Since Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle got tangled with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy and crashed into the end wall last Thursday, we wondered if the team would be missing him for a long stretch of the season. That concern became reality Friday when Seattle announced that Eberle, 34, underwent surgery on his pelvis and will be out for three months.
While the Kraken are always coy about injury updates, we at Sound Of Hockey had a strong hunch this injury was significant. The way coach Dan Bylsma had been talking all week—referencing tests being done and then more tests before the team could even give a realistic timeline—indicated that Eberle was seriously hurt.
Indeed, this injury now sidelines Eberle, who got off to his hottest start since his rookie season with six goals and two assists in the team’s first eight games, until at least late February and potentially even March, depending on how the recovery goes.
The good news is that the team called the surgery “successful” and provided a specific timeline for a return, something they likely wouldn’t have done if they didn’t believe he would be back this season. Still, there’s plenty of reason to be concerned for the veteran winger, who is a key piece of the organization and its leader both on and off the ice.
How Seattle navigates Eberle’s absence
Eberle’s extended absence from the lineup comes as defenseman Vince Dunn appears to be nearing a return from the injury that has sidelined him since Oct. 17. Dunn has been skating with the team—though not yet fully participating—and is on the road trip to Southern California, where Bylsma said he expects Dunn to practice more.
Sound Of Hockey‘s Blaiz Grubic wrote on Thursday that if Eberle’s injury wasn’t severe enough to warrant placing him on long-term injured reserve, then Dunn returning would have forced the Kraken into a major salary cap pickle with only difficult options to resolve it.
This news answers those questions for now. Although Eberle hasn’t yet been placed on LTIR as of Friday evening, he can be added there at any time. Once Dunn returns, the Kraken would have needed to return to cap compliance if the team had remained healthy. However, with Eberle now out, they can place him on LTIR and exceed the cap by his salary minus the team’s current cap space. This means they could go over by approximately $4.7 million.
As Blaiz noted in his previous article, the timing of Daniel Sprong’s re-acquisition was fortuitous. Seattle added a scoring winger just as it lost another for three months. In theory, the team is relatively well positioned to withstand this absence, with help from Coachella Valley call-ups like Ben Meyers, who has been performing well with the Kraken. Shane Wright is also waiting in the wings, having now been a healthy scratch for two straight games, and could slot in at wing if needed.
Placing Eberle on LTIR could also allow general manager Ron Francis to add a forward via trade or waiver claim if an opportunity arises. However, he would need to get the Kraken back under the cap if Eberle is able to return before the end of the regular season.
Concern for Eberle
All of this is important from a team perspective, but the biggest concern here is for Eberle’s well-being. The collision was a powerful one, and seeing the veteran helped down the tunnel by Seattle medical staff was tough to watch. Adding to the difficult timing of this major injury, Eberle and his wife, Lauren, are set to welcome their third child any day now. We’re wishing them all the very best.
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 one-stop for all things Seattle Kraken prospects. This week we’re going to focus on a question about Seattle’s depth at the right defense position, before passing along notes on three Kraken prospects, getting you data on the rest, and previewing the week ahead. Let’s get to it.
Kraken prospect question of the week
Q: Who do you think is the team’s longer-term answer(s) at the right defense position? – Chuck H
A: The long-term health of the Kraken blue line was front of mind for me going into the 2024 NHL Draft. The team had invested heavily at the forward position, but the defense corps was a bit light in comparison. Seattle had a handful of interesting defensive names, but each carried his own question marks or upside limitations that made me skeptical the team had any real long-term answers in the system.
Ultimately, Seattle bypassed three fairly unique blue line prospects with its No. 8 overall pick (Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh, and Sam Dickinson), instead opting to invest in offensive powder keg Berkly Catton. Having now seen Catton’s skills up close during development and rookie camps, it is hard to criticize the selection, but the absence of any projected difference makers on the back end still concerned me.
Some answers at right defense came during NHL free agency later in the summer. First, the Kraken made a splash addition, signing 30-year-old right defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year agreement. The team followed that move later in the summer with a four-year contract extension for 31-year-old righty blueliner Adam Larsson. Just like that, two-thirds of the team’s NHL right defense depth chart was set for at least five seasons.
Assuming health, Montour and Larsson are fully capable of providing top-four caliber play for the next two years. This makes the short-term need one of depth. The organization has four more right defensemen playing high-level professional hockey: Will Borgen and Coachella Valley blueliners Cale Fleury, Ville Ottavainen, and Ty Nelson.
Borgen, 27, has been very solid in a third-pair role, leveraging plus athleticism and aggression. That said, he’s due to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and looked for full value during his previous contract negotiations with the Kraken. I suspect there will be at least one team out there that thinks Borgen can handle a second-pair role and will offer him a commensurate raise on his current $2.7 million AAV contract. With four hefty deals already on Seattle’s blue line, I’m uncertain the Kraken would be able to match such an offer.
Fleury has performed well as a first-pair defender in the AHL this year and has looked like a capable NHL fill-in when called upon, deploying an all-around skillset that doesn’t have glaring weaknesses. He is very likely to be “Group-Six” unrestricted free agent at season’s end, though, which puts his future up in the air, just like Borgen’s.
For his part, Nelson is still working to adapt his skillset to the professional game, and, at this point, I don’t view him as a probable NHL option to begin the 2025-26 season.
Ville Ottavainen (left) skates at Kraken Community Iceplex. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
That brings us to the most intriguing name on the list: Ottavainen. The 22-year-old, 6-foot-5 Finnish blueliner was Seattle’s fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft. Since coming over to North America last season, he has shown off very good athleticism, game speed, and skating fluidity to match a physical defensive presence. What sets him apart is his willingness to jump into the rush for Coachella Valley with a style akin to Jamie Oleksiak. He needs to clean up the puck errors and mistaken coverages that can hold him back, but I view him as the most likely candidate to earn third-pair playing time next season for Seattle. Particularly if he can be paired with a capable veteran presence (perhaps Fleury), this is an adequate plan.
Over the medium-to-long term, Montour and Larsson’s contracts mean they are likely to remain on the team well into their decline phases when you’d rather have a young player step up to take a top role. At this point I’m unsure Ottavainen has the upside to climb into that role. This shifts our attention back to Nelson, as well as junior defensemen Lukas Dragicevic and Alexis Bernier. Of these players, Dragicevic is the only prospect that presents with the potential to reach a top-four role this team will need. Dragicevic’s transition and offensive-zone skating and distribution skills make him an asset to any offense. The question is whether he can get his defense to an adequate place. Right now, he has a long way to go to reach that place.
For me, this means there is still a focus on the position at the 2025 NHL Draft. It’s possible the team’s next impact right-shot defenseman isn’t even in the organization yet.
Notes on three Kraken prospects
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
HV71 (SHL) | C | 19 years old | 5 games played | 1 goal | 3 assists | 0.8 PPG
Last week, we noted we were relieved and content just to see Mølgaard back on the ice after an early season lower-body injury kept him out of the lineup for almost two months. This week, Mølgaard demands recognition for his production. Mølgaard recorded four points, including his first goal of the season, in three games this week. This qualifies as a scoring binge in the SHL where only five players are currently averaging more than a point per game. Though Mølgaard’s SHL team HV71 continues to struggle, the young Dane is doing his part. He is the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.
Niklas Kokko
Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) | G | 5 games played | 2.61 GAA | 0.893 save percentage
I strongly considered Niklas “Nikke” Kokko for prospect of the week. He drew only one start in the last seven days, and the numbers don’t exactly jump off the page: 20 saves on 21 shots on goal during a 4-1 win over Abbotsford. Watching the game, though, at least a half dozen of the saves were stellar, denying high-danger looks. The Canucks certainly “deserved” a better fate in the game based on the shot quality they were generating, but Kokko was the difference. Overall, Kokko has been quite good. His stat line is deflated by a few clunker goals on what I’d characterize as medium-to-low-danger opportunities. If he can clean those up, his stat line should continue to trend upwards.
Berkly Catton
Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | F | 18 years old | 20 games played | 9 goals | 23 assists | 1.6 PPG
Catton continues to play at a high level in the WHL—a league he is simply too good for. His speed, shot, and creativity are too much for most of his junior peers to handle (including Kraken defenseman Caden Price in the video above). That said, in the two viewings I’ve had of him this season, I get the sense he is working on areas of his game that could help deliver him to the NHL sooner rather later, including decisiveness in his breaks and commitment in front of the net on both ends. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the World Juniors, a pressure-packed stage where the competition level should ratchet up. The Athletic recently projected him as Team Canada’s No. 1 center in that holiday-season U20 tournament.
Kraken prospect data update
The Firebirds are riding a six-game point streak, including a 2-0-1 record over the last seven days. Firebirds forward Ryan Winterton had a goal and two assists over those three games. After a slow start, Coachella Valley is now third in the AHL’s Pacific Division.
Coming off another solid week, Carson Rehkopf continues to pace the system in points. Andrei Loshko found the back of the net four times in three OHL games since our last update and continues to lead the system in goals with 13.
As for the goalies, it seems Semyon Vyazovoy may have slipped from tandem status into more of a true backup role for his KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He has only one start in eight November games.
Kokko remains undefeated in North American professional hockey. With partner Ales Stezka’s play trending up as of late too, the Firebirds have a strong foundation in goal to compete for a playoff spot.
2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
Clarke Caswell: 2
Alexis Bernier: 1
Berkly Catton: 1
Caden Price: 1
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1
Previewing the week ahead
Barrett Hall and St. Cloud State take on Zaccharya Wisdom and Colorado College in a two-game set this weekend. Andrei Loshko and Nathan Villeneuve will likely find themselves squaring off over the face-off dot on Saturday night when Sudbury visits Niagara in an OHL matchup. Julius Miettinen, Kaden Hammell, and the Everett Silvertips have four games on tap, including a contest against Catton’s Spokane Chiefs Friday and one against Caden Price and the Kelowna Rockets on Sunday. The Rockets will also play the Portland Winterhawks and Tyson Jugnauth next Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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.
Update Nov. 22: Since this article was written, Jordan Eberle has undergone successful pelvis surgery and is expected to miss at least three months. Sound Of Hockey‘s Darren Brown has the details on that here.
Kraken captain, Jordan Eberle, sustained an injury in the second period of Seattle’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 14. Despite his absence, the Kraken went on to secure a 3-1 victory that night and have won two of three since then. Still, losing Eberle for an extended period would be a significant blow to the leadership core.
Uh oh. Jordan Eberle with a VERY hard slam into the end wall.
Eberle was tangled up with Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy and slammed violently into the end wall, landing back-first. The Kraken have classified it as a lower-body injury. While I’m not a medical professional, the impact looked severe, and coach Dan Bylsma has used the word “traumatic” when talking about the collision. Given the nature of the incident, injuries to Eberle’s shoulder, back, neck, head, or knee all seem plausible. It’s worth noting Eberle previously required surgery for a shoulder injury in 2015.
The right winger initially managed to skate off under his own power. However, footage from the tunnel showed a trainer assisting him on his right side while he braced himself on the glass with his left arm. This supports the classification of a lower-body injury. Furthermore, after the Kraken’s win over the New York Islanders on Nov. 16, Eberle was seen at Climate Pledge Arena using crutches.
Eberle was still producing before his injury
As of Nov. 21, Jordan Eberle has played 256 games for the Seattle Kraken, the most by any Kraken forward and second only to Adam Larsson, who has appeared in 264 games. Eberle started the season red-hot, scoring nine points in his first 10 games—his best start since his rookie season in 2013, when he tallied 10 points in the same span. However, the 33-year-old winger has cooled off in his last seven games, managing just two points. While not an excuse for the team’s play as a whole, Eberle’s dip in production coincided with a rough stretch for the Kraken, who won just one of eight games between Oct. 22 and Nov. 5.
Eberle has a reputation for playing through pain, exemplified during the 2023-24 season. On Oct. 17, 2023, he dropped the gloves with Logan O’Connor of the Colorado Avalanche. During the fight, Eberle broke his hand—reportedly his right hand. For a right-handed player, this injury is particularly significant, as the lower hand on the hockey stick generates power for shots. Despite this, per Kraken GM Ron Francis, “He continued to play for the next six weeks with a broken hand.” For Eberle to sit out for an extended time indicates he is experiencing a significant injury.
Long-term injured reserve?
Jordan Eberle has not been placed on injured reserve (IR) or long-term injured reserve (LTIR), as of Nov. 21. With Vince Dunn currently on LTIR, there is no immediate cap pressure requiring a move. Once Dunn is activated, though, the Kraken could retroactively place Eberle on LTIR, starting the 10-game and 24-day timer for when he would be eligible to return. While there’s no indication Eberle is headed for LTIR, if he were to land there, the earliest he could return would be Dec. 10 against the Florida Panthers, since the first game he missed was Nov. 16 against the Islanders.
Head coach Dan Bylsma has maintained throughout the week that Eberle and the team are still waiting on results from various tests that will give an idea of timeline.
Dan Bylsma was cagey when asked about Jordan Eberle’s status. Said he’s still having tests done. Didn’t sound great to us.
Kraken GM Ron Francis also offered a brief update during an interview on 93.3 KJR, saying, “We saw a doc on Monday, we’re getting a couple of other opinions, and we should probably have more in the next 24 hours — a better, clearer picture as to what we’re dealing with and what that timeline will look like.”
Potential roster moves
While having Eberle in the lineup is certainly preferred, an LTIR designation could temporarily ease the Kraken’s cap constraints, which will tighten once Vince Dunn returns. Francis highlighted the challenge in a recent interview: “With Dunn in the lineup and 21 players, we were $4,288 below the cap, so … not a lot of wiggle room there. When we’re in (long-term injured reserve), we’ve got a little bit more room to spend, but when Dunn’s coming back, if [everyone] is healthy, then we’re going to have to do something to get underneath the cap. Whether that’s a waiver, sending somebody down, assigning somebody to the minors, or making a trade, those are all options we have to explore.”
Daniel Sprong was re-acquired by the Kraken in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 8. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
If Eberle’s injury does not warrant LTIR, the Kraken will be over the cap by $1.74 million, according to PuckPedia, when Dunn returns. To become cap compliant, they will need to move this amount off the books. Due to the “Wade Redden” rule, which allows a maximum of $1.15m per player to be buried in the AHL, two players will likely need to be moved. Here are some options the Kraken have.
Waiver-exempt options
Francis mentioned sending someone down to the AHL as an option, but neither of the two waiver-exempt players—Ryker Evans and Shane Wright—have high enough salaries to resolve the cap issue. Additionally, Ben Meyers, who cleared waivers earlier this season, won’t require waivers again until he has played 10 NHL games or spent 30 days on the roster. Sending Meyers down seems like the most likely option, but with the Eberle injury, the Kraken will be in a pinch for forwards.
Waiver options
The Kraken need to clear $1.74 million total, so two players will likely need to be moved. Daniel Sprong is a candidate for waivers, as the Kraken acquired him for free, and his cap hit fits the requirement. But they also got him to help the team score goals, and he is currently playing in a top-six role, so would they really waive him?
On defense, Josh Mahura is the most likely candidate. He has performed solidly in Dunn’s absence, but it could make sense to swap in Dunn for Mahura, as Mahura would be the healthy scratch in that case. Meyers is the safer option to put on waivers compared to Mahura, but while Eberle is out, the Kraken will need a forward to play. If Mahura is waived for reassignment to Coachella Valley, waiving Sprong would bring the Kraken under the cap.
Tye Kartye is another possibility to return to the AHL, but he too would require waivers. Being a young, reliable player with upside makes it likely he would be claimed. To reach the $1.74 million mark, the Kraken would need to waive another player with a cap hit of at least $880K in addition to Kartye, making this path unlikely.
Probable paths forward
If no trade occurs, and Eberle is not placed on LTIR before Dunn’s return, these two moves would get the Kraken under the cap:
Waive Josh Mahura to the AHL
Waive Daniel Sprong to the AHL
But again, there are a lot of factors to consider and moving parts here, so it will be interesting to see how the Kraken navigate over the next couple weeks.
If Eberle is placed on LTIR, then the team will be fine with the salary cap until he returns.
Forward lines
With the acquisition of Daniel Sprong, the Kraken are in a better position to absorb Eberle’s loss from a production standpoint. However, from a leadership perspective, his absence would be felt. In the past two games, Andre Burakovsky has stepped into the first-line role and looked solid, including earning the primary assist on McCann’s tying goal against the Islanders. Oliver Bjorkstrand is another option with the ability to perform on the first line.
Meanwhile, Sprong has shown that he can play in a top-six role, as he did Wednesday against Nashville.
As opposed to defensive prospects, there are more forward prospects in Coachella Valley who could step in to fill the hole in the bottom six, with Ryan Winterton leading that charge. Both Jagger Firkus and Eduard Sale have nine points this season and could push for a spot as well, but Winterton is the more likely candidate. All of these prospects make more than league minimum, though, and would require someone to be on LTIR or another rostered Kraken player to be sent down.
Hoping for the best
Injuries are an unfortunate part of hockey, and we all hope Eberle is back sooner rather than later. The Kraken will do their best to roster the best team possible if he is out long-term, and in that sense, the Sprong trade came at a very opportune time.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or suggestions, feel free to leave them 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.
After watching Seattle’s 3-0 win at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday, I’m starting to believe that the Kraken are good and that the Nashville Predators are truly broken.
It was tough sledding to break through against a razor-sharp Juuse Saros in this game, but Daniel Sprong rang the bell for the first time since rejoining the Kraken in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 8. Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist, and Chandler Stephenson pitched in with three assists to help Seattle secure its fifth win of the six-game homestand.
“You couldn’t ask for more energy this week or the last two weeks,” Montour said. “Guys are excited to see what direction we’re going in right now.”
All five wins, by the way, came with Joey Daccord in net. Continuing his stretch of exceptional play, Daccord was rewarded with his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career, turning away 24 Nashville offerings.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-0 Kraken win over the Predators.
Takeaway #1: The New Guys®
Both of the big offseason acquisitions—Stephenson and Montour—and the recent trade pickup—Sprong—had huge impacts on this game.
Let’s start with Montour’s performance. I’ve made a claim a few times on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast that Brandon Montour became Seattle’s best player when he signed a seven-year, $50 million deal on July 1. His performance on Wednesday supported that argument and showcased just how dynamic he can be in all three zones.
The first highlight-reel play Montour made in the game came when Gustav Nyquist got behind him for a breakaway. Montour sprinted back, caught up to Nyquist, and got shoulder-to-shoulder with him before wrenching Nyquist’s stick up into the air. The way Montour played it without getting a penalty was a work of art.
Deep in the second period, with the game still scoreless, Montour took a nothing play and suddenly turned it into something, while also looping Stephenson and Sprong into the action.
Philip Tomasino tried to force a clearing attempt up the wall, but Montour knocked it out of the air at the blue line. In an instant, he sent the puck back toward the net, where Stephenson had set up shop at the top of the crease. Stephenson showed his elite patience and vision by getting Saros to commit to him and—instead of shoveling it into the netminder—dished it backward to Sprong, who was left with an easy tap-in.
[Aggressively clears throat]:
🗣️ DING DONG! 🚨
Feels good to write that.
Insane pass by Chandler Stephenson, and Daniel Sprong rings the bell for the first time since returning to Seattle.
“When Monty threw it to the net, I was more going for the rebound first,” Sprong said. “And then Stephenson went to his backhand, and in a split second, I’m like, ‘I think it might come back to me.’ So, I was just ready in case it did.”
Montour wasn’t done there, and neither was Stephenson. On their first shift of the third period, Montour dished to Stephenson at the offensive blue line and took off, even though Nashville had numbers back. Facing a mismatched 2-on-3 rush, Montour beat the Predators defenders to the far post, and Stephenson made another outrageous pass, threading it around Josi’s skate and into a perfect spot for Montour to tip it up and over Saros’ pad.
THE FULL MONTY! 🚨
That’s two sick passes by Chandler Stephenson to create the two goals in this game. This time, Brandon Montour gets on the other end of it.
“As soon as [Montour] gave it to me, and ripped over the blue line, he said, ‘Yeah,’ he was calling for it,” Stephenson said. “He turned on the burners, and I just kind of delayed there for him. And so it worked out.”
After the game, Stephenson sounded a little down on himself about not scoring many goals and used the term “snakebit.” When asked if he considered shooting on the Sprong goal, Stephenson said, “Not with how things are going right now.”
So, goals aren’t going in for him, but he sure found a way to be impactful on Wednesday, as did the other “New Guys.”
Takeaway #2: Joey does it again
Daccord is quietly rising up the ranks in a lot of goaltending statistical categories, and by stopping all 24 of the shots he faced Wednesday, he improved to a .923 save percentage (good for sixth in the NHL) and a 2.31 goals-against average (eighth in the league). He’s also sixth in wins with nine and third in goals saved above expected with 7.6, according to MoneyPuck.
It’s almost sounding like a broken record when Bylsma gets asked after every game about how well Daccord is playing, but there’s no denying that he is playing exceptionally well.
This game was an interesting one because it really felt for a while like Saros was going to steal the show. But Daccord went toe to toe with the star backstop, got a little luck with a negated Tommy Novak kick-in goal and a post in the third period, and pitched his first shutout of the season.
“I was disappointed [Daccord] didn’t get the shutout in [a 3-2 win over the Islanders on Saturday], just because of how well he’s been playing,” Bylsma said. “And tonight, it was gratifying to see him get the shutout just to accent how well he’s played.”
As Daccord continues to play well, the team in front of him will only grow more confident. If the Kraken can find a way to win Saturday at the Los Angeles Kings, then look out, because this group could be in the midst of a major run.
Takeaway #3: What’s up with the Predators?
I’m not trying to take anything away from Seattle’s performance Wednesday because it was a strong top-to-bottom effort, but the lack of success for this star-studded Nashville roster this season is baffling. A team that already had superstars like Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, and Filip Forsberg added Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos over the offseason.
Yet, a quarter of the way into the season, Nashville sits at 6-11-3, just two points ahead of Chicago for last place in the Central Division. It’s a team that should be playing desperate hockey right now, and for much of the game against the Kraken, they were getting outshot by a 2-1 ratio.
I have to wonder if there are changes on the horizon for the Predators, especially when considering that they managed to get called for the rare “starting the game with an incorrect lineup” penalty and then got blanked to close out their five-game road trip with a 1-2-2 record.
By the way, on that call, Bylsma said the Kraken bench recognized during the national anthem that the guys Nashville had sent out seemed off because those players don’t normally play together. So, once the puck had dropped, they alerted the officials, and the penalty was assessed at the first whistle. You don’t see that every day.
The penalty didn’t really cost Nashville, but it did feel like a microcosm of just how out of sorts this team is right now.
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.
On this episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Darren (somewhat briefly) interviewed the newly re-acquired Daniel Sprong from the Kraken dressing room. They discussed Sprong’s return to Seattle, “Ding Dong,” and much more.
Plus, lots to talk about in general for the guys this week, after an eventful few games, and Jordan Eberle getting injured.
Segments include Bad Boys, Get Off My Lawn, Weekly One-Timers, and What’s Good?
We always knew November would be a good opportunity to gain ground by accumulating points during a softer stretch of the schedule. While no game in the NHL is ever automatic, bubble playoff teams need to take advantage of matchups by banking points against weaker opponents. That’s exactly what the Seattle Kraken have done over the last week, earning six out of a possible eight points (and eight out of 10 if you include the game against Vegas last Friday).
I’m not ready to declare this team a playoff contender just yet, but the preseason forecast suggested they could be a bubble postseason team. So far, that projection seems accurate.
Their wins weren’t dominant by any means, but it was encouraging to see the Kraken handle business against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks. It wasn’t always pretty—when they fell behind by two goals to Columbus, I’ll admit I started to panic. However, the Kraken rallied and, for the third time this season, overcame a two-goal deficit to win.
The victory against the Islanders was a very different story. The Kraken struggled to generate quality scoring chances, largely due to the Islanders’ disciplined, defensively focused play. While it wasn’t a signature win, it was still a significant one, particularly against one of the better goaltenders in the NHL, Ilya Sorokin.
Ironically, the Kraken might have played their best game of the week in a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers. Playing on back-to-back nights against one of the league’s top teams, the Kraken came out strong and went toe-to-toe with the Rangers for most of the game. It served as a good benchmark for where the team stands, and overall, they performed well.
Eberle out
In case you missed it, Jordan Eberle suffered an injury during Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was able to labor off the ice, but the situation didn’t look promising, and he’s been out of the lineup ever since. Eberle is currently second on the team with six goals this season, and an extended absence leaves a significant hole in the Kraken’s lineup. November may be a softer spot in the schedule, but the team can’t afford to lose him for long.
Dan Bylsma didn’t make it sound like a long-term thing, but Sound Of Hockey did seem him on crutches at Climate Pledge Arena this weekend.
Need more contributions
The Yanni Gourde line continues to exceed expectations this season. It was especially great to see Gourde score on Saturday, even if it came in an unconventional way—catching a shot/pass from Tanev off his neck! That didn’t stop Gourde from celebrating the goal, and it’s emblematic of the line’s gritty, determined play.
This team will need more contributions across all lines if they hope to make a serious push for the playoffs. Andre Burakovsky has strung together his best stretch of games this season but has yet to find the back of the net. Since Jordan Eberle’s injury, Burakovsky has been playing alongside Matty Beniers and Jared McCann. That trio was the best line on the ice Sunday against the Rangers, controlling an impressive 88.3 percent of shot quality during their shifts.
Below is a breakdown of the shot attempts (excluding blocked shots) generated by each line in the game against the Rangers:
Burakovsky is overdue, and he’s looking increasingly confident. Expect him to break through with a goal or two in the coming week.
Other musings
The Kraken’s win against the Islanders on Saturday marked their second home Saturday victory of the season. Notably, they didn’t win any home Saturday games last season.
Joey Daccord deserves more recognition here. He’s been stellar in November, posting a 4-1-0 record with a .929 save percentage.
Even in their losses, the Kraken have been competitive. Excluding empty-net goals, 89 percent of their games have been decided by two goals or fewer—a mark tied for second in the league for the most games in that range.
Shane Wright played a season-low 8:34 in Saturday’s game against the Islanders and was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Rangers.
Coincidentally, Oliver Bjorkstrand logged his most ice time of the season on Saturday with 20:08 and followed it up with 20:46 on Sunday. Remember, he was a healthy scratch last Tuesday in Colorado.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds are on a roll, winning their last five games, including a two-game sweep of the Abbotsford Canucks.
Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard returned to action Thursday for HV71 in the SHL, his first game since Sept. 21. While he didn’t score in his return, he notched two assists in his second game back.
It was a bummer that former Seattle Thunderbird Nolan Allan did not suit up against the Kraken last Thursday. The defenseman, a healthy scratch that night, has played in 14 of the Blackhawks’ 18 games this season. It’s been great to see his progress.
Ryan Donato continues to impress with the Chicago Blackhawks, tallying eight goals in 17 games. It’s hard to watch anyone score against the Kraken, but was there a more classic Donato goal than that one?
Some exciting news was announced Monday that the PWHL will be making a stop in Seattle this season. The Boston Fleet will play the Montreal Victoire at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday Jan. 5 in a neutral-site game. Tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Goal of the week
Eduard Sale is having a solid season with Coachella Valley Firebirds
Brandon Tanev (SEA) – Since last Friday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, “Turbo” has tallied four goals and two assists in a five-game stretch. He’s having a fantastic season and consistently provides a spark when the Kraken need it most. Nikke Kokko (CV/SEA) – The Coachella Valley Firebirds’ goaltender is off to a perfect start this season, boasting a 5-0-0 record. On Friday, he stopped 20 of 21 shots in the Firebirds’ 4-1 win over the Abbotsford Canucks. Ryan Winterton (CV/SEA) – The forward contributed one goal and two assists in two games against the Abbotsford Canucks over the weekend.
The week ahead
After playing four games last week, the Kraken face a lighter schedule with just two games over the next seven days. The first is a home matchup against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, who will likely be seeking revenge after a humiliating loss earlier this season when the Kraken scored seven goals in Nashville. The Predators haven’t lived up to preseason expectations but are coming off a 5-3 win against the Canucks. This game will serve as a solid test for the Kraken.
The second game of the week is a Saturday afternoon tilt against the Los Angeles Kings, a true benchmark matchup. If the Kraken are aiming to contend for a playoff spot, the Kings are one of the teams they may need to battle with for one of the final spots in the Western Conference. While it’s still too early to focus heavily on playoff positioning, the Kings, a playoff team last season, should offer insight into how competitive the Kraken can be moving forward. The Kings might also be without their regular starting goalie, as Darcy Kuemper was placed on injured reserve last Friday.
Earning two points this week would be sufficient, especially with a favorable schedule the following week featuring two games each against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
The Seattle Kraken faced their third set of back-to-back games of the season, this time entirely on home ice. The weekend featured matchups against both New York teams, with the Kraken coming away with two points after splitting the series with a win over the Islanders on Saturday and a loss to the Rangers on Sunday.
Kraken vs. Islanders (Nov. 16, win 3-2)
This game showcased the classic “bend but don’t break” mentality. The teams traded goals throughout the night, with neither holding more than a one-goal lead at any time. Both finished with about 20 shots on goal, but the Kraken emerged victorious, securing a 3-2 win.
Despite the final score, the Islanders had the edge in shot quality, generating 56.5 percent of the expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. At times, it felt like the Islanders might take control, but the Kraken held on. The Yanni Gourde, Brandon Tanev, and Tye Kartye line provided crucial energy, while Joey Daccord delivered another solid performance in net, marking his fourth consecutive start.
Kraken vs. Rangers (Nov. 17, Loss 2-0)
Another close contest, but this time the Kraken came up short, falling 2-0 to the New York Rangers. The Rangers came out firing, recording the game’s first five shots before the Kraken found their footing.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Kraken out-chanced the Rangers in high-danger shot attempts (HDSA), 10-7. Despite tilting the ice slightly in their favor, the Kraken couldn’t find the back of the net. Moneypuck’s “Deserve to Win O’Meter” gave Seattle a 54.8 percent chance of winning this matchup, but the scoreboard told a different story.
This weekend marked the Kraken’s third back-to-back set of the season, and the trend continues to be a concern. They have not fared well in any of the second games, going 0-3 and losing all three by identical 2-0 shutout scores.
Takeaway #1: Backwards weekend
Both games this weekend were closely contested and could have gone either way. Based on the Kraken’s performance, you might have expected them to lose to the Islanders and beat the Rangers. Instead, the results flipped. Take a look at the shot heat maps for both games—Seattle vs. Islanders on the left and Kraken vs. Rangers on the right:
The Kraken consistently got pucks to the front of the net against the Rangers, which is a strong indicator of long-term success, even if it didn’t translate into goals against on Sunday.
Takeaway #2: Goaltending tandem looked solid
I liked the coaching staff’s decision to start Joey Daccord against the Islanders and Philipp Grubauer against the Rangers. The reasoning was sound: knowing Igor Shesterkin started the Rangers’ previous game against the San Jose Sharks, there was a strong likelihood Jonathan Quick would face Seattle. Shesterkin is the better goalie, though Quick has been outstanding in his few appearances this season. By factoring this in, the Kraken coaching staff maximized their chances of winning at least one game—and it paid off, as they split the weekend 1-1 and earned two valuable points. Sure, four points would have been better, but let’s not get greedy.
Daccord was strong again, posting a .917 save percentage and saving 1.07 goals above expected to help secure the win against the Islanders. Grubauer, meanwhile, earned third-star honors for his performance against the Rangers with a .913 save percentage and two goals against. Unfortunately, he had zero goal support for the third time this season. Sure, the second goal Grubauer let in was one he’d surely want back, but it doesn’t matter if the Kraken don’t provide any offensive support. The loss against the Rangers rests squarely on the offense’s inability to produce in this game.
Takeaway #3: Wright’s line struggles to produce
Shane Wright logged a season-low 8:34 of ice time in the game against the Islanders. Head coach Dan Bylsma addressed the limited usage, explaining, “[Shane Wright’s] minutes in terms of the game was a lot to do with the flow of the game… Some of the decisions on the ice were due to the fact that we were dealing with a top-heavy [Islanders] group.”
In the following game against the Rangers, Bylsma made the call to scratch Wright in favor of recent call-up Ben Meyers. Regarding the decision, Bylsma shared, “The message [for Shane Wright] is, take a reset, watch the game tonight, which he did, and get back focused on playing the way you can play.” Credit to Curtis Isacke, who predicted Wright’s scratch in favor of Meyers on Episode 311 of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast early this week.
Unfortunately, Meyers didn’t fare much better centering the line with Daniel Sprong and Eeli Tolvanen, finishing with just 8:21 of ice time. With the other three Kraken lines generating offensive pressure, most of the ice time this weekend was spread between those three lines.
Watching Wright play, I’m not overly concerned yet. He’s getting to the right spots on the ice and hasn’t been a defensive liability. However, this line isn’t clicking offensively. Whether it’s bad luck or poor line chemistry, the puck isn’t finding its way to Wright—or the front of the net—when this line is on the ice.
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.
This is ‘Down on the Farm,’ a moniker borrowed from the Sound Of Hockey Podcast segment of the same name. We’re here to talk about the week that was for the Seattle Kraken prospect pool and get you an overall data update on where things stand.
Typically, we begin with a featured prospect, but this week I’m changing that up a bit to feature a question that could have implications for Seattle Kraken prospects next year and beyond. I’ll follow that with a shorter “feature” on Kraken prospect Caden Price before moving onto our other standard sections. Let’s dive in.
Kraken prospect question of the week
Q: Will the NCAA rule declaring CHL players eligible to play Division I college hockey affect any Seattle Kraken prospects?
A: On Nov. 7 the NCAA adopted a rule opening Division I college hockey eligibility to players from the Canadian Hockey League, effective as of Aug. 1, 2025. Until this ruling, a player who played even one preseason game in the CHL was no longer eligible to play NCAA hockey. This is in contrast with leagues like the BCHL and USHL, where a player could play and retain their NCAA eligibility. This dynamic forced young hockey players with professional aspirations into an early choice to pursue a college track or not. Since players in all junior leagues are now NCAA eligible, the hockey landscape is likely to see significant changes.
DI Council adopts rules change in men’s ice hockey & skiing, allowing involvement with pro teams prior to college enrollment (in line w/other sports), effective Aug. 1, 2025.
Decision is not final until meeting concludes this afternoon.
As for existing Kraken prospects, I don’t foresee any immediate seismic shifts, but it is possible we could see a few players currently in the CHL play NCAA hockey next year.
Players who have signed true professional contracts (like Berkly Catton, who has signed an NHL contract, or Zeb Forsfjall, who signed in the SHL) remain ineligible to play NCAA hockey. So, college isn’t an option for them.
CHL players not currently signed with the Kraken may have the NCAA option, though, regardless of their age. To date the CHL leagues have taken the position that only players who have aged out (20 years old-plus) can move to the NCAA. But most analysts believe that the contracts players sign with their CHL clubs will not prevent them from leaving to take an NCAA opportunity earlier.
This opens the door for players like Clarke Caswell, Nathan Villenevue, Alexis Bernier, and Ollie Josephson to consider the college option. Consider Caswell’s case, for example. He is currently averaging 1.7 points per game, near the top of the WHL in scoring. By the end of the year, he may reach the conclusion that his development would be hurt by remaining in the WHL for another year. On the other hand, he’ll still be too young for an AHL assignment, and it’s doubtful the Kraken would view him as a serious NHL option. Before this ruling, Caswell would have been trapped in a junior holding pattern. After this ruling, the NCAA option likely exists for Caswell.
I don’t know if any of these players would seriously consider the college avenue or if the Kraken would steer them toward or away from NCAA hockey. Right now I’m skeptical any existing Kraken prospects will move, but the landscape is changing quickly. At the least, it’s an option that did not previously exist. We will be monitoring developments in this area closely.
Featured Kraken prospect: Caden Price
Kelowna Rockets (WHL) | LD | 19 years old | 15 games played | 4 goals | 19 assists | 1.53 PPG
Kraken defense prospect Caden Price is off to a prolific scoring start for the WHL Kelowna Rockets. He has 19 assists in 15 games, and is near the top of the league in highest percentage of his team’s total assists. This is not entirely surprising since he is quick to activate, loves to have the puck on his stick, and is logging heavy first-pair minutes for Kelowna.
He has also scored four goals, including two in Kelowna’s matchup against the Spokane Chiefs last Saturday. His shifts from that game are excerpted in the video above. The game gives a solid snapshot of his ample offensive skillset with the puck through the neutral zone and his attacking mentality in the offensive zone. There were also examples of his defensive shortcomings, particularly with his footwork. He ended up lunging and diving to defend a handful of chances against Spokane. Berkly Catton beat him in one such case, and Price was lucky not to pick up a penalty or two in other instances.
Overall I’m optimistic on Price. He looks stronger and more athletic this season with an ever-improving offensive game. His 23 points are tied for first among defensemen in the WHL. And the tools are there to develop his defensive game over time. The arrow is pointing up on the 2023 third-round pick.
Most importantly: Price’s six points in three games since our last update earns him Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.
Notes on three more Kraken prospects
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
HV71 (SHL) | 19 years old | C | 2 games played | 0 goals | 0 assists | 0 PPG
The biggest Kraken prospect news of the past seven days is the return of Oscar Fisker Mølgaard to the lineup for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League. Mølgaard was injured in HV71’s regular-season opener and missed 53 days with a lower-body concern. In his return to the lineup he had 13:05 time on ice, two shots on goal, and won four of seven draws. I suspect his play time and involvement will continue to ramp up over the next couple weeks, but it’s good to have him back out there for now.
Kaden Hammell
Everett Silvertips (WHL) | RD | 19 years old | 18 games played | 2 goals | 9 assists | 0.61 PPG
You may have heard: The Everett Silvertips are quite good this year. Everett’s 31 standings points lead the entire WHL, as does the team’s +41 goal differential. Kraken prospect Kaden Hammell is the Silvertips’ co-Captain and first-pair right defenseman. In that role he has an eye-popping +22 on-ice plus-minus. This is second in the entire WHL behind only teammate Tyler McKenzie. Over the last seven days he chipped in with some scoring too, potting one goal and adding four assists in three games.
Hammell is currently unsigned, and the Kraken face a June 1, 2025, deadline to get him under contract or the team loses its exclusive NHL negotiating rights. His situation is one to monitor as we proceed through the winter into spring.
Zaccharya Wisdom
Colorado College (NCAA) | RW | 20 years old | 8 games played | 2 goals | 4 assists | 0.75 PPG
Like the previously profiled Justin Janicke, Barrett Hall, and Ben MacDonald, Zaccharya Wisdom is a Kraken drafted player playing hockey in college, which puts him on a longer development path and extends the deadline for the team to sign him. His grinding play saw relatively few individual rewards on the scoreboard last season, as he posted only .67 points per game. (That said, he did score a mind-boggling four goals during the one Colorado College game I saw broadcast on ROOT Sports last year; check out all of his shifts from that game here.) In his sophomore year, the production has ticked up a bit; he’s at .75 points per game currently. Most significantly, he scored an overtime gaming-winning goal last Friday night to keep his Colorado College Tigers undefeated.
Mitchell Stephens, Max McCormick, and Jacob Melanson all missed Coachella Valley’s two games since our last update due to injury. Forsfjall returned to his SHL team’s lineup yesterday after an absence due to the U20 Five Nations Tournament. He recorded an assist in that game.
Ben Meyers is tied for the Firebirds team lead in points and continues to be the veteran engine of the team, particularly with Stephens and McCormick missing. He remains high on my personal “first recall” list.
Kraken goalies in the system won five of six total starts over the last seven days. Kim Saarinen didn’t get a start due to his attendance at the U20 Five Nations Tournament.
Overall, Semyon Vyazovoy continued his strong play as the second goalie in a tandem for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL. Visa Vedenpaa remains out.
2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
Clarke Caswell: 2
Alexis Bernier: 1
Berkly Catton: 1
Caden Price: 1
Previewing the week ahead
The Firebirds have three games in the next seven days, including a back-to-back tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday). I suspect Niklas Kokko will draw one of those starts. Julius Miettinen, Kaden Hammell, and the Everett Silvertips take on their rival Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent tomorrow (Saturday). Ollie Josephson and the Red Deer Rebels visit Tyson Jugnauth and the Portland Winterhawks tonight (Friday) and then take on Berkly Catton and the Spokane Chiefs in Spokane tomorrow (Satruday). Mølgaard and Forsfjall clash in an SHL matchup tomorrow (Saturday).
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.
