Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. We are at the finish line, folks. No drafted or signed Kraken player remains active in this 2025-26 hockey season. That means it’s almost time for the “Down on the Farm” offseason hiatus.
I say “almost” because I’d like to return with one last column, a capstone mailbag, in the next week or two. If you’d like to see that happen and get a prospect question answered, let us know in the comments here or reach out to us on social media platforms or the Sound Of Hockey Discord.
I hope we’ll be back at this again next year. For now, though, I just want to say thank you to everyone who regularly read these columns and took this journey along with me. As you all know, it can feel a bit more like work than fun to keep up with the happenings of Kraken prospects across the globe. Your support, encouragement, and camaraderie in this foolhardy endeavor make it all worth it.
OK, one final time, let’s get to the agenda. We’ll recap the end of a stellar season for Julius Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips, get you a full data snapshot of the Kraken prospect pool, update you on where we stand in the draft season calendar, and crown our Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week… of the Year. (Or something like that.)
Miettinen and the Everett Silvertips fall in the Memorial Cup Final
Julius Miettinen played in the last CHL game of the 2025-26 season, the Memorial Cup Final, but unfortunately, he and his teammates came up just short against a surgical Kitchener squad.
The Silvertips outshot the Rangers through two periods and controlled extended stretches of even-strength play, but a couple of undisciplined moments led to a protracted 5-on-3 Kitchener power play to begin the third period. Kitchener converted twice on that opportunity, putting the Rangers up 5–1. The OHL champions would not relinquish that substantial lead, despite one quick response goal off a sweet cross-seam setup from Miettinen.
— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 1, 2026
It is a bittersweet end to an outstanding season overall. The Silvertips won 57 regular-season games (nearly missing the all-time WHL wins record) and tied the record for fewest playoff losses (two) en route to a WHL Championship. For his part, Miettinen was awarded WHL Playoffs MVP and now holds the record for most WHL playoff goals by a Finnish-born player.
“It was an awesome year,” Miettinen said, before reminiscing that winning the WHL Championship was “a moment I’ll never forget.” That is, aside from the first few minutes after the final horn, which he admitted with a laugh are a bit of a “blackout” in his memory.
On his WHL Playoffs MVP award, Miettinen was gracious in recognizing the honor but preferred to keep the focus on what his team accomplished. “It means a lot to get that. I’m really proud of myself, but I wouldn’t have gotten that [award] without the guys. That was for us, not for me.”
🔊 "I hope that I can inspire Finnish guys to come here and play North American hockey."
— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 2, 2026
Next up for Miettinen is a big role on the 2026-27 Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The NHL Combine is underway
The NHL Scouting Combine is currently taking place in Buffalo, New York. Running from June 1 to 6, the Combine hosts 90 top draft prospects and all 32 NHL teams for official prospect measurements, fitness testing, medical evaluations, and interviews. It’s the last major milestone before the NHL Draft in late June. And with the draft recently “decentralized,” it’s the last time before picks are made that most of the NHL’s decision-makers are gathered together.
In the abstract, I am tempted to downplay the significance of Combine testing. But Kraken GM Jason Botterill told Sound Of Hockey last summer that he sees value in these measures. So we should keep an eye out for the standout performers.
The Kraken are also taking advantage of this time to interview prospects, including in extended formats. For example, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that the Kraken took WHL defenseman Carson Carels out for dinner this week in Buffalo.
Carson Carels had dinners with the Kraken and Sharks this week in Buffalo.
Carels projects to go near the top of the first round at the end of this month. He is the No. 4 overall prospect in the draft according to Elite Prospects and was ranked the No. 3 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Similarly, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospectsreports that the Kraken also had a dinner with Keaton Verhoeff. Verhoeff is No. 12 overall according to Elite Prospects and was ranked the No. 4 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Kraken prospects data update
For one final time during this 2025-26 hockey season, here are your Kraken skater prospect statistics:
Last but not least, we also have your year-end goalie statistics:
Video from the vault
It is our plan to have semi-regular “Friday Film Room” columns this summer in which we focus in on a few prospects, analyzing aspects of their game and development. Almost always this will include new or previously unreleased game videos for us to dissect together. For now, though, let’s go deep into the vault and get you a special prospect video. Matty Beniers’ shifts from the United States’ 2021 World Junior Championship Gold Medal win over Canada “Red, White, Blue, and Gold,” indeed.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week… of the Year
With the 2025-26 season at a close, we have co-champions. Julius Miettinen and Jake O’Brien each earned four “Prospect of the Week” honors, which, according to our arithmetic, gives them a share of the season-long title. This really ruined our trophy budget. Not sure what we’re going to do. Congratulations to them, regardless.
The other Kraken players who received Prospect of the Week superlatives are as follows:
3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
Wyatt Cullen appears poised to be the first player drafted from the U.S. National Team Development Program, but Casey Mutryn has the potential to be a second first-round pick from the program. Mutryn is 6-foot-3 and a strong athlete who can really skate. This raises the floor of his profile. Add in the fact that he is young for the class and already plays a strong two-way game, and you have a player who brings an appealing package on draft day. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him a good deal. The question he’ll face is whether there is enough playmaking in his game to drive offense at the higher levels professionally.
Mutryn was ranked No. 24 among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings. He was No. 41 on our mid-season Big Board.
Header photo of Julius Miettinen taken byEvan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
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.
While there hasn’t been much news on the Seattle Kraken front, that doesn’t stop the guys from having a robust conversation about the team and where they might look to improve this offseason.
Plus, lots of talk about the Seattle Torrent and who they chose to protect… and expose to expansion.
Segments include Bad Boys, Down on the Farm, Weekly One-Timers, and What’s Good?
Yesterday, we got official confirmation that in “Phase 1” of the PWHL offseason, the Seattle Torrent protected three players from the unfolding expansion process: center Alex Carpenter, defenseman Anna Wilgren, and goaltender Hannah Murphy. (For an overview on how the expansion process will work, see John Barr’s preview post.)
From here, “Phase 2” is bound to be a painful one for the team and its fans. Forwards Hannah Bilka, Julia Gosling, and Danielle Serdachny, defender Cayla Barnes, and goalie Corrine Schroeder are among those players at significant risk of departing in the coming days. Could captain Hilary Knight join them?
Let’s take a quick look at (1) who the Torrent protected and why, (2) what the next phase of the offseason entails, and (3) who the Torrent could lose off the current roster in the next few days.
The Torrent protect three players during “Phase 1”
Carpenter, 32, is the team’s cornerstone pivot and was likely at serious risk of not returning absent protection. (I’ll get into this a bit more in a moment.)
Murphy, 22, was the youngest player protected by any of the existing teams. As the only goaltender in the league aged 24 or younger to start more than 10 games, the team likely views her as its future at the position.
The market also dictated this move. Failing to protect a goaltender likely would have put the Torrent at risk of losing both Murphy and her tandem partner, Schroeder. Six of the seven other existing teams protected a goalie. Schroeder, 26, finished within the top 10 in the league in save percentage and, as mentioned, Murphy is young and was drafted high. From a game theory perspective, it seems the Torrent were wise to ensure that at least one stayed.
“There’s a lot of teams that need good starting goaltenders. It’s probably difficult to wait for the draft, where you don’t exactly know what’s gonna fall where,” Seattle Kraken GM Meghan Turner told reporters after the protections were announced.
Wilgren, 26, was half of the Torrent’s first pair on the blue line with Barnes. Many on the outside (myself included) suspected that Barnes may have been the team’s preference for protection, but Wilgren was a defensive stalwart on a team that struggled in that area during the 2025–26 season. Turner emphasized to the media that she believes Wilgren is the type of defender the team needs to build around and is still ascending. “I think her production is just starting,” Turner said.
Anna Wilgren was one of three protections by the Seattle Torrent (Photo/Brian Liese)
“Phase 2” of the offseason will bring changes
The next phase of the offseason is all about the four expansion clubs—and is itself a three-stage process that begins on Friday, June 5, and concludes on Monday, June 8. From a Torrent perspective, the team will lose a maximum of three players signed to 2026–27 contracts during this phase. It can also lose an unbounded number of pending free agents. To begin, let’s take a closer look at each of the three steps in Phase 2.
#1: Expansion Foundational Offer
After the expansion teams submit negotiating lists, the first major milestone is the “Expansion Foundational Offer.” Each expansion team gets to designate one free agent (i.e., a player on an expiring contract) with a tender offer that the player must accept. (There is a “tie-breaking” mechanism if two teams designate the same player.) The tendered player receives a contract starting at at least $100,000 annually. This is a contract at the very top tier of the league. The player gets to decide on the contract term, between one and four years.
#2: Foundational Player Offers
After those players are allocated, the second step is “Foundational Player Offers.” While the rules are a bit opaque, it seems these offers can go to any unprotected players, whether signed to 2026–27 contracts or not. These contract offers are formulated by the expansion clubs, are for at least two years in length, and carry an ascending annual value starting at a minimum of $80,000. This salary is still near the high end of the league. (For example, Barnes and Bilka’s current contracts are for $70,000 annually.) The difference with this second tier of offer is that the offered player is not required to sign it. She can decline and, if she is a free agent, opt instead to sign with another club in Phase 3.
#3: Foundational Roster Completion
The final step of “Phase 2” is a draft-like process that will occur if one or more of the expansion teams cannot sign five total players through the processes described above. This “Foundational Roster Completion” process is limited to players signed for 2026–27 only, and the expansion team inherits the existing contract.
Defender Barnes is signed through the 2027–28 season. The Torrent also have the following unprotected players signed through this upcoming season: forwards Serdachny, Bilka, Jenna Buglioni, Lexie Adzija, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, and goaltender Schroeder. Forwards Jada Habisch and Lily Delianedis, along with defender Lyndie Lobdell, are restricted free agents. The team’s remaining players, including Gosling, are unrestricted free agents this offseason.
Here is an overview of the top unprotected skaters available, sorted by points per game:
And here are the top unprotected goalies available, sorted by save percentage:
Who will stay and who will go?
Weighing all of this information, we can be fairly confident that losses will mount for Seattle in Phase 2. The team will likely lose three signed players. The question is whether additional unsigned, pending free agents leave as well before Seattle can settle on a deal with them in Phase 3. Let’s walk through the three stages again from a Torrent perspective.
#1: Expansion Foundational Offer
I find it unlikely that any team will use an Expansion Foundational Offer on any of Seattle’s players. Had Carpenter been available, she may have been a candidate, but Seattle avoided that possibility by signing and protecting her during Phase 1. Hilary Knight is another player who could hypothetically factor in here, but, as we see above, she’s older than many of the other unprotected candidates, and her production has dipped below the elite tier. Unless it is for marketing reasons, I doubt Knight is designated here.
#2: Foundational Player Offers
This is the stage where the Torrent should begin to lose players from the 2025–26 roster. An expansion team could offer Barnes or Bilka a raise (from $70,000 to $80,000+) and more term on a contract. Each player has arguably earned it.
Beyond the signed players, free agent Julia Gosling could be in the mix for a contract as well (perhaps from Hamilton, near her native London). Gosling’s departure would be particularly painful since she was a core young offensive piece and, as a free agent, would not count against the cap on three roster players lost.
It is possible a team also offers Schroeder a hefty raise to sign her directly rather than compete with the other expansion team for her services in the final Foundational Roster Completion stage. Maybe it’s even likely.
#3: Foundational Roster Completion
To the extent they have not already been signed, this final stage could see up to three signed players like Bilka, Barnes, Serdachny, or Schroeder depart via a draft.
Could Cayla Barnes be on her way out? (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Predictions
For now, I’ll predict that Bilka (Las Vegas?), Barnes (San Jose?), and Gosling (Hamilton?) sign Foundational Player Offers with new teams during the second step of Phase 2. This would leave the Torrent exposed to losing one more signed player in the Foundational Roster Completion step. I’ll project that Schroeder is taken in that process.
This would leave Serdachny as the young, unprotected player returning to Seattle. (The margins are slim, though. Could Barnes, for example, return instead of Serdachny? Could Bilka’s injury dissuade a team from signing or selecting her? These things are in play.)
As for Knight, I suspect it’s unlikely that she receives an Expansion Foundational Offer. After she clears that hurdle, it will be entirely in her hands whether to sign with a new team or return to Seattle, because she is not eligible for the Foundational Roster Completion process as an unsigned player. Given her comments expressing her desire to be back in Seattle next season, I’d be surprised if Knight did not return to the Torrent on a new contract in the weeks ahead.
* * *
What do you think about the Torrent’s protections or path forward? Let us know in the comments below.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
As Darren Brown explained in our introduction to the offseason, the Seattle Kraken face weighty questions this offseason.
What are the goals for on-ice competitiveness? How does the organization improve its execution once goals are selected? How can the team composition be changed to conform to the team’s goals? How are on-ice performance deficiencies addressed? How does the organization repair trust with the fanbase?
Decisions made on these and other issues this offseason will have significant consequences years into the future.
The Kraken approach the offseason with the assets to make changes
The Seattle Kraken enter the offseason with significant assets. When accounting for likely minor restricted free-agent deals, we can project the team with $76 million of 2026-27 commitments under the 2026-27 salary cap of $104 million. This leaves the team with $28 million in cap space despite relatively few glaring open roster spots.
Even beyond money, the Kraken’s asset stock is robust. (That is not to say those assets might not have been greater had the team charted a different path over the last 12 months, it’s just an existing fact.) The team has three picks in the top 40 of the 2026 NHL Draft and a top-10 prospect pool according to most analysts.
Seattle also has prime-aged, above-average veterans on reasonable, expiring contracts that would appeal to contending teams if made available. Vince Dunn and Jared McCann are the two names that come to mind first and foremost.
Seattle Kraken offseason objectives
From my vantage, the team’s offseason focus should not be on improving (or tanking) the total talent level of the 2026-27 roster—or at least that should not be the primary objective. Ideally, the Kraken would be guided by these five objectives instead:
Leverage lessons learned to implement front office improvements
Target external young talent in trades matching the core timeline
Create lineup opportunities for internal young talent, fostering competition
Maintain baseline competitiveness to foster culture, development, and medium-term success
Hold key draft and prospect assets unless inconsistent with the above
Let’s dig into each of these areas. I’ll also sprinkle in a few hypothetical offseason changes, trades, or signings that would, in my view, be indicative of a reasoned and successful offseason.
#1: Leverage lessons learned to implement front office improvements
The first and most essential building block of a successful offseason is the recognition of areas for improvement internally, from the top down. The organization needs to leverage lessons learned during the Ron Francis leadership era and incorporate new strategies and solutions from the team’s postseason review processes.
From the outside, we cannot speak with any authority regarding most deficiencies that may or may not exist within the organization or staffing of the front office.
That said, one evident priority is to identify the on-ice objective—the “direction,” so to speak—and then clearly communicate the objective within the office walls at Kraken Community Iceplex. The team has said as much. In highlighting areas of adjustment within the front office, Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said at his postseason press availability that “the way I operate with my staff is direct communication.” The Kraken will have “clear goals” going forward, Botterill said.
From there, the focus shifts to identifying and acquiring the core group of players necessary to achieve the objectives. That’s easier said than done, of course, but the team won’t have a chance without getting this first step right.
#2: Target external young talent in trades matching the core timeline
Put succinctly, my central offseason objective would be to refresh the forward and defense groups by adding at least one external young player to each group who fits a late-2020s window and brings more aging-curve and development upside to the core.
Could Sharks forward William Eklund be an offseason Kraken target? (Photo/Brian Liesse)
I considered at least three factors in settling on this core goal.
First was a clear-eyed assessment of the overall quality of the roster. From (good-natured, hopefully) jeers at Sound Of Hockey Fest before last season through an unpopular Olympic break prediction, I never viewed last year’s collection of talent as playoff caliber. A simple turn of the calendar is unlikely to change that fact because the roster remains, on balance, on the backside of the aging curve.
Second, I had to recognize that—despite its overall flaws—the roster does have a few young players who project as pieces of a winning core. These are players who should be strong performers and lynchpins of the team’s relationship with its fans. Matty Beniers tops the list. He may never be a point-per-game player, but he is a top-six center who can be trusted in all situations. Joey Daccord, while not immune from goalie inconsistencies, has shown over two seasons that he can be a 1A goaltender. Berkly Catton has shown that he has the makings of an on-ice playmaker and off-ice leader.
Equally important, there is a wave of younger players projected to arrive within a two-to-three-year time horizon, including Jake O’Brien, Julius Miettinen, Jani Nyman, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Jagger Firkus, Ty Nelson, and Tyson Jugnauth. Not all will work out, but each could realistically contribute to varying degrees.
This suggests the ideal contention window for the team’s existing organizational players opens in the late 2020s. An all-out sale and rebuild—the course seemingly favored by some of the more disenchanted in the fanbase—would scuttle any prospect of leveraging this window.
Third, I reached a grim conclusion when evaluating the options for immediate star-level talent acquisition (and acceleration of the team’s timeline). No doubt, the Kraken have the money to pay a star salary. The problem is unrestricted free agency does not contain such a player.
The player at the top of the market, Alex Tuch, is more like a solid first-liner. Tuch may fit the team’s need for an interior scorer who is hard to play against. I’ve long been a fan of his and mentioned him often as a Kraken trade target last offseason. But he falls well short of the threshold this team needs to reform its current trajectory, and he is likely already in his decline phase.
Assuming Tuch actually comes available, is there a version of this offseason where signing Tuch makes sense? Perhaps, but building around a free-agent acquisition is not the best approach to this offseason given the state of the team.
Now, it is possible that a prime-aged player like Jordan Kyrou could be had in a trade. I’m skeptical, however, that leveraging future assets to make a Kyrou-level addition to the existing veteran core would yield the desired results. You’d improve your near-term playoff prospects but may dim the contention window in the late 2020s and beyond in the process.
There are players who fall into a different category though. Should Jason Robertson be available in trade talks, I would consider it. Timeline acceleration becomes a more realistic conversation when you’re talking about a top-20 forward in the league. Likewise, should any of the first-line centers who have been discussed as trade targets (Auston Matthews, Robert Thomas, and Nico Hischier) be available, they would also make me pause and consider pivoting strategies.
Jordan Eberle and Jason Robertson battle for puck at Climate Pledge Arena (Photo/Brian Liesse)
That said, it strikes me that these are still ill-fitting solutions to the problems this organization faces. Of course, I would want to understand the availability and cost of any of the prime-aged star players. In the abstract, though, pre-prime players (24 years old or younger) who can grow with the current young group are better fits in my view.
On the forward side, Mason McTavish is one of my favorite trade targets. He is far from a perfect player, but McTavish plays a power-forward style that would be a welcome complement to Seattle’s top six. Anaheim faces an offseason where it should ideally sign Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier to large, eight-year extensions. Add in five other forward contracts at or above $6.25 million AAV, and the Ducks are over-indexed on forward contracts. Since McTavish is an uncertain fit with the Ducks coaching staff (he was scratched at times), he could be an ascending player available for a palatable price. His deal has five years remaining at $7 million AAV, which would be no problem for Seattle with its cap status.
Elsewhere, could rumored deadline target Mackie Samoskevich be acquired in a deal built around a win-now piece for Florida, such as McCann? Matvei Mitchkov doesn’t check many of the boxes the Kraken need except for the most important one, generating offense; could Philadelphia be induced to move off him? What’s Cole Perfetti’s availability in Winnipeg? Could William Eklund be acquired from San Jose for a defenseman like Dunn now that the Sharks could land Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 overall in the draft? Taking a half step down, could forwards like Bradley Nadeau or Mavrik Bourque be crowded out of their team’s plans or cap structures? The list goes on.
On the blue line, I’d be inclined to make a strong offer to Buffalo for left defenseman Owen Power. If the Sabres are going to bring back free agent (and local boy) Tuch, they need to free up salary cap space, and the Sabres may be a bit over-indexed with talent on the back end. Power fits Seattle’s need for youth on the blue line, defensive production, and penalty-killing ability. He could form a capable top pair with Brandon Montour in the near term while Larsson moves into more of a second-pair workload. The cost would likely be steep, requiring multiple premium draft picks, a roster player like Ryker Evans, and a prospect. But acquiring an ascending, potential No. 1 defenseman would be worth it.
Otherwise, could the Kraken acquire Jordan Spence from Ottawa in a package built around McCann, a scoring forward who could help the Senators now? Would Anaheim part with Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov as an alternative path to breaking its logjam of young roster talent? What’s Simon Nemec’s current standing in New Jersey? (I’d ask even though I’m not as high on Nemec these days.)
These are the types of moves I’d be pursuing. If the Kraken acquired McTavish and Power in offseason trades, for example, they might not be better in the standings next season. But the vision for late-2020s competitiveness would be much clearer. This would be a win.
Is Mason McTavish available in a trade? (Photo/Brian Liesse)
#3: Create lineup opportunities for internal young talent, fostering competition
On the internal development front, my goal would be to preserve NHL lineup opportunities for at least one more young player beyond those who have already established themselves. This could be a third-pair defense role, but for the forwards, ideally it would be in the top nine.
The Kraken have flexible pieces up front, including Freddy Gaudreau and Ryan Winterton, and on defense, including Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury, who can move in and out of the lineup if young players don’t step up. This should give the team comfort in taking the “risk” of leaving roles available for camp competition.
From my vantage, this is important for internal culture and development as the team’s prospects begin to knock on the door. Could we see a third-line wing spot that cycles through a dozen games each from Jani Nyman, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, and Jagger Firkus over the first half of the season? Could the Kraken cycle a veteran and Ty Nelson, or perhaps Ville Ottavainen, through a third-pair right-shot defense role early in the season? I’d like to see that start to happen.
This means refraining from significant additions in free agency that would block these opportunities. I would be interested in a reunion with Bobby McMann. It would help with the next priority listed here. Such a move would need to be paired with the departure of one or more veteran forwards, however, to promote this objective.
Could McCann be traded to a team like the Detroit Red Wings for a player on the verge that would factor into this mix (Michael Brandsegg-Nygård) or another strong up-and-comer to add to the Coachella Valley roster (Carter Bear)? Kaapo Kakko is the other possibility.
#4: Maintain baseline competitiveness to foster culture, development, and medium-term success
Returning to a point highlighted above, I’d look to avoid taking a significant step back in overall competitiveness in the forthcoming season. This matters to the team’s internal culture. Once an organization grows comfortable with losing, that mindset can be hard to shake. It is also important to the development of the young players. Centers like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright benefit in their own progress from playing with skilled players who can think and skate with them.
A competitive roster also helps Seattle in the perception battle. A long drought would injure the team’s relationship with its fanbase and also its reputation around the league for future free agents.
Most importantly, though, preserving a baseline of competitiveness is essential to the team’s overall timeline to true contention.
Enhanced visual for qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thanks to @SasquatchNHL for suggestion to indicate Stanley Cup Champs. pic.twitter.com/KUmXqnlnmL
John Barr has shown that true rebuilds take longer than you might think. If the team is stripping away mid-tier players like Wright, Kakko, or Evans for futures returns alone, those steps would actively harm, not help, the team’s competitive prospects in the rest of the 2020s.
#5: Hold key draft and prospect assets where possible
The final objective is a simple one: hold the assets that could actually make you a legitimate playoff contender in the late 2020s. By focusing on additions below the star tier, the Kraken should be able to keep their own first-round picks in the coming drafts, while still keeping Tampa Bay’s first-rounders in play. The team would also be able to hold onto young players like Berkly Catton, Jake O’Brien, Julius Miettinen, and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard.
If a game-changing acquisition is on the table, this priority could go by the wayside. Ideally, the Kraken would add young, external talent to their existing pool with the goal of peaking in two to three years.
* * *
What do you think the team’s priorities and best targets should be? Let us know in the comments below.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
News has been trickling out for weeks about the upcoming PWHL expansion draft, which will stock the four new teams joining the league this offseason. Rather than walk through every rule and sub‑rule of the process, I’m focusing on how this could realistically play out for the Seattle Torrent.
Phase 1: Existing team protections & foundational signings
This is when existing teams submit their three-player protected lists for players already under contract for 2026-27. There is a wrinkle: a team can sign and protect a pending free agent from another roster. I don’t see Seattle using that maneuver, but another club absolutely could target one of the Torrent’s UFAs.
Of the Torrent players currently under contract for next season, and therefore eligible to be protected in this phase, the list includes Cayla Barnes, Lexie Adzija, Hannah Bilka, Jenna Buglioni, Mikyla Grant‑Mentis, Hannah Murphy, Corinne Schroeder, Danielle Serdachny, and Anna Wilgren.
My shortlist comes down to Barnes, Bilka, Murphy, and Serdachny. You can make a case for any combination of the four, and I am sure there are people projecting Schroeder to be protected. I am also assuming that the team does not sign one of their pending UFAs with the hope that they make it through the next phase of expansion and re-sign at a later date.
Bilka looked like one of Seattle’s best players pre‑Olympics before her season‑ending injury. Her nine points in 14 games don’t jump off the page, but she led the team in points per game over that stretch and could really drive play with the puck on her stick.
Serdachny brings a lot of speed to the Torrent’s game, and that can be used to exploit teams in a league with a wide talent range which will get even wider with the addition of the four additional teams. She stood out post‑Olympics as one of the best Torrent forwards and averaged 0.75 points per game.
Barnes was the Torrent’s defensive anchor, logging the most ice time and regularly matching against top lines while running the power play.
Murphy, at 22, split starts with Schroeder and posted a .908 save percentage compared to Schroeder’s .915. It’s not a huge gap, and there’s no question in my mind that Schroeder is the better goalie right now. But Murphy’s age and upside matter here, which is why she made my short list over Schroeder.
Seattle could sign and protect a pending UFA like Hillary Knight or Alex Carpenter, but if I’m the Torrent, I roll the dice and hope they’re still available after Phase 3 since neither of them are signed for next season.
I’ve gone back and forth, but my current protection trio is Bilka, Serdachny, and Murphy, which likely means Barnes and Schroeder get scooped up. I don’t feel great about it, but that’s the math.
Phase 2: Expansion team foundational signing period
Existing teams sit this one out, but it’s the phase where the Torrent could lose players, both UFAs and players under contract. UFAs like Knight, Carpenter, and Theresa Schafzahl could sign with expansion teams at this stage.
Seattle could also lose up to three players under contract, depending on who was protected in Phase 1. The likeliest names in play: Barnes, Bilka, Murphy, Schroeder, Serdachny, and I’d add Anna Wilgren as a real possibility.
Phase 3: Preliminary open signing period
Any unprotected, unsigned players on expiring contracts can now negotiate with all 12 teams. Existing teams also get to protect three additional players, regardless of contract status, though protecting someone you haven’t signed feels like a wasted slot.
This is the window where Seattle could re‑sign Carpenter, Knight, or Schafzahl if they’re still on the board. I think there’s a chance Wilgren survives to this phase, and if she does, she’s probably one of Seattle’s three additional protections.
Phase 4: Expansion signing period
Expansion teams now select from the remaining unprotected and unsigned players to fill out their rosters up to 10 players.
It’s hard to get a clean read on where Lexie Adzija, Jenna Buglioni, or Mikyla Grant‑Mentis sit in the leaguewide hierarchy, but it wouldn’t surprise me if at least one of them are taken here. Adzija and Grant-Mentis were good contributors for the Torrent, and Buglioni was a rookie, so a team might be willing to take a chance on her potential.
Phase 5: Existing team-exclusive re‑signing period
Existing teams can now re‑sign any of their own players who remain without a contract for 2026-27.
For Seattle, that list could be long. Beyond the big names (Carpenter, Knight, Schafzahl), the Torrent would likely want to bring back Aneta Tejralova, Emily Brown, and Megan Carter.
Phase 6: Open signing period
At this point, any unsigned player can sign with any of the 12 teams.
Anything could happen
I’ve seen some national chatter and a bit of local speculation, but I’ve tried to avoid diving too deep so I’m not subconsciously influenced by other projections. I’ll be wrong about some of this (probably several things), but the exercise is still worthwhile.
What is clear is that the Torrent roster is going to look dramatically different next season.
So now I’m curious: Who are you protecting? Who do you think the Torrent re-sign?
Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this quick holiday weekend edition, we’ll get you up to date on a couple of Seattle Kraken prospects playing in the Memorial Cup, one signing his entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken, and the season-ending loss for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the Pacific Division Finals. We’ll return with a full Firebirds post-mortem and player-by-player breakdown as we move into offseason mode in the weeks ahead.
I’ve noted a few good questions from social media posts and recent columns that I plan to address in a mailbag-style column soon. If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured, drop us a note below or on X or Bluesky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Superlative Coachella Valley Firebirds season ends with loss to Colorado Eagles
In our season-preview piece for the 2025-26 Coachella Valley Firebirds, we noted that the team was significantly less experienced than prior squads and projected to be the youngest collection of players in the American Hockey League. With those facts in mind, we suggested that making the playoffs in any capacity should count as a successful season on the ice.
The Firebirds surpassed those expectations. Playing the full season with a lineup that, in fact, proved to be the AHL’s youngest — even after acquiring AHL veteran Cooper Marody — the Firebirds accrued 88 standings points. That earned Coachella Valley the No. 4 seed in the Pacific Division playoff structure and first-round home-ice advantage.
Of course, the Firebirds’ success did not end there. Coachella Valley defeated the Bakersfield Condors and the Ontario Reign, the Pacific Division’s top team, in playoff rounds one and two. By reaching the Pacific Division Finals, the Firebirds not only bested their postseason performance from last season, they also achieved rare success for a young team.
The Firebirds’ two postseason series wins are currently tied for the most among all AHL teams with above-average regular-season performances and younger-than-average rosters, matched only by the Chicago Wolves. (The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins could join those two if they prevail in the Atlantic Division Finals on Saturday, May 23.)
Through this prism, it’s difficult to allow the frustration of a blown 2–0 lead against the Colorado Eagles in Game 4 of the Pacific Division Finals to linger. The Firebirds dropped the series three games to one to the oldest team in the AHL (by far), and one with legitimate Calder Cup aspirations. (If history is any guide, the Eagles are a shoo-in. The Firebirds still have never lost in the postseason to any team other than the eventual Calder Cup winner.)
For now, a salute to the performance of the players, Coach Laxdal, and his staff is in order. The future remains bright in Palm Desert.
As mentioned, we’ll return with player-specific analysis in future editions. For current purposes, we’ll note that Nikke Kokko posted a .926 save percentage and a shutout last week, which earns him Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week honors.
Minted WHL Playoffs MVP, Miettinen leads Silvertips to the Memorial Cup
As documented last week, Julius Miettinen drove play for Everett throughout the WHL postseason, piling up points individually and wins for the Silvertips. Miettinen capped off his triumphant playoff run with a most valuable player award and a victory over the Prince Albert Raiders.
This performance earned Everett its first WHL Championship and punched its ticket to the Memorial Cup — a tournament pitting the champions of the CHL’s member leagues, plus the host team (this year, the Kelowna Rockets), against one another.
Cameron Riggers has your Everett preview here. The Silvertips take the ice for their first game tonight (Saturday, May 23) at 6:00 p.m. PDT. The full tournament schedule is as follows:
Fri, May 22 – Kitchener (5) vs. Kelowna (0), 6 p.m. PDT Sat, May 23 – Everett vs. Chicoutimi, 6 p.m. PDT Sun, May 24 – Kelowna vs. Chicoutimi, 6 p.m. PDT Mon, May 25 – Everett vs. Kitchener, 6 p.m. PDT Tue, May 26 – Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener, 6 p.m. PDT Wed, May 27 – Kelowna vs. Everett, 6 p.m. PDT Thu, May 28 – Tiebreaker, 6 p.m. PDT* Fri, May 29 – Semifinal, 6 p.m. PDT Sun, May 31 – Championship game, 4 p.m. PDT *if necessary
Alexis Bernier signs entry-level contract, reaches Memorial Cup
As we mentioned in a recent update, the Seattle Kraken faced a June 1, 2026, deadline to sign 2024 third-round pick Alexis Bernier, or the young blueliner would re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft. The Kraken beat that deadline, signing Bernier to a standard three-year entry-level contract on May 19, 2026.
What took so long in Bernier’s case? The defenseman suffered an ACL injury last season and got a late start to his 2025-26 campaign, first taking the ice for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in late January. The team likely wanted to ensure Bernier was fully recovered and productive before committing to a deal. Bernier assuaged any concerns with a solid run of defensive production in the QMJHL.
Check out Bernier’s shifts from the Saguenéens’ QMJHL Championship-clinching win over the Moncton Wildcats on May 17, 2026:
Like Miettinen and the Silvertips, Bernier and the Saguenéens earned a spot in the Memorial Cup with their championship run. It just so happens their first game is against Everett on Saturday, May 23.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
4 wins: Julius Miettinen, Jake O’Brien
3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
Belchetz is an object of curiosity among scouts and amateur draftniks alike because he has the physical profile to be an imposing NHL power forward (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) and the scoring touch to match (34 goals for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires). He can use his frame to impact the game at junior speed; the question is whether he can raise his pace enough for that to become an asset professionally. If there is a player primed for a Beckett Sennecke-style rise high into the top 10 based on physical projection, it’s likely to be Belchetz or Wyatt Cullen. Belchetz was No. 8 on our midseason Big Board and is No. 9 among North American skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting list. He should go in the first half of the first round in June.
Header photo of Julius Miettinen taken byEvan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
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.
You would have been hard-pressed to find Everett Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton saying one bad thing about his team’s performance following a Game 1 loss in the WHL Finals at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders.
Losing a series-opening contest can be a big blow to any team with high aspirations like Everett. That gave the illusion of an uphill battle for the Silvertips, but with Hamilton and the players made available to the media afterward, there was nothing but calmness and poise.
You got the sense they felt they hadn’t played their best hockey in that game… and they would end up being right.
— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) May 16, 2026
The Silvertips hardly faltered the rest of the series against the Raiders, sweeping their next four games and clinching the franchise’s first Ed Chynoweth Cup, and in the words of Silvertips radio voice Casey Bryant …
“Everett finally has its champion!”
After becoming just the second team over the last two decades to win a championship with two or fewer losses in a single postseason, the long-awaited celebration commenced for the Silvertips.
Classic iconography followed, from the team joining together to lift the cup, to Hamilton putting on the team biker jacket in the locker room and lifting it vigorously. Plus, seeing captain Tarin Smith, who had missed the playoffs due to injury, be first to receive the Cup was a touching moment for a team as connected as Everett.
— xyz – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) May 17, 2026
The Silvertips then brought the trophy home, where it was met by thousands of rambunctious fans at Everett High School, many of whom had been waiting for this moment for more than two decades.
It was quite the sight to behold for one of the most statistically dominant teams in league history. The only thing keeping the word “statistically” from being removed from that sentence is the one trophy still missing from the cabinet, the Memorial Cup.
A season to remember
It’s been a banner year in the City of Smokestacks. The Silvertips are not just U.S. Division champions, finishing 43 points ahead of second place, or Scotty Munro Trophy champions by seven points, or Western Conference champions with only two playoff losses, but WHL champions for the first time ever.
Pinpointing one moment through the playoffs where it felt like the Silvertips were destined for greatness is tricky. There are so many pivotal moments to pick from: Landon DuPont’s overtime clincher in Round 2, Rylan Gould’s stick-tossing overtime winner in the conference finals Game 2, or Julius Miettinen scoring in the final five minutes of Game 3 of the finals to take a 2-1 series lead, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
#SeaKraken prospect Julius Miettinen gives the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 lead with under 5 to go in regulation.
The Silvertips adopted an attitude, as Hamilton harped on this postseason, of keeping everything “between the ears,” doing the simple things to help calm the nerves and stabilize a steady attack.
It was an attack that, more often than not, was not only effective but forceful. The Silvertips outscored opponents by more than a 2-1 ratio this postseason, 82-36.
Key players from this run included DuPont, whose 23 points were the most by any 16-year-old defenseman in league history, but his output came with help from linemates Matias Vanhanen and Carter Bear, who each had solid playoff performances of their own. And Kraken prospect Miettinen was named the WHL’s Most Valuable Player during the playoffs, recording 14 goals and 13 assists across 18 games with the Silvertips, which led the league in both goals and points.
While it’s easy to point to the stars on offense getting it done, the Silvertips’ depth has been such an important piece of why they have been successful this postseason. With 10 players scoring at least four goals, it felt like every player on the roster had at least one or two moments to help them reach the top.
Plus, for a franchise that has had stellar goaltending for much of its history, Anders Miller cemented himself among the all-time Everett greats. Finishing with a 1.91 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage while playing all 18 games, it was not only one of the most dominant performances in Everett history, but in WHL history.
On to Kelowna for the Memorial Cup
Playing in the Memorial Cup tournament is another first for the Silvertips, who will be joined by the OHL champion Kitchener Rangers, the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens, and the host Kelowna Rockets.
The margin for error is slim in a round-robin, then single-elimination tournament like this. Compared to a seven-game playoff series, one loss could determine the fate of the entire tournament.
Even though the Silvertips are favored by many to take it all, Hamilton’s group is approaching this tournament with humility.
“The Western Hockey League hasn’t won [the Memorial Cup] in 12 years, and I find it hard to believe that we’d be the favorites, to be honest,” Hamilton said in a pre-tournament press conference. “These teams are going to have a lot of the same pieces. A great goaltender, a couple big-time defensemen, and some big-time forwards. There will probably be very slim margins between these teams.”
The last team from the WHL to win the Memorial Cup was the 2014 Edmonton Oil Kings, a team for which Hamilton ironically served as an assistant coach. It’s going to be a grind. Still, it’s nothing the well-rounded Silvertips aren’t prepared for.
“[It’s] really important for us that we recreate that wave of energy and momentum,” Hamilton said. “We’ve got to be ready to sprint. It’s not the marathon that the [regular] season and playoffs are.”
With the amount of attention paid to this tournament across Canada and the United States, this may be the perfect opportunity for DuPont to showcase his talents to a national audience. Key players like him will need to continue to shine for the Silvertips during this tournament.
Getting to know the Silvertips’ tournament opponents, Everett will open its tournament action against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Saturday. Featuring recent Kraken entry-level contract signee Alexis Bernier, a defensive prospect who recorded four goals and three assists in 20 playoff games, the Saguenéens are a tight-checking, hard-nosed group that likes to attack in waves. Much like the Silvertips, they went all in this season for a league championship.
The Kitchener Rangers were the closest team to the Silvertips statistically this season. A team that also lost only twice during the playoffs, Kitchener’s roster is loaded with 12 NHL-affiliated prospects, including first-round picks Cameron Reid (NSH) and Sam O’Reilly (TBL). Everett, for reference, only has five.
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 20, 2026
When it comes to the host Kelowna Rockets, Everett has the advantage of already playing and beating the Rockets in a series earlier in the WHL playoffs. The Silvertips were already able to neutralize Utah prospect Tij Iginla and other Rockets stars during that series, but it might be a tall task to do so again, especially on this big of a stage and in their barn.
A lot can happen in a week and a half.
The tournament kicks off Friday, May 22, and runs through Sunday, May 31, at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia.
2026 Memorial Cup schedule (times PDT)
Friday, May 22: Kitchener vs. Kelowna, 6 p.m. Saturday, May 23: Everett vs. Chicoutimi, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 24: Kelowna vs. Chicoutimi, 6 p.m. Monday, May 25: Everett vs. Kitchener, 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 26: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener, 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 27: Kelowna vs. Everett, 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28: Tiebreaker (if necessary), 6 p.m. Friday, May 29: Semifinal, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 31: Championship game, 4 p.m.
Header Courtesy of Mark Peterson, the Prince Albert Raiders, and the Western Hockey League
After much hemming and hawing and retrospection, both from the Kraken and from our team here at Sound Of Hockey, we’re ready to put the 2025-26 team’s late-season downfall behind us and begin looking ahead at how Seattle can avoid such a collapse in the future.
The organization has promised a “prolific” offseason, so what will that look like? What are some of the biggest priorities the team needs to address?
In this introductory post, we’ll take a first look at some of the major questions facing the Kraken this summer before digging into each of these topics more in the coming months. Let’s dive in.
Audit underway
The Kraken raised eyebrows in the wake of their season when CEO Tod Leiweke mentioned in his “Ron Francis is leaving” presser that Seattle would bring in some sort of third party to conduct an audit of the team’s departments and processes. We learned more details about this process last week, with the team now having hired an organization called Sportsology, a New York-based outfit led by former Chelsea Football Club executive Mike Forde.
I do think this whole thing has gotten blown out of proportion—when Leiweke mentioned this, I don’t believe he expected various media outlets to emphasize it—but since it’s something people have been talking about, it’s good to see progress being made on this front. It does feel like many pieces of business will be put on hold until the audit is completed, so time is of the essence to get this done.
We were told that Sportsology will be looking at all areas of hockey operations, including organizational structure, roster construction, decision-making processes, and a whole host of other areas.
So, some good should come of this and lead to the meaningful change that the team has pledged, but I’m not convinced we’ll hear that much about the outcomes of the audit.
UFA decisions
Speaking of meaningful change, I’m most interested to see what adjustments general manager Jason Botterill can bring to the roster this offseason after a relatively quiet summer in 2025. At face value, there’s still no obvious quick fix to what ails the Kraken.
There are four key players whose contracts are expiring, so Botterill and the rest of the front office will first need to decide which of Bobby McMann, Eeli Tolvanen, Jaden Schwartz, and Jamie Oleksiak they want back next season and beyond… and whether those players want to return.
I would think the team wants to bring back McMann, who burst onto the Kraken scene with 10 goals in 18 games after being acquired at the NHL Trade Deadline from Toronto, and Eeli Tolvanen, who still has youth on his side and has shown the ability to play all roles.
But neither player is a no-doubter to be back in Seattle. McMann played himself into a hot commodity on a free-agent market that does not offer much scoring. He obviously fit well in Seattle and had lots of personal success here, but he also got a front-row seat to an embarrassing end-of-season spiral out of a playoff spot and into the draft lottery. How much will it cost the Kraken to bring him back, if he’s open to returning?
Tolvanen, meanwhile, did not have a good second half of the season and even found himself in healthy scratch territory at times late in the campaign. Still, coach Lane Lambert showed early on that he really liked Tolvanen and was comfortable using him in every situation. If the price is right, I’d bring Tolvanen back.
As for Schwartz and Oleksiak, I do feel it’s right to move on from these players. Both have been strong for the team at times during their respective five-year runs, but the Kraken need to start filtering out some of the Day 1 veterans who have been core to the organization’s very limited success. That’s not blaming these individual players, who are both still effective; it’s simply a desire to get some fresh faces onto the roster.
NHL Draft
It goes without saying that the Kraken will—of course—participate in the NHL Draft on June 26 and 27, where they will select seventh overall thanks to another disappointing bounce in the lottery. They do have a second first-round pick, No. 25 overall, acquired in the trade that sent Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
In all, the Kraken have eight picks. Based on their position, it is highly unlikely they will select a player who can help them immediately next season.
Find current talent
With several veterans likely on their way out, the Kraken will have some big holes in their lineup. Remember, a significant chunk of the roster was already occupied by young players this past season, with guys like Berkly Catton, Ryan Winterton, Jacob Melanson, and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard all playing significant roles for various stretches of the season. And let’s not forget that Matty Beniers and Shane Wright could still fall into the “young” category.
So, do they want to replace those departing vets with even more young players coming up from Coachella Valley? There aren’t obvious superstars waiting in the wings, so assuming the Kraken aren’t looking for a full-on tank next season, the answer to that question is almost certainly not.
Players will need to be brought in from outside the organization to improve this lineup, so where will they come from?
As mentioned, the free-agent market is thin. Sure, there could be a fit or two with players like Alex Tuch, who had 33 regular-season goals in Buffalo and had a strong first round of the playoffs but lost his scoring touch in the second round and ended up with four goals and three assists in 12 games. But beyond Tuch—who I’m not even sure will want to leave his hometown team after a magical season—there aren’t many intriguing players set to become available.
I’ve said for several years now that if the Kraken want to take real steps forward, they are going to have to make some big-time trades. That almost surely means moving out young players who are valued by the front office and the fanbase, and perhaps even some veterans with a year left on their deals. Players like Jared McCann and Vince Dunn feel like obvious candidates for trades, considering their contractual situations—both are set to expire after the 2026-27 season—and the fact that they would fetch quality players in return.
Even if Botterill can land a big fish via trade, somebody like Robert Thomas from St. Louis or Jason Robertson from Dallas, it still may not be enough to get this team back into the playoffs. Remember, there are multiple key players leaving the organization, so even if Seattle reels in a top-end offensive player—and that feels like a long shot—one move will not be enough to make this team a contender.
Plus, there will be more holes to fill beyond that one player, and acquiring multiple significant upgrades in one offseason—something this front office has struggled to do—is a huge ask.
The idea of a “prolific” offseason sounds all well and good, but the reality is that landing true upgrades is going to be a massive challenge. Will this front office be willing to part with important current players and/or some of its prospects and draft picks? Will Botterill be able to find trade partners for players whose tenures in their current cities have run their course?
These are the biggest questions facing the Kraken this offseason. Again, we will revisit each of these topics more in depth in future articles, so keep it tuned to Sound Of Hockey all offseason long.
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.
Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this week’s column, we’ll bring you on the ice in Coachella Valley, where Jake O’Brien made his professional debut this week. We’ll also get you up to date on Julius Miettinen’s dominant WHL playoff run, which has the Everett Silvertips on the verge of their first WHL Championship. We’ll also have notes and video from around the Kraken system and the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, as always.
If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or mailbag, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Jake O’Brien enters the Firebirds lineup in Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals
With a dramatic 3–2 double-overtime win over the Ontario Reign on Saturday, the Coachella Valley Firebirds advanced to the Pacific Division Finals against the Colorado Eagles. This not only brought the Firebirds one step closer to the Calder Cup, but it also extended the team’s postseason by at least three games. That afforded the organization the opportunity to get Jake O’Brien into the lineup for Wednesday’s Game 1 against Colorado.
“It was a whirlwind losing in the [OHL] playoffs and then coming here. Getting in the lineup was pretty exciting,” O’Brien told the media after the game. O’Brien had his mother and stepfather in the stands watching him.
O’Brien skated more than 10 minutes in a fourth-line center role and on the second power-play unit. The Firebirds even threw him out there at the end of the game as the extra attacker with the goalie pulled. Check out all of his shifts in the video below.
Though the game was a disappointing 3–0 loss, the organization has to be pleased that O’Brien got a close look at professional game speed and strength. There were certainly times when he bounced off checks and fell behind the speed of play. But this eliminates some unknowns for O’Brien and lays out clear benchmarks he’ll need to hit in the offseason.
“It was very fast, very physical. It was kind of what I was expecting. I did a lot of video before, getting ready for this game. It was a lot faster than junior was for me,” O’Brien said. “I feel like I got better shift by shift. By Game 2, I’m going to be better.”
Overall, I thought the nerves were evident in his game, particularly early. He looked a bit mechanical and slow to process at first. But he went to the net front with regularity in the offensive zone, took the punishment, and it seemed like this got him into the game a bit. He tried a few skilled passes and controlled entries that you would expect from a talented offensive player. He had one opportunity to get a puck on net, but it sailed on him a bit in a contested situation.
“[O’Brien] is a very cerebral offensive player,” Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal said. “Here’s a kid who is 18 years old getting thrown into his first AHL game, and I thought he showed well. He didn’t shrink in the moment. He did a really good job of hanging onto the puck and making some plays. He’ll be better the next game he plays.”
Julius Miettinen is upping his play in the WHL Playoffs
2024 second-round pick Julius Miettinen leads the WHL Playoffs in total points (27) and points per game (1.59). Most impressively, he has 14 goals, which is the most in the WHL playoffs, two more than teammate Matias Vanhanen and five more than the next closest player.
His postseason run has pushed his combined regular-season and postseason total to 103 points in 69 games. He is one of only eight players to record more than 100 points, and his overall scoring rate (1.49 points per game) is higher than any player with more points than him.
This is a truly remarkable accomplishment for a player who has been thought to project as a support player in the professional ranks—contributing more to wins and losses than the stat sheet. If the development goal for this season was to push his offensive game to the next level, Miettinen checked that box.
What I’ve really liked in the postseason games I’ve been able to catch is the continued growth in his puck-possession ability. Miettinen’s first goal of the series came off a nice possession entry. If Miettinen can add that element to his game consistently, he has the look of a quality NHL power forward.
With four goals and five assists in four games since our last update, Miettinen is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the week.
The Everett Silvertips are now one win away from the team’s first-ever WHL Championship. Game 5 of the series is tonight (Friday) in Prince Albert:
Fri, May 15 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre Sun, May 17 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* Mon, May 18 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* *If necessary
Alexis Bernier and the Saguenéens battle in the QMJHL Finals
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Moncton Wildcats are tied at two games apiece in the best-of-7 QMJHL Finals. Bernier scored an improbable goal from deep in Leon Draisaitl’s office in Game 2, which the Saguenéens ultimately won by one goal.
Fri, May 15 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir Sun, May 17 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina Tue, May 19 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir* *If necessary
2026 NHL Draft long lists are starting to roll out
In the last week, Corey Pronman of The Athletic revealed his top 112 NHL Draft prospects list. Earlier in the process, NHL Central Scouting published its final list. Here at Sound Of Hockey we recently published our final data-only watchlist. Check out the full post if you haven’t, but here are 200 first-time eligible prospects to watch as we move toward draft day.
Notes on three other Kraken prospects
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Mølgaard leads the AHL playoffs in goals (six) and points (10). Similar to our observation of Miettinen’s game, most believe Mølgaard projects as a low-scoring, two-way presence. The scoring is a great thing to see as Mølgaard attempts to climb the last (and most difficult) rung of the development ladder.
J.R. Avon | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Last week’s Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week selection was a bit ahead of its time. J.R. Avon had the dramatic winner in double overtime last Saturday. His five playoff goals are second only to Mølgaard’s in the entire AHL. His finishing skill gives him the added dimension necessary to break through and eventually play NHL games.
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) May 10, 2026
Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Among players under 23 years old in the AHL playoffs, Jani Nyman is second in total scoring, and Jagger Firkus is tied for third. Nyman’s season was disappointing at the NHL level, but it is important to note that his effort level and production did not sag after his return to the AHL. His 24 total goals across the AHL regular season and postseason rank seventh among all players under 23 years old, and he has played only 48 AHL games this year. The scoring ability is still there.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
4 wins: Julius Miettinen, Jake O’Brien
3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
Wyatt Cullen has been a steady riser throughout this draft season. The 6-foot-1 winger was the leading scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 team this season, and he led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship. Cullen was No. 38 on the midseason Big Board but has ascended since then and is now No. 13 among North American skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting list. He could go as high as the top 10 in June.
Header photo of Julius Miettinen taken byEvan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
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.
