this is not terribly surprising. Still, it is a notable success that Seattle has one of the deepest prospect pools of high-scoring, young talent despite participating in only three drafts (and having only three first-round picks to date). Two undrafted free agent signings stand out as important future pieces as well.
Prospect Ranking
Full Name
Team
Position
Height (ft in)
Age
Country
Draft Year
Draft Pick
Chatel NHLe (unadjusted)
24
Ryker Evans
SEA
D
5′ 11″
21
CAN
2021
35
31.29
55
David Goyette
SEA
C/LW
5′ 10″
19
CAN
2022
61
24.62
60
Shane Wright
SEA
C
6′ 0″
19
CAN
2022
4
24.00
64
Logan Morrison
SEA
C
6′ 0″
21
CAN
N/A
N/A
28.24
66
Ty Nelson
SEA
D
5′ 9″
19
CAN
2022
68
19.98
101
Tye Kartye
SEA
C/LW
5′ 11″
22
CAN
N/A
N/A
31.29
118
Lukas Dragicevic
SEA
D
6′ 1″
18
CAN
2023
57
14.92
137
Ryan Winterton
SEA
C/RW
6′ 2″
20
CAN
2021
67
20.32
141
Jagger Firkus
SEA
RW
5′ 10″
19
CAN
2022
35
19.93
155
Tucker Robertson
SEA
C
5′ 11″
20
CAN
2022
123
21.18
192
Jani Nyman
SEA
RW
6′ 2″
19
FIN
2022
49
16.92
194
Jacob Melanson
SEA
RW
5′ 11″
20
CAN
2021
131
20.47
214
Kyle Jackson
SEA
LW/C
6′ 2″
20
CAN
2022
196
19.98
242
Kole Lind
SEA
RW
6′ 1″
24
CAN
2017
33
41.29
253
Carson Rehkopf
SEA
C/LW
6′ 2″
18
CAN
2023
50
14.46
366
Andrei Loshko
SEA
C/RW
6′ 1″
19
BLR
2023
116
12.99
425
Eduard Sale
SEA
C/RW
6′ 2″
18
CZE
2023
20
11.41
445
Marian Studenic
SEA
LW/RW
6′ 1″
24
SVK
2017
143
31.29
452
Ville Ottavainen
SEA
D
6′ 5″
21
FIN
2021
99
11.81
498
Caden Price
SEA
D
6′ 1″
18
CAN
2023
84
8.50
504
Tyson Jugnauth
SEA
D
5′ 11″
19
CAN
2022
100
10.02
518
Barrett Hall
SEA
C
6′ 1″
19
USA
2022
164
11.81
529
Zaccharya Wisdom
SEA
RW
6′ 0″
19
CAN
2023
212
11.37
619
Oscar Fisker Molgaard
SEA
C
6′ 0″
18
DNK
2023
52
8.84
670
Ville Petman
SEA
C/LW
5′ 10″
23
FIN
N/A
N/A
17.38
712
Zeb Forsfjall
SEA
C
5′ 9″
18
SWE
2023
180
5.65
748
Ben MacDonald
SEA
C
5′ 11″
19
USA
2022
91
8.12
777
Justin Janicke
SEA
LW/C
5′ 11″
20
USA
2021
195
8.31
828
Kaden Hammell
SEA
D
6′ 1″
18
CAN
2023
148
5.02
871
Luke Henman
SEA
C
6′ 0″
23
CAN
2018
96
10.87
888
Peetro Seppala
SEA
D
6’2″
23
FIN
N/A
N/A
7.39
By this point you have likely noticed the answer to our little trivia question–Seattle Kraken prospect Logan Morrison is the one undrafted prospect in the top-100. Who is the second-highest ranked undrafted prospect? Seattle Kraken F Tye Kartye, who checks in just outside the top-100 at No. 101 overall.
Next up: Ranking the prospect pools
How does the Kraken prospect pool stack up against the rest of the league? I’ll dig into that question a little further next time. In the meantime, here, again, is the link to the full ranking of NHL affiliated prospects.
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.
