The Washington Capitals looked like the NHL’s best team on Thursday, and—apart from Joey Daccord—the Seattle Kraken didn’t have much of an answer for them, as the Caps rolled to their sixth straight win.
We often hear players and coaches talk about “playing fast,” and the way the Caps performed in this game was a perfect example of that. They were in sync for most of the night, connecting to make difficult passes look easy and capitalizing on Seattle’s many blunders to create breakaways and even some 2-on-0’s.
Meanwhile, Seattle struggled to get anything going in the other direction.
“That was a game against a good team, and we weren’t able to abate their pressure enough to be able to get to our pressure,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. “It was a tough-sledding game, for sure.”
Here are three takeaways from the Kraken’s 3-0 loss to the Capitals.
Takeaway #1: Joey deserved better
Even with the fluky goal he allowed to Aliaksei Protas at 4:36 of the second period to break a scoreless tie, Joey Daccord was stellar in this game. Oddly, he was credited with 30 saves on 31 shots—good for a .968 save percentage—but still two goals against because Protas’ marker didn’t count as a shot. Daccord stopped the initial attempt but inadvertently swatted the puck into his own net, so the goal wasn’t recorded as a shot.
D'oh! 1-0 Caps.
Tom Wilson looked offside, but the puck came out of the zone, so the play resets. #SeaKraken couldn't challenge.
Daccord made a great save, then accidentally gloved it into his own net. Protas gets the goal. pic.twitter.com/Cl6bgv77aX
Even on that play, where Kraken fans surely wish he had caught the puck cleanly instead of batting it over his shoulder, Daccord had just made one of his many outstanding saves, sliding across to steal a sure goal away from Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Adding insult to injury on the Protas goal, it appeared Tom Wilson played the puck in an offside position seconds earlier. However, since he exited the zone—which resets the play—Seattle couldn’t challenge for offside. The puck only crossed the blue line by about a foot before coming back in, but those are the rules of when a team can and cannot challenge. It would have been swell if the linesman had simply called it correctly.
On the second goal, Daccord made another excellent save after Kaapo Kakko turned the puck over to Ethen Frank at the Caps’ blue line, creating another of many breakaways. Daccord kicked out the initial shot, but Frank, far behind Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn, whacked his rebound past Daccord.
“[Joey was] excellent,” Bylsma said. “We’re talking about three breakaways, even the goal against, [another] breakaway. And he makes the save on the first one, doesn’t get the second one. But… you need to have good goaltending against a team like that to stay in the game, and Joey gave it to us.”
This game could have ended with a score in the 6-0 range, but Daccord stood on his head and gave the Kraken a real chance to steal a win against a superior opponent. He deserved more support from his teammates.
Takeaway #2: Two back-breaking plays late in the second
With the way Daccord was playing, it seemed possible Seattle could steal this game. But two critical plays late in the second period crushed those hopes.
First, Frank scored with 1:55 left in the frame, making it 2-0 and sucking much of the energy out of Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle had a golden opportunity to respond when Oliver Bjorkstrand found himself on a breakaway in the dying seconds of the period. Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren—playing his first game since sustaining an upper-body injury on Jan. 10—stood tall and gloved Bjorkstrand’s shot, keeping the score at 2-0 heading into the third.
“Just a quick shot. I thought it kind of jumped on me,” Bjorkstrand said. “No excuse, though, but it took kind of an odd bounce. I didn’t really get enough on it as I wanted to, but I was just trying to shoot it.”
Late goals and missed opportunities like these can be devastating. A goal from Bjorkstrand might have turned the game around.
Takeaway #3: Kraken got banged up
Chandler Stephenson left the game after blocking a Trevor van Riemsdyk shot with his left glove hand at 10:20 of the second period.
Stephenson briefly returned for two more shifts in the second but didn’t play in the third period. Bylsma later said the center would need “further evaluation.”
Jared McCann also appeared injured in the second, putting little weight on his left leg and wincing in pain on the bench, though he stayed in the game. Eeli Tolvanen was also seen hunched over in pain at one point, adding to a tough night for the Kraken.
Bonus Takeaway: An interesting night for Ovechkin and the Capitals
There were some interesting storylines from the Washington dressing room after this one, including Alex Ovechkin closing within 20 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time career goals record with his late empty-netter.
“They don’t ask ‘How?,’ they ask ‘How many?’” Protas joked. “You’ve got to score that goal from the defensive zone. With all the accomplishments that he has, he fully deserved that.”
Plus, Martin Fehervery—who had an early goal negated because of a successful offside challenge by the Kraken—got hit in the face by a deflected Vince Dunn slap shot in the second period but returned to play the third. He already had a cut on his cheek, so Fehervery’s face now looks like that of an MMA fighter that just got knocked out in the first round.
There were some great quotes from John Carlson and Capitals coach Spencer Carbery about Fehervery.
Carlson: “He’s had a hell of a run here. Today is one thing, and it’s amazing that anyone would come back after that. But he’s been on a heater with pucks just finding ways to hit him in the worst spots and taking hits that are unnecessary and what have you. And he’s a warrior. He’s been fantastic all year, and certainly, that’s another thing that in the room, guys build off of and rally around, people just laying it on the line for each other.”
Carbery: “It’s a microcosm of what our group and what our guys are all about on this team. He lays it on the line, takes a puck up high, and then he still— he has to go get repairs, his eye looks like it’s a mess, and he comes back out, plays, and he’s still blocking more shots. It’s… yeah… just a complete example of what our group is all about: guys that lay it on and sacrifice for one another, and he embodies that. Marty… the kid’s a warrior.”
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.
The vibes around the Seattle Kraken are notably better this week, after they strung a couple wins together to bring down the temperature.
So, plenty of talk on those games, plus some meaty conversation topics like the Kaapo/Beniers/Schwartz line, Joey Daccord carrying the load, and some contract extension discussion.
Segments include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and What’s Good?
The Los Angeles Kings, on Jan. 13, were the last team to play 41 games. With that halfway mark now officially behind us, the playoff picture is starting to take shape, but there’s still a lot of hockey left to play. Let’s take a look at each of the four divisions and the key storylines from the first half of the season.
Atlantic Division
Home to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the Atlantic Division features the most contested race for a wild card spot. The Toronto Maple Leafs currently lead the division. With Toronto’s history of playoff struggles, potential wild-card teams could be eyeing a first-round matchup with Toronto.
Good teams are still good
The Maple Leafs, Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins all currently hold playoff spots. These are the same teams that made the postseason last year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
This year’s Maple Leafs have a different look to them. They’re winning more in regulation, leading the division with 25 regulation wins. Last season, 35.3 percent of their points came from overtime and shootout games. This season, that’s down to 19.3 percent, a sign of a stronger team. Toronto has achieved this despite Auston Matthews missing 15 games. While it’s too early to say this is their year, they’ve shown promise.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is a team to watch. As of Jan. 20, they have games in hand, lead the division in goals scored (165), are 2nd in goals against (128), and boast four forwards over the 20-goal mark. Comparatively, the Kraken have zero 20-goal scorers right now. Tampa Bay parted ways with long-time captain Steven Stamkos and was able to sign Jake Guentzel to a seven-year deal worth $63 million. The sharp-shooting Guentzel is working out well so far, averaging just over a point per game (46 points in 43 games).
Wild card race
The Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens are separated by only two points. Boston has played two more games than the others. Ottawa, with a positive goal differential (+5) and the most regulation wins (18) among the group, might have the inside track, if rookie goaltender Leevi Meriläinen continues his strong play in Linus Ullmark’s absence. Meanwhile, Montreal’s resurgence has been driven by a balanced effort led by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and smooth rookie Lane Hutson (worth noting, Hutson was taken No. 62 overall in the 2022 draft, one spot after Seattle selected David Goyette at No. 61).
The Detroit Red Wings are hot on Montreal’s heels, with a recent hot streak under new head coach Todd McLellan keeping them competitive.
Metropolitan Division
The Metropolitan Division has delivered surprises. Last season’s playoff teams included the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, and Washington Capitals. This year, two of those teams risk missing the playoffs without significant second-half turnarounds.
On the struggle subway
The Rangers and Islanders are struggling. The Rangers, last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, started strong but have since faltered and are on the outside looking in for the playoffs. The Islanders have had trouble scoring goals, ranking 28th in the NHL with 123. Goalie Ilya Sorokin has not be the problem, but at the same time has not helped matters either and has the lowest save percentage of his career at .900 this season. Mathew Barzal has struggled to get into his usual rhythm after missing 21 games due to injury and only has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 25 games played.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus just might be the most improved team in the NHL and has spring boarded from fourth-worst in the league last year to a wild-card contender. The Blue Jackets are a different team at home than on the road. In Columbus, they boast a 16-5-3 record but show signs of last year’s squad when away with a 6-13-4 record. Columbus can score goals in buckets and as of Jan. 20 are sixth in the NHL with 157 goals scored. However, on the flip side, stopping goals has been an issue, where they are sixth worst in the NHL with 158 goals against. Winning seven of their last 10 games—including a drubbing of the Kraken—has kept them in the playoff hunt.
Ovi watch
The Capitals have surprised everyone coming out of the gate hot and have kept the foot on the pedal. As of Jan. 20 they are in pole position for the Presidents’ Trophy race with 67 points. Dylan Strome is having a career year, and a resurgence from Pierre-Luc Dubois has also been key. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin is defying age, sitting at 874 career goals—21 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record. Ovechkin has 21 goals in 30 games this season, putting him on a pace that could see him break the record by season’s end.
Central Division
The Central Division shows a stark divide between its top and bottom teams. The Winnipeg Jets lead the pack, with the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche close behind.
Best in the West
Winnipeg set an NHL record by going 15-1-0 to start the season. Although they’ve slowed since then, they are No. 1 in the Western Conference. Connor Hellebuyck remains a standout, leading the league in wins (28), shutouts (six), save percentage (.929), and goals-against average (1.97). Hellebuyck is the front runner for the Vezina Trophy and a serious contender for the Hart Trophy.
Wild card battle
The Central Division should produce at least four playoff teams, with one landing in a wild-card spot. Each of these teams is on pace for 100 points. The last time a wild-card team had over 100 was in the 2023 playoffs when none other than the Seattle Kraken upset Colorado in the first round.
The bottom
The Blackhawks and Predators are settling to the bottom. Chicago’s bright spot is 19-year-old Connor Bedard, who also has had ups and downs this season, but scoring depth and goaltending remain issues. Chicago was not expected to make the playoffs this season but were hoping to take a bigger step forward that has not materialized yet.
Nashville is probably the biggest disappointment this season. After signing Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault during the offseason, the vibes were good, and expectations were high for this team. Nashville has failed to put the puck in the net and is second to last in scoring (115) in the NHL. At this point in the season it is hard to imagine either of these teams turning it around this season.
Pacific Division
Vegas keeps winning
The Golden Knights have the NHL’s third-most points (62), fueled by scoring depth and career years from Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone. Goaltending can be described as “good enough,” but due to the team averaging 3.40 goals per game, Vegas keeps on winning.
Rounding out the top three
The Edmonton Oilers have surged since the start of December, going 16-5-1, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the charge. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings are winning through team defense and strong goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. They boast a .853 points percentage at home (14-3-1) which is the best in the NHL.
Canucks-Flames rivalry
Calgary holds the edge for the last wild-card spot, while Vancouver has continued to slide down the standings. Injuries to Thatcher Demko and an NHL-leading 10 overtime losses have hurt the Canucks, but they are not out of the race. The rumor mill is rampant with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller feuds and trade speculation causing uncertainty throughout the fan base.
Calgary has exceeded expectations this season after losing Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane from last year’s squad. Goalie questions loomed for Calgary coming into the season, but rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf has been the answer and has taken control of the starting role. Wolf, a former Everett Silvertip, has started seven of the last 10 games and is posting numbers (.917 save percentage) that should have him in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the best rookie in the NHL.
Shark tankers
The San Jose Sharks are at the bottom of the Pacific… And also the Pacific Division (get it?). But they have improved from last year, scoring 23 more goals and adding four more standings points. Rookie Macklin Celebrini has impressed with his play and is on a 61-point pace.
Not out yet
The Seattle Kraken have been inconsistent this season, falling short of expectations, but have shown flashes of promise. Currently sitting five points lower than last year’s team, the Kraken have shown the ability to push back and lead the NHL, with six comeback wins when trailing by two goals or more. Obviously, it would be better if they were not down by two-plus goals to start, but it is exciting to know they can be down and have a realistic chance to come back and win.
Kraken key developments during the first half of the season:
The Kraken have had to deal with the injury bug as well. Jordan Eberle (pelvis injury), Vince Dunn (upper-body injury) and Yanni Gourde (mid-body injury) have all missed significant time.
Playoff push
As the league heads into the second half, the playoff race will intensify. My midseason Stanley Cup pick is the Edmonton Oilers, but I’m also watching to see if Ovechkin can break Gretzky’s record. Despite their struggles, I’ll be rooting for the Kraken to find consistency and play a full 60 minutes.
Who’s your midseason Stanley Cup favorite? What are your takeaways from the season so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the Seattle Kraken kicked off their four-game homestand with two convincing wins: a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and a 6-4 triumph against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
The Kings arrived in Seattle boasting a stingy defense, having allowed just five goals in their previous six games. The Kraken, led by Jaden Schwartz, dismantled that narrative by piling on four goals. Schwartz delighted the home crowd with the first hat trick at Climate Pledge Arena this season.
Meanwhile, the struggling Sabres, sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points, couldn’t keep pace in Monday’s matinee game. The Kraken swept the season series against Buffalo, scoring 12 goals over the two matchups.
Takeaway #1: Daccord comes up big
Joey Daccord earned third-star honors against the Kings, delivering a standout performance in the face of a relentless third-period push. The Kraken entered the final frame with a 3-2 lead but found themselves on their heels, managing just one shot on goal. Head coach Dan Bylsma reflected, “[Chandler Stephenson] got us the goal to get up 3-2. [In the] third period we battened down the hatches a little too much, but we were up to the task, and Joey [Daccord] was up to the task.”
Daccord turned aside 16 third-period shots, including a shorthanded 2-on-0 break and multiple scrambles in front of the net. He preserved the lead until the Kraken sealed the game with an empty-net goal.
Joey comes up big again on Fiala!!!! #SeaKraken are not playing bad, but they need to find another gear to close this game out. pic.twitter.com/kpA8gGmmRj
In Monday’s game against the Sabres, Daccord continued to deliver timely saves, including another shorthanded breakaway stop.
Takeaway #2: Schwartz, Beniers, and Kakko shine
The line of Jaden Schwartz, Matty Beniers, and Kaapo Kakko combined for eight points across the two games, with most of the damage coming against the Kings. Schwartz’s hat trick was supported by Kakko, who assisted on all three goals, and Beniers, who provided the primary assist on the second tally. Their chemistry is quickly becoming a bright spot for the Kraken.
Kakko’s unselfish play was on full display, particularly when he set up Schwartz for the hat-trick-clinching goal. Schwartz’s post-practice praise on Jan. 18 clearly resonated, as Kakko consistently fed his linemate with precision passes.
Beniers also contributed a power-play goal against Buffalo. He logged an impressive 22:12 of ice time in Monday’s game, leading all skaters (forwards and defensemen).
Takeaway #3: Josh Mahura’s hit and team physicality
Josh Mahura (“Muzzie”) delivered one of the season’s best hits against the Kings, an open-ice masterpiece that fired up the Kraken bench and led directly to a goal. The hit not only separated Warren Foegele from the puck but also set up a 2-on-1 break, culminating in Schwartz’s second goal of the night just eight seconds later. Quinton Byfield wanted to drop the gloves with Mahura, but Mahura smartly declined, allowing the play to develop and the goal to be scored.
Bylsma commented on the impact of the play, “The hit, I don’t want to say it woke us up because I think we were in the match before that, but the hit was a huge play, [a] statement in the middle of the ice, and we were able to answer back with a goal by Schwartzy.”
The physicality carried over to the Sabres game, where John Hayden registered three hits and scored a critical response goal just 27 seconds after Buffalo took a 1-0 lead. The Kraken never trailed for the remainder of that game.
Bylsma on the fourth line's response goal and role tonight.
"You want the fourth line to provide energy, you want them to provide physicality. You want them to provide, you know, put the other team back on their heels when they get the opportunity. But you know, tonight, right… pic.twitter.com/atAslayXXH
“Response goal” became the buzz phrase of the weekend as the Kraken answered opponent tallies within three minutes on five occasions. Against Buffalo, they achieved this three times in under a minute, keeping momentum firmly in their favor.
Offense came from up and down the lineup, with goals from Schwartz, Chandler Stephenson, John Hayden, Jamie Oleksiak, and Jared McCann. Every time the Kings or Sabres tried to claw back into the game, the Kraken had an answer, ensuring they secured all four points from the weekend.
Wrapping it up
After coming off a hard-fought loss to the Winnipeg Jets to close out their road trip, the Kraken played well in that game and carried that momentum into these two victories. Both games saw the Kraken come out ready to play, with the first goal of the homestand scored just 28 seconds into the opener against the Kings.
The Kraken will now get a few days of rest before facing the high-flying Washington Capitals on Thursday, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
The Seattle Kraken have magically won three of their last five games, just missing out on at least another point in their one loss of the week against the Winnipeg Jets. That loss came after the Jets scored off a fluky bounce with 30 seconds remaining. Regardless of the season’s overall outlook, the Kraken are playing some fun hockey right now.
The importance of context
I’m not fully prepared to delve into the societal impacts of social media and sensational headlines, but too often, I see people forming opinions based on a tweet or headline without digging deeper. To truly understand something, it’s essential to put it into context. In life, understanding context helps you gain clarity, make better analyses, and avoid misunderstandings. Hockey is no different.
Take Saturday night as an example: the Kraken were outshot 17–1 in the third period. There’s no denying that’s bad, but the context matters. The Kraken entered the third with a 3–2 lead and prioritized a conservative defensive mindset, which ultimately secured the victory. I wouldn’t recommend sitting back for 20 minutes to protect a one-goal lead, but understanding the situation provides perspective if you only look at the shot totals. Either way, it worked.
Shifts and impacts on time on ice
On the topic of context, we got a question in our Patreon Mailbag last week about Shane Wright’s relatively low ice time. I also received a few texts about it. I get where the concern comes from—you hear that Wright is playing well, then check the box score and see he’s third or fourth among Kraken centers in minutes. The reality is you need to dig deeper to understand the situation.
More often than not, differences in ice time are driven by special teams and line deployment. For example, in a one-goal game, Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers double-shifted during the last five minutes. Up until that point, Wright hadn’t missed a regular shift. A different situation came up when his linemate Jared McCann committed two penalties on back-to-back shifts, sidelining his linemates for an extended period of time.
Center deployment context
At a recent Patreon watch party, someone brought up some interesting stats about where Kraken centers are taking face-offs. They pointed out that Stephenson is handling a disproportionate number of face-offs in the defensive zone. This makes sense: coaches typically deploy a defensively responsible center in those situations, and Stephenson is not only the team’s best face-off winner but also considered its strongest defensive center.
I had the conversation on Thursday, so by Saturday, I was focusing on who was taking face-offs in the defensive zone. With Yanni Gourde on injured reserve, I noticed Beniers was out there quite a bit, which made me want to see how the face-off deployments were trending over the season.
Sprong sound bite
A sound bite often lacks context, which can distort the full picture of an interview or statement. A recent example is Daniel Sprong’s comments to the media after his first game with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The quote that made headlines was, “I want to prove that I don’t belong here.” This sounds like a disgruntled employee, but the full quote tells a different story:
“It’s been a tough couple of days, and my mindset is to help the young guys promote to the big team. I’ve been a young guy before, and I try to lead by example and help with the little things. And for myself, I want to prove that I don’t belong here. You know, my performance in the NHL over the last two years speaks for itself, and these are the cards I’ve been dealt right now. Personally, I want to prove that I don’t belong here. For now, I’ll help the young guys, work hard, and try to fix my game a little bit.”
To me, the full context softens the edge of his statement. Sprong understands his assignment and will support his teammates in Coachella Valley, but ultimately, he wants to return to the NHL. I have no issues with that mindset.
Other musings
Adam Larsson had two notably long shifts on Saturday night. In the second period, he was on the ice for about 85 seconds when Chandler Stephenson committed a penalty, and he stayed on for another 80 seconds to kill the first part of the penalty. He also played the final 2:29 of the game.
Saturday night was one of the best games I’ve seen all season from Matty Beniers. He was strong on the puck and was a big contributor defensively in the third period that helped the Kraken lock it down.
I’m loving what I’m seeing from Kaapo Kakko. After notching three assists on Saturday, Kakko has more than doubled his points-per-game average with the Kraken compared to his time with the Rangers this season. Some context: he’s averaging three more minutes of ice time per game with the Kraken and has been on the ice for 41.7 percent of the team’s power play time since joining, compared to 23.0 percent with New York.
It’s probably too early for the Kraken front office to start negotiating Kakko’s next contract, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting conversation. As a Restricted Free Agent this offseason with one year remaining under team control, Kakko can take the qualifying offer and hit the open market in 2026 if he chooses. Assuming he continues to play at this level, the Kraken will likely try to lock him up long-term.
The Kraken have played seven overtime games so far, while Vancouver has played 14. The resulting seven “loser points” are the exact difference between the two teams in the standings (Kraken 43, Vancouver 50).
I checked in on the Kraken’s shooting percentage this season and was surprised to see it’s above league average and closer to last season’s numbers.
Hockey insider Frank Seravalli made a case for Yanni Gourde potentially fetching a first-round draft pick ahead of the trade season. While I think that’s a stretch, I do think Gourde could bring back a second-round pick and a late-round pick. If that’s the case, I’d love to see Nick Robertson come to Seattle in a trade with Toronto.
I really hope we get to see Yanni Gourde play at least one more home game at Climate Pledge Arena.
Goal of the Week
As Curtis pointed out on Friday, Kraken prospect Jani Nyman is really hitting his stride for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Li’l Jani is starting to set up his own office on the power play which could be a unique option for the Kraken next season.
Jani Nyman alkaa päästä vauhtiin AHL:n 2x finalisti Coachella Valley Firebirdsin paidassa. 🔥
Nyman on joukkueen tehokkain pelaaja: 33 matsiin 12+9. Kolmen ottelun maaliputkessa. 192cm, 94kg.
Jaden Schwartz – It was great to witness a hat trick last Saturday. Schwartz has been one of the Kraken’s best players over the last month and has been a consistent contributor all season.
Jaden Schwartz picks up the fifth hatty of his career! 🎩🎩🎩
Lleyton Roed – In his first full season of pro hockey for Coachella Valley, Roed has a five-game point streak and eight points over that stretch. I wonder if he might get a call-up in the spring after the trade deadline.
Kaapo Kakko – I can’t stop talking about Kakko. He had three assists on Saturday night, and that line with Schwartz and Beniers is performing at a level we haven’t seen all season.
The week ahead
The Kraken have three home games this week that should be entertaining at the least. The Sabres will be looking for redemption after surrendering six unanswered goals to the Kraken in Buffalo nine days ago. Then the revitalized Washington Capitals will visit Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday where Alexander Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. The week is then capped off on Saturday when the Penguins come to town. The Caps are surging right now, with points in their last 10 games, including seven wins. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is reeling, losing eight out of their last 10 games.
At this point of the season, I just want to see the Kraken maintain the compete level that we’ve seen over the last week. That is fun and enjoyable hockey to watch, which is all I need now.
This is “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Sound Of Hockey Podcast segment (written version) on Seattle Kraken prospects. This week we’ll highlight Jani Nyman’s extraordinary early-career goal scoring, deliver a few preliminary thoughts on the 2025 NHL Draft, update you on a productive scoring week in the Kraken system, and much more.
If you have a prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey. I have a few questions lined up for future posts already (thank you for those), but keep them coming.
Jani Nyman’s record-setting goal scoring
Forward Jani Nyman is toppling records with his goal-scoring skill at a young age. Last season, the 2022 second-round pick posted 26 goals in 48 Liiga games as a 19-year-old. That was the highest total by a Liiga player under 20 years old in almost 40 years.
When Nyman’s 2023-24 Liiga season ended, he came to the United States immediately and joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He had three more goals in 14 regular and postseason games, but there was clearly an acclimation process underway. He sat for many games toward the end of Coachella Valley’s Calder Cup run.
Likewise, this season started a bit slowly for Nyman. He didn’t make a notable impact in the NHL preseason, then recorded only one point (a goal) over the first month of AHL play. Two weeks ago, Kraken Director of Player Development Jeff Tambellini noted to Sound Of Hockey that there was a learning curve to the North American game, and the first ten games of this season represented Nyman continuing to try to “figure it out.” Tambellini also stressed that there is more development ahead for Nyman, particularly with his skating.
“But if you’re watching Coachella games… within the last six weeks, [Nyman] is scoring the exact same [types of goals] he scored in Finland,” Tambellini said. “[Nyman]’s playing a physical, heavy, competitive game… You talk about translatable offense… he’s 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, and makes great plays on the half-wall [on the power play].”
Since that conversation, Nyman has elevated his game even further, with five goals in five games. He now leads the AHL in goal scoring among all players age 20 or younger (ahead of notable first-round picks like Dalibor Dvorsky). Perhaps even more impressively, he is third in the AHL among all true prospect-age players (age 23 or younger).
Five goals in his last five games for #SeaKraken prospect Jani Nyman with the Firebirds.
Nyman, 20, now has 15 goals on the season, which is tied for 11th in the AHL overall (3rd among all under-24 players; 1st among all under-21 players).pic.twitter.com/SsppqBgpBM
He’s one to watch as the Coachella Valley Firebirds roll toward the Calder Cup playoffs again.
Where the Kraken could go at the top of the 2025 NHL Draft
If you’re reading this, you have at least some level of interest in the future of the Kraken organization or hockey prospects generally. Assuming that’s the case, I’d recommend you check out our mid-season Sound Of Hockey Big Board, posted yesterday (Jan. 16).
The Big Board is a consensus 2025 NHL Draft ranking using lists from credible public draft analysts and scouting services. That post also includes our list of high-scoring draft-eligible prospects we’ll be monitoring as the season rolls into the second half.
My early impression is this year’s draft class isn’t quite as strong as the last two. There is no Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard headlining this class, which downgrades the “elite tier” immediately. Digging deeper, the first round is short on blue-line depth and weak on the international front. This leaves a projected top 10 that is heavy on junior forwards and lacking projected star power outside the top 4.
Boston College forward James Hagens has been a standout performer for the U.S. National Team Development Program for years and is having a very good college hockey season to date, but the production hasn’t reached the transcendent standard set by Celebrini last year. (Plus, Hagens is only three-and-a-half months younger than Celebrini.) Still, I think he’s solidly in the top tier.
So is OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer, whose strong overall game and broad skillset earned him a featured role for Team Canada at the World Juniors until he left with an injury. His 1.29 points per game would rank as the 11th-best scoring season for a draft-eligible OHL defenseman ever, and fifth-best since 1995. If I had to wager today, I’d project Schaefer as the top pick.
The other two players in the elite-tier conversation are OHL forwards Porter Martone and Michael Misa. The 6-foot-3 Martone leads the OHL in points per game as a draft-eligible player. He blends power-forward elements with high-end skill and has formed perhaps the most dangerous line in all of junior hockey alongside Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf for the Brampton Steelheads. (Berkly Catton’s new line for the Spokane Chiefs may have something to say about that before all is said and done, though.) Misa, an exceptional status player, also projects to drive offense at the next level. He leads the OHL in goals and is third in points and points per game.
After that top group, the “second tier” of first-round prospects is maybe a half-step behind last year’s group. (For example, if Zeev Buium were dropped into this year’s class, I find it much less likely he would slide all the way to No. 12. The alternatives just aren’t as compelling.)
Scouts like Swedish forward Victor Eklund (brother of Sharks forward William Eklund) and towering 6-foot-5 WHL forward Roger McQueen. Swedish forward Antron Frondell may still be in the conversation, though his draft-year production has not met lofty expectations. Scouts seem to agree that Tri-City defenseman Jackson Smith and QMJHL forward Caleb Desnoyers are also top options. OHL forward Malcolm Spence would probably be No. 10. Our data-based analysis would add junior forwards Benjamin Kindel, Carter Bear, and Jake O’Brien to the top mix.
If the season ended today, the Kraken would likely end up with the the fifth or sixth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. This would seemingly position them to have their choice of several “second-tier” junior scoring forwards or the blueliner Smith. Given the team’s track record of scouting and drafting locally, I don’t think Smith (Tri-City) or Bear (Everett) should be discounted.
My extremely preliminary thought is that Desnoyers or Bear would present reasonable value and fit the Kraken’s need to complement some of their smaller skill players in the middle-six with more size and physicality. McQueen should be in the conversation too, assuming he performs down the stretch. On the blue line it may be Smith-or-bust at this position in the draft, so I plan to watch him pretty closely over the second half. (Radim Mrtka of the Seattle Thunderbirds is a rapidly ascending defenseman who could enter the conversation at some point.)
Notes on three more Kraken prospects
Berkly Catton – F – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
2024 first-round pick Berkly Catton played well against the Everett Silvertips last Friday night but was held off the scoresheet. After the game, recent Spokane trade acquisition Andrew Cristall told our Cameron Riggers that his developing connection with Catton would start to yield benefits soon. “We were around the puck the whole night and getting looks,” Cristall said. “[Catton]’s a special player. I think he found me a few times tonight where I didn’t think anybody really could.”
Cristall’s sentiment was immediately prophetic as the two exploded Spokane’s offense for the remainder of the week. For his part, Catton totaled an absurd four goals and seven assists in two blowout wins over Wenatchee and Kelowna.
Still, somehow, it wasn’t enough to get Catton his third Prospect of the Week award.
Justin Janicke – F – Univ. of Notre Dame (NCAA)
Instead, Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week goes to 2021 seventh-round pick Justin Janicke, who scored three goals and added three assists in two NCAA contests against the Univ. of Michigan last weekend. Janicke, a senior and alternate captain for the Fighting Irish, now has 21 points in 22 games. This total tops his previous NCAA career-best in points by five (in 14 fewer games). He is second on the team in scoring, just one point behind 2023 fourth-round pick Cole Knuble. Currently unsigned, the Seattle Kraken have Janicke’s exclusive NHL rights until Aug. 15, 2025.
Jacob Melanson – F – Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Jacob Melanson returned to the lineup on Sunday, Jan. 12, after missing more than two months to injury. Then, on Thursday, Jan. 16, he got back on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist.
It was a welcome sight for the Firebirds, who had missed his presence. “There is no more physical and powerful depth forward in the American League right now than Jacob Melanson,” Tambellini told Sound Of Hockey. “Don’t be surprised to see him in Seattle [sometime] in the next 12 months.” Noted.
Kraken prospects data update
It is old news by now that the Seattle Kraken waived Daniel Sprong and subsequently assigned him to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. After his first AHL contest Sprong noted that he was almost “too many steps ahead” for the league. Say what you will about his quote, he wasn’t wrong. Particularly when teamed with the comparably-swift Lleyton Roed, Sprong has been dangerous on the rush for the Firebirds. Sprong had four goals and two assists in three contests this week, while Roed had two goals and four assists himself.
As of Friday, Jan. 17, Tyson Jugnauth is tied for the organizational lead in scoring—a remarkable feat for the 20 year-old defenseman who was stuck in an unproductive role at the University of Wisconsin just 14 months ago. He bet on himself that he could show his offensive talent in a different role in the WHL. It’s looking like a fantastic choice so far.
Goalie Semyon Vyazovoy had his third shutout of the season this week. He continues to perform against the highest-level European competition.
Kim Saarinen got back in the lineup for his U20 club team following the World Juniors. Hopefully we see a return to Liiga soon.
2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
Clarke Caswell: 2
Berkly Catton: 2
Tyson Jugnauth: 2
Alexis Bernier: 1
Justin Janicke: 1
Andrei Loshko: 1
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1
Victor Östman: 1
Caden Price: 1
Nathan Villeneuve: 1
Semyon Vyazovoy: 1
Previewing the week ahead
The Firebirds are in Colorado for two games this weekend before travelling to San Jose to take on the Barracuda on Wednesday. As always, we’ll see a number of Kraken prospect matchups in the WHL this week, including a Saturday night contest between two World Juniors teammates when Catton’s Spokane Chiefs host Caden Price and the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
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.
For as bad as this road trip felt, the Kraken were just one lucky goal away against one of the best goalies and teams in the NHL from coming home with a 3-2-0 record. Instead, as they were holding on for dear life to push the game to overtime, Seattle got a bad bounce off a stanchion, and the game turned south with just 27 seconds left.
So, the Kraken limped home with four standings points. When you consider how badly two of the games on the trip went, four points isn’t terrible. But also considering their current spot in the standings, they pretty much need to win every game to even get back into the conversation, and two out of five isn’t going to cut it.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 2-1 Kraken loss to the Jets.
Takeaway #1: Best performance of the road trip?
On a trip where Seattle secured two wins (including a lopsided 6-2 win in Buffalo), it’s odd to point to a 2-1 loss as the team’s best game, but there’s a case to be made that this was their strongest top-to-bottom outing. The start was infinitely better than anything we’ve seen from this group lately, and they got rewarded with a 1-0 lead on a beautiful play by the Jaden Schwartz / Matty Beniers / Kaapo Kakko line.
MATTY MAGIC! 🚨
Schwartz goes over the top to Kakko, who sets up Beniers. Beautiful goal.
Coming through the neutral zone, Schwartz used his lob wedge to drop a perfectly weighted high flip onto the tape of Kakko in stride. Kakko, showing his impressive hands and vision, backhanded a saucer pass over the outstretched stick of Josh Morrissey. Beniers finished the sequence by chipping it over Hellebuyck.
It was a great first period, but things started to turn in the second when Jamie Oleksiak and Mitchell Stephens each got called for questionable penalties. The interference call on Oleksiak was hot garbage, and while the high-sticking call on Stephens was legit, it coincided with an obvious missed hooking call on Winnipeg.
Mark Scheifele converted on the first power play to tie it 1-1, and Winnipeg racked up a massive 19-5 shot advantage in the second, putting the Kraken firmly on their heels.
Takeaway #2: Tough break on the winner
Once the Jets gained momentum in the second period, they didn’t relinquish it. However, the way Seattle battled in this one was refreshing. They played well in their own end for the most part, and when things broke down—which they did on several occasions—Joey Daccord was excellent again, stopping 34 shots in total.
As the Kraken were desperately trying to hold on and get to an extra frame, they caught a terrible bounce at the worst possible time. Adam Larsson attempted to clear the puck with a chip off the glass deep in Seattle’s zone, but the puck hit a stanchion, took a left turn, and landed on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers.
Ehlers quickly found Dylan DeMelo in the slot, and his shot through traffic deflected off Vince Dunn’s pants and perfectly into the top corner.
There’s not much you can do when bad bounces like that happen. But if the opposition has you on your heels for long enough—and they’re one of the best teams in the league while you’re one of the worst—they will eventually break through. It’s just extra painful when that happens with 27 seconds left in the game.
Takeaway #3: When do we start rooting for losses?
Seattle still sits eight points out of the last playoff spot with five teams to leap over in 36 games. In today’s NHL, that is extremely unlikely, if not impossible. At some point, the hope for this team will shift to remaining competitive in games but losing to improve their draft position.
Have we reached that point? It feels like we might have.
If so, this was an ideal game for the Kraken, who played well despite minimal offensive production. It was a fun one to watch, and in the end, they didn’t hurt their chances of landing a high draft pick.
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.
It’s been a pretty crazy week for the Seattle Kraken, who had one of the most up-and-down road trips in recent memory. In the midst of all that, some rumors popped up about how the organization will move forward.
The Sound Of Hockey guys are here to discuss all of this, and it gets a little spicy at times. Oh, and John managed to pick two of the worst games of the season as his road trip stops, so that’s kind of funny.
Segments include Down on the Farm, Weekly One-Timers, and What’s Good?
Welcome to Year 3 of the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. As we did last year, we’re kicking off our NHL Draft coverage midway through the hockey season with a “mid-season” version of the Big Board.
What is the Big Board? It’s a composite ranking of 2025 NHL Draft-eligible prospects based on reputable draft analyst and public scouting service lists—in this case, lists published midway through this season to account for draft-year performance. Put differently, it’s a list designed to provide the current, mid-season “public consensus” on the top players in the draft.
The Big Board does not contain any prospect-specific subjective assessments from us here at Sound Of Hockey. If you’d like a little more information on our methodology, check out our 2024 NHL Draft Big Board post.
We used the following 10 sources to build the mid-season Big Board:
NHL Central Scouting just published its landmark midseason list earlier this week on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Others are not as recent, with some dating back to November or December, 2024. It goes without saying that those earlier lists do not have the advantage of recent gameplay or injury information. Accordingly, this list should be taken as only a rough approximation of a prospect’s current standing. (For example, I suspect Matthew Schaefer might be the No.1 overall prospect if you asked the same group of analysts today, notwithstanding his injury at the World Junior Championship. Indeed, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff posted updated rankings mere minutes before this post went live that updated his order to put Schaefer at No. 1.) Season-end lists are much more definitive.
As we progress through the remainder of the draft season, you can expect the same coverage that you’ve come to know from us here at Sound Of Hockey in the past. Want a watchlist of prospects based on our “Data Score” method? We’ve got that for you today too. Scroll to the bottom of this post to find a mid-season “top 200” based on scoring data tabulated through Jan. 12, 2025. I’ll plan to share the full dataset (which is 10,000+ entries long) on the Sound Of Hockey Patreon for the draftniks over there.
Moving forward, we’ll have more scouting and video content here, on the Sound Of Hockey Patreon, and on YouTube. Then we’ll culminate our coverage with the final 2025 NHL Draft Big Board in June, as always.
The 2025 Sound Of Hockey Big Board – mid-season edition
All 396 players ranked by the 10 sources above make up our mid-season Big Board. As you scroll across, you will see the rankings from the various sources we compiled. If the source ranking is behind a paywall, such as Scott Wheeler’s ranking for The Athletic, we have omitted it from the chart. We used those paywalled rankings to develop the composite list, but will not be sharing subscriber-only individual rankings.
Mid-season 2025 NHL Draft “Data Score” watchlist
As mentioned at the top of this article, we’ve also put together a mid-season draft prospect watchlist built on a composite of player data we call “Data Score.” Data score is built from the bedrock of an NHL equivalency (or “NHLe”).
What is NHLe? It is a method to compare the scoring proficiency of players in the various professional and junior leagues across the globe. I used Thibaud Chatel’s model, which is the most up-to-date public research in the area. Check out Chatel’s Substack for an in-depth discussion of NHLe. (For this project, we used Chatel’s newest model, which has been updated to account for player data through the 2023-24 season.)
We then make adjustments for age, height, and position, as well as a modest upward adjustment to the NHLe for low-scoring draft-eligible players playing in high-level professional leagues. These adjustments are based on public research linking these traits to prospect success rates. We’ve gone through the methodology previously here and here. The end product is a number I’ve termed a prospect’s “Data Score.” This number does not “project” NHL scoring but is (hopefully) useful in describing the relative strength of prospects. (For now, this is a skater-only exercise, so you will not see goalies like Joshua Ravensbergen on this list.)
Earlier this fall, we posted a preseason watchlist based on the player’s 2023-24 season scoring data. In contrast, this list is based on scoring data from the 2024-25 season through Jan. 12, 2025, only. My current plan is to incorporate both seasons of scoring data into a final “Data Score” list after the season.
Since I’ve used a minimum 15-games-played threshold for the season-end list, I used eight games as the minimum for inclusion in this mid-season exercise. On the one hand, this likely introduces some small-sample-size issues, but, on the other, it gets projected top pick Roger McQueen (and his eight games played) onto the list.
Without further preamble, here are the 150 first-time eligible draft prospects with the highest Data Score. (If a player has played in multiple leagues, scoring data from each was incorporated into the player’s Data Score, but only the scoring data from the league in which the player has played the most games is shown in the table.)
Nine of the 10 prospects atop this Data Score list were in the top 30 on our preseason watchlist. Five (James Hagens, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Jake O’Brien, and Roger McQueen) were in the pre-season top 10. Caleb Desnoyers (No. 17 on the preseason list), Benjamin Kindel (No. 18), Carter Bear (No. 22), and Bill Zonnon (No. 28) improved their scoring production a bit. Schaefer is the big riser, jumping up from No. 57 on the preseason watchlist.
Finally, here are the 50 re-draft prospects with the highest Data Score.
* * *
If you have draft- or coverage-related questions, drop us a note below or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on Bluesky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Header photo by Caroline Anne, 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.
Hockey is a fast-paced, free-flowing game that balances structure with improvisation. It is what makes hockey both chaotic and beautiful at the same time. Stoppages are unpredictable, so set pieces are rare unless they are performed directly off a face-off or during a man advantage situation like a power play.
Experienced hockey players read off one another, adjusting tactics on the fly based on where their teammates and opponents are and where they are skating. This sounds complicated in principle, but many of these plays are quite simple. Once you learn these patterns, it gets easier to spot them again and again.
This is the first article in the Tactics 101 series which examines some of these common patterns. In this first installment, we will talk about the midlanedrive.
How the midlane drive works
The premise of the midlane drive is very simple. On rush opportunities, an off-puck player skates hard to the net, creating a work space for their trailing teammates to work within. The midlane drive player will often choose a route that allows them to momentarily tie up a defender’s stick. They will also stop hard at the net, acting as an additional screen or passing option.
The midlane drive can be particularly effective in odd-man rush situations. When executed properly, this forces defenders to make coverage choices, opening up time and space for scoring chances.
A recent example
The easiest way to illustrate the concept of the midlane rush is to watch a goal that was created by it. Let’s rewind a few weeks back to a goal that Eeli Tolvanen scored against Montreal during an 8-2 Kraken victory.
To set the scene, the Kraken and Canadiens find themselves in an even-strength, albeit 4-on-4 scenario due to overlapping minor penalties. The play starts when former Kraken defenseman Will Borgen makes a nice read below the goal line to cut off a pass.
During this sequence, Matty Beniers has followed Montreal’s Lane Hutson down low to support Borgen. After Montreal turns over the puck, Beniers recognizes that two Montreal players are now trapped beneath the goal line. He heads up ice hoping to start an odd-man rush, confident that Borgen will get him the puck.
Tolvanen continues up ice with him, and weakside defenseman Josh Mahura, seeing an opportunity to jump into the play and create a 3-on-2, also joins the rush.
Manufacturing offense is all about creating time and space and forcing the defense to make coverage decisions. The midlane drive can accomplish both of these.
Eeli Tolvanen drives hard toward the net. If he can beat his check to the net, he can make himself a passing option for Beniers.
Montreal forward Juraj Slafkovsky now has a decision to make. Habs defenseman Logan Mailloux has a clear assignment, which is to mark the puck carrier, Beniers. However, Slafkovsky must choose between taking Tolvanen to the net or letting him go and instead marking Mahura.
If Slafkovsky lets Tolvanen go, Beniers could make an area pass to Tolvanen for an uncontested scoring chance. If Slafkovsky takes Tolvanen, it potentially gives Mahura an open look for a shot. Slafkovsky elects to mark Tolvanen. It is worth noting that Slafkovsky does a poor job of marking Tolvanen and finds himself chasing after his momentary hesitation causes him to lose body position on a hard-driving Tolvanen.
With Tolvanen partially covered, Beniers passes the puck to an open Mahura, who now has a shooting opportunity in the high slot.
Slafkovsky finds himself a step behind the play and shifts tactics. He abandons Tolvanen, desperately skating into no man’s land to try to block Mahura’s shot. Instead of shooting, Mahura passes it to a wide-open Tolvanen, who is not going to miss from there.
In summary, Tolvanen’s midlane drive opens up options for the Kraken forwards while forcing the Canadiens defenders into making coverage choices. In addition to driving the net, Tolvanen also stops at the near post. This is a great habit, and his willingness to stop at the net turns what was merely a great scoring opportunity for Mahura into a sure-goal for Tolvanen.
This is a rough sequence for Slafkovsky because his momentary hesitation results in him covering nobody. His defensive partner in this sequence (Mailloux) is also a rookie who only has a handful of NHL games under his belt, which may have added to the confusion.
Additional examples
The midlane drive is one of those things that is easy to see once it has been pointed out to you. Here is another example from the start of the season where the midlane drive creates space for a forward to score a goal. In this case, noted Kraken villain Martin Pospisil flat out sprints to the net, creating coverage confusion and forcing both Canucks defenders to back off, turning a not-so-dangerous 2-on-2 OT rush situation into a scoring opportunity for Connor Zary.
Returning to our Kraken, watch how Mahura leads the rush out of the zone in the below clip. He sees that he will not be able to get past the two Buffalo defenders, so he swings the puck out wide for Kaapo Kakko and drives the net, drawing/initiating contact with Owen Power on his way to the net. This momentary contact delays Power from stepping up by a half second, giving Kakko extra time to step inside and get a better angle for a shot and goal.
On this final example, notice how in the below play, Yanni Gourde, sensing that a 2-on-1 pass is not available, elects to drive hard to the net, creating confusion and drawing coverage towards him. This opens up space underneath for Brandon Tanev to cut to the slot, resulting in a goal.
As you can see from all of these examples, being the midlane driver is hard work. To be effective, you have to sprint and stop at the net, often taking or fighting through contact to get to your destination.
The midlane drive player is not always rewarded for their efforts on the scoresheet either. Gourde’s drive to the net makes Tanev’s goal possible, but he does not get credited with an assist. Everyone wants to be the open player on the rush because it is fun to get open looks and shots on goal, but without the all-out selfless effort of the midlane drive player, none of these goals happen.
The next time you watch a Kraken game, keep an eye out for the midlane drive. If you play hockey recreationally, give the midlane rush a try. It is one of the simplest ways to create time, space, and offensive opportunities for your team.
