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[Seattle Kraken]

NHL Attendance Report 2024-25

This article has been updated twice since the original post with mid-season information. Scroll down the story to see the original info and the prior month update.

Mid-February update​

With the 4 Nations Face-Off break and a relatively quiet period underway in the hockey world, we took the opportunity to review the NHL’s attendance figures across the league. As a reminder, the attendance figures are reported attendance by the teams, which tends to be defined as “tickets distributed.” It is not a perfect measure of attendance but is the only metric that is publicly shared.

The average attendance league-wide has slightly increased from 17,443 to 17,448 since our last update a month ago, with the numbers holding at their highest since the 2012-13 season.

As is typical, most NHL teams tend to see higher attendance in the second half of the season compared to the first, so this uptick is not unexpected.

The Kings and Penguins continue to experience soft attendance numbers, with the largest declines in the NHL season-over-season. Pittsburgh’s low numbers are likely due to missing the playoffs last season and a current season that appears to be heading in the same direction.

The Kings’ low attendance numbers are partially attributed to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that impacted the area.”

Recent changes in attendance​

Isolating the data from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10 provides a snapshot of more recent attendance trends, highlighting teams with recent successes and declines.

Some quick thoughts:

• Florida and Washington continue their upward trends. Winning streaks tend to attract more fans, and a strong on-ice performance is often reflected in attendance numbers. Alex Ovechkin closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record and, in the Panthers’ case, winning the Stanley Cup last season certainly don’t hurt.
• Winnipeg’s growth has slowed since the last update, primarily due to a lower baseline attendance at the start of the 2023-24 season. While the Jets are not selling out games, their average attendance during this period last season was higher, making it more challenging to achieve significant gains.
• Detroit’s attendance has shifted from a 2.7 percent increase in the last update to a 1.4 percent decline. However, considering the team’s coaching change and turnaround occurred in late December, it’s possible that attendance will rebound over the final stretch of the season, as on-ice performance and attendance often lag behind each other.
• Columbus experienced three games with unusually low attendance in January. Weather challenges and the distraction of Ohio State’s football success may have contributed to these lower numbers.

Month-by-month view​

Here’s a breakdown of each team’s attendance by month for the current season.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, insights, or observations about the attendance figures.

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This section was originally posted on Jan 10.

Early January update​

The NHL has just passed the midpoint of the 2024-25 season, making it a great time to check in on attendance across the league. Overall, the NHL continues to experience growth in attendance, with numbers increasing since the last check-in at the quarter mark. As of Jan. 10, the league-wide average attendance stands at 17,443—its highest average at this point in the season since 2012-13.

On a team-by-team basis, here’s how each team’s attendance has changed compared to last season through the same number of games.

A few notable changes have occurred since the Quarter 1 check-in.

• Winnipeg continues to see the largest percentage increase in attendance, though the growth has tapered from 15.9 percent at the quarter mark to 11.4 percent. While attendance has risen since the first quarter, the smaller percentage increase reflects higher attendance during the second quarter of last season, which limits the possible year-over-year growth.
• Chicago has experienced a recent surge in attendance. The Blackhawks now hold the second-highest season-over-season increase. At the quarter mark, they were down 1.4 percent, but they have rebounded to a +5.0 percent increase.
• Minnesota and St. Louis remain down season-over-season, but both teams have narrowed their declines compared to November. If this trend continues, they could see positive attendance growth by the end of the season.
• Columbus has seen attendance gains compared to last season and is now unexpectedly in a playoff spot. The team is playing exciting hockey, bolstered by a strong home record of 14-5-3, which has given fans plenty to cheer about. Their attendance will be worth watching as the season progresses.

Here’s a quarterly breakdown of each team and the changes between quarters.

Let me know if you have any questions and/or theories on any of the changes we are seeing to date.

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This section was originally posted on Nov. 19.

First quarter report​

As the US Thanksgiving holiday nears, and the NHL season reaches its traditional early benchmark point, it’s an ideal moment to take stock of attendance across the league for the 2024-25 season. Before diving in, I want to provide a couple of disclaimers; attendance figures are based on team-reported numbers, which are defined as tickets distributed, not necessarily the actual number of people in the building. Additionally, the intent here is not to shame any team or fan base. Many factors influence attendance, including team performance, ticket prices, day of the week, and even weather.

Having examined attendance trends for years, I’ve observed that most teams experience some cyclical patterns, and all teams are capable of strong attendance. For context, at one point, the “Phoenix” Coyotes had stronger attendance than the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins, just to name a few.

Let’s get into it.

Average league attendance​

The league’s average attendance through this point in the season is up 1.5 percent compared to last season, now sitting at 17,225. This marks the highest average attendance for this stage of the season since 2016-17. Much of this growth is driven by the Arizona Coyotes’ move to Utah. Last season, the Coyotes played at Arizona State’s 4,600-capacity Mullett Arena. This season, the Utah Hockey Club is playing at the 11,131-capacity Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Other growth areas include Winnipeg, Detroit, and Florida. Here is the attendance change by team compared to the same number of games last season:

With a two-season playoff drought, it’s not surprising to see the Penguins losing fans in attendance. However, I’m a bit surprised to see declines for the Kings and Islanders, especially since both teams made the playoffs last season. Perhaps the novelty of the new arena on Long Island is wearing off.

Sellouts​

I’ve noted before that the NHL’s growth in attendance is constrained by the high number of sellouts. Historically, about 50 percent of NHL games sell out. This season, that figure has risen to 62 percent, the second-highest amount ever at this point in the season.

The increase in sellouts is a positive signal for the league’s overall health. Here’s the number of sellouts broken down by team.

It’s somewhat surprising that the Philadelphia Flyers haven’t had a single sellout so far this season. However, they also had no sellouts in their first 15 games last season. Given that they haven’t made the playoffs in four seasons, perhaps this isn’t entirely unexpected.

Game-by-game NHL attendance trends​

Here’s a detailed look at each team and how this season compares to the same point last season:

Notable observations​

• The Kings’ attendance dip appears to be limited to Games 2 and 3 of the season, so we might expect a recovery as the year progresses.
• With the Winnipeg Jets’ strong start, their attendance growth seems likely to hold steady.
• Although the data doesn’t clearly reflect it yet, the Sharks have significant potential for attendance growth as fans may flock to see Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.
• The Penguins’ rough start could lead to further declines in attendance as the season progresses.
• After not selling out Games 2 through 8, the Washington Capitals have sold-out their last two games.

Seasonality note​

It’s also worth mentioning that October and November typically see the lowest attendance numbers of the season, so we should expect some increases as the season rolls on.

This analysis is relatively simple and doesn’t account for many contextual factors (e.g., ticket pricing, competing sporting events, or entertainment options). If you have any questions or insights into what might be driving attendance trends, feel free to share!

The post NHL Attendance Report 2024-25 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/11/nhl-attendance-report-2024-25/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings – Kraken a high note

The Kraken ended the week on a high note, sending us into the 4 Nations Face-Off break with a thrilling come-from-behind win against the Calgary Flames. That game marked the seventh time this season the Kraken have erased a two-goal deficit to win—a feat they accomplished more times this season than in the previous three seasons combined—and they still have 25 games remaining.

In my opinion, the Seattle Kraken’s ability to never quit is what makes this team so enjoyable to watch, but it’s also part of the frustration. They can compete with any opponent for stretches of a game, giving us glimpses of their potential.

Coincidentally, the Kraken nearly pulled off another two-goal comeback earlier in the week against Detroit at Climate Pledge Arena. They scored twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation to force overtime but eventually lost in a shootout. Despite the loss, it was an exciting game to watch. Both Shane Wright and Matty Beniers found the back of the net, while Chandler Stephenson tied the game with his 10th goal of the season with under three minutes left in regulation. On Saturday in Calgary, Wright also had a goal and an assist to lead the comeback charge, and Beniers had the game-winner in OT.

Sandwiched between the shootout loss to Detroit and the overtime win in Calgary was a lackluster effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It wasn’t the Kraken’s best game, but they didn’t mail it in either. They trailed 3-0 midway through the second period but got an early third-period goal to make things interesting. Toronto is a talented team with high-end players, and even though their “big four” didn’t score, their presence was felt as they controlled most of the play.

If you had told me heading into the week that the Kraken would take three points from three quality opponents, I would have been happy—and I am. This team continues to compete, and with Shane, Matty, and Kaapo Kakko, I’m still fully engaged as we head down the stretch.

The Kaapo Kakko impact​

As everyone should know by now, Kaapo Kakko has been on a resurgence since his trade to the Kraken in mid-December. I’ve previously highlighted the production difference between his time in Seattle versus New York this season, but here’s a quick summary:

The numbers are even more striking when isolating the last 20 games. There’s no doubt he’s been a bright spot over the past six weeks. The Kakko-Beniers-Jaden Schwartz line has been clicking, so let’s take a look at Kakko’s impact on their numbers as well.

Matty’s points-per-game average has risen slightly from 0.515 to 0.583, but his goal production has more than doubled in nine fewer games played. If you extrapolate his nine-goal pace over 24 games across a full season, it projects to a 30-goal pace for Matty.

Shane Wright is staying hot​

Another bright spot in recent months has been the emergence of Shane Wright. With two more points on Saturday night, he now sits at exactly a point per game over his last 10 outings. Since being a healthy scratch back in November, he has steadily produced, never dipping below a .5-point-per-game average over any 10-game span.

Between Kakko, Beniers, and Wright, you can see a young core starting to take shape—one that should give fans plenty to be excited about for the rest of the season.

Other Musings​

• Saturday’s game against Calgary was the 35th time this season the Kraken allowed the first goal. They continue to lead the league in that category.
• I’m starting to warm up to the idea of the Kraken extending Yanni Gourde. The team needs a center next season, and Yanni has been a great leader since the inaugural season. It doesn’t need to be a “team-friendly” deal—just a fair one. As with any veteran contract, the term will be the tricky part.
• Since Yanni went down with an injury, the Kraken’s penalty kill is just 64.3 percent. It was 77.8 percent before his injury.
• Shane played 1:26 in overtime against Detroit last Tuesday—the most OT ice time he’s had all season. He was sitting on two goals at the time, so I wonder if it was an attempt to get him a hat trick or part of a new overtime strategy.
• On Saturday, Shane and Matty both scored in the same game for the fourth time in their careers. The Kraken have won three of those four games, with the only loss coming in the shootout against Detroit.
• I continue to wonder about Kaapo Kakko’s next contract.
• Philipp Grubauer is 2-0 with a .933 save percentage in his first two starts with the Coachella Valley Firebirds since being reassigned.
• In case you missed it, check out the Seattle Kraken trade deadline primer, which categorizes players by their likelihood of being moved.

Goal of the week​

This entire play was a thing of beauty—and it was even better to witness in person last Tuesday.

#SeaKraken make it interesting. A Tanev stretch pass connects with Stephenson who goes across the goal mouth unencumbered to make it 4-4 with just under three to play

[image or embed]

— Alison Lukan (@alisonl.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM

Player performances​

• Berkly Catton (SPO/SEA) – A regular in this section, Catton posted eight points in two games this past weekend, including a four-goal game against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

"My goodness was that a work of art"

#27 with goal 27 on 2/7 and that's the first 4-goal game in @TheWHL for Berkly Catton.#GoChiefsGo | @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/kMNHQwyBjI

— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) February 8, 2025

• Carson Rehkopf (BRA/SEA) – Another frequent mention, Rehkopf, the Kraken’s 2023 second-round pick, had a six-point night against the Erie Otters. “Razor” remains one of my favorite prospects because he can score from anywhere.

Ready for a wild stat? #SeaKraken prospect Carson Rehkopf of the @OHLSteelheads scored the 10th hat-trick of his #OHL career on Friday, part of a six-point effort that brings him to 30 goals on the season! pic.twitter.com/LNBmNQ2sbJ

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 8, 2025

• Jani Nyman (CVF/SEA) – “Li’l Jani” continues to impress in his first full North American season, recording five points in his last four games. Of all the Kraken prospects, I believe he has the best chance of making the NHL roster next season. Hopefully, we get a glimpse of him at some point later this year.

The week ahead​

The entire league is on break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Kraken won’t play again until Feb. 22, when they take on the Florida Panthers. I don’t know how many of you are excited to watch the 4 Nations Face-Off, but I certainly am—especially the USA versus Canada matchup on Saturday.

There likely won’t be a Monday Musings next week—unless your comments inspire me.

The post Monday Musings – Kraken a high note appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/10/monday-musings-kraken-a-high-note/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Oscar Fisker Mølgaard quietly ascends the ranks

“Down on the Farm” is your weekly update on all things Seattle Kraken prospects. This week we’ll check on the progress of Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard in Sweden, get you notes on Tyson Jugnauth and Kim Saarinen, scouting video on Clarke Caswell, data from the last week, and the schedule ahead. As always, 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. Let’s dig in.

Scouting Oscar Fisker Mølgaard’s two-way game​

As Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini noted to Sound Of Hockey in an interview last month, one of the Kraken’s most exciting but underexposed prospects is 2023 second-round pick Oscar Fisker Mølgaard. Mølgaard, 19, is a Danish-born center currently playing for HV71 in the SHL.

At the draft, Mølgaard was highly regarded for his maturity, intelligence, skating, and defensive skill, but there was some question at the time about his ultimate offensive upside. He’s not big and didn’t stand out as a finisher. While he had the foundations of a playmaker, there was reason for concern that his success in achieving a bottom-of-the-lineup role in the SHL at an exceedingly young age could actually stunt his playmaking progress. It is hard to develop that aspect playing in a low-minutes, defense-first role, particularly in the notoriously low-scoring SHL.

Mølgaard has beaten those doubts so far by progressing as a scorer this season. Mølgaard’s .65 points per game are fourth-most among all under-25 players in the SHL. He has come by many of those points by stressing the defense and creating space for pinpoint passes with his speed.

Equally important to Mølgaard’s scoring uptick has been his increased ability to engage physically on the forecheck. Right off the opening draw in the video above, Mølgaard uses his speed to limit the retrieving defender’s first option and then pursues finishing with a check to disrupt the alternative breakout and help force a neutral-zone turnover. These are vital ingredients for NHL success for a player like Mølgaard who doesn’t come with high-flying offensive skills.

There is significant development work still ahead. Mølgaard needs to get bigger if he is going to play his game and hold up at the NHL level; even in the SHL he missed significant time to injury earlier this season. His shot needs continued development too.

But Mølgaard has demonstrated a varied and translatable base of skills that give me a lot of confidence in his NHL future. Even when he isn’t scoring (he doesn’t have a point in his last six games), he’s still making an impact on the game with his hockey intelligence, skating, and effort level. I’m currently working on my mid-season Kraken prospect rankings, and he’s going to be (very) high on the list.

Notes on three Kraken prospects​

Kim Saarinen | G | HPK (Liiga)​

Goalie Kim Saarinen leads Liiga, the top-level Finnish pro league, with a .917 save percentage in 20 games played as an 18-year-old rookie. To put his performance in a bit more context, only five other goaltenders in Liiga history have equalled or surpassed Saarinen’s .917 save percentage in 20 games as an 18-year-old. One of them, Veini Vehviläinen, had only a brief NHL career. The other four are Kari Lehtonen (No. 2 overall pick, 649 NHL games), Tuukka Rask (Vezina Trophy winner, 564 NHL games), Juuse Saros (391 NHL games and counting), and Ville Husso (141 NHL games and counting).

Tyson Jugnauth | D | Portland Winterhawks (WHL)​

Defenseman Tyson Jugnauth’s sustained run of offensive production for the Portland Winterhawks puts him in rare company. His 1.45 points per game is tied for the highest output of any WHL defender in the last 30 years. Only two other WHL defenders have topped 1.4 points per game in that span. Olen Zellweger did it twice, in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and Denton Mateychuk did it last season.

Jugnauth is older than both of those players were at the time they achieved their prolific scoring seasons and doesn’t come with the same scouting pedigree. But Mateychuk and Zellweger are rough facsimiles of Jugnauth’s profile as sub-six-foot, offense-first defensemen. Mateychuk is on the verge of establishing himself as an NHL regular after a highly productive AHL run, and Zellweger has been been playing a mid-lineup role for the Anaheim Ducks this season. The Kraken are certainly hoping Jugnauth’s career evolves along the same trajectory.

Clarke Caswell | F | Swift Current Broncos (WHL)​

Forward Clarke Caswell continues to drive offense for Swift Current. The playmaker’s 63 points are second on the team and 19th in the WHL. Check out his shifts from Swift Current’s Jan. 17 game against Lukas Dragicevic and the Prince Albert Raiders.

Kraken prospects data update​

With this update coming a day late to make room for Kraken trade analysis, it actually spans the last eight days, rather than our usual seven. A couple notable performances made it in under the wire Friday night, including Berkly Catton’s four-goal game in Seattle against the Thunderbirds.

"My goodness was that a work of art"

#27 with goal 27 on 2/7 and that's the first 4-goal game in @TheWHL for Berkly Catton.#GoChiefsGo | @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/kMNHQwyBjI

— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) February 8, 2025

To preserve the integrity of the esteemed Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week award—which is intended to recognize the best performance from last Friday through Thursday—I tried to ignore this offensive outburst from Catton. I’m not sure I was successful, but I think Catton earned the award anyway, since he put up 2.33 points per game in the seven days before Friday’s game. Catton now stands alone with three Prospect of the Week awards. His 1.95 points per game is third in the WHL behind only teammate Andrew Cristall and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna.

The other “notable” Friday-night performance came from Carson Rehkopf who had a hat trick and three assists in a Brampton Steelheads win. Remarkably, Rehkopf now has 10 hat tricks in his OHL career. His 1.67 points per game this season is eighth in the OHL.

Despite ranking near the top of the KHL in save percentage, goalie Semyon Vyazovoy is still struggling to take firm control of the net for his KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa. In fact, this past week he was sent down to the VHL, the second-level Russian pro league, where he got three starts and performed well. The KHL isn’t a “developmental” league, and that sometimes leads to odd personnel decisions if the KHL team thinks there is a chance the player will be leaving for the NHL. I’m not sure that’s what is going on here, but Vyazovoy’s status is worth monitoring.

He’s not exactly a prospect, but Philipp Grubauer has been in net twice for the Firebirds since his waiver, and so far so good. The Firebirds won both games, and Grubauer has a .933 save percentage.

2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

Berkly Catton: 3

Clarke Caswell: 2

Tyson Jugnauth: 2

Alexis Bernier: 1

Andrei Loshko: 1

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1

Victor Östman: 1

Caden Price: 1

Kim Saarinen: 1

Nathan Villeneuve: 1

Ryan Winterton: 1

Semyon Vyazovoy: 1

Previewing the week ahead​

While not on the schedule below, Ben MacDonald and the Harvard University Crimson will take on the Northeastern Huskies on Monday, Feb. 10, in the third-place game at the 2025 Beanpot tournament.

Recent prospect updates​

January 31, 2025: Measuring the performance of the Seattle Kraken prospect pool

January 24, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth is putting on a show in Portland

January 17, 2025: Jani Nyman’s scoring, 2025 NHL Draft coverage

January 10, 2025: Interview with Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini

January 3, 2025: Stock Up, Stock Down for Kraken prospects at the World Junior Championship

December 20, 2024: Kraken system after the Kaapo Kakko trade, David Goyette’s progress, and World Juniors

December 13, 2024: Three Kraken prospects make Team Canada WJC roster

December 6, 2024: Seattle Kraken goalie prospects progressing in the professional ranks

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.

Read more from Curtis

The post Down on the Farm – Oscar Fisker Mølgaard quietly ascends the ranks appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/0...ar-fisker-molgaard-quietly-ascends-the-ranks/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Seattle Kraken playoff chances – Strive for 95… err… 85 (points)

With the NHL on break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, I intentionally waited until now to provide an update on the playoff chances for the Seattle Kraken (spoiler: they aren’t very good). Since the start of 2025, the Kraken have played 19 games, going 7-10-2 and falling out of the playoff picture. With 25 games remaining, they are not mathematically eliminated—winning out would give them 102 points. Since the Kraken joined the league in 2021, the lowest point total for a playoff team was 91, recorded by the Washington Capitals in 2023-24. Using that as a benchmark, the Kraken have just five losses to spare, meaning they need to go 20-5-0 (or any combination that nets 40 points) over their remaining games.

“So, you’re telling me there’s a chance!” – Lloyd Christmas, Dumb and Dumber

January and February play​

To stay on pace for 95 points, the Kraken needed 20 points in January but earned only 13. In their first four games of February, they picked up just three points when they needed six. That leaves them 10 points off pace and tracking more realistically toward something in the 80’s for the second straight season (they finished with 81 in 2023-24).

There are some positives from the first part of 2025. Goal scoring is up slightly, with the Kraken averaging 3.15 goals per game, totaling 60 goals in 19 games. Joey Daccord has continued his fantastic play, posting a .917 save percentage and a 7-5-1 record over this span.

On the other hand, Philipp Grubauer has had another rough season. He went 0-5-1 in January, was pulled twice, and has since been sent down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He struggled mightily, posting an .827 save percentage—his worst stretch of the season. It was not entirely the German goaltender’s fault, as the Kraken failed to provide goal support. During Grubauer’s starts, the Kraken managed just 13 goals or an average of 2.79 goals per game, while they scored 49 in front of Daccord, an average of 3.44 goals per game. 3.44 is a high number. For the full season, only three NHL teams have a higher goals-per-game average than 3.44: the Winnipeg Jets (3.61), Washington Capitals (3.56), and Tampa Bay Lightning (3.56).

Only time will tell if Grubauer’s tenure with the Kraken is over, but in Coachella Valley, he has posted a .933 save percentage and won his first two games.

Team tears​

No, “tears” was not a typo; it was my sadness hitting the keyboard, as I officially relegated the Seattle Kraken into the “Tankers” tier.

Bolded = Remaining teams the Kraken play, Starred* = moved tiers, x2 = play twice

Upcoming Schedule​

There’s no sugarcoating it—the upcoming schedule is brutal. Of the remaining 25 games, 12 are against teams in the Playoff Bound tier, six against teams in the Bubble tier, and seven against teams in the Tanker tier. Unfortunately for Seattle, they only have 10 home games left, meaning 15 will be on the road. This makes the rest of the season even more challenging, as illustrated in my recent piece on home-ice advantage. On the bright side, 20 of the remaining games are against Western Conference opponents, minimizing travel demands.

Playoff Bound tier​

The Kraken will face eight of the 10 teams in this tier, with the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers each playing Seattle twice. These teams rank among the league’s best, but the Kraken have proven capable of scoring and are comfortable playing from behind. In fact, Seattle leads the NHL with seven wins after trailing by two goals at any point in a game.

With the #SeaKraken come from behind win last night, they now lead the league in wins after being down 2 goals at any point in a game.

[image or embed]

— Sound Of Hockey (@soundofhockey.com) February 9, 2025 at 9:12 AM

Bubble tier​

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the cusp of moving up to the Playoff Bound tier. They can score in bunches but were recently on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. The other teams Seattle faces in this tier are all from the Western Conference, meaning the Kraken get to embrace their new role as potential spoilers.

The Vancouver Canucks currently hold a three-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot. The Kraken’s recent comeback win against Calgary before the break must have stung. Utah is trying to stay competitive but sits six points out of a playoff spot and is slipping fast.

Seattle has finished its season series with the Colorado Avalanche, who just missed the Playoff Bound tier. The Western Conference playoff picture seems mostly set, with seven teams comfortably ahead. That leaves Vancouver, Calgary, Utah, and possibly St. Louis battling for the final spot.

Tankers tier​

The Kraken are newcomers to the Tanker tier with this update. Their remaining games against these teams include two against the St. Louis Blues and one each against the Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks. It will be interesting to see how these teams approach the trade deadline, as many will likely make moves to reshape their rosters for next season.

Personally, I’m not a fan of tanking. I want to see the Kraken compete in every game, and I wish the NHL would find a way to reward teams that strive to win rather than tearing things down for better draft positioning—but that’s a topic for a future article.

Expectations have been lowered​

Since the beginning of 2025, the Kraken have played really well, really poorly, or somewhere in between—but they’ve remained entertaining. Their two-goal comeback against Calgary is fresh in fans’ minds, but even their 2-1 loss to Winnipeg on Jan. 16 was a hard-fought, competitive game. More of that effort down the stretch is what I want to see.

With the trade deadline approaching (March 7), expect some activity from Seattle. Will they go after more prospects, target a goal scorer, or secure a backup goaltender? Sound Of Hockey’s Darren Brown recently wrote about which Kraken players could be on the move.

The Kraken’s next game is set for Feb. 22 versus the Florida Panthers, their first game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, which runs through Feb. 20. Kaapo Kakko is the only Kraken in the tournament and will represent Finland, whose first game is Thursday versus Team USA at 5 p.m. Pacific.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below or reach out to me on my socials.

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.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Seattle Kraken playoff chances – Strive for 95… err… 85 (points) appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/13/seattle-kraken-playoff-chances-strive-for-95-err-85-points/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Which Kraken players might be on the move at the NHL Trade Deadline?

The normal process here at Sound Of Hockey is to publish “Three Takeaways” after (almost) every Kraken game. But with Seattle’s lackluster performance Thursday, getting outclassed at home by the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fifth loss in six games, we thought the time would be better spent considering what might happen for the Kraken at the NHL Trade Deadline, now exactly one month away.

In the past four seasons, it has often been a grim thought to consider how the Kraken will approach the trade deadline, knowing that some beloved players could be on their way out. But with the team FIRMLY out of contention once again, fans should begin to wrap their heads around the fact that some Day 1 Kraken will soon be on different teams.

With the way things have gone this season, we’ve begun thinking that general manager Ron Francis will need to listen to calls made on every player on the roster. Clearly, the current collection of players donning Deep Sea Blue is not strong enough to compete for a playoff spot, so a shakeup is needed, and this is a good time to begin shifting to a younger core.

This may be a difficult conversation for some, but let’s talk about the players that we expect to be traded and those that are less obvious, but could be considered.

No-doubt trade candidates​

Yanni Gourde​

Until a week ago, I was 100 percent certain that center and two-time Stanley Cup winner Yanni Gourde would be dealt at the deadline. The 33-year-old is on the last year of his deal and is well respected around the league for his gritty and pesky style that is coveted by playoff teams.

I have him in the “no-doubt” bucket because he is one of just three players, along with Brandon Tanev and Josh Mahura, set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and contenders are looking for rentals at this time of year. But he also just had surgery to repair a sports hernia and is expected to be out through the deadline, which will surely impact the return Francis can get for him.

How low does the return have to be for Seattle to just keep him? After all, they will need a fourth-line center next season and potentially somebody who can bridge the gap until Berkly Catton is ready to become a full-time NHLer in a couple years (at that point, Seattle would theoretically have more mature versions of Matty Beniers and Shane Wright, plus Chandler Stephenson and Catton as its four centers). So if he’s willing to return on a team-friendly deal, would the Kraken bring Gourde back for another season or two?

On the other side of the coin, assuming the offers are decent and Francis pulls the trigger to move Gourde, we’re expecting this to be a painful loss for fans. Though it took him a couple months to see game action in the inaugural season because of injury, the feisty forward has been the heart and soul of the Seattle Kraken since his arrival from the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Expansion Draft in 2021.

Gourde is part of that group of players that came to the Kraken in their late 20s and are now heading toward the latter stages of their careers. He’s a great leader and brings a spark every night that he’s healthy, but with a shift toward the future needed, Gourde’s days in Seattle may be numbered.

Even worse, with his injury keeping him sidelined, it’s possible he has already played his last game as a Kraken.

Gourde has a modified no-trade clause in his contract, in which he would have had to submit a list of 23 teams to which he is willing to be traded.

Brandon Tanev​

We’ve viewed Brandon Tanev as a likely trade candidate for the better part of two seasons now. The hard-checking, speedy, and gritty depth winger has been a fan favorite since his selection from the Penguins in the Expansion Draft, and to his credit, he has put together a solid season despite his team’s struggles.

Like Gourde, Tanev is on an expiring contract and plays the kind of hard-nosed style teams covet for the postseason. Will he fetch a first-round pick? Almost certainly no, although you never know how the trade market develops around this time of year. If a team is desperate enough to add some speed and grit, they may be coaxed into overpaying for a guy like Tanev, who will at least help a struggling penalty kill and provide energy.

Brandon Tanev is a gritty winger for the Kraken. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

We won’t be as sad to see Tanev go as we will be for Gourde, but he too is one of the O.G.’s that has been well liked by fans since the early days of the franchise.

Tanev has a 10-team modified no-trade clause, for which he submitted a list of 10 teams where Seattle cannot trade him without his consent.

Could stay, but a trade wouldn’t be shocking​

Josh Mahura​

I’m putting Josh Mahura at the top of this bunch only because he’s the last of the three pending unrestricted free agents, making him a potential trade candidate. I would guess he doesn’t move, simply because I don’t expect there to be a huge market for him. But once Ryker Evans returns from injury, it is possible that the Kraken move on from Mahura and keep Cale Fleury (who has performed well) up with the big club.

On a one-year deal, Mahura has played himself into a full-time spot on the blue line, taking over the vacated third-pairing role after Will Borgen was dealt as part of the Kaapo Kakko acquisition. He’s on a league-minimum deal and has been a good soldier, but the Kraken would surely listen if anyone comes calling on him.

Oliver Bjorkstrand​

The names Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky have been bandied about at times by national media pundits, and it’s easy to see why, being that they both briefly experienced healthy scratch treatment this season in an effort from coach Dan Bylsma to spark the two veteran forwards. But does that mean they’re likely to be traded?

Oliver Bjorkstrand skating in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

In Bjorkstrand’s case, I would think there’s some market for him as a player that can provide depth scoring off the wing (he eclipses the 20-goal mark every season and is likely to do so again in 2024-25, despite Seattle’s struggles).

Bjorkstrand also has just one year left on his contract at a $5.4 million cap hit, and being that he’s had some turbulent moments under Bylsma, it wouldn’t shock me to see him traded.

Bjorkstrand has the same 10-team trade protection as Tanev.

Andre Burakovsky​

The Burakovsky signing was great for about three months. He was leading the team in scoring in the first half of his first season with the team, but since he tore his groin during the 2022-23 season, he has never seemed to regain his confidence or produced with consistency. That trend has continued this season—perhaps the worst (healthy) campaign of his career with four goals and 15 assists in 53 games.

I also know that Burakovsky was not happy about the healthy scratches in December, so there could be some desire from his side for new surroundings.

The challenge, though, is that I’m not sure who would want Burakovsky. Yes, he has been a successful forward in the past, but he has two seasons left beyond the current one at a $5.5 million annual cap hit. What team in the NHL would buy on a “scoring” forward that has notched 11 total goals across the last two seasons and makes that kind of cheddar?

If Burakovsky is moved this season, Seattle will likely have to retain a significant portion of his contract rather than expecting him to be a highly coveted trade asset. If nobody bites, I would think he could be a buyout candidate this summer, but we shall see…

Burakovsky also has a 10-team modified no-trade clause.

Less likely, but the Kraken should listen to offers​

Jaden Schwartz​

Jaden Schwartz has arguably been Seattle’s best player this season and remains the only forward on the team who will consistently go to the blue paint. On pace for 27 goals, Schwartz has had one of the best statistical seasons of his career thanks, in large part, to [knock on wood] simply staying healthy for the first time since becoming a Kraken.

He also has been a huge help in bringing up the confidence of young linemates Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko the last couple months, so losing him now would sting. But, there are only so many opportunities to sell high on a player, and trading Schwartz now could fetch a decent return. With a year left on his contract at $5.5 million, one would have to think that next season would be the 32-year-old’s last with the organization anyway.

Plus, trading Schwartz hurts the team’s chances of winning many more games the rest of the season, which stinks for the fans in the short term but is probably best for the long-term future of the club at this point.

Schwartz has more control than the other players mentioned, with a 16-team modified no-trade clause on his contract.

Eeli Tolvanen​

I don’t personally like the idea of trading Eeli Tolvanen, mainly because I believe Tolvanen sticking with the Kraken increases the likelihood that Kaapo Kakko stays beyond just next season (Kakko is a restricted free agent after this season, but when his next deal is up, he will be a UFA. So, he may want to re-sign for just one year and then test the open market next year).

Plus, Tolvanen is having his best season and is in the prime of his career at 25 years old, right in the age range where I hope the Kraken will continue shifting.

But again, Tolvanen may be a player that can bring back a significant return from a contending team looking for depth scoring, so it’s worth listening.

Jamie Oleksiak​

Oleksiak could make a lot of sense for a lot of teams looking to improve their defense. While he doesn’t have the edge to his game that a lot of fans would like to see from a 6-foot-7, 252-pound blueliner, I think he’s underrated at keeping the front of the net clear.

Jamie Oleksiak celebrates a goal. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

He’s also in that category of players in their early 30s whose contracts will be up after next season and will likely move on at that point anyway, so why not see if you can cash in on the Big Rig’s perceived playoff value now?

Oleksiak has the same 16-team modified no-trade clause as Schwartz.

Vince Dunn​

This suggestion could upset some people, but hear me out…

As I’ve mentioned, the Kraken need to listen on offers for every player on the team. Seattle was a good team defensively last year but has struggled in that area this season. Part of that is systematic, but part of it is a shift in personnel to more offensive-minded players on the back end.

For the team’s first three seasons, Dunn was really the only offensive defenseman Seattle had. Now that Evans is a full-timer, and Brandon Montour is in the fold, half of the regular defense corps would fit into that “offensive-minded” category.

While Dunn is viewed as one of the Kraken’s best players, he would surely be sought after on the trade market and is one of a very select handful of players that could bring back a bounty and—potentially—some desperately needed scoring up front.

I personally wouldn’t hate if the Kraken shift back to being a bit more defensive on the blue line if it means more goals from the forwards for years to come.

Dunn is in the last year of having a full no-trade clause on his contract, so to trade him, Francis would have to get his approval. That makes a Dunn move even less likely this season. This switches to a 16-team modified no-trade clause next season.

What will Seattle want back?​

Deadline deals typically bring back draft capital, and we’ve seen Seattle load up on extra draft picks in its two previous trade deadline sales.

I do think the whole organization is feeling pressure to be better, though. The front office made some swings in free agency last summer, bringing Montour and Stephenson on splashy free-agent signings, and fired original head coach Dave Hakstol, indicating they’re desperately trying to get back into the playoff conversation.

Yet, in 2024-25, the Kraken have moved even farther from that conversation, and it’s easy to see that the fanbase is already growing impatient, while the “new franchise potpourri” quickly dissipates.

So are the Kraken really looking to trade reliable players for draft picks that may or may not help them five years down the road? One has to think there will be a desire to bring useful, younger players that have either already cracked an NHL lineup or are right on the cusp of being full-time NHLers, rather than more poker chips.

What say you, Kraken fans?

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 [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Which Kraken players might be on the move at the NHL Trade Deadline? appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/0...ken-players-could-move-at-the-trade-deadline/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Mid-season Seattle Kraken prospect ranking

“Down on the Farm” is your weekly update on all things Seattle Kraken prospects. This week we’ll stack Seattle’s prospect pool, provide an update and scouting video on Ollie Josephson, get you data from the last week, and preview the week ahead. As always, 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. Let’s dig in.

2024-25 mid-season Seattle Kraken prospects ranking​

During this pause in the NHL schedule, we have a moment for reflection, and one thing we wanted to do was get you a mid-season Seattle Kraken prospect pool ranking.

Two caveats up front. First, we approach this project with a heaping helping of humility. While we do our best to be informed and watch as much as we can, personally I haven’t viewed any non-Firebirds or WHL prospect more than a handful of times this season. (And, right now, I’m deep into my pre-draft video work, so that leaves even less time.)

Second, a “ranking” of prospects already in the system is inherently a bit trifling. Unlike pre-draft prospect rankings where the difference between the No. 4 and No. 6 player could make a real-world difference, what’s the consequence once the player is in the organization already? In reality, the question is whether an individual player is meeting or exceeding a development trajectory. Prospect rankings are fun, and the goal is to reveal information about the progress of the players, but they are just a conversation starter.

With that said, I approached this ranking focused on a player’s projected NHL contributions. My approach gave some consideration to a player’s “ceiling,” “floor,” and timeline, but I resolved close cases by asking which of two players I’d rather have if I could only have one and my only goal was NHL team success. I tried to avoid thinking about the current state of the Kraken roster and instead focus on the merit of the player.

Here is your Deep Sea Hockey Top-22 Kraken prospects. I’ll follow with a few reactions from other writers here at Sound Of Hockey, and then some concluding thoughts of my own.

• John Barr: “As much as I love Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, I don’t think we know enough about him to put him that high on the list. He still needs to play on North American ice and will need to contribute more offensively if we are going to rank him No. 2. Carson Rehkopf has questions as well, but he has showcased the ability to score and would likely be more valuable than a shutdown center.”

• Darren Brown: “I’d put Eduard Sale higher as well. Such a weird development curve for him, but he’s shown he can be an effective pro.”

• Blaiz Grubic: “Names that jump out to me as low: Lleyton Roed, Tyson Jugnauth, Jacob Melanson. Names that seem a little too high: Ryan Winterton, Julius Miettienen. Definitely seems like the rankings favor age.”

John touched on the individual ranking that had me going back-and-forth the most. For me, Berkly Catton was clearly the No. 1 prospect in the system and Nyman was solidly No. 4. Conversely, I found it difficult to situate Mølgaard and Rehkopf between No. 2 and No. 3. So, they’re a similar grade or tier for me. This marks a rise for Mølgaard from my pre-season ranking.

Rehkopf has the higher ceiling, I’d say, as a top-notch scoring wing, but that value is largely tied to an elite shot. The depth of his skillset hasn’t filled out much. That’s a bit hard to do in the OHL where he can win consistently with what he’s got. He needs the challenge of a higher competition level, and he’ll get that next year. Mølgaard, on the other hand, has had high-level professional challenges for two-plus years now and has responded by pushing his game forward across the board incrementally.

I find it hard to imagine a future in which Mølgaard is not a productive third-line NHL center within a few years. He could be more than that too, but is unlikely to reach Rehkopf’s peak value. Rehkopf, on the other hand, could struggle to find consistent NHL time if his elite traits don’t fully translate.

If you were to flip them in this ranking, I wouldn’t argue with you much. And I’d imagine virtually all other rankings you could find would have Rehkopf above Mølgaard (and perhaps significantly so). So, this ranking is offered as a market correction (or conversation starter), if nothing else.

Eduard Sale is another interesting one, noted by Darren. I’ve gone through stretches with him this season where I believe his off-puck play has turned a corner and he has learned where he needs to be in the offensive and defensive zones to find success. In other viewings, I have struggled to notice him at all. He had a strong World Junior Championship and his early run at Coachella Valley was heartening. I’d like to see him reassert himself with a solid finish to the season if I’m going to put him above consistent, hard-working, high-floor players like Winterton and Miettinen.

Blaiz noted a few names that he thought were too low and I like all of them, particularly Roed and Jugnauth, so it’s hard to argue. I explained my high regard for Winterton a couple weeks ago. Miettinen really impressed me as a depth piece at the World Juniors. It’s easy enough to see a professional role for him that I couldn’t justify moving him too much lower on the list.

Regarding the defensemen in the system, I think Jugnauth and Lukas Dragicevic are in a similar tier. Dragicevic is younger and longer, with arguably some superior physical traits. Jugnauth is more advanced, detailed, and dominant offensively in the WHL this season. Still, I’d take Caden Price over both of them, despite a recent scoring drought, due to a superior defensive profile (if not realized production) to go along with offensive skills. That said, there are significant questions about Price’s projection too, which is why my top defenseman comes in at No. 9 in the system.

Finally, on the goalies, we have documented (and run out of adjectives to describe) the dominance of Kim Saarinen and Semyon Vayzovoy in their respective European pro leagues. The inherent variability of the position is the only thing keeping them this low in the ranking. These two have taken perhaps the biggest production leaps in the system this season (Jugnauth also comes to mind). Yet, Nikke Kokko’s solid early work on the closest rung to the NHL convinced me to keep him as the top goalie in the system. Even though none are receiving national prospect attention, this goalie group is quite strong, in my opinion.

Let’s get quizzical​

Catton’s 1.98 points-per-game pace is the eighth-best single season pace in the WHL in the last 20 years. Two of the players above him on the list are also in the Kraken organization. Who are they?

Notes on three Kraken prospects​

Ollie Josephson | F | Red Deer Rebels (WHL)​

2024 fourth-round pick Ollie Josephson missed about a month of the WHL season from the end December through the end of January with an apparent injury. The Red Deer Rebels captain was back into the lineup last week and got back into the scoring column this week, with two points in four games. His point production has never lit up the WHL, but he plays fast, is strong fore-checking and back-checking, and plays all situations for Red Deer. He projects as a bottom-six role player. Check out his shifts from Red Deer’s October 5, 2024, game against Calgary below, in which he had a goal and two assists.

Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Nyman has points in five straight games for the Firebirds (totaling three goals, three assists, and a +3 plus-minus during that stretch). He now has 19 goals in the AHL this season, which is most among AHL rookies, third among AHL players age 23 or younger, and 11th in the AHL overall. After a transition period at the end of last year and to begin this season, Nyman has been finding space to use his elite shot with regularity. There are still skating, puck possession, and defensive aspects of his game that need more time, but his carrying trait is working just one level below the NHL.

Carson Rehkopf | F | Brampton Steelheads (OHL)​

Last Friday saw two notable offensive explosions from top Kraken prospects. Catton tallied four goals and an assist, while Rehkopf scored three goals and added three assists. We recognized Catton as last week’s Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week so it seems only appropriate that Rehkopf pick up the award for this week. While his other games were a bit quieter, Friday’s performance alone earned it.

#OHLPerformer of the Night @SeattleKraken prospect Carson Rehkopf had an unbelievable performance, scoring three goals AND three assists as the @OHLSteelheads put up TEN goals Friday night!#OHL | @bastardburrito | #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/U3qeqiXDtk

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 8, 2025

Kraken prospects data update​

Pre-season standout Nathan Villeneuve’s scoring has been trending upward of late. He had four goals and an assist in three OHL games this past week.

Answering our “let’s get quizzical” prompt, Catton’s current 1.98 points-per-game pace was topped by Kraken teammates Jagger Firkus (last season) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (in 2014-15).

Semyon Vyazovoy remained in the VHL (Russia’s second-level pro league) for the second straight week. He did all he could to prove he didn’t belong there and should be back in the KHL by posting a shutout in is his only start.

Victor Östman is currently on the NHL roster after the team sent Ales Stezka to the AHL as part of some pre-Four Nations break maneuvering. NHL rules require NHL teams to carry two goalies at any given time and Östman was the choice to fill the second spot over the break. He has carried the heaviest workload among Kraken goalies in the minors and performed well for the Mavericks. So, he earns a well-deserved vacation (and at an NHL salary, no less). I’d expect him to be returned to the ECHL by the time NHL players return to practice on Feb. 18.

2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

Berkly Catton: 3

Clarke Caswell: 2

Tyson Jugnauth: 2

Alexis Bernier: 1

Andrei Loshko: 1

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1

Victor Östman: 1

Caden Price: 1

Carson Rehkopf: 1

Kim Saarinen: 1

Nathan Villeneuve: 1

Ryan Winterton: 1

Semyon Vyazovoy: 1

Previewing the week ahead​

Tyson Jugnauth and the Portland Winterhawks are slated to be in Seattle (ahem, Kent) Saturday when they clash with the Thunderbirds at 6:05 pm PT.

Recent prospect updates​

February 8, 2025: Oscar Fisker Mølgaard quietly ascends the ranks

January 31, 2025: Measuring the performance of the Seattle Kraken prospect pool

January 24, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth is putting on a show in Portland

January 17, 2025: Jani Nyman’s scoring, 2025 NHL Draft coverage

January 10, 2025: Interview with Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini

January 3, 2025: Stock Up, Stock Down for Kraken prospects at the World Junior Championship

December 20, 2024: Kraken system after the Kaapo Kakko trade, David Goyette’s progress, and World Juniors

December 13, 2024: Three Kraken prospects make Team Canada WJC roster

December 6, 2024: Seattle Kraken goalie prospects progressing in the professional ranks

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.

Read more from Curtis

The post Down on the Farm – Mid-season Seattle Kraken prospect ranking appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/14/down-on-the-farm-mid-season-seattle-kraken-prospect-ranking/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Shane Wright scores twice, but Kraken comeback falls short against Red Wings

The 5-4 shootout loss suffered Tuesday by the Seattle Kraken against the Detroit Red Wings was close to an ideal outcome for the pro-tank crowd. Everyone wants to see Seattle at least in games for the rest of the season, but to that group’s dismay, Chandler Stephenson scored late to tie the game and force overtime, snagging Seattle an unlikely point in the standings.

Meanwhile, the pro-win crowd didn’t get its way either, because in the end, Patrick Kane scored one of the prettier shootout goals I’ve ever seen live, and Seattle came up short of completing the two-goal comeback.

Here are Three Takeaways from a 5-4 Kraken shootout loss to the Red Wings, who have won seven straight games for the second time this season.

Takeaway #1: Killed by special teams​

Kraken coach Dan Bylsma spoke after morning skate on Tuesday about staying out of the box against Detroit, which boasts the third-best power play in the NHL. But the Kraken did not heed that warning well enough, giving the Red Wings four power-play opportunities while only earning one of their own.

Detroit officially went 2-for-4 on the power play, but Elmer Soderblom’s tap-in goal at 3:21 of the third period, which put the Red Wings up 4-2, came just four seconds after the conclusion of Shane Wright’s questionable penalty for tripping Vladimir Tarasenko. So, call that 3-for-4.

Both official power-play goals came immediately after face-offs in Seattle’s end. On the first, Chandler Stephenson was in the box, so Mitchell Stephens took the draw. He sort of won it backwards, but Alex DeBrincat jumped on a loose puck and popped it out to Moritz Seider at the blue line. Seider walked the line and sent a perfect shot through a dual-layer screen of Stephens and Jamie Oleksiak to make it 2-1 with 30 seconds left in the first period.

Red Wings get a power play off a Stephenson trip and immediately score.

Moritz Seider with a rocket.

2-1 #LGRW , and that’s how the 1st period ends. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/7Pt5EY86yf

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 5, 2025

Stephens also took the draw just before Jonatan Berggren’s power-play tally that made it 3-2 at 12:07 of the second period. On that one, Andrew Copp won the face-off cleanly back to Berggren, and Berggren simply sniped it past Joey Daccord’s blocker.

“One of the keys of a good penalty kill is winning the draw,” Bylsma said. “The face-off circle is underrated as a spot in the game where the battle and the competition is going on, and they won that one. And, it pops out, not to a one-time guy, but it pops right out on their stick with an open shooting lane. I thought the PK, when we had zone time against us, did a good job getting in lanes and blocking shots, but on the face-off a quick play like that, we weren’t able to do that. And again, that’s the story, I guess.”

3-2 Red Wings.

Second time this game they’ve scored immediately after a power-play face-off.

Jonatan Berggren scores, then shares an adorable laugh with Erik Gustsfsson. #SeaKraken #LGRW pic.twitter.com/cesYcPFVsT

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 5, 2025

Give credit to Detroit as well, which has had incredible success with the manpower advantage this season and has been on fire since Todd McLellan took over as head coach at the end of December.

“Power play’s been good all year,” Kane said. “Obviously, we want to create more opportunities for ourselves. I thought there were a couple that were maybe uncalled tonight too, that we could have had a couple more [power plays]. But nice to get a few opportunities and bury a couple.”

Takeaway #2: Nice night for the young centers​

We’re definitely in “find the silver lining” territory with these many losses piling up and the Kraken fading deeper and deeper into irrelevance, so with that in mind, here’s some silver lining for you.

Matty Beniers and Shane Wright each found the back of the net—and in style!

Beniers was set up yet again by linemate Kaapo Kakko (I picked a great day to publish a story about why their line with Jaden Schwartz has been working so well) after Kakko’s pass initially got rejected by Seider, but went right back to Kakko.

MATTY MAGIC!

Set up by Kaapo Kakko, after a nice give-and-go by Moritz Seider.

That line keeps clicking…

1-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/JYaiAFRGQT

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 5, 2025

What I liked about the goal was that Beniers didn’t hesitate when the puck did get to him in the slot. He just found a soft area away from Detroit’s defense, and when the puck was there, he let it rip. We saw that from Matty multiple times in this game, which I found encouraging in terms of his confidence continuing to grow. There’s no second-guessing, just quick, hard shots at the net.

And Wright came through with two goals, the first being an absolute snipe off a rush, and the second being a product of sticking with the play after his pass attempt got broken up. The goals meant Shane Wright is now on a six-game point streak, during which he has racked up three goals and four assists.

WRIGHT AS RAIN!

Cale Fleury gets away with an obvious trip, and it creates a 3-on-2 the other way.

Absolute snipe by Shane Wright.

2-2. #SeaKraken. pic.twitter.com/kXjuQwuxME

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) February 5, 2025

“They’re a big part of our team,” Bylsma said. “And to see Matty, the way he’s grown in the last 20 games, and to see Shane keep stepping forward and being on the scoresheet repeatedly and getting big goals, a power-play goal a couple games ago, and tonight, both those goals are huge for us in the game. And they’re coming from our young guys, so it’s good.”

As we turn our attention to the future, it is easy to see a path toward Seattle becoming a more competitive team, once Beniers and Wright mature a little more, and Berkly Catton joins the fold. That gives the Kraken three dynamic young centers, with Chandler Stephenson as the elder statesman.

Takeaway #3: Too many Red Wings fans​

I have had some concerns lately about more and more empty seats popping up at Climate Pledge Arena, and I guess that will happen when your team has been well out of the playoff conversation for three out of four seasons.

But I hated seeing the building at what I estimated to be about a 40-60 split with visiting Detroit fans Tuesday. Their red paraphernalia made them stick out like a few thousand sore thumbs, and when Detroit scored its goals, there was a certain pop from the visiting crowd that made CPA feel a little less homey.

I have a feeling we’ll continue to see this trend grow this season, as the larger-market teams come to town, and the games become even less meaningful for the Kraken. With Toronto coming to town Thursday, expect another irritating crowd split.

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 [email protected].

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The post Three Takeaways – Shane Wright scores twice, but Kraken comeback falls short against Red Wings appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/05/kraken-red-wings-shane-wright-scores-twice/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Photo Gallery – Kraken vs Red Wings – Feb 4th

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The post Photo Gallery – Kraken vs Red Wings – Feb 4th appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/05/photo-gallery-kraken-vs-red-wings-feb-4th/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

While Kraken have stumbled, Schwartz / Beniers / Kakko line has blossomed

It’s been a rough week… er… month… er… season for the Seattle Kraken, who dropped to 10 points out of the playoff picture with a devastating and controversial 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday, as they continued their march toward a Trade Deadline fire sale.

As things have gone sideways for the team, though, there have been some bright spots, and by George, we could use a little positivity right now. One of those bright spots has been the emergence of a reliable top line for the Kraken, which has consistently produced since being assembled soon after Seattle’s acquisition of Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko.

In that fateful contest on Sunday, Kakko scored for his fifth goal as a Kraken off a 2-on-1 rush with linemate Jaden Schwartz, and Schwartz appeared to have a power-play goal, finding a rebound from other linemate Matty Beniers. We all know what ultimately happened on that one.

The performance of the Jaden Schwartz / Matty Beniers / Kaapo Kakko line on Sunday was another example of the light this trio has provided in an otherwise dreary season.

Kakko’s arrival and instant impact​

Since Seattle traded defenseman Will Borgen, plus a third- and a sixth-round draft pick, for Kakko on Dec. 18, the 6-foot-2 right winger has been attached at the hip to center Beniers. The two didn’t show instant chemistry, but once Schwartz joined their line a few games later, things took off for all three players.

“It’s hard to put into words. It’s not like when they made the line, we knew that we were going to have a good start or anything, it’s just, sometimes things click,” Schwartz said. “And I’ve talked about them a lot, but they’re both working really hard.”

Kaapo’s 16 points (5-11—16) in 21 games with Seattle have already surpassed his production with the Rangers this season, where he posted 14 points (4-10—14) in 30 games before being shipped to the Pacific Northwest as part of New York general manager Chris Drury’s in-season roster shakeup.

It’s no coincidence that Kaapo’s presence has helped spark Beniers, who got off to a dreadful start to his season, at least in terms of scoring. Prior to Kakko’s arrival, Beniers had just four goals on the campaign. In the 21 games since Kakko arrived, he has almost doubled that number with seven goals (11 total for the season).

Matty Beniers skates in a game against the Anaheim Ducks. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

Alongside the veteran Schwartz—who is quietly having one of the best seasons of his career with 18 goals and 18 assists through 54 games—both youngsters, Kakko and Beniers, are exuding confidence.

Confidence growing among the trio​

In those earlier stages of the season, it was plain to see that Beniers was struggling with his confidence, although he would never admit that. That happens when a young player who rose through the amateur ranks consistently posting massive offensive numbers hits a wall at the NHL level. Beniers looks like a different player now that he has found consistent linemates that seem to compliment his game well.

“That’s something I’ve been working on is having confidence when it’s going in or it’s not,” Beniers said. “I say it all the time that there’s going to be times when it’s going in, and it’s great. And there’s going to be times when it’s not. You have to have the same level of confidence, same ability of playing that you do in both those situations.”

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) for Matty, he’s under a microscope as a former Calder Trophy winner as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2022-23 and the beneficiary of a seven-year, $50 million contract extension that went into effect this season. The organization is banking on him being a central character for most of his career, so the drop in production last season, which carried into the beginning of this season, was a concern. Beniers finding his game next to Kakko and Schwartz has allayed some concerns about the 22-year-old’s future.

While Beniers struggled to start the season in Seattle, Kakko found himself in the crosshairs of his old GM in New York. Though there was some scuttlebutt that Kakko may have wanted a change of scenery, the former No. 2 overall draft pick had every right to let his confidence get shaken when he was shipped off by his old team at 23 years old. But after a few games of getting his feet under him in Seattle, he took off and has also played with swagger in his new surroundings.

Kaapo Kakko has made an impact since joining the Kraken. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

“I think we’re playing a lot, we’re playing against top lines,” Kakko said. “[The confidence] is getting higher all the time. If you’re playing a lot— I mean, also, there’s going to be some bad shifts, like maybe [the other team is] going to score. It happens. But then you get out there again, and then you’re going to get more chances because you’re out there more.

“I think we’ve still been playing more in the O-zone, doing the things we like to do out there. I think it’s been pretty good, and confidence is getting higher and higher because of that.”

Said Schwartz of his young linemates: “They’re going to the dirty areas. They’re playing a give-and-go game where they’re not really holding onto pucks too long, or we’re moving it and then moving our feet to get open, and we’re just reading off each other.”

Why this line works​

Schwartz indicated it isn’t an accident that Kakko and Beniers are producing now and gushed about the effort that they have employed with the Kraken.

“We need them to be good. They’re big, big pieces of this team, and they’re going to be big pieces for a long time,” Schwartz said. “So, I think they’re working hard throughout games, but even in practice, you can tell how dedicated they are, and I just love their work ethic, I love how they play the game.

Jaden Schwartz stickhandles in a game at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

“They don’t really cheat the game, they work hard defensively, they’re in the right spots, and they just see the ice. They’re making small little plays and protecting the puck, and they’re fun to play with.”

In talking with Beniers, you can tell that he feels a certain comfort with Kakko and Schwartz that has perhaps been missing since Jordan Eberle went down with a pelvis injury on Nov. 15.

“Kaapo, obviously, is really, really good at playmaking, holding onto pucks, and so is Schwartzy,” Beniers said. “So, it keeps possession time down there [in the offensive zone], and I think everyone’s just working hard and being in the right spots, doing the right things.”

So why does this trio fit together so well?

“I think early on in the year, Matty was with [Jared McCann] and Ebs and having some success with that line,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. “And putting Kakko there with Schwartzy, you’ve got a guy who’s got some speed, who’s got some dartiness in Schwartzy. For stature-wise, he’s really good in and around the net, both in screening and making plays and scoring goals.

“Kakko helps in adding a big-bodied winger who can hold onto the puck in the offensive zone and create space, not only for himself, but for his linemates, and that has given us more pictures of [Matty] giving-and-going and getting space.”

Matty himself had a different theory for why the line has clicked in the way that it has. “I just think you’ve got similar but different players on the same line,” Beniers said. “I think it works well because we’re all pretty smart players.”

With Schwartz now 32 years old and his contract expiring after next season, his days with Seattle could be numbered. But in the meantime, he’s helping lift two young players that the Kraken hope have bright and long futures with the organization.

Here’s hoping this trio can continue growing together in an otherwise difficult season.

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 [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post While Kraken have stumbled, Schwartz / Beniers / Kakko line has blossomed appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/04/schwartz-beniers-kakko-line-working-well-for-kraken/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings – Compete and lose

It wasn’t the greatest week in Kraken land, with just one win and three losses over the last seven games. That lone victory came against the struggling San Jose Sharks, who currently sit dead last in the NHL with a record of 15-33-6. The coup de grâce came in the form of a 3-2 regulation loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday, a game in which the Kraken spotted the Flames three goals in the first period. As rough as the results were, the team continues to compete, making them enjoyable to root for and watch.

The week began with a 3-2 loss to Edmonton, a game that felt like a real opportunity to steal a win against one of the NHL’s best teams. The second game, a 6-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, felt like the final nail in the coffin for any realistic playoff hopes.

Sunday’s loss to the Flames was particularly frustrating. The first period featured two goalie interference challenges—both going against Seattle—and five Kraken penalties. I don’t usually critique the referees too much, but they had a rough night, missing a blatant trip on Kaapo Kakko, a hold on Oliver Bjorkstrand, and a too-many-men penalty on Calgary with 10:45 left in the third that went unnoticed. I’m sure there were other missed calls, likely some that Flames fans weren’t happy about either.

If there’s one thing this team has been consistent with all season, though, it’s their refusal to quit. No matter the score, they continue to fight their way back into games. It may not earn them points in the standings, but it certainly makes them easy to root for.

Salary cap updates​

In case you missed it, the NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced new salary cap guidance for the next three seasons. According to Friday’s announcement, the cap will increase by 9 percent annually over the next three years. That compounding increase will raise the upper limit by 35 percent by the 2027-28 season compared to the current year.

I foreshadowed this massive salary cap increase back in July when the Kraken signed Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour to long-term contracts—six and seven years, respectively. At the time, armchair GM’s argued that these deals would age poorly, but few considered the substantial cap growth once the league recouped losses from the COVID-impacted seasons.

This isn’t exactly “found money” for any specific team, as all clubs will benefit from the added cap space over the next three years. As of now, the only restricted free agents due for new contracts are Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans, and Tye Kartye. Kakko is the most intriguing of the group, as he could opt for a one-year deal and test unrestricted free agency next summer. Given the expected salary cap increases, plenty of teams will have money to spend. The Kraken are surely aware of that, and if Kakko is happy with his brief tenure in Seattle, they may offer him a long-term deal that could initially look like an overpay but might make sense in the long run.

Yanni Gourde undergoes surgery​

Late Friday afternoon, the Kraken announced that Yanni Gourde underwent successful surgery to repair a sports hernia. Gourde has not played since Jan. 2. It appears the team and Gourde hoped to avoid surgery; he had been skating multiple times over the previous week to test it out, but ultimately, the procedure was necessary.

His expected recovery timeline is five to seven weeks—right around the trade deadline. The injury certainly doesn’t help his trade value, but injured players do get moved at the deadline by teams looking for playoff reinforcements. Before the injury, Gourde was a frequent name on trade target lists, and several teams are in the market for centers. We’ll have to see how this plays out, but there’s a chance we’ve already seen the last of Gourde in a Kraken jersey. If he is traded, there will be plenty more to discuss, but for whatever reason, I keep thinking about how Kraken PA announcer Chet Buchanan enthusiastically calls out “Yanni Gourde!” in the starting lineup introductions.

Quick thoughts on Philipp Grubauer​

In other major news, Philipp Grubauer was placed on waivers and assigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. There’s no question that his performance with the Kraken has been disappointing. Sending him to Coachella seemed like the only viable option. If he’s going to reclaim an NHL role, he needs to play his way out of this slump, and the Kraken simply can’t afford to take that risk at the NHL level.

The timing works well with the 4 Nations Face-Off break, giving Grubauer a chance to play without missing NHL action. He played his first AHL game on Saturday night, and Coachella has five more games before the NHL resumes on Feb. 22. He likely won’t start all of them, but he should get at least two or three starts.

All signs point to Grubauer being a buyout candidate this offseason. However, as they did with Chris Driedger last year, the Kraken could opt to bring in another backup and ride out his cap hit for two years instead of stretching it over four via a buyout. Either way, it’s hard to imagine him in a Kraken uniform next season, even in a backup role. Here are the buyout details per capwages.com

Off the ice, Grubauer has been a fantastic presence in the community. He’s one of the few Kraken players who lives in Seattle year-round and has been actively involved in local appearances and events. But at the end of the day, this is a performance-driven business, and the Kraken had to make the best decision for the team.

The race for the final wild card spot​

Last week, I mentioned that the Kraken’s only realistic path to keeping their playoff hopes alive was winning three of four games, including a regulation win against Calgary on Sunday. That didn’t happen.

The Kraken now sit 10 points out of the final wild card spot, with four teams standing between them and a playoff berth. Mathematically, they’re still alive, but if the projected “get-in” target is 95 points, they would need to play .821 hockey the rest of the season. And if things weren’t already bleak enough, here’s a look at the strength of their remaining schedule…

Sunday’s win over the Kraken was a crucial victory for Calgary, especially on a night when Vancouver lost, giving the Flames a narrow two-point lead for the final wild card spot. Calgary and Vancouver are beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, making it look like a two-horse race after all. I really like Utah’s team, but they just haven’t been able to put it together when it matters most.

Other musings​

• I know it was a rough week, but all three losses were essentially one-goal games, with empty-net goals sealing the defeats against both the Oilers and Ducks. The Kraken are still competing, and while one-goal losses can be frustrating, I still enjoy watching them play.
• On Sunday night, the Kraken appeared to score first when Jaden Schwartz knocked home a rebound in the opening seconds of a Kraken power play. However, the Flames challenged the goal, and it was overturned. Calgary went on to score the first goal later in the period. It’s hard not to wonder how the game might have played out if the goal had stood. The Kraken are 13-6-3 when scoring first, while the Flames are just 6-13-4 when trailing first. I understand why the goal was reversed, but I’ve seen far more egregious goalie interference go uncalled in similar situations.

• I’ve heard the explanation coach Dan Bylsma was given for the non-reversal of Calgary’s second goal, but I find it hard to believe that Yegor Sharangovich was actually trying to play the puck when he struck Joey Daccord’s stick. Regardless, I do appreciate that we at least got an explanation of the reasoning behind the decision.
• The Kraken have been one of the more disciplined teams in the league this season, averaging the fourth-fewest penalties at 2.85 per game. However, Sunday night tied their season high with seven penalties, and the Flames capitalized on two of them.
• Since Yanni Gourde’s injury, the Kraken’s penalty kill has dipped. Before his absence, they were killing penalties at a 78.9 percent rate, but since Jan. 3, that number has dropped to 74.1 percent.
• Jordan Eberle has been back on the ice for a while, and Mike Benton captured some of his work on Friday. It’s unclear when he will return, but at the very latest, I’d expect him back after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Jordan Eberle, continuing to work on his way back: out early with skills coach Matt Larke. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/s9tPoOuzm7

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) February 1, 2025

• The Seattle Thunderbirds played a thrilling game on Saturday night, knocking off the Eastern Conference-leading Medicine Hat Tigers in a shootout. The Tigers were 5-0-0 against the U.S. Division before falling to the Thunderbirds. It’s always a great time to check out some WHL hockey, but if you have been putting it off because of the Kraken schedule, the 4 Nations Face-Off break might be a good time to attend a game.
• Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has been releasing his NHL prospect rankings over the past few weeks, and this week, he ranked the Kraken’s prospect pool 10th in the league. These rankings are subjective, so I don’t get too high or low on them, but ideally, Seattle remains a consistent top-10 team.
• Wheeler ranks Berkly Catton as the top Kraken prospect. Catton is currently on a nine-game point streak, recording 24 points over that span, and helped Spokane defeat the first-place Silvergips 10-3 Saturday in Everett.

Goal of the week​

I love Monty wrist shots when he is barreling down the slot.

3-1 #SeaKrakenHockey gods smile on Shane Wright. After an unfortunately bounce off his skate earlier, now he's Wright where he needs to be for the steal and feed to Montour in the slot. #ResponseGoal

— Alison Lukan (@alisonl.bsky.social) 2025-01-31T04:47:39.186Z

Player performances​

Ben Meyers (CVF/SEA) – Meyers has recorded three goals and three assists over his last five games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Nikke Kokko (CVF/SEA) – The 20-year-old goaltender is 4-1-0 with a .931 save percentage over his last five starts for Coachella Valley. Kraken fans should be excited about Kokko’s development so far, but he likely won’t be in Seattle for a couple more years, while he continues to refine his game in the AHL.

Shane Wright (SEA) – Wright is currently on a five-game point streak.

Power play goal for Seattle!Scored by Shane Wright with 13:45 remaining in the 3rd period.Assisted by Jared McCann and Brandon Montour.Seattle: 4Anaheim: 5#ANAvsSEA #SeaKraken #FlyTogether

— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) 2025-01-29T05:26:04.945162Z

The week ahead​

This will be the final week of games before the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, with the Kraken hosting the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, and wrapping up with a final game Saturday night in Calgary. The outlook isn’t promising. The Red Wings dominated the Kraken 6-2 in Detroit back in early December, a game in which Philipp Grubauer allowed three goals on four shots in the first seven minutes. Detroit will also come into Seattle with a six-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Kraken have only beaten the Leafs once in franchise history and have never defeated them at Climate Pledge Arena.

It’s shaping up to be a tough week, but the Kraken have risen to the occasion before, earning wins against Vegas, Carolina, and Minnesota this season, so regardless of the opponent, a loss is never a foregone conclusion. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—this team never gives up.

The post Monday Musings – Compete and lose appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/03/monday-musings-compete-and-lose/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Data Dump: Seattle Kraken scoring

I’ve been eager to dive into the Seattle Kraken scoring this season, and the 4 Nations Face-Off break provided the perfect opportunity to analyze some key metrics without the data changing every few days. In this exploration, I’ll examine a couple areas: how the Kraken rank across the NHL in scoring metrics and the factors that contribute to scoring (e.g., shots). Additionally, I’ll compare the 2024-25 Seattle Kraken to prior seasons.

Average goals scored​

It’s no secret that the Kraken struggled to find the back of the net last season, ranking 29th in the league in goals for per game with just 2.61. This year, they’ve shown significant improvement, ranking 15th in the league and averaging .34 more goals per game.

There’s an important caveat: over the final month of last season, after Vince Dunn got hurt, Alex Wennberg got traded, and the Kraken dropped out of the playoff race, their scoring declined significantly, bringing their 2023-24 goals for average down for the full campaign. So, the increase in scoring this season is a little inflated. Even so, they’re currently averaging more goals per game than five teams that hold playoff spots.

Goal scoring scenarios​

To further analyze the Kraken’s goal scoring, let’s examine the goal scoring scenarios over the last four seasons.

We can see improvements in even-strength scoring, particularly in 5-on-5 goals, but the numbers still fall short of the 2022-23 season, when the Kraken qualified for the playoffs as a wild-card team. One area where the team could make significant strides is in contributions from the power play.

Power-play scoring​

A prime opportunity for improvement lies in the power play. The Kraken currently rank 25th in power-play conversion, with a 18.1 percent success rate. Historically, the Kraken have struggled on the power play, but this season’s 18.1 percent conversion rate is the lowest since the inaugural season’s 14.5 percent.

We’ll discuss him further shortly, but the loss of Jordan Eberle just 17 games into the season undoubtedly hindered the power play. At the time of his injury, Eberle was playing 54 percent of the Kraken’s power-play minutes.

Shot volume and quality​

Another key aspect to consider when evaluating the Kraken’s goals scored per game is shot volume and quality. The team ranks 27th in shots per game, averaging 26.84 shots per contest.

To better understand the team’s shot quality, let’s break down 5-on-5 shots by high, medium, and low danger for each season.

The struggles with scoring last season were largely attributed to a lack of shots in high-danger areas, and unfortunately, that trend appears to have continued this season, with high-danger shots per game actually decreasing from last year’s numbers. Furthermore, the Kraken’s 5-on-5 medium-danger shots per game have also declined compared to last season.

Players’ scoring output​

While a more in-depth analysis of individual goal scoring is needed, a preliminary look reveals which players are scoring more or less frequently over the last three seasons, as well as how their current output compares to their three-year averages.

At first glance, it’s clear that Vince Dunn, Jaden Schwartz, and Eeli Tolvanen are experiencing above-average goal production. Eberle was on pace for his best goal-scoring season ever before suffering an injury just a month into the season. Conversely, Andre Burakovsky and Jared McCann are below their three-year averages. It’s important to note that Shane Wright’s decline is likely attributed to his small sample size of just eight games in the 2023-24 season.

Further analysis is necessary, as factors like ice time and power-play time can significantly impact these numbers.

Assessment​

Overall, the Kraken have increased their goal production from last season, but there’s still room for improvement. The two most significant areas for growth are power-play production and generating more high-danger shots. While these improvements are easier said than done, the loss of Eberle since mid-November and Dunn’s injury that kept him out of the lineup for 20 games has undoubtedly hurt, particularly given their contributions on the power play. Adding another goal scorer during the offseason would be ideal, but it’s not a necessity, considering several playoff-bound teams are scoring fewer goals than the Kraken this season.

This brief analysis of scoring metrics provides a general direction, but there’s certainly an opportunity to delve deeper into advanced analytics for a more comprehensive understanding.

The post Data Dump: Seattle Kraken scoring appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/20/data-dump-seattle-kraken-scoring/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Lukas Dragicevic making strides, still striving for consistency

“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this week’s column, we break down what we’ve seen from Kraken defense prospect Lukas Dragicevic this season, briefly circle back to last week’s Kraken prospect ranking, get you an injury update on Kaden Hammell, update you on all Kraken prospect performances from the week that was, and preview the week ahead for Seattle’s prospect pool. As always, if you have a prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey. Let’s dive in.

Lukas Dragicevic’s developing defensive game​

“Let’s say it up front: Lukas Dragicevic is the best offensive defenceman in this year’s draft.” That is what Elite Prospects had to say about Seattle’s 2023 second-round pick in the lead up to a draft that included several skilled blueliners, such as Axel Sandin Pellikka, David Reinbacher, and Luca Cagnoni. “Dragicevic’s skill is the envy of most forwards. He sends opponents careening into the boards with rapid-fire handling, uses them as screens with fluid curl-and-drag shots, and freezes multiple players at once with deception before setting up a tap-in.”

This year with the Prince Albert Raiders, Dragicevic is second in the WHL in assists (48) and points (62), trailing only Kraken teammate Tyson Jugnauth in both categories. Yet, Dragicevic is almost exactly one year younger than Jugnauth.

Why, then, did Dragicevic fall to No. 57 overall in the draft? The question marks came in several forms on the defensive side of the equation. “Full stop, the defence must improve to get the green light in the NHL,” Elite Prospects wrote in 2023. In some sense, this was not unexpected, as Dragicevic was relatively new to the position. He has explained in talking with Sound Of Hockey that his hockey journey began at the forward position for many years, before transitioning to defense around the age of 15.

Dragicevic’s junior statistics bear out the challenges he has experienced defensively. Despite compiling an eye-popping 187 points in 186 games over the last three years, his teams have given up more goals than they have scored at 5-on-5 with Dragicevic on the ice each year.

This makes Dragicevic one of the more intriguing prospects in the system to follow. His ceiling is quite high—think an offense-first No. 3 defenseman—if he can link the dynamic elements of his game with stronger defensive results.

In a few viewings this season, I have seen a prospect who has made some improvements but is still searching for consistency on defense. He flashes strong skating skills to mirror and maintain a good gap in defensive transition, but he is inconsistent defending the blue line. Most skilled, offense-first defensemen who succeed in the NHL do so by using their skating to take controlled-entry possession away from their opponents. Dragicevic needs more consistency and aggression in that aspect of his game, where he is far too often cautious or a step slow despite being in solid position.

In the defensive zone, the instincts are still a work in progress, and his skating doesn’t shine nearly as brightly as it does when he is moving forward in transition or traversing the offensive blue line. His feet deaden at times, leading him to lunge with his stick checks. While he is never going to be the most physical player in the corners or at the net front, he has made strides in his positioning and using his frame to box out opponents. He needs to continue to add strength.

He has the ice vision and passing skill to be an asset breaking the puck out of the defensive zone, but there were a few too many weak efforts and easy, conservative turnovers up the boards for my liking.

When moving forward offensively, ideally he’d develop a bit more burst in his first few steps, but he has solid speed overall and excellent agility and four-way mobility. He is able to finesse and evade junior defenders with relative ease.

And the offensive toolkit is still very strong. He has every pass in his bag—stretch, saucer, cross ice, to space, you name it. And his shot is an asset from the blue line because it is accurate, and he has a knack for getting it through traffic and onto a teammate’s stick for a tip or onto the goaltender to create rebounds. He also has the confidence and skill to be a “rover” type, possessing the puck all over the offensive zone while scanning for teammates.

Overall, there is a lot to like in Dragicevic’s game, and the area where he is still developing is not for lack of skill. You can imagine it all coming together. He just needs to find consistency in his defensive reads and add a bit more physically. If he can do that in Coachella Valley over the next couple years, the Kraken may have a significant blue line piece for the future.

A postscript to our mid-season Kraken prospect ranking​

Last week we published my mid-season effort at stack ranking 22 Kraken prospects. One thing I had intended—but failed—to explain was my thinking on including that specific number of players in the ranking. Originally, in preparing last week’s column, I ranked all of the prospects in the system. But as I returned to the list again and again, I realized that the notion of a “ranking” was less useful, and perhaps misleading, the farther I went down the list.

In the end, I landed on a group of 15 players I was comfortable with at the top, and then another seven players in the next tier down that I wanted to also address in some form or fashion. I considered characterizing these seven players as “honorable mentions.” Though I didn’t go that way—instead choosing to rank them 16-22—I wanted to clarify my opinion that there is significantly less space between these players when compared with the top 15.

I was prompted to revisit my thinking because of a couple questions I received relating to Ty Nelson’s placement at No. 20. I tended to agree with those thinking the ranking may have been a bit low. In the end, I wouldn’t put him firmly behind anyone from No. 16 onward on the list—particularly when he’s finishing from the blue line like in the good old days with the North Bay Battalion.

let's go Nelly

1-0 us pic.twitter.com/LShIRCiQBA

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) February 20, 2025

Notes on three Kraken prospects​

Kaden Hammell | D | Everett Silvertips (WHL)​

Everett Silvertips co-captain Kaden Hammell has quietly been an important part of Everett’s success this season. The right-shot defenseman led the entirety of the CHL in on-ice plus-minus for a long stretch of the season and still ranks near the top. (He is no longer atop the WHL list only because of the prodigious ice-tilting occurring in Spokane when Andrew Cristall and fellow Kraken prospect Berkly Catton are on the ice.) But Everett will have to make do without the 2023 fifth-round pick in the near term because Hammell is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Hammell hasn’t appeared in a game since Feb. 8.

Kaden Hammell (Photo/Evan Morud, Everett Silvertips)

Semyon Vyazovoy | G | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)​

After an eyebrow-arching demotion to the second-level Russian pro league a couple weeks ago, Semyon Vyazovoy, 20, has returned to the KHL with a vengeance. He started the last three games for his KHL team, posting two wins and a shutout. His .935 save percentage is second in the KHL—behind a player nearly a decade older than Vyazovoy. His 1.85 goals against average is also second in the league. Vyazovoy is an unsigned 2021 draft pick, but the Kraken will continue to hold his exclusive NHL negotiating rights indefinitely because he is a Russian national.

Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Jani Nyman is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week after scoring three goals and adding two assists in three Firebirds games. In recent weeks, the Firebirds have elevated Nyman into a featured scoring role on the first line (with Ben Meyers and Daniel Sprong) and first power play. Every game Nyman’s teammates are finding him for at least a few looks in prime scoring areas, and Nyman is rewarding that confidence with pin-point wrist shots and lightning-strike one-timers. His 22 goals are fourth-most in the AHL. The arrow is pointing way up for Nyman right now. He may belong in a relatively flat second-tier of Kraken prospects (with Carson Rehkopf and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard) behind only Berkly Catton.

make that 2-0 us pic.twitter.com/9nCWiwHc0S

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) February 20, 2025

Kraken prospects data update​

The last game to sneak into this data update was the Baie-Comeau Drakkar’s Thursday night game against the Saint John Sea Dogs, and, well, it was a notable one. Alexis Bernier’s Drakkar won it 14-0. Bernier had two assists and a plus-five (!) performance on the night.

Could Mølgaard be the next Seattle Kraken destined to garner Lady Byng Trophy votes? Despite playing a defensively engaged game, he has not taken a penalty in 30 SHL games this season.

Kim Saarinen had a tough week by the high standard he has set, conceding 11 goals in three starts. Still, he is getting the majority of the starts for his Liiga team, HPK.

With Ales Stezka recalled to the NHL following the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Philipp Grubauer seems set to continue as the 1A goalie in the AHL, at least for the short term. Grubauer met with the Coachella Valley media following a win Wednesday night and demonstrated his characteristic professionalism when addressing the demotion. For his part, Stezka may get his first NHL start this weekend with the Kraken playing back-to-back games in Florida and Tampa Bay on Saturday and Sunday.

2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

Berkly Catton: 3

Clarke Caswell: 2

Tyson Jugnauth: 2

Alexis Bernier: 1

Andrei Loshko: 1

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1

Victor Östman: 1

Caden Price: 1

Carson Rehkopf: 1

Jani Nyman: 1

Kim Saarinen: 1

Nathan Villeneuve: 1

Ryan Winterton: 1

Semyon Vyazovoy: 1

Previewing the week ahead​

Barrett Hall’s St. Cloud State Huskies take on Zaccharya Wisdom’s Colorado College Tigers in a two-game set this weekend.

In the WHL, the Everett Silvertips, minus injured Kraken prospects Hammell and Julius Miettinen, square off against the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday night (our own Darren Brown will be doing color commentary with Thom Beuning on the CHL app and 1090 AM). Catton and the Spokane Chiefs take on Jugnauth and the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday afternoon. Next Wednesday Dragicevic’s Prince Albert Raiders host Caden Price and the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Recent prospect updates​

Feburary 14, 2025: Mid-season Seattle Kraken prospect ranking

February 8, 2025: Oscar Fisker Mølgaard quietly ascends the ranks

January 31, 2025: Measuring the performance of the Seattle Kraken prospect pool

January 24, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth is putting on a show in Portland

January 17, 2025: Jani Nyman’s scoring, 2025 NHL Draft coverage

January 10, 2025: Interview with Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini

January 3, 2025: Stock Up, Stock Down for Kraken prospects at the World Junior Championship

December 20, 2024: Kraken system after the Kaapo Kakko trade, David Goyette’s progress, and World Juniors

December 13, 2024: Three Kraken prospects make Team Canada WJC roster

December 6, 2024: Seattle Kraken goalie prospects progressing in the professional ranks

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.

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Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/02/2...aking-strides-still-striving-for-consistency/