Down on the Farm – Watching Kraken prospects at the 2026 World Junior Championship
Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week, we have one more slim “holiday” update before returning with more standard columns next week. We’ll have actual updates from the World Junior Championship and a mid-season Kraken prospect ranking as we move into the new year. In the interim, we still have all the Kraken prospect content you’ve come to expect, including news from around the organization, weekly and season-to-date data updates, all-shifts videos, Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, a preview of the week ahead, and more.
If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Happy New Year to all!
When and where to watch Kraken prospects at the 2026 WJC
As is tradition, the hockey world’s attention turns to the World Juniors on this Boxing Day. The tournament has added significance for the United States this year, with the team looking for its third straight title—and this time on home turf in Minnesota. The team will face stiff competition, particularly from Team Canada and Team Sweden, which look like equal or superior contenders for gold. With Team Finland and Team Czechia also serious competitors, there should be plenty of drama.
From a Kraken prospects perspective, the team will have four players participating: Kim Saarinen and Julius Miettinen for Finland, Loke Krantz for Sweden, and Jakub Fibigr for Czechia. As we noted last week, Jake O’Brien was one of the last cuts from Team Canada camp. Likewise, when Team USA announced its final cuts on Wednesday, Dec. 24, defenseman Blake Fiddler was among them. Berkly Catton returned from injury this past week, but the Kraken opted not to loan him to Canada for the tournament.
All of this clears the road for Kraken fans to be low-key, unofficial Team Finland fans yet again. (This feels like an annual tradition dating back to Nikke Kokko and Jani Nyman’s time at the tournament.)
The United States and Sweden headline pool play Group A. Canada, Czechia, and Finland are in Group B. Play starts at 10:00 am PT on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, when Sweden takes on Slovakia. A full schedule, with team games involving Kraken prospects highlighted, can be found below. Almost every game can be found on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.
For the U.S. cord cutters out there, NHL Network is a frustrating channel to access because it is only available through online cable bundles. The most cost-effective method I’ve found to get NHL Network for the World Juniors is to sign up for a month of Sling’s “Select” plan and then add the sports package. The total comes out to about $35.00 for the month in the Seattle area, though it can vary slightly in other markets.
Anyone have predictions? I suspect this may be the year Canada breaks its “skid” and reclaims gold.
Notes on four more Kraken prospects
Jakub Fibigr | D | Team Czechia (WJC)
Former Thunderbird Radim Mrtka suffered an apparent injury in the first period of Czechia’s first pre-tournament game and did not return. Now, Mrtka was left off the list of players Czechia registered for the tournament. While most teams list eight defensemen, Czechia listed only six. I suspect the team will add another blueliner at some point, but the path is clear for Fibigr to play heavy top-four minutes at the WJC. A big opportunity awaits him.
Maxim Agafonov | D | Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
After getting a game of KHL action early in the season and playing most of the year at the second professional tier (VHL), 2025 fifth-rounder Maxim Agafonov has been moved down to the Russian junior league (MHL) in recent weeks. Agafonov is a skilled, puck-moving defenseman, but the offensive production has not been there this season against professionals. Whether he was overmatched or simply not getting the necessary opportunities to develop and deploy his offensive assets, a (temporary) move down may be for the best—even if it is a disappointment to the player.
Tyson Jugnauth | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Tyson Jugnauth has had a tale of two seasons so far. The Firebirds have relied on him to drive offense, and he has delivered. His 21 points are the most in the AHL among rookie blueliners—three more than the player with the second most. Defensively, the acclimation process has been difficult. His instincts and physicality both need to take significant steps for him to be a viable option for promotion.
In other news on the Firebirds blue line, Gustav Olofsson sounds primed to return this week after missing more than two months with an injury.
Jagger Firkus | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Jagger Firkus, 21, continues to be the essential offensive spark for the Firebirds. With two goals and three assists in two games last week, Firkus is your Sound Of Hockey Player of the Week. (This puts him alone in the lead for the “coveted” season-long honor, with three such weeks.)
Firkus leads the team and is tied for sixth in the AHL in total scoring points. That total is the most by any player 23 years old or younger. While there have been quiet games mixed in, it is now commonplace for Firkus to generate three or four high-danger looks for himself or a linemate each game. While there is still more that could be done, his board work has improved, particularly his ability to extract the puck and win one-on-one puck battles. His frame is, and will always be, slender, but he is finding a way to make it work for him—much like Matty Beniers has done at the NHL level. It’s starting to look more and more like a sheltered offensive winger role is in his future.
Kraken prospects data update
Loke Krantz did not play any club games in the last week because he was participating in Team Sweden camp ahead of the WJC, but even so, he was a strong contender for an unconventional Player of the Week. A relatively obscure and underaged player to begin the year, he was not on my radar for Team Sweden. Earning a role as an 18-year-old on a team with gold medal aspirations is one of the more impressive achievements by any player in the Kraken organization this year.
Nathan Villeneuve proved last year that he could physically control a junior game, and this year he’s proving he can dominate offensively as well. He is fifth in the OHL in points per game, an all-the-more impressive achievement on a subpar Sudbury team that has only two players—Villeneuve and Kieron Walton—in the top 90 in scoring rate.
Semyon Vyazovoi is earning the starter’s share of games for his KHL team and continues to deliver solid results. He has done everything he can to earn an NHL contract and a timeshare in Coachella Valley next season.
Beyond the stats, Nikke Kokko has a knack for winning—often making his best saves at the most important moments. He is 6-1-2 in his last nine starts.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
3: Jagger Firkus
2: Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen
1: Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom
Previewing the week ahead
We’ll give our Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week to the WJC matchup between Miettinen and Saarinen’s Team Finland and Fibigr’s Team Czechia at 12:30 pm PT on Monday, Dec. 29.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: William Håkansson
William Håkansson is a big-framed defenseman with shutdown, play-killing ability and a ton of pro experience for a draft-eligible player—having played parts of two seasons in Sweden’s top professional league (SHL) already. Corey Pronman of The Athletic had a mid-first-round grade on Håkansson in his most recent prospect ranking. Håkansson will represent Sweden at the WJC.
Recent prospect updates
December 20, 2025: Resetting Seattle Kraken draft capital after the Mason Marchment trade
December 13, 2025: Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects
December 5, 2025: World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds
November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship
November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools
November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds
November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut
October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects
October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie
October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds
October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season
October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster
September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
Three Takeaways – California dreaming for the Seattle Kraken
The Kraken closed out their four‑game road trip through Calgary and California with the kind of gritty, resilient win that was a staple of this team in the early stages of the season, edging the Kings 3–2 to complete the first three-game Golden State sweep in franchise history.
All three victories came in regulation against teams sitting above Seattle in the standings, a detail that matters a lot more than it sounds. And on top of that, the Kraken finally snapped their long‑running curse on the second half of back‑to‑backs, a streak that stretched all the way back to March 5, 2024. It wasn’t always pretty, and there were long stretches spent absorbing pressure, but Seattle’s structure held, their depth delivered, and they flew home for the holiday break with six massive points in their pocket.
Takeaway 1: No Dunn, no Montour, no problem
The Kraken walked into Los Angeles missing their top two defensemen and still found a way to clamp things down when it mattered. Vince Dunn’s late injury in Anaheim forced him out Tuesday, and with Brandon Montour already sidelined, Seattle needed someone to step into the void. Enter Ryker Evans.
Evans logged a season high 21:36 and carried 82 percent of the team’s power-play minutes. Evans always looks comfortable when taking an expanded role, and no game was probably bigger than Tuesday night. The team needed him to step up, and he delivered.
Seattle also got Berkly Catton back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 6. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he flashed the skill that makes him such an intriguing piece of the future. The little shake-and-go moves, the space creation, the confidence. Yes, there were turnovers. Yes, there was a penalty. But for a player jumping back in cold, it was an encouraging return.
And the fourth line? They were outstanding again. Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson continue to give Seattle honest, heavy minutes. Meyers’ goal stood up as the game winner, and he’s quietly become a reliable penalty-killing option. That line is earning every shift it gets.
Ben Meyers gets in on the party. Kraken 3-0…but LA would add a response goal…now 3-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/sijgHhouRa
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 24, 2025
Takeaway 2: Special teams is back
Two weeks ago, the Kraken’s penalty kill was in freefall, giving up seven goals on eight opportunities over a brutal three-game stretch. Since then, the turnaround has been dramatic. Seattle has posted kill rates of 83.3 percent over the last eight games and 88.9 percent during the California swing, driven by a structural adjustment the team made earlier this month.
The power play has been just as impressive. With nine goals on their last 28 opportunities, Seattle is converting at 32.1 percent since Dec. 7, the third best mark in the NHL over that span.
O' captain my captain. Eberle gets the #SeaKraken on the board first. Kraken up 1-0 early in the second period. pic.twitter.com/8V86z5Io9k
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 24, 2025
Special teams were sinking this team earlier in the month. Now they’re helping to drag it back into relevance.
Takeaway 3: Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in
Let’s be clear: the Kraken still have a long climb ahead if they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender. But sweeping the California teams — all in regulation, all above Seattle in the standings — is a massive step in the right direction.
The underlying numbers won’t blow anyone away. The Kings carried long stretches of play, and Seattle spent plenty of time weathering pressure. But the Kraken defended the interior, kept L.A. to the outside, and found timely goals despite missing four key players.
Help is coming, too. Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz are inching closer to returns, and their presence should give this team a much needed offensive jolt.
Three straight regulation wins against division opponents is enough to make things interesting again.
Odds and Ends
- Seattle scored first in all three games and trailed for just 1:19 across the entire 180 minute trip.
- Tuesday marked the Kraken’s 27th one-goal game of the season (excluding empty netters), second only to the Kings.
- Eeli Tolvanen extended his points streak to five games, equaling a career best he set back in 2022-23.
- Jamie Oleksiak might have had his best game of the season. His defensive play led directly to the Ben Meyers goals, and he was stellar defensively.
- Goaltending has been outstanding for the Kraken lately. Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord have really carried them through these three games.
- And a quick nod to the Seattle Torrent, who held on for a tense one-goal win of their own against Montreal. For those of us running dual screens, those final 10 minutes were… not relaxing.
The Current: Torrent up and down since the international break
The Torrent recorded the franchise’s first win in exciting fashion, beating the New York Sirens 2-1 on Dec. 17. Following the game, many of Seattle’s stars were absent from practice, joining their countries for the international break. Most of them went to Edmonton and played in the final two games of the Rivalry Series. The remaining players stayed put and kept practicing hard. Coach Steve O’Rourke specifically called out the Torrent’s first-round draft pick Jenna Buglioni as having taken some steps given the extended practice opportunity.
Torrent vs. Charge Game Recap – 12.17
The team’s first game back after the break was a bottom-of-the-table clash, the seventh place Torrent taking on the eighth place Ottawa Charge. The Charge came to Seattle on a back-to-back after a 2-1 loss to Vancouver the day prior.
O’Rourke called both teams “snake bitten” at the pre-game press conference, saying that they both have the ability to score more, and haven’t shown it yet.
This was the first game back from injury for former Charge defender Aneta Tejralová, who was in Czechia playing with her national team during the break. O’Rourke said having her back in the lineup gave the locker room confidence and that she brought energy and fun to the ice every day.
Wanting to get rookie goalie Hannah Murphy more experience, O’Rourke tapped her as the starter for the second time. The Charge also started their rookie goalie, Sanni Ahola, for the first time.
Period 1
Murphy was put to the test early but stayed solid. Her team helped her out by making some good blocks. The Charge had most of the momentum in the first, but the Torrent had moments of good possession. Despite Ottawa’s 13 shots on goal to Seattle’s seven, the Torrent ended the period up 1-0. Julia Gosling netted a power-play goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass in the last 30 seconds.
Period 2
The Torrent came out strong in the second period and scored on an early power play. Alex Carpenter put up both of the period’s goals by providing a strong net-front presence. Momentum shifted as the period went on, though, and Seattle was lucky not to concede on a few dangerous chances at the end of the second.
Period 3
Lots of penalties came early in the third, with Seattle’s PK being tested often. The game stayed physical from start to finish, and Hannah Bilka scored her first ever goal in a Torrent jersey on the empty net. In the last minute of the game, Rebecca Leslie scored for the Charge, ruining Hannah Murphy’s clean sheet.
Post-Game Thoughts
Overall, the team seemed to be jelling in this one, making fewer mistakes and missed passes than in previous games.
Bottom-six center Mikyla Grant-Mentis stood out to me this game, making several shot blocks and playing hard against the boards. Second-line center Danielle Serdachny also stood out, coming up with some clutch shot blocks and drawing penalties throughout.
Torrent vs. Fleet Game Recap – 12.11
Boston came into Seattle with a single loss on their record. O’Rourke complimented their elite level of play, and emphasized that Seattle would have to work on keeping them away from the net front. He said they had been putting an emphasis on a strong box out and getting under sticks.
O’Rourke called out Lexie Adzija before the game, saying: “I make sure she’s our first penalty killer.” He said he thinks she has developed an identity here, and wasn’t sure she had that in Boston.
Hannah Bilka came into this one with her first ever back-to-back multi-point games in the PWHL. Coach pointed to her time with USA Hockey as a reason for her increased confidence. He said, “She is an elite winger picking up pucks off the wall,” and he said teams should fear when that line starts scoring.
When asked if the plan for the goalie situation was a 1A/1B with Schroeder and Murphy, he agreed. But he was also quick to put his trust in third goaltender CJ Jackson, saying he would be comfortable with them starting. O’Rourke said all three were amazing, and brought different skill sets, and gave credit to CJ “[they are] starting to make improvements…holding onto pucks.”
Period 1
The game started with early chances on both ends. Boston struck first with a goal directly from a face-off. The Torrent had good possession at the start of the period and set a physical and scrappy tone. Seattle killed one penalty and then went to the power play twice. The Fleet also had the first jailbreak goal at CPA. Despite ending the period down 2-0, goalie Corinne Schroeder made some great saves for the Torrent, and the first ever Schroeder chants came after a huge stop on a Fleet shorthanded breakaway.
Period 2
Boston started the second period with momentum. The Torrent had some good chances, but Boston had better ones, and forced Schroeder to make multiple point-blank saves. Jenna Buglioni was checked into the boards and was down on the ice. Seattle’s continued issues clearing the zone worsened in the second.
Period 3
Schroeder continued to stand on her head for Seattle. The third was relatively sedate without many chances. Hilary Knight got the crowd on their feet when she sat down a Fleet skater in open ice, but Boston capitalized on the resulting power play. The fans, at least, had one thing to cheer for, as a late goal for the Torrent came from a beauty of a tip by Jessie Eldridge off a shot from Tejralová.
Postgame Thoughts
I think this game was the Torrent’s worst effort so far, with the only bright spot for Seattle being Schroeder’s performance. Despite the result, after the game she claimed to be having fun and was “in a flow state.” Hannah Bilka also stood out as playing tough and scrappy against her former team.
After the game the players praised the huge turnout (over 11,000) and the fans for giving them energy throughout the game, despite the poor performance.
The Torrent look to turn things around quickly with a game Tuesday against the second place Montreal Victoire.
Three Takeaways – Eberle scores twice, Kraken win 3-1 over Ducks, Vince Dunn injured
The Seattle Kraken continued reconstructing some positive feelings in their locker room Monday with a 3-1 win over the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, frustrating them into submission with stellar goaltending and opportunistic scoring.
Jordan Eberle scored twice, Freddy Gaudreau scored once, and Philipp Grubauer was outstanding to help Seattle to its second straight win on the heels of a miserable 1-9-1 run.
Coach Lane Lambert credited the fourth line of Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson for helping turn the tide of a game that was often dominated by Anaheim but remained anybody’s contest until very late.
“They turned it around for us in the third period,” Lambert said. “A couple of great shifts, a couple of big hits, got us emotionally involved. And I thought that between them and Philipp Grubauer, it’s probably the main reason why we won the game.”
So that was nice… but… the Kraken’s already long injured list apparently added yet another member on Monday.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Takeaway #1: What a game for Grubi
It’s no coincidence that in these two straight wins over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and the Ducks on Monday, the Kraken have gotten stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and Grubauer.
The German Gentleman was razor sharp against Anaheim, making the saves he was supposed to make while also coming up with some acrobatic stops that he had no business making. Lambert called Grubauer Seattle’s “best player” in the game.
In all, Grubauer stopped 39 of 40 shots, his highest total of the season.
“I mean, it’s not ideal [having that many shots],” Grubauer said. “Like in the second period, I don’t think we got too much going. And we sat back a little bit, so we definitely learned from that. But we stick together. Kartsy, obviously, huge hit, guys stepping up for each other, that’s huge, and we found a way to play it the right way in the last period there.”
Considering back-to-backs have been a massive challenge for this club over the last season and a half, getting a performance like this from Grubauer in the first of two games in two nights—with Joey ready to back the boys when they’re on tired legs Tuesday in Los Angeles—sets the team up for (potential) success.
Takeaway #2: A big night for Eberle
While the Kraken got caved in on most statistical metrics in this game, they won a classic bend-don’t-break type of contest. Freddy Gaudreau broke the ice at 4:49 of the second period with a power-play goal after Chandler Stephenson drove to the net and drew a penalty. With the puck pinballing around Lukas Dostal, Kaapo Kakko and Shane Wright both took whacks at it before it landed on Gaudreau’s stick, and he lofted it past the prone Ducks netminder for his second goal of the season.
After Mikael Granlund tied the game 1-1 at 15:40 of the second, captain Jordan Eberle took it from there.
Midway through the third period, Eberle struck for his first of two goals. Off a quickly developing 3-on-2 rush with his recently tweaked line alongside Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko, Kakko sent a rushed, fluttering chip pass to Beniers. Beniers made a spectacular play to bat it down and somehow corral it in time to slide it over to Eberle. Eberle delayed and got Dostal to drop down, then sniped it over his shoulder against the grain.
O, CAPTAIN! 🫡 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025
Off a rush with Beniers, Jordan Eberle goes top corner and gives the #SeaKraken a 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/gkoPq4us6J
Eberle followed that up with an empty-netter at 19:24 of the third to seal the win.
Takeaway #3: Vince Dunn injured?
It is bonkers how many injuries this team has had this season. What started with injuries to key players like Stephenson, Kakko, and Ryker Evans in training camp has slowly evolved throughout the season, with important pieces going into and out of the lineup like there’s a revolving door into the injured ward.
It was announced Monday morning that one of Seattle’s top two offensive defensemen, Brandon Montour, would miss four weeks after hand surgery stemming from his fight in defense of the now-traded Mason Marchment. Montour joined McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray on the shelf.
But would you believe me if I told you that Vince Dunn—Seattle’s other top offensive defenseman—may now be injured as well? He got blindsided in the second period and appeared to run face-first into Ross Johnston’s shoulder pad. After standing on the ice for a moment at the stoppage, Dunn flipped his lid. He kicked the door, broke his stick on the dasher, nearly took off the heads of Joey Daccord, equipment manager James Stuckey, and a random security guard, then threw a bag down the hallway and finally exited the game.
Vince Dunn left the game after this and did not return.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025
All-time meltdown from him before heading down the tunnel.
Add him to the injury list that already includes Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray. Crazy. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/BXV31SWq6p
We wondered recently how the Kraken could survive without Montour. How can they survive without Dunn or Montour?
Bonus Takeaway: The Kraken are 2-0-0 since Mason Marchment was traded
Since the hockey world is abuzz with Marchment’s hot start with the Columbus Blue Jackets—three goals in his first two games since the trade—we’ll simply note that Seattle has won both of its games since the deal.
One side benefit has been Kakko elevating onto the top line. Kakko had been working well with Shane Wright and Jani Nyman, but he looks even better alongside Beniers and Eberle.
“[Kaapo is] working, he makes plays, he holds onto pucks,” Lambert said. “It’s a good spot for him. I hadn’t seen him in that spot prior to a couple games ago, and it’s been a good change for him to get up there and those guys to have him there.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Monday Musings: A pulse amid the plunge?
The Seattle Kraken, at least momentarily, ended their skid Saturday night with a gutsy 4–2 win over the San Jose Sharks. It’s been a grueling four‑week stretch, 10 losses in 11 games, and while the Kraken haven’t played outright poor hockey, their issues run deeper than bad luck. Injuries, a thin roster, and too many nights where the opponent simply had more have all caught up to them. Saturday didn’t fix everything, but it did give them a bit of reprieve from this brutal stretch.
Playing tight games
Regardless of what the record says, the Kraken have been competitive all season. As rough as the last several weeks have been, they’re still keeping games close and giving themselves a chance. Their last eight games have all been decided by one goal, and they’ve played 25 one‑goal games this season when you exclude empty-netters, second most in the league behind the Los Angeles Kings.
A great example came last Tuesday against the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken went toe-to-toe with them and entered the third period with a one‑goal lead before Colorado flipped the game with two goals (plus an empty-netter) in the final frame. In the first 20-plus games of the season, that game almost certainly would have reached overtime and earned Seattle at least a point. But that just isn’t happening right now. In their first 23 games, the Kraken reached overtime 10 times; over their last 10, they’ve made it to the extra frame just once.
They mentioned this on the postgame show Saturday night: when Vince Dunn turned the puck over deep in the Kraken zone, leading to San Jose’s go‑ahead goal early in the third, it felt like another “here we go again” moment. But the Kraken responded less than a minute and a half later to tie it, and suddenly the energy shifted. A few minutes after that, Ryan Lindgren scored his first as a Kraken, the eventual game‑winner.
Departure of Mason Marchment
As you probably know by now, the Kraken shipped off Mason Marchment on Friday for a couple of draft picks from Columbus. There was some excitement about Marchment providing additional depth scoring, but that never materialized. Coming into the season, I thought it was reasonable to expect around 20 goals from him, roughly 0.25 per game. Instead, he managed just four goals in 29 games (0.14 per game). He also struggled defensively, leading Kraken forwards in turnovers and penalties taken.
His Kraken legacy pic.twitter.com/6YcIZiCSNI
— g (@krakenisles) December 20, 2025
Considering the drop‑off in performance, it’s actually impressive that Seattle got more in return than what they paid for him in the offseason.
More trades to come?
Given how the season has gone, a lot of fans are expecting, or demanding, a sell‑off of veteran players. As always, the team will listen to all inquiries, but there’s no rush. The trade market doesn’t really heat up until about 30 days before the deadline. If the Kraken do become sellers, and right now that seems likely, they’ll want as many teams in the mix as possible to drive up demand. Some clubs don’t yet know whether they’re buyers or sellers, and others may develop deeper needs as the deadline approaches.
The other side of the equation is prospect readiness. You don’t want to bring up players who aren’t ready for the NHL, and right now there aren’t many in Coachella Valley who are prepared for full‑time roles. Rushing them would be detrimental to their development.
Other musings
- The Kraken have the same number of standings points as they did at this time last season.
- When Seattle scored the empty‑netter against San Jose on Saturday with 1:30 left, it was their first two‑goal lead since Nov. 15, also against San Jose. They’ve held a two-plus-goal lead for just 4.4 percent of their total game time this season, the lowest rate in the NHL.
- One encouraging trend: special teams. The penalty kill hasn’t been perfect, but over the last seven games it’s operating at 80 percent after sitting at a league‑worst 64.8 percent prior. The power play has also surged, converting at 30 percent over the same stretch after sitting at 17 percent for the season.
- Seattle averages 0.65 points per game when scoring first and just 0.31 when allowing the first goal.
- In case you missed it, Brandon Montour is out four weeks. Add it to the long list of significant injuries this season. Montour is second on the team in time on ice and has often dragged the Kraken back into games. Injuries happen to everyone, but when they hit your best players, the impact is brutal.
Brandon Montour out approximately four weeks after hand surgery, per @SeattleKrakenPR.
Got injured in the below brouhaha. https://t.co/sfuIsVGNDp
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 22, 2025
- It was great to see the Torrent open the 100 level and Space Needle Lounge for Sunday’s game versus the Boston Fleet. Seattle is averaging the second‑highest attendance in the league this season.
Goal of the week
Regular readers and Sound Of Hockey listeners know how much I love this kid:
WHAT A GOAL BY OSCAR MOLGAARD. HIS 5TH OF THE SEASON AND GIVING THE BIRDS BACK THE LEAD
3-2 pic.twitter.com/xdXmUdevH1
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) December 18, 2025
By the way, the Kraken are 2‑0‑0 with Molgaard in the lineup.
Player performances
Chandler Stephenson (SEA) – Riding a four‑game goal streak with five points in his last four. He also has points in eight straight.
Jagger Firkus (CVF/SEA) – Five points in two weekend games. He has 13 goals in 26 games after scoring 15 in 69 last season.
Nathan Villeneuve (SBY/SEA) – Eight points in his last four games. He has 14 multi‑point games and is on pace for 98 points in the OHL.
The week ahead
The Kraken face a dreaded back‑to‑back with games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, starting Monday night in Anaheim. Both teams sit ahead of Seattle in the standings, but the Kraken have beaten each of them once already this season. Nothing is easy for Seattle right now, but both the Ducks and Kings look more vulnerable than their records suggest. Anaheim is 5‑5‑0 in its last 10 and has been giving up goals in bunches. The Kings are 4‑2‑4 and struggling to score. If there’s ever a good time to face these teams, this might be it.
After the holiday break, the Kraken return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday the 28th. The Flyers have lost four of their last five but reached overtime in four of those games, including two against Carolina.
Given how Seattle has been playing, grabbing three of six possible points this week would be solid. But if they can snag three of the four points available against Pacific Division teams, that would be a real confidence boost, and a sign that this slump might finally be ending.
And finally…
There’s plenty of other hockey to enjoy this week. The Seattle Torrent play one more home game this month when they host Marie‑Philip Poulin and the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge. After the break, they head to Dallas for their first Takeover Tour game against the New York Sirens. Both games will air locally on Fox 13+ and YouTube (though you wouldn’t know it from the PWHL schedule page).
World Juniors also kicks off Friday. The Kraken will be represented on at least three teams (Finland, Sweden, and Czechia) and possibly a fourth if Blake Fiddler sticks with Team USA. Regardless of who you’re rooting for, the tournament is always a blast. All games will air on NHL Network, which is getting harder to find with the current streaming landscape.
This column will likely take next week off, but the hockey certainly won’t. Between the Torrent’s final home game of the month, the Takeover Tour stop in Dallas, and a World Juniors tournament loaded with Kraken prospects, there’s plenty to keep Seattle fans entertained through the holidays. It’s been a chaotic, injury‑riddled, occasionally maddening calendar year for the Kraken, and hopefully this team can turn the page with the new calendar year. Thanks for reading, for riding the waves with me, and for making this space such a fun one to write in. Enjoy the holidays — we’ll pick things back up in the new year.
Photo Gallery – Torrent vs Fleet – Dec 21
Three Takeaways: Kraken beat Sharks 4-2 to end skid
The Losing Streak Cynthia is in the books!! Seattle put together a strong third period and earned its first regulation win in a month. The last regulation win came Nov. 20 against Chicago.
Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson each recorded two-point nights, with a goal and an assist. Stephenson extended his career-best point streak to eight games, with five goals and four assists during the run. The Kraken are 2-6 in that span, but this win offered a needed step forward.
Here are three takeaways.
Takeaway #1: Kraken on their heels in the first
Coming into the game, the Kraken were 1-9-1 in their previous 11 games. Facing a division rival and sitting seven points behind the Sharks and the final wild-card spot, urgency was expected. Instead, Seattle allowed four Grade A chances in the first five minutes.
Seattle did push back and outshot San Jose 17-12 in the period, but the overall play remained shaky. One bright spot was the penalty kill, which handled two minor penalties with ease. That momentum did not carry over, as the Sharks converted on their next powerplay in the second period on a goal from Adam Gaudette.
According to MoneyPuck, San Jose posted 1.61 expected goals in the first period compared to Seattle’s 0.80. It was a poor start, but the Kraken escaped the period tied 0-0.
Takeaway #2: Joey Daccord is a beast
The only reason the game remained scoreless through the first period was Daccord. He turned aside high-danger chances and consistently kept Seattle in the game. Daccord finished the night with 3.41 goals saved above expected.
One of his superpowers is puck handling. On Seattle’s lone powerplay, San Jose cleared the zone and headed off for a line change. Daccord recovered the puck and fired it to Freddy Gaudreau at the far blue line, creating a scoring chance that Yaroslav Askarov was able to stop.
Daccord closed the night with 35 saves, a .946 save percentage, and the win. Without his performance, this outcome would not have been possible. The defense struggled in the first two periods, but confidence in the goaltender allowed the Kraken to stay committed to the game plan.
Takeaway #3: Third-period response
After practice, captain Jordan Eberle said, “I look at [the 9 losses], I think we are tied or leading in the third period in like six of them.”
That trend nearly continued. Seattle entered the third tied 1-1, but the Sharks took the lead just 36 seconds in. Collin Graf picked off a Vince Dunn pass, put the puck on net, and watched his shot hit the post, then Daccord, before crossing the line.
Kraken fans braced for another third-period collapse. Instead, Seattle responded with two goals in a span of 2:32 to take a 3-2 lead. Neither goal was flashy. Both came from defensemen simply getting pucks through traffic.
Ryker Evans tied the game by holding the blue line and snapping a wrist shot on net. Ryan Lindgren followed with his first goal as a Kraken and the eventual game-winner, taking a pass from Stephenson and firing a wrist shot from the top of the circle.
Seattle tightened defensively over the final 15 minutes and slowed the game down. Stephenson added an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win and finally end Losing Streak Darren, I mean Cynthia.
Next up
This was not Seattle’s sharpest game during the current stretch, but it was effective. The Kraken kept the game close, leaned on strong goaltending, and capitalized in the third period. Improvements are still needed on the penalty kill and in defensive coverage to reduce pressure on Daccord.
The Kraken are off Sunday before continuing their California road trip. They face Anaheim on Monday and Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Down on the Farm – Resetting Seattle Kraken draft capital after the Mason Marchment trade
Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week and next, these will be slimmed-down “holiday” updates. I expect to return with fully loaded reports from the World Junior Championship and a mid-season Kraken prospect ranking as we move into the new year.
In the interim, we’ll still bring you all of the Down on the Farm content you’ve come to expect, including news from around the organization, weekly and season-to-date data updates, all-shifts videos, Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, a preview of the week ahead, and more.
If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Happy holidays to all!
More information on the Mason Marchment deal
NHL trade rumors ticked up this past week as the league approached two milestones. The first was the “Roster Freeze.” From midnight ET Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, through midnight ET on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, teams would not be able to make trades, place players on waivers, or loan players—with the exception of transactions made necessary by injuries (i.e., emergency recalls) or the activation of players off injured lists.
The second marker was 75 days before the March 6, 2026, NHL Trade Deadline—which fell on Dec. 21, 2025. Why was this date important? A new CBA rule restricting multiple salary-retention transactions on a contract within 75 days meant that if a player was going to be moved to a contender at the deadline with up to 75 percent of his salary “retained” by other clubs, a first trade involving that player would need to be completed by Dec. 21. In reality, due to the Holiday Roster Freeze, this meant the deal needed to get done by the end of the day on Friday.
As it turns out, we didn’t see any moves involving salary retention on Friday, but we did see two NHL players moved before the Roster Freeze. The Los Angeles Kings traded Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens. And the Seattle Kraken dealt Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It’s often apocryphal to regard a deal announced close to a deadline as a “last-minute deal.” In this case, though, it seems the deal really did come together in the waning moments before the Roster Freeze. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Kraken and Blue Jackets did not begin discussions in earnest until Kraken GM Jason Botterill called Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 19. After three hours of negotiations, the teams placed the trade call formalizing the transaction at 11:22 pm ET.
While Marchment had a 10-team no-trade list, the Blue Jackets were not on the list.
As mentioned, there was no salary retention involved in the deal. Seattle has all three retention slots available as the team moves toward the deadline. This is relevant if the Kraken become true deadline sellers, with veterans on expiring contracts like Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, and Eeli Tolvanen potentially available.
The Seattle Kraken have significant draft capital to make upgrades
There has been some (slight) confusion about the return for Mason Marchment. All reports agree the Kraken received a fourth-round pick originally held by the New York Rangers—acquired by the Blue Jackets in the Jack Roslovic deal—in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, as well as a 2027 second-round pick. Reports differ as to whether the Kraken received Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick or a 2027 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Minnesota Wild.
The trade history is a bit complicated, but I believe I’ve gotten to the bottom of it with the help of PuckPedia. Columbus acquired the Wild pick in a 2024 transaction that sent David Jiricek to Minnesota, giving the Blue Jackets two second-rounders. Columbus then traded the lower of those two 2027 second-round picks to the Colorado Avalanche in a deal for Miles Wood over the summer. Under the terms of that deal, however, if Columbus traded the other pick in the interim, the Avalanche would receive that pick instead (regardless of whether it ultimately ended up being higher or lower).
Since the Kraken’s official social media account indicated the team obtained Columbus’s own second-rounder, we can surmise that Columbus will be sending that pick to Seattle and Minnesota’s pick to Colorado. With Minnesota primed to be a Stanley Cup contender for the next two years, this could be a meaningful difference.
Following the deal, the Kraken now have eight picks—four in the first round and four in the second round—across the next two drafts. In addition to its own first-round picks, Seattle has first-rounders originally assigned to Tampa Bay in each of the next two drafts. In addition to its own second-round picks, Seattle has second-rounders from Columbus and the Winnipeg Jets in 2027.
This gives the team ample latitude to make an aggressive move for a top-of-the-lineup player if such an opportunity comes along, without disrupting its prospect pipeline. And this is before potential transactions involving expiring veteran contracts at the deadline.
Notes on three more Kraken prospects
Jake O’Brien | F | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
After a week of camp and one pre-tournament game, Team Canada announced its skater cuts, effectively finalizing its World Juniors roster of forwards and defensemen—absent an unexpected late assignment from an NHL team. Unfortunately for Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien, he was among those released from camp.
We had previewed this as a possibility when he was skating with a “spare parts” line during camp that included a likely cut (and Brantford teammate) in Marek Vanacker. It is still likely to be a disappointment for O’Brien. He is unquestionably one of Canada’s 12 most skilled forwards, but he has struggled to produce on the national stage in the past.
From my vantage point, O’Brien plays a game that can seem fairly “quiet” for several shifts until he suddenly unlocks two or three high-danger scoring chances with his passing and hockey IQ.
It’s unsurprising that O’Brien would not necessarily impress in a camp setting, but if a lack of camp impact was the reason he was cut, it feels short-sighted. It sure would be a shame if that came back to haunt Team Canada.
O’Brien still projects to figure prominently on next year’s World Juniors team, when he will be 19 years old.
Alexis Bernier | D | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMHL)
Though he is still recovering from summer ACL reconstruction surgery, Alexis Bernier was traded from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Friday, Dec. 19.
The Saguenéens are a top QMJHL team this season and have significant playoff aspirations. The return in draft capital was substantial, and there was no indication in the reporting that the picks were “conditional” on Bernier’s return to the ice. This creates the impression that there is optimism for Bernier’s return toward the end of the QMJHL season, even if there is no official timeline yet.
As always with junior trades, the trade of Bernier’s QMJHL rights has no impact on his status with the Kraken. Seattle retains his NHL rights as an unsigned 2024 third-round pick.
Visa Vedenpää | G | Kärpät (Liiga)
We noted last week that Vedenpää had not played in nearly a month while serving as the backup goaltender for Kärpät. The team finally got him some work on Tuesday of last week, assigning him to Hermes, a team in the second-tier Finnish league, Mestis. Vedenpää stopped 33 of 36 shots on goal, but Hermes fell by a 3–2 score.
Kraken prospects data update
Forward Barrett Hall scored a goal and added two assists for the St. Cloud State Huskies last weekend, which was enough to earn him Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week in a relatively quiet seven-day stretch for Seattle’s prospect pool.
O’Brien and Nathan Villeneuve are second and fifth, respectively, in the OHL in points per game. Both project as NHL pieces for the Kraken (or elsewhere).
In addition to a solid Liiga start, Kim Saarinen drew a start in a World Juniors pre-tournament game for Finland on Friday, Dec. 19. He stopped 14 of 17 shots in a Finland win over Germany. It remains to be determined if he will see time in net when the real games begin.
After a slow start due to injury, Nikke Kokko has assumed a true starter workload for Coachella Valley over the last few weeks, starting nine of the Firebirds’ last 11 games.
Highlight of the Week
It hasn’t been a great season for Eduard Sale, but every once in a while, he’ll still flash the skill level that made him a first-round pick.
🚨 SALE WITH THE POWERPLAY GOAL AND TO TIE THE GAME 🚨
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) December 20, 2025
3-3 pic.twitter.com/GsHfYLEw60
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
2: Jagger Firkus, Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen
1: Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom
Previewing the week ahead
With a light holiday schedule ahead, we’ll give our Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week to World Juniors pre-tournament matchups currently underway. You can watch them (with a monthly subscription) on USAHockey.tv.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Tynan Lawrence
Tynan Lawrence’s stock has risen from potential top-15 pick to potential threat for the No. 1 overall pick, despite being slowed by injury for much of the fall. For many, Lawrence is the clear top center in the draft, with his primary appeal coming from his skating and two-way skill. Lawrence has been a volume scorer in the USHL, but the overall offensive skill is a tick below the level of a Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg.
Recent prospect updates
December 13, 2025: Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects
December 5, 2025: World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds
November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship
November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools
November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds
November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut
October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects
October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie
October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds
October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season
October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster
September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in
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.
Kraken trade Mason Marchment to Columbus Blue Jackets for draft picks
Mason Marchment, we hardly knew ye. The Seattle Kraken traded the 6-foot-5 winger to the Columbus Blue Jackets late Friday, mere minutes ahead of the NHL’s holiday roster freeze. In return, the Kraken received a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, a slightly better return than the 2025 fourth-rounder and 2026 third-rounder that Seattle sent to Dallas to acquire him over the offseason.
“I’d like to thank Mason for his contributions to our club, and we wish him and his family all the best in Columbus,” general manager Jason Botterill said via press release. “This trade gives us more draft capital and flexibility as we look to improve our team moving forward.”
Despite coach Lane Lambert utilizing Marchment in a high-leverage role, things just never really got going during his short tenure in Seattle. He posted four goals and nine assists in 29 games but also led the Kraken forwards in giveaways and—based on our Twitter mentions almost every single night—was not exactly beloved by the fanbase.
The transaction also suggests the team was not overly enamored with his sometimes lackadaisical performance. Trading him in the midst of Losing Streak Cynthia, when the Kraken have lost 10 of their last 11, and with Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, and Berkly Catton all out with injuries, tells you everything you need to know about how the organization viewed him. There was clearly no interest in bringing him back after his contract expires following this season.
There were some good moments for Marchment with the Kraken, like his Opening Night goal against the Anaheim Ducks and his two-goal game against the Utah Mammoth a week ago. But the highlights were few and far between, and he also had some brutal gaffes and seemed to lose the puck for no particular reason multiple times per game.
He was also at the center of several on-ice controversies, including after he blew up Darnell Nurse against Edmonton on Nov. 29 and wouldn’t answer the proverbial bell. That sequence led to the Oilers chasing him around and taking runs at other players, including Catton.
Here's the root of the disagreement. Mason Marchment leveled Darnell Nurse from behind. Adam Henrique challenged him, but he wouldn't accept a fight.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025
Marchment was also right in the middle of the extended conversation between the teams at the end of the 1st period. #SeaKraken https://t.co/yF1TXjNIdg pic.twitter.com/ts41eRxWv6
Seattle lost that game 4-0, and Marchment was then not in the lineup for the rematch on Dec. 4 due to a mysterious “injury.” Edmonton got its vengeance on the Kraken with a 9-4 drubbing in that one, and we never did find out the designation on that injury…
The most recent bit of controversy came when Marchment got into a post-whistle tussle with Josh Manson in Seattle’s 5-3 loss to Colorado on Tuesday, throwing gloved punches at the Avalanche defenseman and inciting a full-line brouhaha. When Manson dropped his gloves, Marchment appeared to shy away. In the ensuing chaos, Brandon Montour did drop his gloves and started pounding away on Brent Burns. Montour later left the game with an injury and was unavailable on Thursday.
Marchment did deliver two unforgettable moments, though:
Just an all-time goal celebration from Mason Marchment. #SeaKraken broadcast doing him dirty with the reverse angle here.😂 pic.twitter.com/Zds666dQro
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025
GOT HIM! 😆 pic.twitter.com/mzKwTtTyEj
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025
With Seattle now in last place in the Pacific Division and seven points out of a playoff spot, is this an indication the team is officially in sell mode? Heck, are the Kraken in tank mode, even? Or does the front office view this as addition by subtraction—moving on from a player that simply wasn’t working out here?
Check back to Sound Of Hockey for more analysis on the Mason Marchment trade in the coming days…
