News Kraken Team Notes

[Seattle Kraken]

Friday Film Room: Dragicevic, Janicke, and Annborn

Welcome to Week 2 of Friday Film Room. In this recurring series, we provide new gameplay video of three players in the Kraken organization and analyze recent trends or progress in their play. Our goal is to cover as many players as possible as we proceed through the year—including those that aren’t always front and center in prospect reports. If you have questions or Film Room requests, don’t hesitate to reach out below or on social media @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.

Lukas Dragicevic | Defense | 20 years old | 2023 second-round pick (signed)​

Video: All Shifts | Prince Albert Raiders vs. Edmonton Oil Kings (OHL) | Apr. 1, 2025

Notes: Dragicevic has put up rare offensive numbers as a junior hockey blueliner. Among all WHL defensemen since the turn of the century, Dragicevic’s 227 total regular-season points are sixth-most, just behind NHL players Tyson Barrie and Ty Smith.

The offensive package isn’t flashy, but Dragicevic has all of the tools to create points from the blue line in the offensive zone. His offensive vision and passing are strong attributes. He can manipulate the puck to create shooting lanes and rebounds for his teammates. And he has the feel to take open ice and tight-area handling skill to defeat challenges. To top it off, he does it all from a projectable 6-foot-2, 196-pound frame.

His skating will likely need to take a significant step forward if he is going to maintain his play style into the pro ranks moving forward, but his offense projects as NHL-worthy.

Why then has Dragicevic never earned national prospect reputation? The answer lies in his defensive instincts, which look inconsistent or worse, depending on your viewing. He flashed a broader range of defensive tools this past year, but when I watch him, I often leave perplexed by his play-to-play judgment and concerned that his defense is not going to work at professional levels.

In defensive transition, he’s not particularly effective disrupting plays at the blue line or breaking opponent momentum when he is skating backwards. It tends to be tentative and overly conservative. Even when he’s making the right reads, the results are inconsistent.

In the defensive zone, he is often either chasing the play around the exterior or deadening his feet in the crease and passively covering the middle of the ice. Either way, there’s too much puck watching and not enough anticipation. He concedes too much space for junior-level competition to make plays. He has the strength to win his share of puck battles in the open ice or along the boards if he committed to it, but he is often a step slow to engage, conceding advantages to the opposition.

His breakout passes are a strong aspect of his in-zone defensive play. For example, early in the first period in the game above, he recovers a dump-in, draws in the defense, and reverses the puck to his teammate for a clean, efficient breakout.

Overall, it could be that Dragicevic has not received the instruction and reps—both technically and schematically—that he needs. Remember, he’s only been playing defense for a few seasons after transitioning from forward. It’s possible that he takes big strides as he moves into the well-coached professional environment in Coachella Valley this season. If so, these concerns could eventually be a thing of the past. (Defensive skill can come later in a player’s development.) Even just a steady progression could yield a player capable of a sheltered, third-pair and second-unit power-play NHL role. That said, he may have fallen behind the older and smaller Tyson Jugnauth on the organization’s depth chart for that kind of role.

More on Dragicevic: Check out our interview with Lukas Dragicevic from 2024 training camp.

2025-26 season outlook: Competing for time for Coachella Valley (AHL).

System rank: No. 18 (No. 5 defenseman)

Peak projection (50th percentile outcome): NHL cup of coffee (ETA: 2027-28)

Justin Janicke | Forward | 22 years old | 2021 seventh-round pick (rights expired)​

Video: All Shifts | Notre Dame Univ. vs. Univ. of Wisconsin (NCAA) | Nov. 1, 2024

Notes: Justin Janicke is a just a solid, dependable player in all aspects. He can be trusted to do the right thing in all three zones, no matter the personnel or game clock situation. He was a leader at Notre Dame by his senior year, and that maturity comes across in talking with him. He seems a like a “glue” type in a dressing room that any team should be happy to have in the organization.

His skills top out in the average range. His shot is solid, including manipulation skills pre-shot to deceive the goaltender. His skating is solid, and he plays with adequate strength. He has good vision with the puck on his stick, but he’s not a volume scorer or creator. He’s more of a complimentary type who will do the little things like net drives, clear outs, screens, and cycles to create offense. He’s defensively responsible and doesn’t cheat that aspect.

By pro standards, he is a bit undersized and is likely limited to the wing. Lacking a dynamic skill or carrying trait, it is hard to project the additional development that will be necessary to achieve an NHL career. If he does get there, it will be through sheer force of will. Players in his category—needing four NCAA years to achieve top-end amateur production—rarely become long-term or impact professionals. That said, there is a lot to like in the way Janicke goes about his business.

2025-26 season outlook: ECHL lineup regular with some games at the AHL level

System Rank: Outside top 20

Peak Projection (50th percentile outcome): Middle-six AHL player (ETA: 2027-28)

Karl Annborn | Defenseman | 18 years old | 2025 seventh-round pick (unsigned)​

Video: All Shots Against | Sweden U20 vs. Switzerland U20 | Aug. 28, 2025

Notes: It seems the Swedish national team is higher on Karl Annborn than NHL draft scouts. Rewind to a year ago, and the defenseman was skating in a top-four and power-play quarterback role for the Sweden under-20 team—as a 17-year-old. Granted, that was in an August tournament bypassed by some of the top U20 players, but it was an impressive achievement nonetheless. Ultimately, Annborn fell a bit in the draft to the perception that his play had plateaued, but it is notable to me the national team confidence in him has not waned. As recently as Thursday, he was getting high-level U20 development opportunities on the international stage, and he never looks overmatched or out of place.

Another reason Annborn may have slid in the draft is the perceived lack of a standout, dynamic element. His size, skating, physicality, and skill level all check in as solid and pro-projectable at this stage, but there is not an obvious carrying trait as there is with some of Seattle’s more notable defensive prospects like Blake Fiddler (size and athleticism) or Dragicevic (offensive skill level). I like what I’ve seen from Annborn with the puck on his stick breaking out from the defensive zone and along the blue line in the offensive zone. While there may not be high-end creativity, he shows the ability to make efficient, sound plays.

Annborn has a long development runway ahead of him in the Swedish league, and there is plenty of reason to think he has a North American pro future if his skill level and production can continue to progress.

2025-26 season outlook: Cup of coffee in the SHL

System Rank: Outside top 20

Peak Projection (50th percentile outcome): Bottom-four AHL defenseman (ETA: 2029-30)

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 Friday Film Room: Dragicevic, Janicke, and Annborn appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/08/29/friday-film-room-dragicevic-janicke-and-annborn/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Five things to watch in the WHL for 2025-26

The ice is down, training camps are underway, and anticipation is building across the Western Hockey League. With the addition of the Penticton Vees, 23 teams now enter the 2025–26 season with hope, hunger, and high expectations.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the Puget Sound area, where both the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips have big aspirations—and even bigger spotlights—heading into the fall.

T-Birds vs. Tips rivalry should heat up​

Last season’s battles between Seattle and Everett were tighter and more intense than they’ve been in recent years.

Yes, Everett (49–15–3–1 in 2024–25) owned the season series by winning six of eight—and the playoff series—but when Seattle (32–33–2–1) found its stride in the second half of the year, it felt like Everett got the brunt of their surge.

Don’t be surprised if this rivalry reaches another level in 2025–26, especially with what feels like more even rosters. Speaking of which…

Time ticking in Everett: DuPont’s second act​

It’s Year 2 of the Landon DuPont Era in Everett—and the clock is already ticking on his junior career. DuPont dazzled in his first WHL season, living up to the hype by winning the 2025 CHL Rookie of the Year Award. His poise and talent are undeniable, but Everett knows these are the years they have to capitalize on his elite talent.

This year’s team should be on par with recent rosters. The key now is injury management. There’s still a lingering “what if” since Carter Bear’s draft year last season—he was lighting up the scoresheet before a torn Achilles cut his season short, though he was still drafted No. 13 overall by the Detroit Red Wings. Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen also missed time after getting hurt at the World Junior Championship with Finland. Injuries have been a theme in Everett.

Although they did finish with the best regular-season record in 2024–25, the Tips were knocked out in Round 2—again—by their rivals, the Portland Winterhawks—again.

With more roster consistency and health, maybe this can finally be the year head coach Steve Hamilton’s group breaks through and goes on a deeper playoff run.

I had the chance to check out Tips training camp on Friday afternoon, which fielded an intensely competitive atmosphere. Returning players like Cole Temple and Lukas Kaplan were names that made their presence known.

Also, keep an eye on some of the young emerging talent like ‘09 forward Mirco Dufour or ‘08 defenseman Cameron Dillard.

Braeden Cootes: The face of the Seattle franchise​

While it may be less than ideal for Seattle hockey fans to watch a Canucks first-rounder blossom here, I just can’t get enough of Braeden Cootes.

Still the youngest active captain in the WHL, even after a full year, the 18-year-old led the T-Birds in assists and points in 2024–25. His two-way game and leadership make him a cornerstone piece to watch for the T-Birds this year.

“He’s got the high hockey IQ, the 200-foot game, really cares about his own end, and the intangibles you need,” said head coach Matt O’Dette. “These NHL teams want guys who can win games in crunch time — and he’s that guy.”

T-Bird time: Seattle poised for a surge​

Finally, it looks like the pendulum is swinging in the right direction in Kent.

After spending the early months of last season well beneath the .500 threshold and in last place in the Western Conference, looking like they were on their way to another dud of a season, the T-Birds surged in the second half and jumped three spots to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

With the talents of Cootes, Radim Mrtka, and Ashton Cumby coming off being drafted into the NHL, along with depth forwards like Antonio Martorana and Matej Pekar looking to take the next step, it sure does look like a strong year is in store at accesso ShoWare Center.

Kelowna to host the Memorial Cup​

The 2026 Memorial Cup will be hosted by Kelowna, adding even more urgency for WHL contenders—especially those in the Western Conference. Could a Puget Sound team make the trip? And if so, would that team have a chance to win it all?

---

This WHL season feels wide open, especially with the likes of generational talent Gavin McKenna leaving Medicine Hat and taking his talents to the NCAA and Penn State. There’s no obvious frontrunner now, and both Seattle and Everett are stocked with talent and motivation.

Whether it’s the leadership of Cootes, the brilliance of DuPont, or the rising stars across both teams, there’s plenty of reason for hockey fans in the Sound to be excited. It will all be made even more exciting now that you can watch every game for free on Victory Plus.

Strap in—it’s going to be a fun season.

Header Photo Courtesy of Brian Liesse and the Seattle Thunderbirds

The post Five things to watch in the WHL for 2025-26 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/08/30/five-things-to-watch-in-the-whl-for-2025-26/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

The Seattle Kraken will be more fun (and better) this season

Everywhere I go, people keep asking me the same thing: “So, are the Kraken going to be any good this year?” My answer? Better than the “experts” think.

Now, let’s not get carried away, I’m not penciling them in for a Stanley Cup parade just yet. But I do believe this team will be noticeably better, way more competitive, and a lot more fun to watch than last season’s version. The front office didn’t make any headline-grabbing splashes this summer, but they made subtle moves that improved the roster while leaving room for young players to step in. Combine that with a healthier lineup, a new coaching voice, and a few kids ready to pop, and you’ve got reasons to be optimistic.

Here are five reasons I think Kraken hockey is going to be a lot more fun this season.

Better than the results of last season​

The Kraken weren’t nearly as bad as their record suggested. One of my favorite “sneaky” stats to look at is goal differential without empty-netters. Historically, teams hovering between zero and plus-five in that category have about a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Last year, the Kraken finished at -11 in that stat, which is not good, but not bottom-of-the-league bad either. That put them 19th overall in this metric, while their actual spot in the standings was 27th. Translation: they played closer to a middle-of-the-pack team than the record showed. Close some gaps defensively, turn a handful of one-goal losses into wins, and you’ve got a much more competitive season ahead.

A new coach, a new mindset​

It’s no secret the Kraken were way too easy to score on last season. Enter Lane Lambert, who replaces Dan Bylsma behind the bench. Lambert’s reputation leans defensive, and that’s exactly the kind of adjustment this team needed. Whether you call it the “new coach bump” or simply a philosophical shift, a more structured, defense-first approach should chip away at that goal differential problem right away.

Starting healthier and deeper than before​

Injuries don’t get talked about enough when people assess the Kraken’s struggles last year. Jordan Eberle was off to one of the best starts of his career before missing 39 games. Vince Dunn, arguably the team’s most important defenseman, missed 20. And the real problem wasn’t just losing stars, it was the massive drop-off to their replacements.

This season, the Kraken are better positioned to absorb those inevitable injuries. The depth chart has more NHL-ready rookies and supporting players that appear ready to jump up from Coachella Valley without the same production cliff we saw last year. Jani Nyman, Ryan Winterton, Logan Morrison, Ville Ottavainen, and a whole host of others have significant pro experience now, and if they don’t make the Opening Night roster, they should be able to slide in and be more impactful than in past call-ups.

Complimentary new pieces​

No, the Kraken didn’t dominate the offseason headlines, but their moves were strategic. Mason Marchment brings a net-front presence the team has lacked since its inception. Frederick Gaudreau is a right-shot center who kills penalties, chips in offense, and happens to be excellent in the shootout (hey, that might even swing a game or two).

WHAT A GOAL FROM MASON MARCHMENT

He gives the @DallasStars the lead in the third period! pic.twitter.com/llWPZBn4Mv

— NHL (@NHL) December 1, 2024

On the back end, Ryan Lindgren adds depth and grit to the blue line, while also giving the Kraken penalty kill a lift. None of these moves are splashy, but together they round out a roster that already had a solid foundation.

The kids are coming​

This is the most exciting part. Shane Wright proved last year that he’s ready to be a real contributor. After a slow start and a short stint as a healthy scratch, he turned it on, finishing with 42 points in 61 games, a .7 points-per-game pace. If that’s his baseline, Year 2 could be a lot of fun.

Matty Beniers, meanwhile, hasn’t matched the offensive pace of his Calder season, but the talent is undeniable. Expect a motivated Beniers to take another step.

And then there’s the rookie watch. Berkly Catton, the Kraken’s 2024 first-round pick, has already proven everything he can at the junior level with 92 goals and 133 assists in his last 125 WHL games. He has the skill set to be a game-changer and will get every opportunity to stick with the big club. Jani Nyman might not start the season in Seattle, but after a strong cameo last spring, I’d bet on him playing significant NHL minutes before the year is out.

FIRST GAME, FIRST GOAL FOR JANI NYMAN

And his parents were here to see it happen! pic.twitter.com/gWelDQKhQu

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

The bottom line​

This Kraken team isn’t a Stanley Cup contender, and that’s fine. What they are is a team with an outside shot at the playoffs, a chance to be competitive deep into March, and, most importantly, a roster that’s a lot more fun to watch than last year’s.

If the top players stay healthy, if the defense tightens up, and if the kids keep progressing, Seattle could be playing meaningful hockey when it matters most. At the very least, fans should buckle up for a season with more goals, more growth, and more hope for the future.

The post The Seattle Kraken will be more fun (and better) this season appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/09/02/the-seattle-kraken-will-be-more-fun-and-better-this-season/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken unveil all-black, glow-in-the-dark third jerseys

After much teasing, the Seattle Kraken officially unveiled their new third jerseys on Thursday: a black kit featuring a glow-in-the-dark version of the team’s primary logo as its main crest, glow-in-the-dark nameplates and numbers, and a lot of stripes up the sleeves and on the socks.

“When we set out to design a third jersey, we wanted to create something a bit more menacing and intense,” said Kraken vice president of brand Aaron Wiggan in a press release. “We drew our inspiration from the eerie shadows of the deep Pacific Northwest waters. The result is the franchise’s first all-black kit that includes an Ice Blue, glow-in-the-dark outline on the crest – a nod to the incredible bioluminescence found in these waters. We’re extremely proud of how it turned out, and we can’t wait to see our players and fans in this new look.”

Photos courtesy of Seattle Kraken.

Added Kraken captain Jordan Eberle: “This is an exciting new look for our team, and the jersey is phenomenal. The glow-in-the-dark element is really unique, and it’s such an eye-catching look. I love the inspiration behind it and all the details that went into the design. We hope it will add to the incredible atmosphere at Climate Pledge Arena.”

I’ve always been a sucker for black uniforms (I loved the all-black San Jose “stealth” jerseys, for example), so while I personally predicted these new jerseys would be red—since “Red Alert” was the only existing color in the Kraken’s palette that hadn’t yet been used as a primary—I was pleasantly surprised to see that the teaser videos’ references to “the abyss” were hinting at black uniforms.

I do like that, and the “bioluminescence”-inspired logo will pop nicely, especially when the lights go down in the arena for the pre-game show. What I’m not sold on yet, without seeing the kits in person, is the extra striping up the sleeves and socks (though the Kraken have said the stripes are a nod to sonar, which I admit is a neat touch). I recall giving the New York Rangers a hard time for their navy blue third jerseys that had a gazillion stripes on the sleeves because of how busy they looked. Seattle’s jerseys don’t have nearly as many stripes as those Rangers thirds, but that detail is the one that gave me pause.

Holistically, though, I think it’s a unique look, and it will be fun to see the Kraken don black. I also think there are opportunities for Game Ops to make the show at Climate Pledge Arena even more eerie on nights when the arena transforms from “The Deep” to “The Abyss.”

Seattle will wear the new uniforms for 12 home games this season, starting Nov. 1 against the aforementioned Rangers. Here’s the full list of when they will wear the new kits:

• Nov. 1 vs. New York Rangers
• Nov. 5 vs. San Jose
• Nov. 26 vs. Dallas
• Dec. 4 at Edmonton
• Dec. 8 vs. Minnesota
• Dec. 29 vs. Vancouver
• Jan. 6 vs. Boston
• Jan. 23 vs. Anaheim
• Jan. 25 vs. New Jersey
• March 4 vs. St. Louis
• March 12 vs. Colorado
• April 9 vs. Vegas

Preorder for the jerseys for Kraken season ticket members starts Friday and runs through Sept. 10. Presales for the public start Sept. 11.

What say you, Kraken fans? Do you like these new third jerseys?

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 Kraken unveil all-black, glow-in-the-dark third jerseys appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/09/04/kraken-unveil-new-third-jersey/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

2025 NHL-affiliated prospects ranking

Welcome to our third annual analysis of all NHL-affiliated prospects and each organization’s prospect pipeline. With rookie camps and tournaments right around the corner and training camps following soon thereafter, there is no better time to get up to speed on the players that will soon take center stage across the league.

The “data score” approach​

Today’s analysis is a “data-only” look at the prospect landscape. This is not a traditional scouting assessment of prospects or organizational prospect pools. Think of it, instead, as a supplement to the scouting and analytical work on prospects being published by other sources like Elite Prospects and The Athletic at this time of year.

What do I mean by a “data-only” analysis? As I have done in years past when looking at NHL-affiliated players (or draft prospects), I have organized this player list by “Data Score”—a rough metric we came up with here at Sound Of Hockey. Data Score begins with the bedrock of an NHL equivalency (“NHLe”). NHLe is a method to compare the scoring proficiency of players in the various professional and junior leagues across the globe. I used Thibaud Chatel’s model, which is the most up-to-date public research in the area. Check out Chatel’s Substack for an in-depth discussion of NHLe. For this project, I used Chatel’s newest model, which has been updated to account for 2024-25 season data.

In contrast with years past when I looked at only a one-year sample to create this list, this year, I applied this NHLe to three years of scoring data—from the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 seasons. More recent play is given more weight. I think this is an important upgrade to the approach and one I will be continuing to iterate on moving forward.

After deriving an NHLe from the scoring data, I then make adjustments for age, height, and position, as well as a modest upward adjustment to the NHLe for low-scoring players playing in high-level professional leagues. I then normalize the resulting output and call it the prospect’s “Data Score.” This number no longer projects NHL scoring but is (hopefully) useful in describing the relative strength of prospects. I’ve gone through the methodology in more detail previously here and here.

NHL-affiliated prospects list eligibility​

To be eligible for this list, the player (1) must be a skater on the roster or reserve list of an NHL team, (2) must be younger than 24 years old as of Sept. 1, 2025, and (3) cannot have played more than 50 NHL games. (I adjusted the age threshold downward from 25 years old this year.) This approach yielded approximately 850 players. The full list will be published shortly on the Sound Of Hockey Patreon. Let’s get into the top 200 players and prospect pipelines here.

Top-200 NHL-Affiliated Prospects​

While the flow of talent from Russia has understandably ebbed in recent years, two Russian-born players top our NHL-affiliated prospects list. Ivan Demidov was widely regarded as one of the most talented players outside of the NHL until his debut late in the 2024-25 season. Igor Chernyshov boosted his stock in the eyes of scouts and in this data-only analysis by posting 55 points in 23 OHL games in his first North American action.

Three other widely touted OHL prospects fall within the top 10: forwards Liam Greentree and Michael Misa and defenseman Zayne Parekh. Zeev Buium, who played for the University of Denver before debuting for the Wild late in the 2024-25 season, is the sole college hockey representative in the top 10. NCAA forwards Gabe Perreault and Matthew Wood narrowly missed.

Finally, four AHL players round out the top 10: former University of Maine forward Bradly Nadeau, QMJHL alumnus defenseman Tristan Luneau, SHL-experienced forward Filip Bystedt, and former Liiga standout and Kraken prospect Jani Nyman.

It may be surprising at first to see Nyman so high on this list, but that’s because he’s been a bit under-considered behind the high-profile centers Seattle has drafted. Two years ago, he scored the most goals by a 19-year-old in Liiga play in 40 years. This past year, Nyman was second in the AHL in goals among rookies, behind only Nadeau. He has scored in exemplary fashion at levels that fellow prospects Berkly Catton and Jake O’Brien have not yet reached. Nyman’s profile heralds a prolific NHL scorer.

Prospect pipelines and organizational outlook​

The San Jose Sharks appear primed to improve—and quickly. Even after graduating prospects like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the Sharks have four of the top 15 NHL-affiliated prospects by our Data Score method: Chernyshov, Misa, Bystedt, and defenseman Sam Dickinson.

The Calgary Flames had the most prospects overall in the top 100 with eight. The Seattle Kraken and Montreal Canadiens followed with seven apiece.

Visualizing each organization’s top 100 prospects against 2024-25 regular-season standings points, we see which teams are well positioned now and into the future. Interestingly, only four teams were better than average in the 2024-25 standings and have more than the average number of top 100 prospects (i.e., at least four): Montreal, Calgary, Minnesota, and Washington. Otherwise, teams are clustered in either the “win now” range (with productive NHL rosters but few top-scoring prospects) or the rebuilding range.

Did we miss a player? (It’s possible; the information gathering for this project is challenging.) Do you have any questions? Reach out to us in the comments below or on Twitter/X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.

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 2025 NHL-affiliated prospects ranking appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/09/04/2025-nhl-affiliated-prospects-ranking/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Seattle Kraken trade for J.R. Avon, plus Catton and Saarinen film review

On Thursday, the Seattle Kraken announced an organizational first: a trade involving a team-drafted prospect. The Kraken sent their 2021 fourth-round pick Tucker Robertson to the Philadelphia Flyers in a one-for-one exchange for Jon-Randall Avon. As it turns out, there are a number of parallels and similarities between the two players.

The two forwards are 22-year-old Ontario natives born within two weeks of each other in the summer of 2003. After successful youth hockey performances, each was drafted to the Peterborough Petes with picks in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. They then played 150-plus OHL games together in Peterborough, culminating with each being part of the leadership group on the 2022-23 Petes team that won the OHL Championship.

Since departing the OHL, each has played in the professional minor leagues, mostly in the AHL. Avon has 35 points in 125 AHL games with Lehigh Valley in that span—for .28 points per game. For his part, Robertson has 19 points in 77 AHL games with Coachella Valley—for .25 points per game. Robertson also had 14 points in the 13 ECHL games. All of these statistical similarities put them in a very similar place in our recent “data-only” NHL-affiliated prospect ranking: Avon was No. 500 and Robertson was No. 535.

At this point you might be wondering (fairly) why the Kraken made this fairly minor prospect swap at all if the players are so similar. I suspect both long-term and short-term roster dynamics could be at play.

This is the last season of both Avon and Robertson’s three-year, entry-level contracts. My guess is the organizations had doubts the players they traded would factor into their future plans beyond the current contract. Now, each player gets a fresh start and opportunity to impress a team that may be more inclined to re-sign them beyond this year.

It’s also possible the teams doubted the traded players would be AHL regulars this season. Earlier this offseason, I had Robertson as low as sixth on the Coachella Valley center depth chart. Avon was in the Lehigh Valley lineup for the large majority of last season but was scratched for the team’s AHL playoff games. It’s likely Seattle views Avon, who has skated mostly as a winger professionally, as a better organizational fit and more likely to have an AHL role this coming year, given the team’s other options.

Why so? That’s where the film review comes in. In this special trade edition of the Friday Film Room, we’ll take a first look at Avon’s game, followed by our more typical game film and progress reports on forward Berkly Catton and goalie Kim Saarinen. If you have questions or Film Room requests, don’t hesitate to reach out below or on social media @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.

J.R. Avon | Forward | 22 years old | Undrafted Free Agent (Flyers)​

Video: All Shifts | Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. Bridgeport Islanders (AHL) | Apr. 2, 2025

Notes: J.R. Avon brings a starkly different set of physical tools from a 6-foot-0 frame when compared with the smaller, cerebral Robertson. Between the two, I’d rate Robertson’s hockey sense, skill level, and center aptitude ahead of Avon, whereas Avon has the decided advantage in size, skating, physicality, and compete.

I think it’s fair to say that Robertson’s pure offensive upside is higher; Robertson was a significantly better junior scorer, for example. Over the last two years, however, I’ve come to doubt whether Robertson will be able to manifest that production in the professional ranks. While he is creative and smart, his physical limitations both in terms of size and speed have significantly hampered his ability to create space for himself or teammates offensively. Even if he can break through at the AHL level, I suspect Robertson’s most optimistic peak might be an Andrew Poturalski-type career arc—i.e., a player who tops out just below the NHL level due to pace and size limitations.

In contrast, Avon displays NHL-level skating and tenacity both forechecking and backchecking from the wing position. In the two games I’ve viewed so far, his ability to pressure the puck on his own created turnovers and space for his team to make a line change in situations I would not have expected. When the play is mired through the neutral zone, he can flip the ice by winning simple dump-and-chase plays with speed and physicality.

While his size is only average, he displays a willingness and aptitude to engage physically. His ability to win puck battles and overall board work is above average. He was often the tip-of-the-spear F1 in a neutral-zone forecheck.

Avon does not standout as a plus playmaker or possession player, but he has enough ability with the puck on his stick to take open ice in transition and run effective offensive-zone cycles and give-and-go sequences. He does good work off the puck offensively to find open space and will shoot if he is uncovered. Most of his goals are of the “dirty” variety and come from his willingness to work to the net front when the play dictates.

Avon skated in a fourth-line role, without special teams responsibilities in the games I viewed. This puts him at the very bottom of the AHL depth chart. I would have liked to see if he could produce on the penalty kill, but I did not see those opportunities in the games I watched.

I’d project Avon to compete for a fourth-line left wing role with Coachella Valley (with Lleyton Roed perhaps moving up into more of a middle-six left-wing role). In a best-case scenario, I could see Avon’s skills translating to a similar role at the NHL level, but there is a lot to prove still in the AHL—particularly from a point production standpoint—before he could get into that conversation.

More on Avon:

Jon-Randall Avon with the silky backhander@LVPhantoms | #WBSvsLV pic.twitter.com/cD3mNrlbxA

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) February 10, 2024

2025-26 season outlook: Competing for bottom-six time for Coachella Valley (AHL).

System rank: Outside the top 20

Peak projection (50th percentile outcome): Multi-year AHL middle-six forward (ETA: 2026-27)

Berkly Catton | Forward | 19 years old | 2024 first-round pick (signed)​

Video: All Shifts | Spokane Chiefs vs. Medicine Hat Tigers (NCAA) | May 11, 2025

Notes: On a recent episode of the excellent Called Up podcast, Good-Friend-of-the-Pod and Flo Hockey analyst Chris Peters asked Elite Prospects‘ Cam Robinson about Elite Prospects’ decision to rank Catton below many members of the 2025 draft class (including Jake O’Brien) in its recent NHL-affiliated prospect ranking.

Robinson’s answer surprised me a bit. Robinson said that Elite Prospects was concerned whether Catton could translate his offensive production to the NHL level. In their view, Catton relied on lower-pace, ice-scanning plays to generate points and these plays do not work as well in the professional ranks where defenses deny space much more quickly. This may be a dated criticism of Catton’s game, though.

Toward the end of the 2024-25 WHL season and throughout the playoffs, I saw Catton working to create offense without losing any pace—and doing it effectively. Pair this with physical commitment off the ice (he came in second in the team’s athletic testing at development camp this summer), clear progress in his first-step skating explosiveness, and some added details in his off-the-puck play in all three zones, and I think Catton has taken strides to make his game “translate” professionally in every area he can.

If I were stretching to find areas to critique, Catton gets himself in trouble when he attempts to defeat a defender one-on-one at the offensive blue line or in other vulnerable positions. He often prevails—but when he does not he concedes advantages or takes penalties unnecessarily. Those types of plays will not work regularly at the NHL level, and he needs to learn when the situation dictates a simpler, conservative play. He also needs to use his skating more defensively because he can get caught reaching with his stick at times.

Beyond that, Catton is self-evidently limited in his size and physicality, but he has the speed, skill, and hockey sense to win in other ways. He could play center, but I continue to think of him as a playmaking, point-per-game winger at his peak. And I think we could see that version of Catton sooner rather than later.

More on Catton: Check out this mid-season interview Catton did with Sound Of Hockey’s Cameron Riggers.

2025-26 season outlook: Semi-regular NHL playing time.

System Rank: No. 1.

Peak Projection (50th percentile outcome): Second-line, playmaking winger (ETA: 2027-28)

Kim Saarinen | Goalie | 19 years old | 2024 third-round pick (signed)​

Video: All Shots Against | Finland U19 vs. Sweden U19 | Apr. 20, 2025

Notes: Kim Saarinen is coming off a standout rookie season for HPK in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, finishing third in save percentage as an 18-year-old. Few goalies have achieved such success at such a young age in Liiga—not even fellow Kraken prospect Nikke Kokko was as productive at the same stage. Equally encouraging, Saarinen continues to earn starts for Finland’s national team on the international stage. Earlier this summer we profiled Saarinen’s strong work at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase.

Corey Pronman of The Athletic arched my eyebrow a bit when he ranked Saarinen as Seattle’s best goalie prospect (above Kokko) in his recent prospect ranking. You could argue Saarinen has a pure skill advantage; it is close, but I’d probably still lean toward Kokko. And Kokko has successfully transitioned to the North American game already with a standout rookie AHL season. I like Saarinen a lot, but he will be behind Kokko in my forthcoming preseason Kraken prospects ranking.

2025-26 season outlook: Tandem starter role in Liiga

System Rank: No. 16 (No. 3 goalie behind Kokko and narrowly behind Semyon Vyazovoy)

Peak Projection (50th percentile outcome): NHL spot starter or backup (ETA: 2028-29)

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

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Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/09/0...-r-avon-plus-catton-and-saarinen-film-review/