Seattle Kraken training camp is in full swing, and the guys are grinding to bring you top-notch coverage of the team. This week, John, Andy, and Darren spend lots of time talking about the Kraken and what they’ve seen and heard from the players in the first week of camp and first two preseason games.
Discussion highlights include Brandon Tanev’s return to game action, Shane Wright’s debut in Kraken colors, and the curious case of Daniel Sprong, who is competing for a contract.
John also shares some of his thoughts on the upgraded Kraken TV broadcast, and Andy gives a WHL Update.
Next, the guys shift into segments, starting with Goalie Gear Corner, then a Kraken-centric Bad Boys, then Weekly One-Timers, and finally Tweets of the Week.
SEATTLE – Kraken goalie Magnus Hellberg was born in Sweden, but hockey has taken the 31-year-old all across the globe, literally. His latest stop is here in Seattle as he looks to find a home with the Kraken.
“I love to compete, and I always want to play at the highest level I can, and I think I’ve been doing that for a long time now,” the 6-foot-5 Hellberg said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play in the Olympics for Team Sweden and the World Championships. I’m really excited to be part of the Kraken now and showcase myself to be able to play in the National Hockey League. This is where I want to be.”
Hellberg got his first taste of Kraken hockey and Climate Pledge Arena Tuesday night, finishing the latter half of the game and kicking away all 15 shots the Calgary Flames put on him.
He said that coming into a game midway through is not ‘optimal’ but could easily happen during any regular season game, and he prepares as if he’s going to play each night. Greeted with shots early in his stint Tuesday is just how he likes it.
“I feel the faster you get a shot and a save in, it makes you feel a lot better,” Hellberg said. “No, I can’t complain about that.”
Hellberg carries himself with an easy-going demeanor, and it’s hard to imagine that he’d complain about anything.
He’s seen the world playing hockey starting with time in the NHL, AHL, and the Kontinental Hockey League in China. He’s been called up and down over his North American career, he’s been traded, and now he’s in Seattle hoping to crack the roster.
Hellberg was the first goalie selected in the 2011 NHL Draft to the Nashville Predators, who picked him in the second round. He would make his North American pro debut the next season, playing mostly in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals and a brief stint in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones. He made his NHL debut during a brief call-up in 2013-14 when he appeared in one game with the Predators.
In 2015-16 he got one more NHL game, this time with the New York Rangers, and again the following season he’d be called up to New York for two games as an injury replacement. Before the start of the 2017-18 season, he made the jump to the KHL and started in China with the Kunlun Red Star.
China was hoping to compete in the Olympics but weren’t part of a top pro league, so the Red Star were born and joined the Russian KHL. China has never been a hockey hot bed.
“When I was there, that was the second season they had a team,” Hellberg said. “The hockey interest wasn’t that high in the beginning. We didn’t have that many fans, but I think it’s been growing and growing. And I think now there’s a lot more people playing hockey in China compared to a couple years.”
After four more seasons in the KHL – mostly with SKA St. Petersburg where he was traded after posting a .926 save percentage in Kunlun – he played one game in the NHL with Detroit last season and became a free agent.
He put up good numbers during his KHL playing years and felt the competition was good.
Magnus Hellberg saw his first action with the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night in a preseason game against the Calgary Flames. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
“I would say it’s the second-best league in the world after the NHL,” Hellberg said. “There’s a bunch of guys that are really skilled in the KHL who would easily play in the NHL. But obviously in the NHL, it goes a lot faster. Everybody overall is a lot better here. Of course, you can’t compare it to the NHL but KHL is right behind.”
As a free agent this summer he would eventually land in Seattle. He’s posted good numbers at every stop he’s played a full season and now joins the Kraken goalie group along with Philipp Grubauer, Martin Jones, and Joey Daccord.
“I had a couple teams interested in me, but Seattle took the lead,” he said. “When this opportunity came up for me it was a no brainer. I felt it’s a new organization, you can be part of something and build something special here. Heard that the fans are great.
“[My goals in camp are to] focus on myself, showcase who I am as a person and what I stand for as a goalie. Just trying to stop as many pucks as possible, and at the end of the day, I want to be on the roster here in Seattle.”
Hellberg says the relationship with the rest of the goalies is positive, and even though they’re all competing for a crowded net, they also push and cheer for each other.
Whether he makes the roster remains to be seen, but he already has won the goalie gear competition for the Kraken, and maybe the league. His pads, made by Brian’s Custom Sports, are as good as they come and have garnered league-wide attention.
They feature what appears to be a stretched-out version of the Kraken logo with the manufacturer’s logo set in where the red eye is.
“I’m really happy how they turned out,” Hellberg said. “I always do the design with the pads first and then I tried to match the helmet with my painter back in Sweden, and we kind of do it so everything matches. I like to have cool gear and obviously that’s one of the reasons I became a goalie, dreaming about getting your own set of gear… look good play good, right?”
Hellberg may be a long shot at making the Kraken roster but could end up in the AHL with Coachella Valley and give the Kraken always important goalie depth. If an injury does occur, there could be another call-up in his future.
New position for Yanni Gourde?
Wednesday’s training camp sessions featured the Kraken doing a lot of work on the transition game. That included drilling on puck retrieval in their own zone, and there was a lot of five-on-five action.
There were some new line combinations as well.
“There’s some lines that we’ll leave together for a couple days that we want to see,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We shifted today, and we’ll try to shift into some of these looks over the next three days and give them a game or two.”
Most notable of the new lines was in the morning session when Matty Beniers was playing with Andre Burakovsky and Jared McCann on the wings. In the afternoon, Oliver Bjorkstrand played with Alex Wennberg at center and Yanni Gourde on the other side.
Yanni Gourde played on the wing Wednesday during Kraken training camp (Brian Liesse photo)
Gourde, who did play a little wing last season, is familiar with the position and told the Sound Of Hockey podcast that he would play anywhere.
“Wherever he plays, he brings pace and tenacity,” Hakstol said. “He’s very comfortable playing both [positions] and most importantly, he’s willing to… It’s what you want to hear. There’s no big explanation or sit down needed in Yanni’s case, he’s just all into whatever the team needs.”
Kraken trim down roster
The Kraken announced roster moves on Wednesday and returned several junior prospects back to their respective teams.
Jagger Firkus was sent back to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League. Fellow second-round pick David Goyette will return to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, and Tucker Robertson will go back to the Peterborough Petes. The North Bay Battalion get back Ty Nelson and Kyle Jackson.
Jacob Melanson, who received a two-game suspension from the NHL for his match penalty hit to the head against Edmonton on Monday, was returned to the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
“You want them to grow from their experience here,” Hakstol said. “I believe all of them did. All their experiences were maybe a little bit different, but they all had good opportunities just to be around this environment and this atmosphere. Kind of dip their toe in the water a little bit to see what is in their future now, and take that focus and go back to their to their own club and have a great year and be motivated from it.”
Don’t look now, but your Seattle Kraken are 2-0 in the preseason. Take the success with a grain of salt, though, because A.) the preseason means nothing, and B.) Seattle has not yet faced any real competition. Tuesday’s matchup against the Flames had a similar feel to Monday’s game against the Oilers in that both opponents left most of their regulars at home. What was different, though, was literally all of the Kraken personnel, as Seattle was able to ice a full new roster from the night before with a nice mix of veterans and guys fighting to make an impression.
Jaden Schwartz returned and scored a beautiful short-handed goal, Daniel Sprong found the back of the net with one of his patented “Sprong bombs,” and Philipp Grubauer and Magnus Hellberg combined for the team’s second consecutive shutout. But the story of the night was undoubtedly No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright making his preseason debut.
So, let’s start with that, shall we? Here are our Three Takeaways from a second consecutive 3-0 Kraken win.
Takeaway #1: A solid debut for Shane Wright
Shane Wright has looked good in training camp to this point, but it’s so hard to form real opinions from watching practices. Where the rubber really meets the road is in game action, and for his first time out Tuesday, we thought he belonged.
After the game, the touted 18-year-old was jovial and visibly excited to have seen his first NHL action. “It was a lot of fun,” Wright said. “Definitely a pretty cool experience there, something I’ve been looking forward to for basically my entire life here, so it’s definitely a lot of fun. It took a little adjustment at first and throughout the game there, but obviously, great win, and I feel really happy with the overall result.” Wright said the speed of the game was the biggest difference from the OHL, and that was what pushed him to adjust.
Hakstol seemed generally pleased with the rookie’s debut performance as well. “I thought he played a simple, hard game,” Hakstol said. “He did a pretty good job with his two linemates [Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz].”
Wright had three shots on goal and pulled another backhander just wide of the post in the first period. His best looks came on the power play, including one laser snap shot from the right face-off dot that almost beat Dan Vladar and created a juicy rebound opportunity for Eberle.
As an aside, we would like to see Wright switch sides on the power play with Jared McCann, so that the two wingers can play their off-hand wings and be open for one-timers, but that’s not a critique on Wright. Even on his strong side, he still was a key piece of a power play unit that created plenty of chances. It’s a good all-around start.
Takeaway #2: Daniel Sprong making things interesting
A few days ago, we asked Hakstol about Sprong and what he needs to show in camp, and Hakstol said the Dutch forward has an opportunity to force the team to make some hard decisions. That’s because Sprong—a veteran forward with a heavy shot and good speed—is not currently signed to a contract and does not have a spot on the roster. Instead, he’s on a professional try-out, which means it is anything but a sure thing he’ll land with the Kraken or even the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
But, we’ve thought Sprong has looked good in every game situation he’s faced so far, and he showed off his blistering shot again Tuesday, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead at 12:30 of the second. Vince Dunn laid a nice pass into the slot for Sprong, who one-timed it by Vladar before he could even wave at it.
🚨 SPRONG BOMB! 🚨
Dunn serves it to Sprong on a platter, and the Dutchman blasts away. 1-0 Kraken.
Our belief is that despite scoring six goals in his 16 games with Seattle last season, Sprong played himself out of favor with a lack of defensive responsibility. So, we asked Hakstol about him again after Tuesday’s game, and interestingly, the coach heaped high praise on the winger. “For me, it’s not the goal,” Hakstol said. “I know he can score in this league; I know he can do that, and that’s not easy. I’m not diminishing that in any way, but I thought he played his ass off tonight. He played hard, and that’s what we want him to keep doing. He’s done that every day. He’s just got to continue to do that in all three zones.”
The problem for Sprong is that even if he continues to shine in training camp, there isn’t an obvious roster spot for him if everyone remains healthy. Would Seattle consider signing him to a low-risk, relatively low-dollar contract? Would Sprong take something like that?
Sprong remains a storyline worth monitoring for the rest of camp.
Takeaway #3: The goalies are unflappable
Just like everything else in preseason, it’s hard to know how much stock to put in goaltending performances. It’s especially confusing on nights like Monday and Tuesday, when Edmonton and Calgary each trotted out a lot of players that appear destined for the AHL and elsewhere. Still, after a nightmarish inaugural season in the crease, it sure is refreshing to see all four Kraken goalies combine to pitch consecutive shutouts over a 24-hour period.
On Tuesday, Philipp Grubauer looked calm, cool, and collected for the first half, though he wasn’t tested all that often and only faced 10 shots before giving way to Magnus Hellberg. Hellberg had tougher stops to make, but he did make them all and looked great doing so in his stunning Brian’s setup.
“Both nights we got good, solid performances,” Hakstol said. “A couple good saves at the right time along the way. I thought [Grubauer] tonight just had a real good, solid night, and you know, that’s what we want to see.”
Wouldn’t it be great if Grubauer can put last season fully behind him and get off to a hot start?
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One last thing. Game Ops played another teaser video about the mascot release, which is coming before Saturday’s game. Mayor Bruce Harrell was in the video and hinted that the mascot should relate to a Seattle landmark, so we’re going on record and predicting the mascot will be some sort of lovable troll character that’s based on the Fremont Troll.
Kraken hockey is so back. Seattle won its preseason opener 3-0 against the “Oilers,” with the opposing team name in quotes because Edmonton didn’t exactly trot out a superstar-laden lineup. Still, it was a fun night back at Climate Pledge Arena for the first time since spring, and there were a lot of positives shown from a home squad that looks to be significantly improved this season.
The game featured some stellar offensive plays from guys like Matty Beniers, Ryan Donato, and… netminder Joey Daccord?! Plus, Game Ops played a blockbuster of a mascot-related teaser video that also implied with some certainty that the Sonics would one day return. So, that was something.
Here are our Three Takeaways from a Kraken win over the “Oilers.”
Takeaway #1: Matty Beniers picks up right where he left off
Most of the first period was expectedly sloppy at both ends of the ice, but Matty Beniers seemed to pick up right where he left off last season. The 19-year-old rookie, who scored nine points in his 10-game stint with the Kraken at the end of 2020-21, nearly scored just a few minutes into the game. The first shift of his line with Donato and Oliver Bjorkstrand had two Grade-A opportunities in a row, including one where the puck just eluded Beniers’s swinging stick off a rush.
In the second period, Beniers got the scoring started with a dazzling snipe over the shoulder of Olivier Rodrigue from a bad angle. A pass from Peetro Seppala got deflected, but Beniers still managed to corral it on what looked to be a broken play. The rookie gathered himself and fired a laser-guided missile up top where mama keeps the cookies.
Coach Dave Hakstol has been encouraged by Beniers’s play through the early parts of training camp. “Right from Day 1 of camp, he’s been skating well, been really confident with the puck, and you know he’s seeing the ice really well,” Hakstol said. “So yeah, real positive things that he’s doing. Just the way that he’s working, skating, and competing.”
Takeaway #2: Offensive star Joey Daccord
Both netminders, Martin Jones and Daccord, played well Monday, splitting a 29-save shutout. One puck did get past Jones in the first period, but it was negated due to incidental contact with former Seattle Thunderbird Noah Philp.
When Daccord came in, he immediately made an impact on the game in a way we may not have expected, hitting Donato with a perfect stretch pass to the far blue line. Donato raced in, delayed with a “tomahawk” move, using his body to protect the puck, then swung behind the net and scored a beautiful diving wraparound goal. The tally extended Seattle’s lead to 2-0 at 14:15 of the second period.
🚨 JOEY DACCORD ASSIST!! 🚨
He hits Donato at the far blue line, and Donato scores on a diving wraparound.
The crowd erupted when Daccord’s name was announced for the lone assist on the play, comically bringing him into a tie for the team’s preseason scoring lead.
“What’s funny is I didn’t have one point all last season,” Daccord told Sound Of Hockey. “I’m obviously pretty active with my stick, so it was kind of a running joke that I was snake bitten last year. So, it feels nice to end that first game tonight… That was an unreal finish [by Donato]. He earned me that apple.”
That wasn’t the only time Daccord was active with his goal stick in Monday’s game, as he also broke up a third period breakaway with a gutsy poke check. “I sold out for that one,” Daccord said with a laugh. He wasn’t too worried about missing the puck, though. “[The Edmonton player] had his head buried.”
Jones and Daccord are competing for a Kraken roster spot, though Jones is the favorite to make the team out of camp, simply because of his experience and $2 million contract. For now, Daccord is thrilled to be back playing in the NHL. “It’s just so fun to be back,” he said. “Any chance you get to play in the NHL is unreal, so yeah, it was just super fun being out there.”
Takeaway #3: Turbo is BACK
Brandon Tanev’s excessively fast mini-sprints were a sight for sore eyes when the Kraken took the ice for warmups against the Oilers.
The zoomies are back!
And he goes no bucket, joining Adam Larsson in the No-Bucket Warmer-Upper Club (NBWUC). pic.twitter.com/2z8gwKPkvK
Early in the third period, Turbo reminded Kraken fans what they were missing last season after he tore his ACL against these same Oilers in December. With Seattle killing a five-minute major against Jacob Melanson for an illegal check to the head on James Hamblin, Tanev won a race to the neutral zone and poked the puck ahead to create a two-on-one. He slid the puck across to Morgan Geekie, who deposited it into a yawning cage.
When Tanev gets a point, this is what we will see. 👁 👁
In the second period, a video played on the twin Jumbotrons at Climate Pledge Arena, teasing the introduction of the team’s mascot—which will not be former Sonics mascot Squatch—at the Oct. 1 preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks.
BREAKING: #SeaKraken teaser video indicates a 10/1 intro for the team’s new mascot.
Also, Detlef Schrempf in the video: “You’re right, the Sonics will be back one day.” pic.twitter.com/jknYgdtnEi
The video also included an interesting line by Sonics legend Detlef Schrempf, in which he emphatically agreed with the children performing the mascot search that an NBA team would one day return to Seattle. “Yes, the Sonics will come back,” Schrempf said, a statement that got a massive roar from the home crowd.
It is no secret the Kraken ownership group hopes to also bring the NBA to Climate Pledge Arena. Could that quote from Schrempf be hinting at something bigger than a mascot reveal?
It was a roller coaster of a summer for versatile Seattle Kraken forward Ryan Donato. After a career year in 2021-22 that brought 16 goals and 31 points, and after bouncing to four NHL teams in six seasons, it seemed like he had found a home in the Pacific Northwest. But some unforeseen twists in his contractual situation made his immediate future murky, until he ultimately re-signed with the Kraken for one year and $1.2 million.
Now, on an improved Seattle team, early signs indicate he could once again play a big role.
Familiar territory
Following the 2020-21 season, Donato’s contract with the San Jose Sharks was up. Due to his age and NHL service time, he remained a restricted free agent, meaning the Sharks could keep him as long as they extended him a qualifying offer. Surprisingly though, San Jose did not qualify Donato, instead allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Just before their first training camp, the Kraken were able to sign the former second-round draft pick to a bargain $750,000 contract. It took time for Donato to earn the trust of coach Dave Hakstol—he was a healthy scratch for Seattle’s home opener—but by showing he could play up and down the lineup and produce in every role, he proved himself as an important piece of the puzzle.
“That’s the value of Ryan Donato,” Hakstol said. “That’s one of the big values he brings is the versatility and the willingness. That’s a big piece of it, right? A player being willing to jump in wherever he’s needed and compete at the highest level, no matter— it may be a little bit imperfect for him, but [Donato] was a great teammate last year and in that regard, whatever needs to be done, he would jump in and work hard to get what he could to the team.”
Ryan Donato had a career year with the Kraken in 2021-22. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
With that positive sentiment from his coach, it was surprising to learn at the end of the 2021-22 season that Donato had again not been tendered a qualifying offer, and was once again an unrestricted free agent.
“Obviously, it was disappointing,” Donato told Sound Of Hockey. “But I understand. I’ve been around long enough to understand it’s a business.”
Back where he wanted to be
When free agency opened in July, general manager Ron Francis indicated that the team had made the decision not to qualify Donato because they didn’t want to risk going to arbitration with him. Such a hearing could have resulted in Donato being awarded a contract that didn’t fit with Seattle’s cap plans. Francis did maintain at the time, though, that the front office liked the player and would leave the door open to re-signing him.
Donato explored the market, but lo and behold, he inked a new deal with the team on July 27. “I gathered myself a little bit before, knowing that whatever decision they make—qualify or no qualify—Seattle’s the place that I want to be at.”
In the end, Francis held true to his word, and the Kraken got back a forward they like on another team-friendly contract. “The way it was approached to me was that, I mean, ‘Obviously we didn’t qualify, but we want to stay in touch and figure out something,’” Donato recalled. “And that definitely made me excited.”
An exciting summer away from the rink
Donato trained in his home state of Massachusetts this summer, where he and training camp linemate Matty Beniers worked out together. Donato says Beniers worked hard this offseason to get bigger and stronger, which is no surprise, since the rookie recently shared that he gained 10-12 pounds of muscle.
Signing a new contract and working out with Beniers were just parts of the fun for Donato this offseason, though. He also proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Bradley, on the beach in his hometown of Scituate in front of friends and family.
Via Ryan Donato’s Instagram account.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I think it was long overdue, but she’s been amazing. She’s been a rock for me.”
If all goes according to plan, the two will be married next summer.
A new start
Donato is back in camp now, and things feel more familiar this time around than they did last year when everything was new for the expansion franchise. “Last year, you’re coming in and not everybody knows each other,” he said. “Everyone wants to make really good impressions—and still that’s the case, you want to make good impressions—but now guys got inside jokes. You got guys that are hooting and hollering, and there’s a lot more of a team feel here.”
It was the ability of Donato to play in all roles and situations that kept him in the lineup for 74 games last season. For him, it didn’t really matter what spot Hakstol had him in; he was just glad to have a chance to prove he belonged, and he took advantage.
Ryan Donato battles with Yanni Gourde at training camp. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
This season, Donato is willing to do the same, but he also hopes he’ll get plenty of opportunities to produce offensively. “Whenever I’m put in a position to create offense or play with offensive-minded players, that’s when I feel like I’m going to be my best. Especially when I can gain some chemistry with guys and get some games together, and learn guys’ tendencies.”
So far in training camp, Donato has been seen slotted with Beniers and newcomer Oliver Bjorkstrand, a trio that could produce a lot of offense if they stick together.
What’s next?
Donato proved last season that he is an important piece of the Kraken roster. With an influx of offensive talent brought in during the offseason, it will be interesting to see how his role evolves. But by demonstrating throughout 2021-22 that he can help the team regardless of where Hakstol puts him, it is reasonable to expect Donato to again be a key piece to Seattle’s offense.
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The Kraken will begin their preseason Monday at home against the Edmonton Oilers. They will open their regular season Oct. 12 in Anaheim, and their training camp will continue at Kraken Community Iceplex over the coming weeks.
With a new contract and now a new number, Kraken forward Jared McCann is excited for a new season.
McCann switched from the number 16 he wore last season to number 19, which he wore in junior hockey with the Soo Greyhounds and in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He says there’s no superstition behind it, it’s just a number he’s always liked, and with last year’s trade of Calle Jarnkrok — who wore it last season — the number was up for grabs.
“Favorite number since I was a kid,” he said Friday after coming off the ice at the Kraken Community Iceplex for Day 2 of training camp. “When it came available, I just thought ‘you know what, I want to go back to my roots,’ and so I picked it.”
Like many of Seattle’s returning players, McCann says the vibe around the team is different this season with the core knowing each other, the city, and the system already.
“I feel good, feel comfortable,” McCann said. “But still trying to show the coaching staff that they made the right decision. I’m gonna work as hard as I can every day.”
The decision in question was the Kraken pulling the trigger on extending McCann’s contract midway through last season. He was taken in the Expansion Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs and was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer.
But he turned in a career season and led the Kraken in scoring while setting personal highs in goals (27), assists (23), and points (50). The team rewarded him by locking up the 26-year-old for five more years at $5 million a year.
Those numbers bring along with them some high expectations to repeat the season he just turned in.
“Everybody says I’ve got a lot of pressure, but I put the most pressure on myself,” McCann said. “I know, sometimes I gotta ease up a little bit on myself because I know I can do it. I know I can be a good player.”
It’s early in camp, but after two days, McCann played on a line with Yanni Gourde at center and Jordan Eberle on the opposite wing. That line looked good, but it’s too soon to say if it will stay intact through the start of the season. Still, don’t be surprised if the trio gets a run in a preseason game or two.
McCann and Gourde didn’t play together much last season, but did connect toward the end.
“I think 10 games, we had some really good success together,” McCann said. “So [Kraken coach Dave Hakstol] liked what he saw so we’re just gonna try to keep it going.”
The line performed well in Thursday’s scrimmage and Friday during drills.
After shifts they could be seen conversing on the bench, talking about how best to attack on the next go around.
“He is a fast skater, he’s got a tremendous shot and it’s really fun to play with him.” Gourde said. “He does the right plays everywhere on the ice. It’s really nice to play with a guy like that and we’ve got to find some chemistry and a little bit of a routine to help each other out on the ice but so far, it’s been fun.”
Whether he remains on the training camp line or ends up playing with other guys, McCann should slot into the Kraken’s top six this year.
McCann played center for most of last season, although he moved to the wing near the end, including during his stint on Gourde’s line.
He’s back on the wing so far in camp and doesn’t seem to have any center envy.
“I’m comfortable wherever,” McCann said. “I got some open looks playing with Yanni. He’s a great player and creates a lot of space, especially getting pucks back on the forecheck. We work well together.”
There are expectations that McCann will be in the top six, and it’s a unit of forwards that is suddenly a lot deeper and skilled after offseason moves that brought in Andre Burakovsky via free agency and a trade with Columbus that netted Oliver Bjorkstrand.
For the players this summer, watching their team add on was motivating.
“We made some great, great moves this offseason,” McCann said. “And obviously we got Bjorkstrand in a trade that was a steal. We signed Burakovsky and he’s won two Stanley Cups. We’ve got a couple other guys too. We’re very excited to go.”
Kraken get physical
The temperature was turned up at training camp Friday. Not the actual temperature; the rink was still cold all throughout the day. But Hakstol amped up the physical plays. There were numerous drills designed to create puck battles along the wall, and there was hitting.
It’s something the coach wants the team to improve.
“That’s one area of competitiveness of our entire group, and we can raise that level,” Hakstol said. “Part of that happens in training camp. You’re always respectful of your teammates, and you want to make sure that you’re being intelligent and smart about it the first couple days of camp for sure. But, that’s one focal area, to continue to raise the physical competitiveness as a group.”
Shane Wright scored the winning goal during Friday’s Kraken scrimmage. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Shane Wright’s first ‘big’ NHL moment?
It was an early scrimmage that’s ultimately meaningless, but the Kraken rookie came up big in the afternoon’s finale.
Wright’s Team White was clinging to a late 1-0 lead when the Blue squad pulled goalie Philipp Grubauer for the extra skater and tied the game with just over a minute left.
In the waning seconds, Jaden Schwartz stole a Blue outlet attempt and slid the puck to his right onto a speeding Wright’s stick. Wright took a couple of strides and fired a top-shelf wrist shot that eluded Grubauer and gave Team White the win with about 20 seconds left on the clock.
“It’s pretty cool, obviously, even if it’s just a little game like that,” Wright said. “You want to win and to be able to score and help my team win is pretty cool. So yeah, I felt really good.”
Wright is attempting to prove that he’s ready for the NHL at 18 and had a good showing on Friday. Scoring a dramatic, scrimmage-winning goal doesn’t earn him a spot, but it went a long way towards showing he belongs.
“That’s the play that a lot of people will remember about the scrimmage today,” Hakstol said. “I remember a whole lot more. His practice today was competitive. He was physically strong and competitive. He continued to play with good pace.”
Being able to stay with the NHL pace and show a physical strength will ultimately dictate where Wright plays this season.
If he can handle it, he’ll play the full season with the Kraken rather than be sent back to the Ontario Hockey League. In his first game-like atmosphere, he looked the part.
“It really felt like I was moving well, like I was competing, making plays out there,” Wright said. “It was definitely a lot faster than the captain’s skates and more of a game situation for us too. But overall, really a lot of fun and I think I did pretty well.”
Seattle Kraken training camp is here, so the timing is right for a SUPER-SIZED episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, featuring two outstanding guests. This week, the guys talk to father/son dynamic duo Eddie and Nick Olczyk simultaneously, live and in person from Kraken Community Iceplex. During the very unique interview, the guys get the lowdown on how Eddie landed with the Kraken, Nick’s memories from his jump to broadcasting for the Blackhawks, and some very fun stories along the way. You will LOVE this interview.
The show doesn’t stop with the interview, though, as this is a great episode from top to bottom. Get a report from Kraken rookie camp, a recap of a fun on-ice media hockey clinic, and an update on the latest Kraken news. John, Andy, and Darren also discuss this recent training camp preview from soundofhockey.com and predict how the roster might shake out.
After the interview with Eddie and Nick, the episode shifts to Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
SEATTLE– Kraken hockey was back on the ice Thursday as the team kicked off training camp at the Kraken Community Iceplex.
Not only was the team back to prepare for the franchise’s second season, but so were forwards Brandon Tanev and Jaden Schwartz. Two key players who missed significant time last season due to injury, both were on the ice Thursday and each guy looked healed, rested, and ready to go.
“Feel good, excited to be here and get it going,” Schwartz said. “It’s a lot different [this year], just more comfortable with each other, more comfortable with the city. Kind of know the routines and just getting to know the guys more I think is the most important thing.”
Schwartz injured his wrist in a game against Philadelphia in late December and returned to the lineup March 5 for a game versus the Washington Capitals. But he suffered a different injury at the end of the month and did not return for the remainder of the season.
The second injury was undisclosed, and he was still feeling the effects at the team’s closing interviews in May.
“All I can say is there were a lot of tests done and doctors went down some different paths,” Schwartz said Thursday. “I got good help and I feel like it could help me a lot this year. So, I feel good.”
He ended the season playing in 37 games while scoring eight goals and 23 points.
Tanev burst out of the gates for Seattle last year, quickly becoming a fan favorite for his hair-on-fire style of play and scoring nine goals in the first 30 games. He appeared on his way to easily breaking his career mark of 14 scores that he set in 2018-19 playing for the Winnipeg Jets.
But he never got there as a knee injury sidelined him, and he would miss the final 52 games of the season.
“It took a little bit time learning to do things that had come so easily,” Tanev said. “Once you’re back on the ice, there with your teammates and back in the city of Seattle, you’re excited to be back here for training camp.”
While he would probably admit to having some rust, he looked like Brandon Tanev during an afternoon scrimmage Thursday. There were no massive hits, but he skated fast and the energy level seemed to rise when he was on the ice.
“I liked the way he dove back in,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “He was playing through traffic. That’s a good first step for him and a good day one. He brings a little bit of energy everywhere he goes, so it’s good to have him back in the room.”
A healthy Schwartz will give Hakstol another offensive weapon at the top of the lineup and allow him to form some big lines. Schwartz took part in the morning workouts, but his group did not yet scrimmage; that will happen Friday.
Jaden Schwartz returned to Kraken training camp after missing time last season. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Watching Schwartz, he showed no ill effects and appeared to be going full bore and flinging wrist shots with ease.
“He’s the kind of guy who fixes any line you put him on,” Hakstol said about Schwartz. “You put him on a line and that line is gonna find success. The way he goes about his business is a little bit under the radar, but it’s for sure not within our group inside of this room. The things that he does out there to generate possession, and more importantly, generate offense off that possession are really important. He’s a hell of a competitor.”
Both Tanev and Schwartz were set up to be contributors to the Kraken attack last season, but we never had a chance to fully realize the potential. Seattle hopes that’s a different situation this year.
“Our expectations are a lot higher,” Schwartz said. “We want to start off with taking it one day at a time here and have a good camp… We got a new team this year, we got a lot of new players, and we got a lot better over the summer. I think each guy’s hungry.”
Bjorkstrand debuts
Acquired in the move of the summer for the Kraken, the former Columbus Blue Jackets winger was on the ice for the first time for an official team-sanctioned skate.
In the afternoon scrimmage, he was on a line centered by Matty Beniers with Ryan Donato on the opposite wing. The trio looked good, but before people start coming up with clever nicknames for the line, be cautioned that it’s early and the scrimmage only included half the team’s roster.
Still, day one was good, and Bjorkstrand even found the back of the net as his squad won 2-0.
With a Group 2 scrimmage underway, Oliver Bjorkstrand just scored his first “goal” as a Kraken. First of many, we’re sure. pic.twitter.com/vJF6ivB11r
On his linemates for the day, Donato and Beniers, Bjorkstrand said, “Good skaters, move the puck well, and the offensive skills are there. I think us as a group, if we’re together, we just have to make sure we finish and play both ways.”
Friday’s camp will feature the second group of players scrimmaging, and we’ll get our first look at first-round pick Shane Wright in “game” action, as well as free agent addition Andre Burakovsky.
