Seattle Kraken
Starter
First two home games feel oddly critical for Kraken
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/07/kraken-first-two-home-games/
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/07/kraken-first-two-home-games/
RSS Kraken Team Notes
Seattle Kraken
Starter
10 burning questions for the 2025-26 Seattle Kraken
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/08/burning-questions-for-2025-26-seattle-kraken/
The preseason is officially in the books, and Opening Night is practically here. It’s the best time of year—hope is high, the standings are clean, and nobody’s been mathematically eliminated yet. The Seattle Kraken come into this season looking to bounce back, clean up their defensive play, and maybe (just maybe) surprise a few of those national pundits who’ve already written them off. But as always with this team, there are plenty of storylines to watch.
Here are 10 questions we’re asking as the Kraken dive into the 2025-26 campaign.
How many games does Berkly Catton get this season?
Berkly’s made the roster—for now—which was almost expected after his strong camp and preseason. The real question is whether he sticks around past the nine-game mark that would burn a year of his entry-level contract. Does he earn a full-time NHL spot at 19 or head back to Spokane for more seasoning? Either way, it will be fascinating to see how long he stays with the big-league team. He’s been practicing as an extra the last few days, so we’re guessing his NHL debut will have to wait beyond Thursday’s game against Anaheim.
How does Lane Lambert’s system impact the goals against?
The 2024-25 Kraken were not exactly defensive stalwarts, allowing 3.2 goals per game—24th in the NHL. Compare that to 2.83 in 2023-24 (eighth-best), and you see how much they regressed. Enter Lane Lambert, known for his structure and defensive discipline. If the team buys in, the Kraken could tighten things up significantly, which is essential if they want to hang around the playoff race.
How do they manage the goalies?
The Kraken are rolling with three goaltenders to start the season, which is… unconventional. With a jam-packed October, it makes some sense, but come November, things lighten up. Joey Daccord was probably overworked last season, so finding a better rotation will be key. How Lambert and company juggle this trio, while keeping everyone sharp, will be one of the early season intriguing storylines.
What kind of year does Matty Beniers have?
Matty hasn’t quite matched his rookie production since that stellar debut season. He scored 20 goals last year, respectable but a step back from the 24 he netted as a rookie. With Kaapo Kakko sidelined early, Beniers will need to drive more offense on his own. He’s still young and plenty talented, but this could be the year that defines what kind of player he’s going to be long-term. He’s been skating on a familiar line with Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle lately.
What changes are going to be made to the pregame show?
Alright, this one’s for the in-arena diehards. After more than 150 games at Climate Pledge Arena, I still make it a point to catch the full pregame show—and every season it gets a refresh. The Kraken’s production crew always finds new ways to top themselves. What surprises are they cooking up this time?
Who re-signs and who moves on?
The answer to this question probably depends on whether the Kraken are still in the playoff hunt come late February. Four key forwards—Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, and newcomer Mason Marchment—are all on expiring deals. That group combined for 80 goals last year. Expect at least one or two to be re-signed, but the rest could be valuable trade chips if the postseason looks out of reach.
Does Jared McCann bounce back?
McCann’s 22 goals last year weren’t bad, but they were his fewest as a Kraken in any single season. He played through an injury that required offseason surgery, which likely explains some of the dip and may have been related to him missing a good chunk of training camp. Don’t expect another 40-goal explosion like 2022–23, but a healthy McCann hitting 30 again feels realistic, and it would go a long way toward stabilizing the Kraken’s scoring.
How do the Kraken control zone entries against?
One of last season’s biggest frustrations was how easily opponents gained the Kraken’s defensive zone. Too many clean entries led to too much time defending—and too many goals against. This issue was glaring on the penalty kill, where Seattle often looked a step slow. Lambert’s emphasis on structure should help here, but it’s going to take commitment from all five skaters.
Who plays in the Olympics from the Kraken?
Philipp Grubauer (Germany) and prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (Denmark) are the only real locks for February’s Olympic tournament. Kaapo Kakko has a solid shot at making Finland’s roster (though his broken hand doesn’t help those chances), while Eeli Tolvanen could sneak in with other injuries to Finland’s roster. Brandon Montour (Canada) and Joey Daccord (USA) are in the extended pools, but both would need blistering starts to the season to make the final cut.
Will we get a return of Seattle Kraken depth scoring?
In 2022-23, the Kraken could roll four lines that could all hurt you. That team had 13 players with double-digit goals and one of the most balanced attacks in hockey. Over the last two seasons, that spark faded. This season, with new additions Frederick Gaudreau and Mason Marchment plus rookies Jani Nyman and Berkly Catton, Seattle is hoping to bring back that “anyone can score” identity. Can they rediscover that magic? We’ll find out soon enough.
Wrapping it up
Every season brings its fair share of questions, but this one feels especially juicy. Between a new coach, a hungry young core, and a few “prove-it” veterans, the Kraken are a fascinating team heading into 2025-26. Whether they surprise people or struggle again, it’s bound to be an entertaining ride.
What about you? Any burning questions you have about this 2025-26 Seattle Kraken team?
The post 10 burning questions for the 2025-26 Seattle Kraken appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/08/burning-questions-for-2025-26-seattle-kraken/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
41 reasons to catch a Kraken home game
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/09/41-reasons-to-catch-a-kraken-home-game/
As the season kicks off, I thought it would be a perfectly productive use of my time to come up with 41 reasons to check out a Kraken home game—one for every game to be played at Climate Pledge Arena. Some reasons are serious (kind of), some are completely ridiculous, and all are valid excuses to grab a ticket, a college soda, and watch some hockey.
10/9/2025 vs ANA – Opening Night! I’ve been buzzing all week waiting for meaningful Kraken hockey that actually counts in the standings. Nothing beats that first Climate Pledge roar.
10/11/2025 vs VGK – Mitch Marner’s third regular-season game with Vegas. Still feels weird typing that sentence.
10/25/2025 vs EDM – Sure, you could come for Connor McDavid—the sixth-highest-paid player in the NHL—but that’s too easy. Instead, watch former Seattle Thunderbird Noah Philp, who made his NHL debut at 26 after taking a year off from hockey. Gritty comeback stories hit different.
10/28/2025 vs MTL – Montreal fans get weirdly defensive when I mention Shane Wright has more goals and assists than Juraj Slafkovsky in their respective first 95 games. Not our fault they didn’t draft Shane with their first overall.
11/1/2025 vs NYR – Will Borgen returns to Climate Pledge for the first time since being traded to the Rangers. Expect at least one thunderous hit to remind us what we’re missing.
11/3/2025 vs CHI – Andre Burakovsky’s back! But so is Ryan Donato, the first goal scorer in Kraken history. You’re legally obligated to cheer for him (until puck drop).
11/5/2025 vs SJS – The Sharks’ young core gave the Kraken fits last season, including those brutal back-to-back losses in November. Let’s not do that again.
11/11/2025 vs CBJ – Columbus is a sneaky fun team: a lot of young talent, plenty of chaos. Should be a good one.
11/13/2025 vs WPG – If everyone’s healthy, you’ll see two U.S. Olympians in Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck. Bonus points if you can spell “Hellebuyck” without peeking.
11/15/2025 vs SJS – Most national analysts have written off San Jose this year, so let’s help them stay right about that.
11/26/2025 vs DAL – The Kraken are giving away gravy boats to the first 10,000 fans. Gravy boats!
11/29/2025 vs EDM – A 1 p.m. game on Thanksgiving weekend, perfect for bringing the family, also gives you an opportunity to take a break from leftovers.
12/6/2025 vs DET – Patrick Kane may have lost a step, but those hands still belong in a museum. Always worth watching.
12/8/2025 vs MIN – I could see Minnesota missing the playoffs this year after squeaking in last season. This game might mean something real for both teams.
12/10/2025 vs LAK – The first bobblehead giveaway of the season. Collect them all!
12/14/2025 vs BUF – Seattle is 7-1-0 all-time against Buffalo. The Kraken just seem to have the Sabres’ number, and we’re fine with that.
12/16/2025 vs COL – Cale Makar. You either love to watch him play or still hold some animosity toward him for taking out Jared McCann in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I choose the latter.
12/28/2025 vs PHI – The Flyers might not be contenders, but seeing Trevor Zegras in a Flyers uniform after a summer trade will be interesting.
Trevor Zegras takes an ill-advised four-minute cross-checking penalty.
Strange, though, the official put his arm up on the original hit but only called 4 minutes for cross checking.pic.twitter.com/6RCVUI2Je4
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) March 29, 2024
12/29/2025 vs VAN – The Kraken went 3-0-1 against Vancouver last year, including that glorious 5–0 win in the middle of their playoff chase. Wouldn’t mind seeing a repeat of that embarrassment.
1/1/2026 vs NSH – There’s no better place to be on New Year’s Day than watching Kraken hockey. Resolutions can wait until the second period.
1/6/2026 vs BOS – Morgan Geekie.
1/8/2026 vs MIN – If the Kraken are pushing for a playoff spot, this could be a big one. Minnesota might be the team standing in their way.
1/19/2026 vs PIT – The Kids Game! Always a fun game to check out with or without the young ones in tow.
1/21/2026 vs NYI – If everything goes as expected, this could be Matthew Schaefer’s first game in Seattle, the first overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft. It should also be former Seattle Thunderbird, Mat Barzal’s first game in Seattle in over two years.
1/23/2026 vs ANA – By this point we’ll know if Anaheim is a legit playoff contender or still a fun-but-not-quite-there team. Either way, Leo Carlsson might be worth watching.
1/25/2026 vs NJD – New Jersey is a sneaky Cup contender this season. If the Devils stay healthy, look out. Should be one of the better hockey nights of the year.
1/27/2026 vs WSH – There’s a real chance this is your last chance to see Alexander Ovechkin in Seattle.
1/29/2026 vs TOR – Toronto is 4-0-0 all-time at Climate Pledge Arena. They’re the only team the Kraken have never gotten a point against. When the Kraken win this one, you’ll witness actual history.
2/28/2026 vs VAN – The first home game after the Olympic break. After weeks of Olympic and junior hockey, it’ll just feel good to be back watching the Kraken again.
3/2/2026 vs CAR – With Aleksander Barkov out for the season in Florida, Carolina might be the team to beat in the East.
3/4/2026 vs STL – No idea where the Kraken will be in the standings by this point, but it’s the last game before the trade deadline. Expect some drama.
3/7/2026 vs OTT – Ottawa’s another trendy “they’ll take a step” team. Let’s make sure that step is backward.
3/10/2026 vs NSH – Remember last year when people picked Nashville to win the Stanley Cup? That was cute.
3/12/2026 vs COL – Colorado will be out for revenge after an early season loss. Too bad they’re not getting it.
3/15/2026 vs FLA – The two-time Stanley Cup champs come to town. The Kraken are a tidy 2-1-1 at home against the Panthers, so there’s that.
3/17/2026 vs TBL – This one will sting. Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand’s first game back in Seattle. It’s also my birthday, so Kraken, please win. For me.
4/2/2026 vs UTA – Assuming Adam Larsson keeps up his ironman pace, this could be his first home game after hitting 1,000 career NHL games. Expect a well-deserved pregame celebration for one of the OG’s.
4/4/2026 vs CHI – Chicago’s loaded with young talent: Bedard, Nazar, Levshunov, Rinzel and maybe even ex-T-Bird Kevin Korchinski will be playing for them by this point in the season.
4/9/2026 vs VGK – I hate the Golden Knights with a passion and fully expect them to be elite again this season. That’ll just make beating them even sweeter.
4/11/2026 vs CGY – Calgary’s only trip to Seattle this year. Good news for Martin Pospisil: Vince Dunn (and Kraken fans) definitely haven’t forgotten.
4/13/2026 vs LAK – Final game of the season—before the postseason, ideally. How poetic would it be to eliminate the Kings from playoff contention right here?
So, there you have it: 41 very scientific, deeply thought-out reasons to check out every Seattle Kraken home game this season. Whether you’re a diehard fan, a casual observer, or just someone who likes seeing Buoy shine a bald guy’s head, there’s always something to enjoy at Climate Pledge Arena.
And hey, beyond the theme nights and visiting stars, there are plenty of reasons to tune in every single game. You never know when you might witness Jani Nyman or Berkly Catton’s coming-out party, a random hat trick, a ridiculous comeback, or maybe—just maybe—that elusive goalie goal we’ve all been waiting for from Joey Daccord.
The post 41 reasons to catch a Kraken home game appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/09/41-reasons-to-catch-a-kraken-home-game/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways: Kraken rebound from ugly 1st period to snag 3-1 Opening Night win over Ducks
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/10/kraken-defeat-ducks-opening-night/
Well, how about that? The Seattle Kraken can win on Opening Night! And they did so for the first time in their relatively short history Thursday, beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1.
Seattle overcame a painfully sluggish first period, one in which Vince Dunn opened the scoring at just 2:21 before the team went heavily on its heels for the rest of the frame.
“Besides yell at each other a little bit?” Jared McCann joked when asked what the group did to change the momentum after the first. “Honestly, I think we just kind of dumbed it down a bit. Obviously, getting used to the ice again, and all that stuff. We just tried to keep it simple.”
Eventually, the Kraken found something resembling the type of game they want to play this season—tight structure, relentless forechecking, and a commitment to details. It took a while, but they started to show it in the later stages.
Lane Lambert earned his first win as Kraken head coach, Joey Daccord saved Seattle’s bacon 31 times, and Dunn, McCann, and Mason Marchment each potted goals.
Here are Three Takeaways from a slow-starting but ultimately solid 3-1 Kraken win over the Ducks.
Takeaway #1: Ugly first period
If not for Daccord being razor-sharp early, the Kraken would have been staring at a steep uphill climb heading into the second period. Instead, while they fumbled practically every puck they touched in their end—where they spent almost the entire period—Daccord kept bailing them out and got them to the break tied 1-1.
“I think we played well, even though, I mean, the shot counter was a little lopsided at first,” Daccord said. “But I thought we played well. I thought we just found a way to battle through it as a group, and then eventually, as we started to get our legs there in the second period and then eventually dominate the third was great to see from my end.”
I may respectfully disagree with Daccord’s assessment that the team played “well” in the first 20, but things were noticeably different in the second—especially after Brandon Montour’s hustle play that we’ll get to in Takeaway No. 2.
Credit the Ducks, too, who came out… flying… under new head coach Joel Quenneville. Their jump and structure made me wonder if Anaheim might be significantly improved this season, while Seattle initially looked like it was carrying over many of the same issues from the past two years.
But give Lambert’s bunch credit as well. They stuck with it, got out of the muck, and slowly tilted the ice back in their favor as the night went on.
Takeaway #2: Montour willed the Kraken into the lead
Marchment’s goal in his first game as a Kraken was nice, but the play Montour made to set it up was even better. He chased Troy Terry from the defensive goal line to the blue line, stripped him of the puck, then blew past him and gained control again deep in the offensive zone.
Meanwhile, Marchment quietly slid into the slot, which Jacob Trouba had vacated chasing Montour. Montour put the pass right on the money, and Marchment buried it.
THE MUSH PUSH!
Mason Marchment is the beneficiary of an outstanding 200-foot play by Brandon Montour, and he pots his first as a #SeaKraken.
Somehow, it's 2-1 Seattle. pic.twitter.com/OJ0BltOEob
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 10, 2025
“That was great,” Marchment said. “Great play [by Montour]. He broke up a play, made a great play to me in the slot. I just tried to find a hole for him, and he put it right on my tape.”
Lambert has often talked about turning strong defensive plays into offense, and this was as good an example as you’ll find.
“He did exactly what, I guess, we wanted him to do,” Lambert said of Montour. “Of course, he made an elite play, so it certainly was well done from that standpoint. But the whole sequence was pretty well defended, and then you’ve got an elite player making an elite play, and that’s always nice to see.”
After Montour’s determined sequence four minutes into the second, the Kraken suddenly looked like a different team—and never really looked back.
Takeaway #3: Is Jared McCann back?
McCann’s goal may have been even prettier than Marchment’s. What looked like an innocuous play turned into a perfect sequence of execution by the top line of McCann, Jordan Eberle, and Matty Beniers, who set McCann up at the top of the crease. The puck was on and off McCann’s stick and under the bar in an instant.
The play started in the neutral zone, with Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura forcing a turnover and quickly transitioning back to offense. Eberle sent a perfectly weighted cross-ice dump-in to the far corner, where Beniers had a step on Drew Helleson. He got one touch on the puck—a chop to the slot—where McCann one-timed it into the top shelf.
MCCANN CAN!
What a beautiful goal! Perfectly weighted dump-in by Eberle, Beniers one-touches it to McCann, and he roofs it.
3-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/UlExxxWNfX
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 10, 2025
“Beautiful,” McCann said. “I’m a very lucky guy to play with two players like that who have skill and are obviously great leaders.”
I still don’t know exactly what injury led to McCann’s procedure after last season, which caused him to barely skate during the summer and even training camp. But based on Thursday’s evidence, his shot looks as wicked as ever.
His goal totals have dipped from 40 in 2022-23 to 29 and 22 in the two seasons since. But if this performance is any indication, maybe McCann’s back on track for the higher end of his production capabilities.
It was far from a perfect night for the Kraken, who still have a lot to work on. But getting the season off on the right foot with a win felt important.
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 Three Takeaways: Kraken rebound from ugly 1st period to snag 3-1 Opening Night win over Ducks appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/10/kraken-defeat-ducks-opening-night/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Down on the Farm – Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/10/down-on-the-farm-firebirds-drop-the-puck-on-the-2025-26-season/
“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll dig in on the 2025-26 Coachella Valley Firebirds as they prepare for their AHL season opener, while also passing along news and notes, data updates, and scouting video from across the Kraken prospect landscape. As always, if you have a Kraken 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 dive in.
Firebirds to take the ice with young, exciting roster, and lineup questions
The Coachella Valley Firebirds will drop the puck on their fourth season on Friday. Remarkably, in each of the team’s first three years of existence, the Kraken AHL affiliate’s final loss has come in the playoffs to the eventual Calder Cup champion.
In the team’s first two seasons, that success was built on a veteran lineup that ranked among the oldest in the league. Powered by proven AHL players like Andrew Poturalski, Kole Lind, and Cameron Hughes, and guided by Dan Bylsma and his staff, the team went to the Calder Cup Finals each year.
Last season was one of transition. The team integrated a new bench boss in Derek Laxdal and a number of younger Kraken drafted players, including Ty Nelson, Jagger Firkus, and David Goyette. Notwithstanding all of that change, the season was a success as the Firebirds advanced to the second round of the playoffs before falling to Abbotsford.
This year, the youth movement is complete. With a wave of drafted prospects on entry-level contracts reaching the professional ranks, the Firebirds will rank as one of the youngest teams in the AHL, if not the youngest.
Data compiled by Elite Prospects has the current Firebirds roster as the third youngest and third least experienced in the AHL. Yet, this does not account for the season-ending hip surgery for veteran captain Max McCormick. Removing McCormick from the equation, the Firebirds Opening Day average age dips to 23.04, which would be—by far—the lowest in the AHL.
The challenge ahead to repeat the team’s previous success is evident. “It is a young roster,” Firebirds vice president of hockey and business operations Troy Bodie conceded in an interview on the Fire & Ice Podcast, but “it’s a talented group.” Bodie noted “the team has drafted well,” before calling out forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth as new players primed for important roles. “They’re going to be fan favorites quite early.”
The current Opening Day lineup projects to have only three players that qualify toward the five veteran player limit: Forwards Mitchell Stephens and John Hayden and defenseman Gustav Olofsson. Beyond that group, forwards Ben Meyers and Ian McKinnon figure to be influential figures, but, as Bodie conceded, leadership and high-leverage minutes are going to have to come from elsewhere too.
The team is going to lean on a group of second- and third-year players who “are going to step into highly offensive roles and important shutdown roles. We’ve been preparing for this in the last few years,” Bodie said. “It will be interesting to see how things shake out in terms of line combinations and roles, power play time.”
Just hours before Opening Night, we know more about what the roster will look like than we did a month ago, but the specific groupings will likely evolve in the early going. Here’s one potential look at how the team could line up:
The loss of McCormick is felt by the team because Coach Laxdal may like to have a veteran forward line he can rely upon in crunch time. With no other strong veteran candidate for the first-line left wing role, I moved Ben Meyers—who can play center or on the wing—up to the top line. Ideally, he’d bring his talent and savvy to the center position on the second line, and perhaps they start that way. But if Meyers does move into a wing role, at least in crucial situations, we could see rookie Andrei Loshko at center. Loshko—who played center and wing in his junior career—was utilized at center during Kraken training camp and in the Firebirds preseason game.
In this construction, the second line would trade on skill, while the third line would represent an intriguing blend of speed, grit, and goal scoring. The fourth line is not your standard grinding unit, but it is comprised of three center-capable forwards with plenty of forechecking speed on the wings. It is possible McKinnon could sub in for Goyette on Opening Night. I’d expect that McKinnon plays at least 40 games.
On the blue line, Ty Nelson seems primed for heavy usage at 5-on-5 and on special teams—particularly with Cale Fleury in the NHL for at least the season’s first month. Ville Ottavainen is more NHL ready than Nelson—he was among the last reassignments from NHL camp—but it makes sense to separate him from the team’s other best stay-at-home blueliner, Olofsson.
Jugnauth could be a newcomer in the top-four defensemen group and add a power-play role, which would make him an important player from the jump.
What are Bodie’s expectations for this young squad? “I’d like to see our players adapting to pro hockey quickly. There’s going to be some learning curve, some mistakes made along the way. I understand that.”
“I want to see our players compete, work hard, not give up an inch. Competitive nature is a non-negotiable for the Firebirds. We work hard here. That’s not something we take lightly.”
Notes on four more Kraken players
Ryan Winterton | F | Seattle Kraken (NHL)
Winterton is a player fans may have reasonably expected to slot into the top six of the Firebirds lineup discussed above. Instead, he skated with the NHL team in Seattle’s season opener, logging 12:02 time on ice, including one penalty-kill shift. Jason Botterill told Winterton he would be up with Kraken for “the foreseeable future,” so we should expect the young forward to remain on the NHL roster at least through Kaapo Kakko’s return, if not longer.
Nathan Villeneuve | F | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
When Nathan Villeneuve left Kraken camp with an injury, the team said only that Villeneuve would miss the remainder of camp. Left to speculate about worst-case scenarios, it was a pleasant update to hear that Villeneuve will be back on the ice for his OHL team, the Sudbury Wolves, as of Friday. He will also be the Wolves’ captain for the 2025-26 season. I’m curious to see if this causes him to change his play-on-the-edge style that has led to heavy penalty minutes and a fighting-related suspension in the past.
Visa Vedenpää | G | HPK (Liiga)
Visa Vedenpää earned his first Liiga win on Saturday, Oct. 4, stopping 32 of 33 shots in a game against Kiekko-Espoo. Recognizing the moment, the team feted the young goaltender postgame. Some highlights and Vedenpää’s locker room speech were captured by the team-issued video below.
Karl Annborn | D | Västerås IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
On Thursday, Oct. 9, HV71 loaned defenseman Karl Annborn to Västerås IK of HockeyAllsvenskan. It is likely that the team and player determined Annborn was too advanced for the Swedish U20 league, yet he could not establish himself as a regular in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL, either. HockeyAllsvenskan is the second-level pro league in Sweden, which may be a good developmental home for Annborn at this stage. (We’ll update the schedule below to include Västerås IK‘s games by next week.)
Kraken prospects data update
Fresh off signing an entry-level contract with the Kraken, Julius Miettinen scored four goals and added three assists in three WHL games over the last week. This earns him his second-consecutive Sound Of Hockey Player of the Week.
Jake O’Brien left Brantford’s last game during overtime, but the team quickly reported that O’Brien was dealing with cramping and should not miss any additional time. O’Brien has one goal and four assists in his four OHL contests so far and should be out there for the Bulldogs tonight in their matchup with Villeneuve’s Sudbury Wolves.
Semyon Vyazovoi earned a KHL start for the second week in a row, which is good to see. Given his track record, I suspect the results will start trending in the right direction soon.
Kim Saarinen continues to perform amongst the best Liiga goalies as HPK’s clear starter.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
2: Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen
1: None
Seattle’s Finnish prospects are now four-for-four, giving the small hockey-playing nation a commanding early season lead in its quest to bring home one of the sport’s most prestigious awards.
Previewing the week ahead
We have two Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week this week. Villeneuve’s return to the OHL lineup will come at 4:00 pm PT on Friday, against O’Brien’s Brantford Bulldogs. Should be a fun matchup of two of Seattle’s very best prospects. After that, at 7:00 pm PT, the puck drops on Coachella Valley’s AHL season. Great off-day content for a Kraken fan. Both games are on FloHockey.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Keaton Verhoeff
Defenseman Keaton Verhoeff is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft not named Gavin McKenna. Verhoeff played his 2024-25 season with the Victoria Royals of the WHL, scoring 21 goals—by far the most among 16-year-old WHL defensemen—and adding 24 assists in 63 games. Verhoeff will play college hockey this year alongside Kraken prospect Ollie Josephson after both enrolled at the Univ. of North Dakota following the NCAA rule change that rendered CHL players eligible. Verhoeff’s draft season starts with a home game against the University of St. Thomas.
Recent prospect updates
October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster
September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in
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 – Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/10/down-on-the-farm-firebirds-drop-the-puck-on-the-2025-26-season/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Kraken Roundtable – It’s Opening Night for the 2025-26 season
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/09/kraken-roundtable-its-opening-night-for-the-2025-26-season/
The wait is over—the season officially begins Thursday as the Seattle Kraken host the Anaheim Ducks on home ice. Offseason additions Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren, and Freddy Gaudreau will make their debuts, while new head coach Lane Lambert steps behind the bench for the first time. Goaltender Matt Murray is on the roster but likely won’t get the start on Opening Night.
National media hasn’t been kind to the Kraken heading into the season, so we wanted to take some time to talk about what gets the Sound Of Hockey crew excited for what’s ahead. Many outlets have Anaheim projected to leapfrog Seattle in the standings, making Thursday a good chance for the Kraken to send a message that they’re better than last year’s results suggest.
In preparation for puck drop, our own John Barr, Curtis Isacke, Blaiz Grubic, and Darren Brown got together to discuss a few hot topics.
What’s your biggest reason for optimism heading into this Kraken season?
Curtis: The renewed focus and urgency brought by the new coaching staff, and Lane Lambert in particular, has me feeling optimistic. The new Kraken bench boss is dialed in on the details at every practice, seemingly hanging on the correct execution of every support pass or close out. Lambert is quite calm and reflective in an interview setting, but when he’s on the ice the zeal of a drill sergeant is evident.
One could imagine his hard-charging approach wearing on a team if maintained throughout the year, but Lambert is setting the standard early, and I expect he’ll calibrate his approach as the season progresses. A fast start is imperative with the difficult opening stretch the team is facing. Lambert has me hopeful that the details will be dialed in from puck drop, and that could be the difference.
Darren: Well, hope springs eternal when a new season is on the horizon, “why not us?,” and a variety of other new-season cliches. But seriously… The front office thought the Kraken were going to be better last season, and with good reason after a couple splashy offseason signings. I also think the 2025-26 on-paper roster is–when fully healthy–better and more competitive this season than last.
So, if last season’s expected improvement actually comes to fruition now, AND the more recent tweaks to the roster help push the group forward even more, then I could get my head around a huge jump in the standings this season. I do remain cautious in my optimism, though, because I think a lot of things have to go right for this team to really compete for a playoff spot.
John: I’ve been beating this drum all summer, but the Kraken finished last season with a minus-11 goal differential. For context, teams sitting between even and plus-five in that stat make the playoffs about half the time. With a new coaching staff that seems locked in on structure and details, I think we’ll see fewer goals against—and maybe a swing into the positive. On top of that, I really like the complementary pieces the front office added over the offseason.
Blaiz: The kids are coming. It’s exciting to see Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Ryan Winterton make the roster to open the season. Heading into the franchise’s fifth year, the Kraken have developed three NHL players from their own draft classes—Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Ryker Evans. This season doubles that total to six drafted players on the roster, including Evans, who starts on injured reserve.
The three youngsters may not stay the entire season, but each earned their spot in training camp. It’ll be great to see them get regular-season NHL ice time.
Who’s the player you think will surprise people with their performance this season and why?
Darren: How about Eeli Tolvanen? He quietly had a really impressive 23-goal campaign last year with limited power-play opportunities. If he gets more usage on the flank with the manpower advantage, I could see him sniffing around the 30-goal mark this year and commanding a big-time pay raise on his contract for next season, whether that be with the Kraken or elsewhere.
John: I’m not sure I have a clear pick for a surprise player, but let’s just say… backup goaltending. Call it blind optimism, or maybe something I just want to will into the universe. I don’t want to read too much into it, but both Matt Murray and Philipp Grubauer looked solid in their preseason games. Plus, Lambert’s defensive structure should give the backups some extra support.
Blaiz: I’m expecting big things from Shane Wright. For a while now, I’ve said Wright will eventually take over as the Kraken’s top-scoring center, and I believe this is the year. After a slow start in 2024-25, with two points (one goal, one assist) in 18 games, he was healthy scratchedwas sent down to Coachella Valley to find his game(shame, shame, shame). When he returned, he produced 42 points in his final 61 games, averaging 2.83 points per 60 minutes. To put that in perspective, Jared McCann led the team in that category at 2.59. I can easily see a scenario where Wright not only leads all Kraken centers in scoring but challenges for the team lead overall.
A bonus player I’ll mention is Jaden Schwartz, who led the Kraken in goals last season and has looked sharp throughout the preseason. He’s never hit the 30-goal mark in his career, but that milestone feels within reach this year.
Curtis: I’ll say Freddy Gaudreau. The least-heralded of this season’s offseason acquisitions, he should quietly make an impact from the bottom of the lineup scoring goals, killing penalties, and, perhaps most importantly of all, shepherding along some of Seattle’s young talent.
Kraken assistant general manager Alex Mandrycky told us at Sound Of Hockey Fest that Gaudreau topped the team’s internal board for a fourth-line center acquisition because he could bring more of a scoring element to that role, while also being solid defensively. The team has found most of its success historically when rolling four lines capable of scoring and, with Gaudreau, the team hopes to return to that identity.
Gaudreau’s presence also allows the team to deploy a younger player in a fourth-line role—be it Catton or Nyman—but still with an offensively capable linemate. It may not show up in the box score all the time, but I’d wager fans will look back on Gaudreau’s first season in Seattle pleased with the addition.
With a 10-game opening stretch that includes six on the road and five against 2024 playoff teams, what would you consider a successful first month for the Kraken beyond wins and losses?
John: With two significant injuries—Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans—likely sidelining them for the full 10-game stretch, I’d call it a success if the Kraken can grab 12 of a possible 20 points. Beyond that, I just want to see them compete every night. We’ll see plenty of backup goaltending during this run, so let’s add “solid play from the backups” to the list of success criteria.
Darren: To John’s point, I think the Kakko injury could be fairly crushing, especially considering the impact he had on Beniers after joining Seattle last season. So between the brutal early schedule and that critical absence, I’m looking for a .500 record coming out of this stretch. Anything over that is gravy and at least keeps Seattle in the conversation long enough to get hot in November and beyond.
Blaiz: With a six-game road trip early in the season, this is the perfect opportunity for the team to come together and focus on the defensive structure that Lambert keeps emphasizing. I’d love to see them finish with a winning record, but for me, success in the first month is about process. Are they defending as a five-man unit? Are they limiting high-danger chances? And are the backup goaltenders giving the team enough confidence to stay committed to their system in front of them?
Curtis: Setting aside the record, I think we need to see the team’s highly drafted young players start to assert themselves as the core players for the lines around them. There was no mistaking the Yanni Gourde line when he was out there, and I’d like to see that from Beniers, Wright, and (hopefully, optimistically) Catton.
For Beniers, that likely means a hard-working, responsible unit that is locked in on the details. For Wright, that means a group that trades on skilled plays in the most dangerous areas of the ice. As for Catton, of course, it starts with getting the ice time; then I want to see a pressure identity that forces defenses onto their heels and creates space all over the rink.
Which offseason addition (player, coach, prospect or system tweak) will make the biggest difference?
Blaiz: I’m going with the obvious one—the addition of head coach Lane Lambert. There’s been a lot of talk about structure, and I believe that will dramatically help a team with a growing young core and no true superstar talent. Lambert wasn’t shy about moving players around in preseason to get the type of play he wanted. He expects his team to play within his system, and if you’re not playing your role, you’ll move down the lineup. That kind of message is straightforward and easy to follow, which creates accountability and consistency up and down the lineup.
Darren: Would you call yourself a Laniac, Blaiz?
Blaiz: No, I’m on the Lane Train.
Curtis: Yes! Lane Train! I think Mason Marchment could be a very valuable complement to Chandler Stephenson in the top nine. The two have been attached at the hip while Stephenson has been on the ice this preseason, and it makes sense to me.
Marchment is comfortable working net front or even below the goal line in both the offensive and defensive zones. This frees Stephenson to operate more in space and from the exterior where he can dice up opposing defenses with his skating and precision passes.
Even through the neutral zone in preseason, Marchment’s presence driving the center lane allowed Stephenson several clean zone entries on the left wing that got the offense set up. He could be revelatory for Stephenson in the same way Kakko was for Beniers last season. (On that note, we have to hope Kakko returns as soon as possible. If Beniers’ line struggles in the interim, Marchment could help Beniers in much the same way I’ve described above.)
Darren: I agree wholeheartedly with Curtis. Thanks for cooking that up.
John: We’ve already mentioned him, but I’m really excited about Gaudreau. The Kraken haven’t had a right-shot center on the penalty kill in the past few seasons, and having him available for strong-side face-offs in the defensive zone should be a nice boost. That could improve the penalty kill, cut down on goals against, and ultimately help that goal differential I talked about above. It’s a subtle but smart move that fills a real need. Oh, and Gaudreau’s over 50 percent in shootouts, which doesn’t hurt either.
Let’s jump in the DeLorean and race forward to April. The Kraken have made the playoffs. What went right to get them there?
Curtis: If the Kraken are in the playoff mix, it is because the defensive identity that carried them through the Hakstol era has returned, Joey Daccord continues to prove his doubters wrong, the backup goaltending has stabilized, and the team has won a lot of 3-2 or 2-1 games.
Darren: After Ryker Evans and Kaapo Kakko return from injury right on their expected return dates, the Kraken will have stayed almost completely healthy throughout the rest of the season. While the team arguably has more depth now than last season, it also cannot withstand absences from key players, especially being that it will rely heavily on young players like Jani Nyman, Ryan Winterton, and (perhaps) Berkly Catton. The injury bug that bit early and often during training camp will have been held at bay.
John: Stinginess. The Kraken ranked 24th in goals against last season, allowing 262. If they’re going to seriously compete for a playoff spot, that number has to come down—and if it does, it’ll be a sign that the players have fully bought into Lane Lambert’s systems.
Blaiz: I think it’s a combination of everything I’ve mentioned. The players have bought into Lane Lambert’s system, the backup goaltending has stabilized, Shane Wright has taken a step forward, and the young core is contributing. Just as important, the Kraken are starting games ready to go from puck drop—something that hurt them last year.
With 13 back-to-back games on the schedule, one more than a season ago when they went 0-12 in the second leg, the Kraken need to battle through those situations and find ways to win. Spotting the league 13 games isn’t a recipe for success. If they can stay structured, get timely saves, and maintain energy throughout those stretches, that’s what gets them to April hockey.
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.
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The post Kraken Roundtable – It’s Opening Night for the 2025-26 season appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/09/kraken-roundtable-its-opening-night-for-the-2025-26-season/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Kraken outlast Golden Knights for 2-1 overtime win
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/12/kraken-win-over-golden-knights-overtime-matty-beniers/
Look, I’m not saying the Seattle Kraken will go 82-0 this season, but… it remains on the table after they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in overtime at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday.
Matty Beniers had an outstanding performance, earning both a crucial goal and an even more crucial assist, while Jared McCann banged home the game-winner to cap an incredible weekend for Seattle sports.
Speaking of which, who was in the building on Saturday, cheering on the Kraken? The legendary HUMPY! After Humpy’s performance shocked the world at the Mariners game on Friday, he appeared at CPA on Saturday—where the Kraken promptly came away with an impressive win over an excellent opponent. Coincidence? I think not.
Global superstar and local hero, HUMPY is in the building!!!ELECTRIC!
️ pic.twitter.com/Owtly1Pl08
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 12, 2025
Here are Three Takeaways from a big 2-1 Kraken overtime win against the Golden Knights.
Takeaway #1: Matty looks different
Beniers had a notably slow start to last season but seemed to find himself once Kaapo Kakko arrived and started creating some space for him. So when Kakko broke his hand in training camp, I wondered how big of an impact that would have on the start of Matty’s season.
Through the first two games—especially Saturday against Vegas—Beniers has looked fast, confident, and downright crafty. Even before he scored, I was commenting to others in the local media about how he looked.
When I asked him if he’s feeling good about his game Saturday, he said, “Yeah, I feel good.” (It was a funny exchange that’s worth watching below.)
There’s a determination in his game right now that we haven’t always seen from him over the past couple of seasons. The way he’s dangling through the neutral zone, the way he’s defending, and even the way he’s carrying himself with the media—it all suddenly looks and sounds like a veteran NHLer.
Against the Golden Knights, he was the beneficiary of an unbelievable between-the-legs pass from Jordan Eberle from below the goal line to set up a power-play goal seven minutes into the second period. But he also made an elite play on his own, pulling the puck to his backhand and sliding it around Adin Hill’s outstretched left pad.
MATTY MAGIC!
Sick setup, sick finish, sick celly.
Power-play goal, and it's 1-0 #SeaKraken. pic.twitter.com/AfVFcsAmxz
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 12, 2025
“It was an awesome pass [by Eberle],” Beniers said. “He’s an extremely gifted passer, we all know that, and he put that on display right there by going between his legs. I’m right in front all alone, so he set that whole thing up.”
He’s still just 22 years old, but it feels like it’s time for Matty to become Seattle’s best player. If that happens this season, the Kraken could go a long way.
(By the way, I missed Matty’s goal in real time, because I was busy looking up how many career shutouts Adin Hill has. So, you’re welcome for that.)
Takeaway #2: Overtime dominance
After Pavel Dorofeyev sent the game to an extra frame with his fifth (!!!) goal in three games, Seattle showed it knows how to play at 3-on-3—despite not practicing it much.
The Kraken won seemingly every battle and held the puck for nearly the entire five minutes of overtime. When the Golden Knights did manage to get possession, they’d rush up ice, take a shot from distance that Joey Daccord confidently kicked away, and then Seattle would go right back to work. It was an impressive display.
“Very good,” coach Lane Lambert said of the overtime performance. “Watching [Kraken teams] in the past, there’s a pretty good understanding there, and I thought we won some battles, and I thought we did some really good things in 3-on-3. We reorganized with the puck, we didn’t— we took shots that we felt were good opportunities, which you have to do. So we managed it very well.”
Of course, it’s all for naught if you don’t ultimately score. But with the clock ticking down and Beniers dancing around at the top of the slot, he finally pushed his way down Lenny Wilkens Way and snapped a shot into Hill’s chest. The rebound popped out and landed right on McCann’s stick, and he won the most important battle of the night, sending the crowd home happy.
MCCANN CAN!
WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT IN OT, JARED MCCANN WINS IT! #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/y38BJQvz5A
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 12, 2025
“I knew there wasn’t much time on the clock,” McCann said. “Matty made a great play, obviously, turned back and created space from the guy, and I just tried to do the same at the net.”
Takeaway #3: All aboard the Lane Train
After practice on Friday, Lambert reflected on the third period of Seattle’s season-opening win against Anaheim. “We feel like if we play like that, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win. Are we going to win all the time? No, but if we play like that, we give ourselves a chance to win. And I thought that period was good.”
The Kraken played three of those periods (four, if you count OT) on Saturday. Sure, the game against Vegas could have gone either way, but Seattle had victory well within its tentacles all night.
Of course, Daccord has been very solid in both of these first two games, and the puck management in the opening frame against the Ducks was atrocious. But there have been very few defensive breakdowns so far, and against Vegas, odd-man rushes almost never happened. Even Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy commented on that after the game.
“They had a game plan, and they weren’t going to lose D up the ice,” Cassidy said. “Even though I think they did a pretty good job of getting involved in the offense, it didn’t allow us a lot of odd-man rushes to get through the neutral zone clean. So I think it took us a while to figure that part out.”
Lambert doubled down on his earlier sentiments after the game.
“It’s important for our team to understand that what we’re doing is a formula to have success,” Lambert said. “You’re not always going to win, and that’s the way it goes. The outcome was great, but had it been slightly different, I wouldn’t have been unhappy with our hockey team’s effort.”
For all the talk about tighter defensive structure from the Kraken, I’m not sure I believed we’d see it this early in the season. But Seattle just totally shut down a Vegas Golden Knights team that has dominated them throughout their four years of existence.
All aboard?
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 – Kraken outlast Golden Knights for 2-1 overtime win appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/12/kraken-win-over-golden-knights-overtime-matty-beniers/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Monday Musings: Strong start to the Lane Lambert era
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/13/monday-musings-strong-start-to-the-lane-lambert-era/
With two wins in two games, both against Pacific Division opponents, it was a strong opening week for the Seattle Kraken. It wasn’t perfect, but honestly, I don’t think anyone could’ve scripted a better start to the Lane Lambert era.
For the first time in franchise history, the Kraken not only won their season opener but their home opener as well, taking down the up-and-coming Anaheim Ducks 3–1. The first period was rough; Seattle was outshot 17–5, but Joey Daccord was stellar, and the game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes.
To Seattle’s credit, most of Anaheim’s shots came from the outside and were low-danger looks, but that kind of shot differential still jumps off the page. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little worried after that first period, even with the score level.
Things turned around in the second. The Kraken tilted the ice when Brandon Montour stole a puck with some slick stick work, battled to keep possession, and set up Mason Marchment for Seattle’s second goal. At that moment, shots were 20–5 for Anaheim. The rest of the way? 25–16 for Seattle.
A different kind of game against Vegas
The matchup with Vegas had a completely different vibe, more balanced, but still a strong showing. The Golden Knights are loaded up front, so holding them to just one power-play goal (after they scored nine in their first two games) was no small feat.
Heading into overtime, Vegas had a 24–15 edge in shots, but the Kraken dominated the extra frame, controlling play and outshooting the Knights 7–3.
Alison Lukan had a great nugget in her postgame instant analysis:
And that doesn’t even include overtime, where the Kraken clearly built on that shot-quality advantage.
Speaking of overtime… let’s relive that winner that was buried with just 3.4 seconds left on the clock.
MCCANN CAN!
WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT IN OT, JARED MCCANN WINS IT! #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/y38BJQvz5A
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 12, 2025
Power play progress
The Kraken have one power-play goal in five opportunities, not a big sample size, but there’s plenty to like so far. They’re working the puck below the goal line more, setting up options in the slot, and finding cross-ice seams for dangerous looks.
Here’s a look at the power-play time on ice so far:
Chandler Stephenson is logging heavy minutes while Kaapo Kakko remains out of the lineup. One name missing from the mix, though, is Jani Nyman, who was used in the one-timer spot late last season.
Other musings
- The Kraken’s win over the Anaheim Ducks marked their 10th all-time victory against Anaheim, the most they’ve recorded against any opponent.
- Conversely, heading into the Vegas game, the Kraken were just 3–11–1 all-time against the Golden Knights. But over the past three seasons, Seattle has flipped that script, going 3–0–1 against Vegas, including that memorable first-ever win at the Winter Classic.
- The Kraken scored first in both games to open the season. That’s notable, considering they struck first in just 43 percent of their games last year, the third-lowest rate in the league. They also won less than 30 percent of the games in which they gave up the first goal, so playing from ahead is huge.
- I’d really like to see Shane Wright get going on this upcoming road trip through eastern Canada. The opportunity is there, and a little momentum early could do wonders for him.
- The ice has felt tilted in Seattle’s favor whenever the Jared McCann-Matty Beniers-Jordan Eberle line has been on together. That trio looks sharp and seems to be finding its rhythm again.
- Ryan Winterton has also really impressed me through two games. He’s been noticeable breaking up plays and playing a strong two-way game. The coaching staff clearly trusts him too, as he didn’t miss a shift in the third period of the Vegas game.
- On the flip side, Jani Nyman has averaged just 8:14 of ice time with no power-play minutes over the first two games. It’s not anything to panic about, but it’s quite a contrast from last season, when he averaged 14 minutes a night and played in almost half of Seattle’s power-play opportunities during his 12-game stint.
- I’m also glad to see the Kraken organization welcome Joel Quenneville back to the league in the right way.
- As much of a slog as that third period was against Vegas, that’s probably the kind of grind-it-out hockey the Kraken will need to play to beat elite, high-skill teams.
- Overseas, 2025 seventh-round pick Loke Krantz made his SHL debut for Linköping HC and notched an assist in his first game.
- Meanwhile, down in the desert, the Coachella Valley Firebirds got off to a rough start, dropping their home opener 5–0 to the San Diego Gulls. It could be a challenging season ahead for the Firebirds; they’re one of the youngest teams in the AHL.
Goal of the week
There were plenty to choose from with the Kraken this week, but this whole sequence was just too good to pass up.
Player performances
Matty Beniers (SEA) – Has a goal and two assists on the Kraken’s four goals so far this season.
Joey Daccord (SEA) – Sporting a .968 save percentage through the Kraken’s first two games and came up big in key moments of both. According to MoneyPuck.com, he ranks fifth in the league in Goals Saved Above Expected.
Jake O’Brien (BFD/SEA) – The Kraken’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft exploded for four goals and four assists in two games over the weekend.
The week ahead
The Kraken hit the road for a six-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Montreal for the Canadiens’ home opener. When the schedule came out this summer, this stretch jumped out as a tough early-season test, especially with players learning new systems under a new coaching staff.
Getting two wins at home probably helped accelerate the buy-in from the group which should be valuable heading out on the road. This week, Seattle faces Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. It’s still tough to gauge how good any of these teams really are and all three of these opponents already have losses. I’d be fine with three points out of a possible six, though four sure would feel nice.
What I’m watching:
- Goaltending: Joey Daccord has started the first two games, but it’s hard to imagine the team wants him playing all three this week while Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray gather dust.
- Berkly Catton: I’m guessing Catton gets into a game after being a healthy scratch for the first two at home. I don’t mind the scratches, but you’d think he gets a look soon. Not sure if it means anything, but Beniers, Wright, and Winterton all made their NHL debuts on the road.
This trip should be another solid test for the Kraken. As I mentioned during the Kraken Roundtable, I just want to see them compete and be in every game.
Final thoughts
It’s early, but the vibes around the Kraken feel good — structure, effort, and a couple of new faces already making an impact. There’s still plenty to clean up, but two wins out of the gate and some promising trends under Lane Lambert? You’ll take that every time.
The post Monday Musings: Strong start to the Lane Lambert era appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/13/monday-musings-strong-start-to-the-lane-lambert-era/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Strive for 95 (points) – Seattle Kraken 2025-26 playoff tracker
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/14/strive-for-95-points-seattle-kraken-2025-26-playoff-tracker/
As the Seattle Kraken’s fifth season gets underway, the Strive for 95 series returns. Most teams that reach 95 points qualify for the playoffs, making it a strong benchmark to track Seattle’s progress.
Like last season, the Kraken begin with a new coaching staff, but this year’s focus is on regaining their defensive identity. Last year, Seattle ranked 16th in goals scored (247). Among teams that made the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils actually scored fewer goals than the Kraken. Defense was the issue—the Kraken ranked 24th with 265 goals against. Head coach Lane Lambert was brought in during the offseason and is focused on tightening the team’s defensive structure.
Team tiers
For those new to this series, we at Sound Of Hockey split NHL teams into three categories: Playoff Bound, Bubble, and Tankers. To reach 95 points, a team needs a .579 points percentage. No game in the NHL is a gimme, but tiering teams helps gauge the difficulty of the Kraken’s schedule and level-sets expectations.
- Playoff Bound – Teams expected to comfortably make the playoffs, generally among the league’s top performers last season.
- Bubble – Teams fighting for a playoff spot, most likely battling for wild-card positions.
- Tankers – Teams likely to miss the playoffs, making them Seattle’s most favorable matchups.
The biggest category is the Bubble teams, which includes 17 clubs. With a new season underway, many are still finding their footing as offseason moves settle in. I expect a few Bubble teams to slip into the Tankers category as the season progresses, and perhaps a couple will rise to the Playoff Bound tier.
These tiers are fluid and will update as the season progresses. In the NHL, only 16 teams make the playoffs—eight from each conference. Currently, 10 teams fall into the Playoff Bound category, leaving six playoff spots up for grabs: three in the East and three in the West.
Breakdown of point percentages
The NHL schedule consists of 82 games. When aligned with the team tiers, the Kraken play 27 games against Playoff Bound teams, 41 against Bubble teams, and 13 against Tankers. While no matchup is an automatic win, victories against Tankers should be more attainable than those against elite teams. Therefore, we can expect higher point percentages against Tankers, moderate against Bubble teams, and lower against Playoff Bound opponents.
These projections will adjust throughout the season based on Seattle’s pace. For now, the projected breakdown looks as follows:
October targets
After two home wins to start the year, Seattle is off to its best start in franchise history. The vibes are high, but perspective matters—it’s only two games. The Kraken now embark on a six-game road trip that will give them an early-season test. The trip includes their first of 13 back-to-back games this season, meaning a backup goalie will see action. Seattle went 0-12 in second legs of back-to-backs last year, a glaring area for improvement. This trip ties for their longest of the season, with another six-game swing coming in March.
Seattle plays 10 games in October: five against Playoff Bound teams, four against Bubble teams, and one against a Tanker. With two wins already under their belt and eight games remaining, Seattle has set the stage for a potentially bountiful October.
- Playoff Bound teams (four-point target) – Seattle has already defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in an overtime thriller on Oct. 11. Remaining opponents in this group include Toronto (Oct. 18), Washington (Oct. 21), Winnipeg (Oct. 23), and Edmonton (Oct. 25). The Capitals game will be an early measuring-stick game, as it’s the second leg of a back-to-back against a strong opponent. Target: four points. With two already secured, the Kraken have a chance to build momentum.
- Bubble teams (five-point target) – Seattle opened with a win over Anaheim despite getting heavily outshot in the first period. The target here is five points. The Kraken face Montreal twice this month (Oct. 14 and Oct. 28) and Ottawa once (Oct. 16). Ottawa has struggled early, allowing an average of 4.67 goals against through three games.
- Tanker teams (two-point target) – Seattle’s lone game in this group is Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, the first leg of a back-to-back. This could be a good spot to start one of the backup goalies.
Overall, the bar to stay on pace is 11 points, and with four already secured, October is shaping up as an opportunity to get ahead of schedule.
Monthly updates
Each month, I’ll update this series to track Seattle’s progress toward the 95-point goal. After an offseason with no flashy additions, the Kraken have quickly reignited optimism with only two games played. This road trip comes at a perfect time—it’s long enough for the team to jell and provides a chance to evaluate the backup goaltending situation. Plus, Seattle’s 2024 first-round pick, Berkly Catton, remains with the team and could make his debut this month (perhaps on the road trip?).
The Kraken’s best October to date was 11 points last season, though that came in 11 games. With 10 this year, matching or surpassing that total would put them ahead of pace as they strive for 95.
Comment below with your thoughts on the Kraken’s start and your expectations for October and the season ahead.
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.
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The post Strive for 95 (points) – Seattle Kraken 2025-26 playoff tracker appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/14/strive-for-95-points-seattle-kraken-2025-26-playoff-tracker/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Meet Meghan Turner, PWHL Seattle general manager
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/15/meghan-turner-profile/
My first impression of PWHL Seattle’s general manager Meghan Turner was that she’s a whip smart, confident leader who prioritizes culture and fit in the way she’s building Seattle’s first-ever professional women’s hockey team. Tessa Bonhomme called Turner “a brilliant hockey mind who’s gonna be a problem.”
I am still relatively new to hockey myself, but the job of general manager seemed pretty straightforward: build a successful organization by winning trophies and making money. Turner’s duty as an expansion team general manager, though, is to build that team and culture from nothing.
Turner used an analogy to explain the intricacy of her job to me, which is not as cut and dried as I had assumed. “I’m a big puzzle nerd, and so that’s how I view it. How do I, as a GM, find the right pieces that complement each other to work in concert together?” As a fellow puzzle nerd, her explanation helped me make sense of what she has been up to for the past few months, and the task ahead as we inch our way toward PWHL Seattle’s inaugural season, which officially starts Nov. 21.
A winding road back to hockey
Turner’s route to PWHL general manager was circuitous, but it helps give perspective to how she views the ‘puzzle’ before her. She jokingly gives both blame and credit to Boston Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer for where she’s ended up. Marmer and Turner grew up playing against each other, since Turner is from New Hampshire, and Marmer was in Vermont. The pair then played together for four years at Quinnipiac University, where Turner graduated with a BS and an MBA.
After graduation, Turner got a consulting job at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston. On top of working 55 hours per week at PwC, she played professional hockey, first in the CWHL and later the PWHPA. She told the Boston Globe that she’d often leave her house at 7 a.m., work all day, head to practice, get back home at 10 and work some more. Eventually it came time for Turner to hang up the skates.
“I pretty much decided that I was gonna move forward in my consulting career, and that’s what the next 30 years of my life would be,” Turner said. She was happy and loved her job and coworkers, and she had signed up for service in the Army National Guard. When the PWHL was announced, Turner was excited but didn’t expect to be involved. During our conversation she laughed at her past naivete. “You make a decision, and life just throws a total curve ball at you.”
This particular curve ball was thrown by her old friend Marmer, who had also moved to Boston to work in player development and scouting for the Bruins. The week before Turner was set to ship off to basic training, Marmer, who had been offered a job as PWHL Boston’s inaugural GM, asked Turner to come with her. Though Turner described her decision as “a leap,” she felt supported in her transition. From her family, from Marmer, and from her colleagues at PwC who pushed her out the door, telling her, “You’ve got to do this. This is like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Does she regret her decision to return to hockey? “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.
OTTAWA, CANADA – JUNE 25: Turner and PWHL Seattle head coach Steve O’Rourke at the 2025 PWHL Draft (Photo/Arianne Bergeron, courtesy of PWHL Seattle)
Turner worked two years for the Boston Fleet as assistant general manager. When expansion was announced, league executives asked the current GMs, including Marmer, if there was anyone they would recommend to lead the two new teams. Marmer told the Boston Globe that in her mind, Turner was not only the obvious choice, but the only choice. “They were like ‘Great, glad you said that, because we were going to talk to her anyway.’ ”
Building the puzzle
Now that we have the context, we can get back into how Turner has approached building the puzzle that is PWHL Seattle. She starts, as many of us do, by looking at the picture on the box. For her, this means deciding on an image of how a successful PWHL team looks. Unlike the inaugural six PWHL general managers, who built their teams with no real knowledge of what the league would become, Turner has the benefit of looking back at the past two years of the league.
With hindsight, she sees that picture clearly. Turner was not shy to admit that it looks a lot like back-to-back league champions, the Minnesota Frost. “There’s a lot to pull from in terms of what they’ve done in [both] seasons. They weren’t the clear front-runner, but they got hot at the right times, and they pushed through playoffs. They had speed, and they had endurance and stamina, and some of the things that they do more tactically on the ice to spread teams out and make it difficult for teams to play against them.”
The picture of a successful team is a championship-winning team, yes, but Turner knows that isn’t the whole story. “Beyond that, for me, it’s making sure that we are building a good culture.” For Turner, it’s not just the results that make a successful team, but it’s also how they get there. “I want to win in a way where I feel good about us winning and feel like we are jelling as a group. That means a lot to me, too, just to make sure that the culture is good, and players want to come to Seattle and they want to stay in Seattle.”
From our discussion, the image that the finished puzzle will show became clear: Turner is planning on building a winning team with a great culture.
So how does she go about figuring out which pieces will fit? “Hockey’s a unique sport,” Turner said. “You really need your full roster to play their parts. You can’t just rely on a few good players, you need everyone to step up and fill in the capacity that they’re put in to fill.”
PWHL Draft & Awards 2025 – (Photo courtesy of PWHL Seattle)
Drafting and signing to create a team from scratch
Turner had three main opportunities to find the right pieces for her puzzle: the initial/exclusive signing window, the expansion draft, and the entry draft.
“The initial signing window was interesting,” Turner said. “I was confident going into it, and I knew the players… But it was a really fast pace, and I knew it was going to be, but I maybe underestimated just how competitive it was.”
After a “crazy” Day 1, Turner felt more confident moving forward with the rest of the process and felt she knew what to expect. And why wouldn’t she be confident? The first player she signed to PWHL Seattle was Hilary Knight, one of the greatest hockey players ever. She then rounded out the window by signing the maximum five players and was praised for her work during the window.
For Turner, the initial signing period was about getting her core pieces together, and then she went about building around them, making sure the additional pieces were a good fit with the foundation she had started. She went into draft day with multiple different strategies, prepared to “play off of what Cara [Gardner Morey] is doing in Vancouver, in literally five minutes or so in the moment.” She was happy with the plan they ended up using, and with the outcome, telling me that her team crafted the roster in the way that she had hoped.
Then, in the entry draft, unlike the NHL conventional wisdom of drafting the best prospect available, Turner said she and her staff “drafted with specific needs in mind,” and felt good about where they ended up. They pulled some surprising moves, like drafting a goalie in the second round, but the plan was the same. They selected “who we thought was the best available and also fit what we needed.”
When asked if there was a consistent thread that tied all her selections together, Turner said: “The first one that pops into my head is just competitiveness, and then maturity.” They looked for athletes who are willing to learn and grow and fill different roles. Turner thinks that she has that with her current roster. “A lot of the personalities from my perspective are just gritty and competitive. They want to win every single day, and they’re going to push each other.”
Some hiccups still expected
Turner knows the road to success will not be smooth 100 percent of the time.
“It’s difficult when you put a player that’s been on the top line their whole life and try to retrofit them into maybe a third- or fourth-line role and vice versa, so sometimes you have to ask players to kind of reinvent themselves and then help them with that process. So to me, It’s a big puzzle, and all the pieces fit together. And in many different ways, just finding the right way that fits and understanding that there’s no one way that that’s going to work.”
It seems, then, that hockey is a bit different from a puzzle in some key ways. For one, you can change the pieces slightly to fit what you need. You can also find a different solution and end up with a different picture than what you thought you were building. This type of flexibility is crucial for a team that has never played together.
Throughout our interview, Turner showed that she has the keen eye and instincts of a great leader, but at the end, her answers showed a bit of her heart. With her experience in two other failed leagues, I had to ask her what made the PWHL different. “Oh gosh,” she told me, smiling, “It’s everything about it, I guess.” She described the PWHL as “leveled up.” Players, investors, leadership, the people behind the scenes who don’t get the credit they deserve, are all 100 percent in… They didn’t dip their toes in. It was, ‘We’re doing this, and we’re going to make it good.'”
Turner is no stranger to Seattle. She told Daily Faceoff, “My wife lived out there for a year after college, and then her twin sister joined her after college. Her sister ended up staying there for about nine years. So, we would go out there a lot to visit. So, it’s still kind of a secondary home base for my sister-in-law, who I’m really close to. It’s cool to kind of go back in a different capacity.”
The PWHL expansion cemented Seattle’s status as a big player in women’s sports. There’s no doubt that Turner is committed to making this team a part of the city.
“I really want to make this great for Seattle. I say it all the time… how excited [the fans] are, and I am genuinely so excited to bring the women’s side of the sport to Seattle. And I am really excited to meet people and meet fans and be out in the community. So I’m just excited to see everyone, I’m excited to meet everyone, Excited to be at [Climate Pledge Arena], see the fans and everything, so I’m just very excited. And it comes from a genuine desire to make Seattle the best market for our league and obviously hoist a championship trophy at the end of the year.”
Her excitement was infectious and made us Sound Of Hockey feel ready to run through a wall. It’s clear that Turner is ready to lead Seattle into a bright future.
When asked about Turner moving on, her friend and former boss Danielle Marmer told the Boston Globe “she’s going to have something really special in Seattle.” And I agree.
The post Meet Meghan Turner, PWHL Seattle general manager appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/15/meghan-turner-profile/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Kraken “battle” but fall 5-4 in OT at Canadiens
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/14/kraken-lose-to-canadiens-overtime/
Bad news, gang: The Seattle Kraken will not go 82-0-0 this season. However, 81-0-1 is still on the table!
Yes, the Kraken took their first loss of the season Tuesday, 5-4 in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens. But considering the way the game started, it was again encouraging to see Seattle push back on a night when the home team seemed to have far more jump initially, and still come away with a standings point.
“We were playing hard right from the get go,” head coach Lane Lambert said. “If you look at the chances in the game, we have out-chanced them at 5-on-5. So I thought we did a great job of coming prepared, understanding what we needed to do, certainly in the first 10 minutes when they came out hard. We battled. I give our guys full credit for battling.”
Jared McCann scored for the third straight game, the power play connected for the second straight game, and the outcome easily could have gone the other way if it weren’t for some outstanding plays by Montreal’s stars—another encouraging sign in the early going of the season.
MCCANN CAN!
Montour's shot gets blocked, but it drops right for Jared McCann, who spins and snipes his third goal of the season. #SeaKraken grab their first lead of the game, 4-3. pic.twitter.com/KrRO84hF7W
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 15, 2025
Here are Three Takeaways from a 5-4 Kraken overtime loss to the Canadiens.
Takeaway #1: Competitive every night
I wrote about this recently—Lambert has said that if the Kraken stick to his systems, they won’t win every game, but they’ll be competitive every night. Watching the opening period Tuesday, it felt like Seattle was getting caved in by a high-flying Montreal team.
Indeed, the Habs opened the scoring after a rare odd-man rush against, in which Ivan Demidov made an elite cut to the top of the right circle and an even more elite pass to the backdoor, where Alex Newhook redirected it over Joey Daccord.
That goal came amidst some sloppy puck management that looked similar to what we saw from Seattle on Opening Night, when the Anaheim Ducks appeared a step faster and hemmed the Kraken in for much of the opening 20 minutes.
But…
As Lambert promised, even when the Kraken were again on their heels in the first period, they still stayed within striking distance, getting to the intermission down just 1-0 with a 4-4 shots-on-goal count.
It was no surprise to see them get things back on track in the second and start to take some control of the game.
Takeaway #2: Costly penalty, other mistakes
Mason Marchment took a penalty at a very bad time, and it came back to bite the Kraken. Minutes after Jamie Oleksiak had given Seattle its only lead of the game with a seeing-eye shot through a double-layer screen set by Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, Seattle went shorthanded, clinging to a 4-3 lead.
The PKers appeared to have an outstanding kill in the books, but before Marchment could rejoin the play, Demidov made his second all-world move of the night. With Oleksiak tangled up with Brendan Gallagher in the crease, Daccord was shielded from getting to his angle. Demidov waited, and waited, and finally lofted it into an open net to tie the game 4-4 and send it to overtime.
Just as the #SeaKraken PK appeared to have gotten a monster kill, Ivan Demidov makes his second elite play of the game and ties it 4-4. pic.twitter.com/0kPaijxklp
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 15, 2025
There were other mistakes in this game—like a turnover by Chandler Stephenson that led to Cole Caufield’s first of two goals—but that penalty definitely hurt Seattle’s chances in this one.
“We made some mistakes, and those mistakes ended up in the back of our net tonight, whereas maybe in Games 1 and 2, they didn’t,” Lambert said. “[They were] structural and systematic mistakes that we have no business making those mistakes.”
Takeaway #3: Montreal’s skill wins out
The Kraken deserve plenty of credit for making this another close game and, even though it was different from the previous two (Seattle allowed five goals instead of one), for earning another point in the standings.
But I have to say, the Canadiens have some very skilled players. Demidov, Caufield, and Lane Hutson all made their respective presences known, with Demidov (1-1=2) and Caufield (2-0=2) each notching two points.
Caufield put an exclamation point on Montreal’s late comeback after Nick Suzuki beat Beniers on an offensive-zone face-off, pulling it back to Hutson, who danced around and created a cross-and-drop opportunity for Caufield.
Caufield streaked down the flank, Daccord dropped down and gave him a sliver of net to hit, and Caufield picked the corner from a sharp angle.
It was a beautiful goal to cap off a night full of highlight-reel plays by a talented Montreal squad—a scary team, indeed.
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 – Kraken “battle” but fall 5-4 in OT at Canadiens appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/14/kraken-lose-to-canadiens-overtime/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
The subtle art of wall play in the NHL
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/16/the-subtle-art-of-wall-play-in-the-nhl/
When we think of elite players in the NHL, we tend to think of individuals who are especially good at obvious things; the types of things that get highlighted in an NHL Skills Competition, like fastest skater, hardest shot, and most accurate shooter. And when you ask what makes a skilled player elite, these are often the first attributes that come to mind.
This makes sense intuitively because the NHL’s elite players usually fall into one or multiple of these categories. McDavid is fast, Ovechkin shoots the puck hard, and Crosby is pinpoint accurate.
This line of thinking makes a player like Matthew Tkachuk a uniquely interesting case study. Tkachuk is one of the preeminent wingers in the NHL. His combination of physicality, verbal sparring, and high-end scoring skill is a rare combination. His NHL Edge stats, hilariously, paint a confounding picture.
These NHL Edge stats suggest that Tkachuk is slow, doesn’t cover much ice, and has below-average velocity on his shot. And yet, he’s elite at driving offensive zone time (92nd percentile) and goal scoring (81st percentile).
Tkachuk is known for his physicality, goal-scoring, and antagonism, but in my opinion, the skillset that works as his proverbial glue is his elite wall play. His smarts and top-notch ability to get the puck off the wall, combined with his other traits, make him a maddeningly effective player, which can extend possession sequences and create scoring chances like few can.
What does any of this have to do with the Seattle Kraken? The last article I wrote for Sound Of Hockey highlighted how simple habits with the mid-lane drive can produce high-quality scoring chances. This article has a similar theme – how the subtle skillset of strong wall play is the foundation of driving play effectively.
Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle – a case study in fundamentals
Jordan Eberle playing in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
The first time I watched either Jordan Eberle or Jaden Schwartz play was the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2009. For many players, the World Juniors are their first foray into the bright lights of national recognition.
Eberle seemed to rise to the occasion for big moments. He scored the game-tying goal and a critical shootout goal for Canada in a semifinal against Russia (more on that later). The next year, he scored twice in the final three minutes of the gold medal game to send Canada to overtime against USA (a game where the Americans eventually prevailed).
Schwartz played for Canada in 2011 and 2012. Those Canadian teams were less successful, and I’ll confess that as a younger hockey fan, I felt a little underwhelmed. I think I expected Schwartz to be a flashy winger, but that type of performance didn’t materialize. Looking back, I think one of the reasons why I felt underwhelmed was that I personally didn’t understand what really good hockey fundamentals looked like.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how both Schwartz and Eberle have evolved from junior hockey stars to highly successful NHLers. In a lot of ways, Schwartz and Eberle share a lot of similarities. They’re both on the slightly smaller side, and they are skilled offensive wingers but high-end speed isn’t their calling card. Their games have also aged gracefully, and I believe one of the reasons why is that they’re both masters of wall play. Show me a player skilled on the wall, and I’ll show you a key play driver on your team.
An underappreciated skill
First, let’s set the stage for what makes wall play so challenging and important. Former NHL coach and player Dallas Eakins once observed that within NHL games, the puck is within three feet of the boards about 80 percent of the game. The boards serve as a natural outlet for many plays when direct tape-to-tape passes are not an option.
Handling pucks off the wall is difficult because rimmed pucks are often moving fast, and the boards can cause the puck to bounce unpredictably. You often need to be able to pull the puck off the wall with the toe of your stick, which is less than ideal for puck control. When you add the element of pressure and the fact that lingering too long on the wall with the puck leads to repeated hits, you can see why wall play is challenging.
At the same time, successful wall play leads to defensive-zone exits and transition play. Successful wall play keeps pucks in the offensive zone, allowing your team to wear down the opposition with extended offensive-zone sequences. Players that can consistently make plays off the wall help tilt the possession battle. You simply cannot be an effective play driver in the NHL without mastering the fundamentals of wall play.
In the offensive zone
Let’s look at some key moments from last season where skill on the wall led to a positive outcome for the Kraken.
Excellent wall play can force unexpected turnovers on the forecheck, leading to prime scoring chances. In this sequence, Schwartz is the first forward (or F1) on the forecheck. After the Kraken dump it in, Montreal defender Arber Xhekaj is first to the puck. Schwartz correctly reads that Xhekaj does not have an option to move it up the strongside boards and moves to cut off the rimmed puck behind the net.
In almost one smooth motion, Schwartz is able to pick up the rimmed puck and move it out front to a wide-open Oliver Bjorkstrand. It’s a great shot by Bjorkstrand, but that play is only there because Schwartz is able to pick up the rimmed puck and move it quickly.
The ability to pick the puck off the wall quickly also allows you to move the puck faster, opening up passing lanes. This next clip illustrates how Eberle is able to retrieve the puck off the wall and find a streaking Jani Nyman before the defense can react.
Eberle enters the zone on the power play and is forced down the wall to the corner before sending it back up high to the blue line. Montour is a right-handed shot, so moving the puck from east to west is risky. He opts to rim the puck back low to Eberle. Eberle is able catch the rim and immediately move it to a wide-open Nyman for his first career NHL goal. It looks like a routine play, but it’s not. If Eberle needs to take an extra second to pick up that puck, that passing lane gets shut down either by the defender Matheson (No. 8) or a well-timed poke check from the Montreal goaltender.
More recently, Eberle displayed his mastery by one-touching a back-hander between his own legs to Matty Beniers, who finished off a beautiful power-play goal against Vegas last week.
MATTY MAGIC!
Sick setup, sick finish, sick celly.
Power-play goal, and it's 1-0 #SeaKraken. pic.twitter.com/AfVFcsAmxz
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 12, 2025In transition
The Kraken had a lot of trouble transitioning the puck last year, likely contributing to their less-than-stellar results for offensive- and defensive-zone time. Making successful plays on the wall is a key ingredient to moving the puck out of your zone in an organized fashion. The following two plays show how making a wall play in transition leads to offensive-zone possession and a goal.
Eberle finds himself with the puck in tight against the wall attempting to break it out. His options are somewhat limited. He doesn’t have much speed, and he’s about to take a hit from a back checker. The lateral pass to teammate Chandler Stephenson is unavailable due to a well-positioned stick from Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher (No. 11). However, he remains poised and is able to make a skilled play and find Vince Dunn sprinting up the middle, which opens up more breakout options.
The Kraken ultimately dump the puck in, and the Montreal goaltender, unable to handle the rimmed puck, allows it to go to the other side where Eberle is ready to make a play. He one-touches the rimmed puck to Eeli Tolvanen, who makes no mistake scoring. That last play wasn’t a fortuitous deflection. That was the subtle art of wall play.
This next example features neither Eberle nor Schwartz but is simply too good not to share. Kaapo Kakko takes a breakout pass along the wall. Although he has to receive this pass with his back turned to the middle of the ice, limiting his vision, he pre-scans prior to getting the puck, knowing that Beniers is skating up the middle. He makes a skilled play, simultaneously protecting the puck and finding a clever outlet to Beniers.
Because Kakko is able to move the puck to an already-moving Beniers, the Kraken are able to get the zone entry and create an initial scoring chance. That chance doesn’t go in, but the Oilers fail to recover the puck, and Kakko is able to make yet another skilled wall play, catching a rimmed pass on his backhand and walking out in front of the net to set up Beniers for a backdoor tap-in goal.
Defending
Being great at wall play doesn’t just mean you’re on the ice for key offensive situations; it also means that coaches will put you out when your team is defending a lead. When the trailing team is pressing, making plays off the wall is crucial to clearing pucks and relieving pressure. If you can’t make those plays, the puck can end up in the back of your net very quickly.
In the above, a good play on the wall prevents a clean zone exit, and the Oilers are forced to rim the puck back behind their own net. Jake Walman has the next chance to pull the puck off the wall and clear it, but under pressure, he ends up putting it right on the stick of Schwartz, who scores his second goal of the evening.
In this next clip, the Oilers go from having clear possession to pulling the puck out of the back of their net within a matter of seconds. The culprit? A botched clearing attempt.
Oilers defender Ty Emberson has difficulty handling the puck behind his net and, under pressure, rims it hard to his partner Troy Stecher, who is positioned near the hash marks. Stecher is unable to handle the hard rim, leading to a turnover at the blue line. Ryker Evans sends it the other way, and Andre Burakovsky finishes the scoring chance from the top of the crease.
Strong wall play is critical in the NHL
Let’s revisit Eberle’s famous goal against Russia in the 2009 WJC semifinal. Russia defends pretty well here, keeping the puck on the wall and staying in shooting lanes. The entire sequence prior to the goal is a slog along the wall.
Ultimately, the Canadians win enough small wall battles to find a fortuitous opening, and that makes all the difference in the game that sent them to the final.
In hockey, all these little moments add up to one bigger one. This is winning hockey – the ability to win the hard pucks along the wall in critical moments.
Wall play is a subtle and underappreciated skill. It’s not really sexy, and it’s equal parts hard work and talent. It’s also hard to highlight on TV because the typical broadcast angle doesn’t give a full view of the nearside boards. But players who master it have staying power in the NHL.
The next time you go to a Kraken game or even an open practice, I would encourage you to keep an eye out for players working on their wall skills. They might partner off and work on it individually or you might see it baked into a puck retrieval drill. For some of you, it may be a whole other dimension to the skill game waiting to be discovered.
The post The subtle art of wall play in the NHL appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/16/the-subtle-art-of-wall-play-in-the-nhl/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeways – Kraken secure another point in shootout loss to the Senators
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...other-point-in-shootout-loss-to-the-senators/
The Seattle Kraken rolled into Ottawa on Thursday night for Game 2 of their six-game road trip. The Ottawa Senators were on the second game of a back-to-back, having lost the first leg to the Buffalo Sabres 8-4 the night before. The Kraken got some respect from Ottawa, as the Senators started their No. 1 goaltender, Linus Ullmark, after opting for backup Leevi Meriläinen the previous night. Ottawa was also without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out six-to-eight weeks with a hand injury.
With Shane Wright’s grandparents in attendance, the Kraken got off to a quick start with Wright scoring in the first five minutes. The Senators and Kraken then traded goals before ending regulation tied 3-3.
Seattle dominated puck possession in overtime but couldn’t find the winner, ultimately falling in the shootout. Shane Pinto and Tim Stützle scored for Ottawa to seal the 4-3 victory. Still, the Kraken earned a point and improved to 2-0-2, maintaining a .750 points percentage through their first four games.
Takeaway #1: First goals
Wright and Chandler Stephenson both scored their first goals of the season, with Stephenson lighting the lamp twice. The forward lineup stayed the same, but Ryan Winterton and Eeli Tolvanen swapped spots. Neither recorded a point, but their lines contributed offensively, and we all know scoring from all four lines will be needed for Seattle to have success this season.
Stephenson’s first goal came from an aggressive forecheck and takeaway by Jaden Schwartz and Tolvanen, followed by a laser shot that hit the post, bounced off Ullmark, and in. Both Wright and Stephenson scored on rebounds—a good sign that the Kraken are getting pucks to the net with support to clean up the scraps.
The Chan Chan man can!Great stick lift and steal from Schwartz, who feeds Stephenson for his first of the year. Shot rings off the bar and bounces in off Ullmark. Game all tied 2-2! #SeaKraken #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/1xPwI4dFjc
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 17, 2025Takeaway #2: Backup goaltending
After starting the first three games, it was nice to see Joey Daccord get a full day off. This is one benefit of carrying three goalies—a situation I’m not advocating for—but it allowed Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray to share the workload.
Grubauer wasn’t perfect, but only one of the three goals (the tying goal) against felt like one he should have stopped. To the naked eye, it appeared Grubauer just whiffed on it, but Jamie Oleksiak may have screened him on the shot from Dylan Cozens, who fired quickly off the boards before Grubauer could track the puck. Regardless, this one came at a tough time, with the Kraken trying to secure a regulation win deep in the third period.
The first Senators goal came off an unlucky bounce that went right to Pinto, who buried his league-leading sixth of the season just seconds after a power play expired. Ottawa’s second goal came on the man advantage, with Claude Giroux threading a cross-ice pass to David Perron, who fired it home short side.
Grubauer did enough to keep Seattle in the game, earning the team a point. Just a hunch, but we could see Murray in net when the Kraken face the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 20, the first leg of back-to-back games.
Takeway #3: No quit
The season is young, but in both games of this road trip, Seattle has trailed at times and battled back. In both contests, they also held a third-period lead—a positive sign. Unfortunately, they surrendered late goals in each that forced overtime before losing, but they still earned points both nights. The Kraken aren’t folding, and that resilience has them collecting points in all four games this season. If they keep competing like this, the points will keep rolling in.
The Kraken improved as the game went on. After trailing 2-1 in the first period, they outshot the Senators 25-16, including a 5-1 edge in overtime. Although they left with a shootout loss, Seattle outplayed Ottawa and, on most nights, would likely come away with a win.
Beniers with two great looks in overtime. Would’ve liked to see him fire on the first one, but a solid sequence by the #SeaKraken.pic.twitter.com/nAwjLfoREo
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 17, 2025Strong start to season continues
The Kraken are off to a strong start but will need to dig in as the road trip gets tougher. Next up is the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team Seattle has struggled against, going just 1-7 all time. After that, they face their first back-to-back set of the season.
Freddy Gaudreau left in the second period after going awkwardly into the boards. There was no update on his status, but he did not return. Of course, Berkly Catton is still on the roster and waiting in the wings for his NHL debut.
The post Three Takeways – Kraken secure another point in shootout loss to the Senators appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...other-point-in-shootout-loss-to-the-senators/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Down on the Farm – Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...auth-earns-important-role-with-the-firebirds/
“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll focus on new Firebirds defender Tyson Jugnuath, catching you up on his recent development steps and his early play in Coachella Valley. After that, we’ll pass along thoughts on Berkly Catton’s status, check back in on the Firebirds, and get you updated on an eventful week elsewhere in the Kraken system. As always, if you have a Kraken 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 dive in.
Jugnauth’s hard work pays off with a top-four role in Coachella Valley, but development hurdles remain
Tyson Jugnauth is a unique player in the Kraken organization. “You don’t teach a lot of the things he has,” Firebirds vice president of hockey and business operations Troy Bodie told Judd Spicer in an interview on the Fire & Ice Podcast. “He moves the puck very well. Reads and scans the power play well. Moves the puck quick[ly]. Very smart defender as well.”
“We’re excited to see him on the backend, what he can do for our power play, and hopefully put some points up right away,” Brodie said.
Yet, Jugnauth’s progress to this point was not pre-ordained. For years, a professional future of any kind was not guaranteed for the 2022 fourth-round pick. Hard work, a unique bet on himself, and a prolific-scoring age 20 season with the Portland Winterhawks last year earned him an entry-level contract with the Kraken.
It’s clear Jugnauth wants more, though. As a slight-framed, 5-foot-11 defenseman, he knew there were steps he needed to take to succeed as a professional. So, he rented an apartment in the Seattle area on his own dime this past summer and worked out at the Kraken Community Iceplex with Seattle’s strength and conditioning staff to add muscle.
“It’s always been a weak spot for me; I’ve never been the strongest or biggest guy,” Jugnauth told reporters at Kraken rookie camp. “I knew I needed to get my body in a place where I could absorb the [professional] game. Once I signed my entry-level contract, it was like ‘I’ve got three months to do this.'”
“The best way for me to do that was to stay in Seattle. Nate [Brookerson] and Jake [Jensen] are great at what they do. I think now I’m ready. I feel good on the ice. I think it will be a big step for me.”
“Tyson has committed himself to improving his fitness and his strength,” Brodie explained. “For a young player to come to us and tell us he’s going to forego his summer with his friends and family because he’s committed to playing better hockey and developing properly is a huge step in the right direction.”
“It is something that he will benefit from greatly. We’re very impressed with his maturity,” Brodie said. “It’s not something that is taken lightly.” Indeed, it’s clear the Kraken want Jugnauth’s commitment to serve as an example for the team’s other prospects. “Hopefully it’s something that other players understand he’s going to get rewarded for this year.”
The “reward” Jugnauth earned was evident on Firebirds Opening Night as a 21-year-old rookie stood near the blue line at puck drop. Jugnauth played heavy minutes in the early going alongside Ty Nelson at even strength and quarterbacked the first-unit power play. He was clearly ahead of fellow rookies Lukas Dragicevic and Caden Price (who formed the Firebirds’ third pair) and Kaden Hammell (who was scratched).
That said, the AHL has a way of humbling young players, and there were rough spots for Jugnauth in this one, particularly in front of his own net. On the first goal against, Jugnauth lost track of the puck and stopped skating instead of engaging a forward during a scramble at the net front.
On the second goal against, Jugnauth didn’t help pick up a net front player, instead holding the back post on a play in the opposite corner. This may have been his textbook proper positioning, but a lack of awareness of the positioning of his opponents (and teammates) left the net front player to make a play while Jugnauth was guarding air.
On the fourth goal against, Jugnauth was caught in between in defensive transition. He didn’t move to take away the cross-seam pass (perhaps thinking Goyette had the pass covered, which he did not), and the young blueliner did not step up to block or take away the shooter.
These goals were not entirely on Jugnauth, of course. One can point to other errors and breakdowns as well. And, even when Jugnauth was off the ice, the Gulls still tilted the ice toward the Firebirds net. But, it is clear there were a number of lessons for the AHL rookie in this one.
If history is any indication, Jugnauth will take the challenge seriously and come back better for it.
Coachella check-in
Revisiting my projection from before the opener, I had every sit-start decision and player position correct except for one: Ian McKinnon started the opener over the newly-acquired J.R. Avon. And I hedged when it came to McKinnon, noting that I expected him to be in the lineup more than half the time for the Firebirds.
On the other hand, my pregame line projections were not close at all. To begin the night, the Firebirds staff distributed their forward veterans throughout the lineup rather than consolidating them on one line. Those plans shifted after the team lost one of it’s key players just over 20 minutes into the game (more on that in a moment). Across the second and third periods, we often saw two of the veteran leaders together.
The opener was a tough 5-0 loss. There were a few good things from the Firebirds young players, but there is no sugar coating the outcome. As I implied last week, I do think that this season will be an enormous challenge, particularly early, due to the youth on the roster. The team needs to find new point producers up front and develop sound defensive play from a very young blue line. This will take time.
The challenge will be even tougher in the short term with the Kraken recalling John Hayden to the NHL club on Friday, Oct. 17, following Freddy Gaudreau’s placement on injured reserve. Only two AHL “veterans” remain on the team: Mitchell Stephens and Gustav Olofsson.
The Firebirds should receive solid play in net from Nikke Kokko and Victor Ostman. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the raw goaltending stats take a step back in the early going as the Firebirds struggle to suppress shot quality.
If, by the end of the year, the arrow is pointing up and the Firebirds make the playoffs at all, I’ll count that as a successful season. I’m not ruling out more. The AHL team in Palm Desert, California, has exceeded my expectations every season so far. But development is the priority in the early going.
The Catton conundrum
I have made no secret that I am high on Berkly Catton’s potential to help the Seattle Kraken this season. After the first two Kraken home games, though, I was on board with the vision of utilizing Ryan Winterton’s defensive talents as the team looked to establish a sound defensive structure and details in their breakouts and transition game. As we discussed on the last Sound Of Hockey Podcast, I think this was the right call.
I suspect we’ll see movement on the Catton situation shortly though. Freddy Gaudreau’s placement on injured reserve suggests he’ll miss at least a week. Plus, Winterton has taken minor penalties in each of the last two games and Jani Nyman’s usage continues to be minimal. (After trending up for a while, Nyman was back down to 6:19 TOI on Thursday, Oct. 16, in Ottawa.)
Catton could enter the NHL lineup on Saturday in Toronto in place of Gaudreau, Winterton, or Nyman. If not that, the team has back-to-back games in lower-exposure spots Monday and Tuesday of next week. That may be a natural chance to rest a veteran and get Catton into the lineup over John Hayden, for example.
There is also the possibility of a conditioning loan to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The team’s injury situation and decision to carry three goalies in the early going may make that difficult at the moment though. (A player loaned to the AHL for a conditioning stint still counts against the NHL roster limit.)
Regardless, if you are in Berkly Catton withdrawal like I am, here are his shifts from Seattle’s September 29, 2025, preseason game against the Calgary Flames—i.e., the game during which Catton scored his first (preseason) NHL goal. Do I have more of these videos? Yes. Will I keeping posting them until Catton makes his way into the NHL lineup? As a bit of harmless fun, sure. Why not?
Notes on five more Kraken prospects
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Speaking of the young Firebirds, Mølgaard left the ice for Coachella Valley in the first minute of the second period and did not return. Mølgaard did not take any contact on the shift but skated straight for the bench and down the tunnel at his first opportunity. Mølgaard had a slightly awkward fall on his last shift in the first period, but it was not obvious that he suffered an injury as a result. I did not notice any other potentially injurious contact on any of his other shifts. (You can watch his time on ice here.) This is one to monitor, as Brodie called Mølgaard “a big part of our team” before the game.
Nathan Villeneuve | F | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Now recovered from an injury sustained during Kraken training camp, Villeneuve took the ice last Friday for Sudbury as the team’s captain. Who did he square up against for the opening face-off? None other than fellow Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien. The two went head to head frequently that night, with O’Brien’s Brantford Bulldogs holding the advantage. O’Brien had a goal, two assists, and was plus-three in a 6-0 Bulldogs win. Though Villeneuve was held scoreless that night (with a minus-two on-ice plus-minus), he rebounded with three assists in two additional games last weekend.
Jake O’Brien | F | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
O’Brien and the Brantford Bulldogs didn’t slow down after their win over Sudbury. O’Brien had a hat trick and two assists on Sunday, Oct. 12, to lead the Bulldogs to an 8-5 win over the Ottawa 67’s. O’Brien’s eight points in two contests earned him the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week. As of Thursday afternoon, O’Brien is tied for first in the OHL in points per game (2.17) and tied for fifth in points overall (13).
Clarke Caswell | F | Univ. of Denver (NCAA)
Following a productive junior career, Clarke Caswell made his college debut playing for David Carle and the University of Denver last weekend. The 2024 fifth-round pick scored a goal last Friday in his first game versus Air Force off a hard-working net front battle. Overall he compiled a team-high seven shots on goal in 19:47 time on ice—which was one second short of the most on the team among Denver forwards. The next night Caswell once again assumed a top-six forward role and recorded two assists in Denver’s game versus Bentley. He’ll look to keep the production going this weekend with two games at Lindenwood University. Both contests will be available to stream on FloHockey.
Loke Krantz | F | Linköping HC (SHL)
On Saturday, Oct. 11, Loke Krantz made his debut in the SHL, Sweden’s top level pro league, for Linköping HC. He played just over eight minutes and wasted no time getting on the scoresheet either, recording an assist. The under-the-radar 2025 seventh-round pick has stuck with the SHL club since then, getting into his second pro game on Thursday, Oct. 16. Krantz is the seventh-youngest player in the SHL to record a point this season.
Kraken prospects data update
Karl Annborn has had an eventful few months since departing Kraken development camp in July. He played three games for Sweden’s U20 team and 14 club games for three different teams in three different Swedish leagues. Most recently he has played three games for Västerås IK of HockeyAllsvenkan. Despite all of that activity and change, his last game, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, brought another first: His first point of the season (an assist).
There were a number of league debuts this week, including Jugnauth and Price in the AHL, Annborn in Allsvenskan, Krantz in the SHL, and Caswell and Ollie Josephson in the NCAA.
Jakub Fibigr is third in the OHL in points per game (1.4) among defensemen. The baseline for offensive success has been there for Fibigr, even if the raw point totals haven’t yet followed. Over the summer we predicted this might be the year his production ticks up. So far, so good for Fibigr.
For his part, Julius Miettinen is tied for second in the WHL in points per game (2.0) among all players.
Semyon Vyazovoi posted his first quality game of the season last week, stopping 26 of 27 shots in a 40-minute relief appearance. Hopefully, this is the springboard Vyazovoi needed.
Nikke Kokko was in net for the Firebirds in what was a tough team effort. As mentioned above, he could play better this year and his stats could take a minor step back. I wouldn’t worry too much about that in the abstract.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
2: Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen
1: Jake O’Brien
There were a number of strong candidates this week, but O’Brien’s eight points in two games could not be denied.
Previewing the week ahead
The Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a Friday, Oct. 17, 4:00 pm PDT OHL tilt between Jake O’Brien’s Brantford Bulldogs and Jakub Fibigr’s Brampton Steelheads. Will our OHL Correspondent John Barr be in attendance? (If you miss this one, the two teams have a rematch set for Saturday at 1:00 pm PDT.)
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Ivar Stenberg
Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg tops most international player lists for the 2026 NHL Draft. After logging 25 games in the SHL in his draft-minus-one season, he has moved into a prominent scoring role for Frolunda this year, scoring two goals and adding seven assists in 11 games. He will likely hear his name called in top-10, if not top-five, come draft day.
Recent prospect updates
October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season
October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster
September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in
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 – Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...auth-earns-important-role-with-the-firebirds/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Kraken defeat Maple Leafs 4-3, extend point streak to five
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...-maple-leafs-4-3-extend-point-streak-to-five/
The Seattle Kraken took the ice in Toronto under the bright lights of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday. And, following their fourth-straight overtime contest, the team took home a rare win over the Maple Leafs, 4-3.
There were a number of storylines going into this one. Seattle’s hockey team was squaring off against Toronto’s squad the night before the cities’ baseball teams are set to face one another in Game 6 of the ALCS. Meanwhile, the Kraken personnel situation was strained, with mounting injuries (Freddy Gaudreau will miss four-to-six weeks) and other absences (Brandon Montour is away from the team right now for a personal reason). And Lane Lambert was returning to take on the team he coached last season.
In the end, though, the Kraken made their way through all of those distractions and delivered a sound, detailed effort against a high-powered Toronto team. There were isolated breakdowns in Seattle’s game (unnecessary penalties, failed or indecisive challenges at the blue line), but there was more good than bad overall on this night.
“[The Kraken] outworked us in front of the net. They blocked shots. They beat us up and down the ice,” Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said postgame. “The score was indicative of that. They just outworked us, plain and simple.”
We’ll highlight a couple of the hardworking “plays before the play” that made a big difference in the outcome tonight.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-3 Kraken win over the Maple Leafs.
Takeaway #1: Nyman generates offensive-zone possession, gets rewarded
There were aspects of Jani Nyman’s game Saturday that were not perfect (he struggled with breakouts and transition skating a bit), but still, Nyman delivered one of his better performances in the National Hockey League on the strength of his work low in the offensive zone. In the first period, he dominated possession below the goal line to the extent that Toronto’s Nicolas Roy eventually got his stick in a bad position and tripped Nyman.
This sent the Kraken to the power play where Seattle grabbed an early lead on Shane Wright’s rebound goal.
Nyman’s work was a big part of that score. And the coaching staff recognized that, elevating Nyman into a middle-six role alongside Wright and Mason Marchment for the remainder of the game.
Nyman continued to deliver in the second period. After a brief push by the Maple Leafs, Nyman helped flip the momentum midway through the frame by contributing to another dominating possession shift in the offensive zone. That work cemented Nyman’s elevation and kept him on Wright’s line and in position to receive a feed from Marchment that Nyman would bury for Seattle’s second goal.
LI'L JANI!
GREAT play by Shane Wright and Mason Marchment, and Jani Nyman blasts it home!
2-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/HJcshJa3Iz
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 19, 2025
In the end, Nyman posted a season-high 13:23 TOI. When Nyman, Marchment, and Wright were on the ice together 5-on-5, the Kraken had 63.57 percent of total shot quality, according to Natural Stat Trick. Nyman was a big part of Seattle’s success in this game.
Ryan Winterton was the player that moved down due to Nyman’s elevation. To Winterton’s credit, he continued to play his forechecking and backchecking game there, looking comfortable alongside his former Coachella Valley teammates Tye Kartye and John Hayden.
Takeaway #2: Seattle’s net-front work creates offense
As Stolarz said, the Kraken outworked the Maple Leafs at the front of the net all night. While Seattle forced the large majority of the Maple Leafs’ shots on Joey Daccord’s net to the outside, they were equally effective getting in close to Stolarz and making his life uncomfortable.
Seattle’s third goal may read like a simple, low-danger point shot from Vince Dunn in the box score, but the goal doesn’t happen without Jaden Schwartz’s hard-nosed play at the net front. If Schwartz is not working to that difficult area, the Toronto defender Brandon Carlo is not forced to make a split-second decision on checking through Schwartz’s body to prevent a potential rebound chance. Unfortunately for Carlo, Schwartz’s effective net-front screen turned into some legal “goaltender interference” as Carlo propelled Schwartz into Stolarz, allowing Dunn’s shot to pass uncontested.
“Ugly” goals like this come from the hard work. And, so far this season, the Kraken are putting in that work.
HE DUNN DID IT!
Jaden Schwartz gets shoved into Stolarz by Brandon Carlo, and Vince Dunn gets a good bounce. #SeaKraken regain a 3-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/a7IKQ2UZTM
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 19, 2025Takeaway #3: Work without the puck delivers the game-winner in overtime
Overtime hockey is all about puck possession. With Toronto gaining control first, Seattle needed to stay patient and prepare for any opportunity to seize the puck back. Schwartz did just that early in the overtime, when he stripped a puck clean in a confined area behind the net. This takeaway set Seattle up with a number of chances to win the game, which Stolarz rebuffed (at least temporarily).
Later in the five-minute frame, Chandler Stephenson redeemed an earlier sloppy possession play with a hard-skating backcheck to disrupt a transition chance from William Nylander. The Kraken gained possession thereafter, transitioned back to offense, sprung Josh Mahura on a breakaway, and the blueliner buried the game-winning shot—much to Stolarz’s chagrin.
no better time to score your first goal as a #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/6GTLKszCNF
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 19, 2025
The goal was Mahura’s first as a Kraken. Coincidentally, Mahura’s last goal, which came in 2023 as a member of the Florida Panthers, was also scored in Toronto. The goaltender Mahura scored on? Current teammate Matt Murray.
Bonus: You don’t see that everyday
At 19:05 in the second period, Marchment lost his edge attempting a transition chance, plowed into Stolarz, and came to a stop in the Leafs’ net. Stolarz—likely still hot from giving up a goal with Schwartz in his lap just over a minute earlier—had seen enough. He got to his feet, threw the goal off its pegs and dove on Marchment in attack mode. For a moment it seemed like we were watching pro wrestling. “I [was] not happy,” Stolarz said of the collision. “If guys are going to run me, I’m going to stand up for myself.” You don’t see that move everyday.
The road ahead
The Kraken have taken four of a possible six points in the first three games of this difficult road trip. Overall, the team still has not lost in regulation this season. Seattle’s next game will come in Philadelphia on Monday. Puck drop is at 4:00 pm PDT.
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 Three Takeaways – Kraken defeat Maple Leafs 4-3, extend point streak to five appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/1...-maple-leafs-4-3-extend-point-streak-to-five/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Monday Musings: The train keeps rolling despite injuries, Catton making NHL debut
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/2...ing-despite-injuries-catton-making-nhl-debut/
Don’t look now, but the Seattle Kraken have a five-game point streak to start the season and just grabbed four of six possible points on their swing through eastern Canada. If you’re not on the Lane Train yet, it’s time to hop aboard.
Being competitive
I’ve mentioned it on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast and in our preseason roundtable, but one of the biggest things I wanted to see from this team was simple: be competitive. Anyone can look at the team’s four overtime games and see that the Kraken have been right there in every one, even coming away with victories in two of the four.
It is more than just the end results. I love how this team responds after getting scored on. It’s almost like they refuse to let opponents build momentum off a goal. Several times against the Maple Leafs, I thought Toronto might take over after tying the game, but to the Kraken’s credit, that never really happened. In fact, a few times, it felt like Seattle grabbed control right back.
They’ve never trailed by more than one goal this season and have only allowed two consecutive goals in regulation once. That’s likely another byproduct of Lane Lambert’s defensive structure, and honestly, it’s a pleasure to watch.
Face-off possession
One area that continues to challenge the Kraken is face-offs. And I’m not just talking about the percentages you see in the box score. While there’s no public data tracking “possession after a face-off,” the Kraken are currently allowing the second-most shot attempts against within 10 seconds of a face-off draw, an average of 10.8 per game.
That issue burned them a couple times this week, most notably on Cole Caufield’s overtime winner for the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and John Tavares’s third-period goal against Toronto on Saturday.
It’s something they’ll need to tighten up as the season goes along.
Injuries continue to pile up, Catton making NHL debut
In case you missed it, the team announced that center Freddy Gaudreau has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Gaudreau is much more than just a fourth-line center. He plays a crucial complementary role as a right-shot pivot who kills penalties and thrives in the shootout.
Before his injury, Gaudreau was on the ice for nearly 45 percent of the Kraken’s total penalty-kill minutes. He now joins Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans, who have both missed the entire season to this point and remain a few weeks away from their original return targets.
The Kraken called up John Hayden from Coachella Valley to fill that fourth-line center role. He got some time on the penalty kill, but it looks like Tye Kartye and Chandler Stephenson will take on more of Gaudreau’s PK minutes for now.
On top of that, Ryan Lindgren left the Toronto game late in the third period after being struck in the face by a puck. The team hasn’t shared an update yet, but they did recall Ville Ottavainen on Sunday to join them for the back half of this road trip. With back-to-back games ahead, the Ottavainen call-up might just be a precaution in case anyone else gets dinged up.
As if it could not get any worse, the Kraken announced that Jared McCann is out day-to-day with a lower body injury. That’s another unfortunate development for arguably the Kraken’s best goal scorer.
On the flip side, McCann’s injury creates an opportunity for Berkly Catton to make his NHL debut, which he will do Monday in Philadelphia.
We have generally assumed the plan was to keep Catton on the roster as a healthy scratch long enough to send him for a conditioning stint in the AHL, but the long list of injuries has forced Seattle’s hand. Now, the 19-year-old rookie will get a look on a line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle.
Berkly Catton is making his NHL debut tonight in PhiladelphiaCaught up with him after #SeaKraken morning skate. pic.twitter.com/qMSiB55ysl
— Piper Shaw (@PiperShawTV) October 20, 2025Other musings
- It’s probably stating the obvious, but with three wins and two overtime losses in their first five games, the Kraken are off to their best start through five games in franchise history.
- Before Saturday night’s matchup, the Kraken were just 1-6-1 against the Maple Leafs all time, and they still haven’t beaten Toronto at Climate Pledge Arena.
- With four of their first five games going to overtime, it’s no surprise the Kraken have played more OT games than any other team so far this season. For comparison, it took Seattle until Game 15 last season to reach four overtime appearances.
- The Kraken have also scored first in four of five games, which is a trend you love to see.
- It’s felt like the Kraken have taken a lot of penalties and spent a lot of time shorthanded this season, but that’s actually not the case. They’re averaging just 2.4 times shorthanded per game, which ranks among the top five in fewest times shorthanded per game in the NHL.
- It’s still early, but the Kraken’s power play is clicking at 28.6 percent, currently fifth best in the league.
- Seattle also leads the NHL in blocked shots, averaging 20.6 per game, a stat that fits perfectly with the blue-collar identity Lambert is building.
- Chandler Stephenson is the only Kraken center with a face-off win percentage above 50 percent this season.
- Before I get in trouble, I fully recognize that the “Lane Train” was first coined by the BFOTP, Alison Lukan.
Goal of the week
From everything I’ve heard, Josh Mahura might be the most universally liked guy in the Kraken room. So when he scored that huge first goal as a Kraken, the celebration said it all, everyone was fired up for him.
no better time to score your first goal as a #SeaKraken
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 19, 2025
Players of the week
Shane Wright (SEA) – After a quiet start, Wright flipped the switch this week with two goals and two assists in three games. The confidence is showing, and it feels like he’s just getting started.
Ryan Donato (CHI) – A forever Kraken OG, Donnie’s doing Donnie things again — three goals, two assists, and an overtime winner against the Ducks for good measure. It’s hard not to root for him.
Chandler Stephenson (SEA) – Stephenson continues to be an absolute workhorse. He has four points in three games, leading all Kraken forwards in ice time, and is now taking on even more with Gaudreau out. The man’s everywhere.
The week ahead
With injuries stacking up, the back half of this road trip is about to get tricky. The Kraken will play their first back-to-back of the season, Flyers Monday, Capitals Tuesday, before wrapping it up Thursday in Winnipeg. Three games, six possible points. If they can come away with three or more, that’s seven of 12 for the trip, not bad at all for a team that’s decimated by injuries and is still finding its rhythm.
The second game of that back-to-back will be the one to watch. Washington is 4-2-0 and playing well, and remember: the Kraken went 0-12-0 on the second night of back-to-backs last year. Even a single point Tuesday night would already be progress.
Then there’s the goaltending situation. Joey Daccord has started four out of the five games this season, and he’s been solid. But with games on consecutive nights, we should see one of the backups — Philipp Grubauer or Matt Murray — get a look. The team hasn’t tipped their hand on how they’ll handle the rotation yet, so this week should give us our first real clue about how this might play out with three goaltenders.
And finally…
The Kraken are far from perfect, but through five games, they’ve shown they can hang with anyone. To be clear, I still don’t really know what we have with this group yet, but the early results are undeniably positive. If they keep grinding out points on this trip, we might be looking at a team that’s quietly figuring out how to win the hard way.
The post Monday Musings: The train keeps rolling despite injuries, Catton making NHL debut appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/2...ing-despite-injuries-catton-making-nhl-debut/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Catton gets point in NHL debut, Kraken lose to Flyers 5-2
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/20/kraken-flyers-berkly-catton-debuts/
With nothing else going on in the Seattle sports world on Monday, the Kraken had the full attention of the local sports fandom (right?). Sadly for those fans, the guys on the ice didn’t have their best against the Flyers and fell 5-2 in Philadelphia.
“Not sharp. We were not sharp,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “It wasn’t our best effort, that’s for sure. We have to be better.”
It was a night of firsts: Berkly Catton’s first NHL game and point, the first time the Kraken trailed by more than a goal this season, and their first regulation loss of the year.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 5-2 Kraken defeat to the Flyers.
Takeaway #1: Berkly Catton immediately gets on the scoresheet
The Kraken were already injury-riddled before they announced Monday morning that their best goal scorer, Jared McCann, was out day to day with a lower-body injury. McCann joined an ever-growing injury ward that already housed Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans, and Freddy Gaudreau, while Seattle also continues to miss Brandon Montour, who is away from the team on a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.
McCann being out meant five regular players were unavailable for this game.
In stepped 19-year-old top prospect Berkly Catton, who had been waiting in the wings as a healthy scratch since breaking training camp with the team. With his parents in the building after flying from Saskatoon to Calgary to Atlanta to Philadelphia, Catton got on the scoresheet just seven minutes into his first NHL game.
Matty Beniers hustled to the corner to pick off a bad Vladar clearing attempt, then rimmed it around to Catton at the right hash marks. Catton simply pulled it off the wall and tapped it to Cale Fleury at the point, who ripped a shot toward goal. Eberle got a piece of it, and just like that, Catton became the fourth Kraken player to record a point in his regular-season debut.
“I think my first touch of the game was an assist, so that was pretty cool,” Catton said.
I do believe the Kraken were trying to keep him as a healthy scratch long enough to make him eligible for a rehab stint in the AHL. But with McCann out, that forced the Kraken’s hand and pushed Catton into the lineup.
All in all, it was a solid first outing for the youngster, who nearly scored in the second period and didn’t have any glaring turnovers or costly mistakes, finishing plus-one in 13:49 of ice time.
Takeaway #2: Tough night for Joey
On a night when the Kraken were facing Dan Vladar—a backup goalie who has oddly had Seattle’s number since their inception—their own netminder, Joey Daccord, had an uncharacteristically rough night.
Daccord allowed five goals on 21 shots through two periods before being lifted and replaced by Philipp Grubauer.
Two of the goals against, both scored by the red-hot, red-headed Owen Tippett, were of the “wanted that one back” variety. The first of those came just two minutes after Eberle had given the Kraken an early 1-0 lead.
As a dumped-in puck rattled around behind the Seattle net, Daccord corralled it and had options, with Jamie Oleksiak and Ryan Lindgren both available in the corners. He waited far too long to make a decision, though, and by the time he went to move it, Sean Couturier snuck up behind him and stripped him of the puck. It eventually got to Tippett, who chipped it into an open net.
1st period is in the books. 2-1 Flyers. #SeaKraken jumped out to a 1-0 lead, scored by Jordan Eberle and created by Berkly Catton's first career point.
But then Philly took advantage of a Joey Daccord Adventure(video of that here) and added a PPG. pic.twitter.com/L9HsWVU5Ch
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 20, 2025
The other stinker was the one that effectively sealed the game for the Flyers. Seattle had gotten back within two goals after falling behind 4-1. If the Kraken had scored again before the second intermission, they might have entered miracle comeback territory. Instead, off a 3-on-3 rush with four minutes left in the frame, Tippett threw it at Daccord from a sharp angle. Reading pass, Daccord got too deep in his net and left the short side open. The puck squeezed through.
Grubauer came in for the third period and looked solid. It will be interesting to see what the Kraken do in goal Tuesday for their first back-to-back of the season. Does Grubi go right back in after stopping six of six shots Monday? Or does Matt Murray get his first look of the season?
Meanwhile, at the other end of the ice, Vladar improved to 7-1-1 all time against the Kraken.
Takeaway #3: Jani Nyman is a weapon on the power play
…but we already knew that.
Jani Nyman’s utilization in a fourth-line role with no power-play time to start the season wasn’t particularly bothersome to me—except that it didn’t give him many chances to showcase his best asset: his howitzer of a shot.
With injuries piling up and Nyman’s steady play earning him more trust, he’s quietly worked his way up the lineup at 5-on-5 and, with McCann out, finally got a look on the power play Monday.
After scoring at even strength on Saturday in Toronto, Nyman cashed in again against Philly, this time on the power play after Beniers pulled a loose puck out of a bevy of humanity and snapped it over to an open Nyman, who sent it home for his third goal of the season.
LI'L JANI!
Beniers pulls a loose puck out of the pile, and Jani Nyman scores for the second game in a row. PPG.
4-2 Flyers pic.twitter.com/1HbOBb5Ppj
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 21, 2025
It was a smart play by Beniers to recognize that with the puck in the slot, all four Flyers penalty killers had collapsed to try to gain control. Once it squirted out to Matty, he didn’t force it back into the pile. Instead, he pulled it out and passed it to Nyman, who had the much better angle.
Back to Nyman… It was especially fun to see him rip two one-timers in a row in the third period, one that rang hard off the glass and another that rang even harder off the post.
One would have to think that Nyman—and his wicked shot—will get more opportunities with the man advantage moving forward.
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 – Catton gets point in NHL debut, Kraken lose to Flyers 5-2 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/20/kraken-flyers-berkly-catton-debuts/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Injury-riddled Kraken team comes up short against Capitals
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/21/kraken-lose-to-capitals-marchment-injured/
The Kraken won’t make any excuses for losing on back-to-back nights—Monday in Philadelphia and Tuesday in Washington, D.C.—but if there were ever a time to make them, this might be it. Just when it seemed like the injury situation couldn’t get any worse, a team already missing Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans, Freddy Gaudreau, Brandon Montour (personal), and Jared McCann also announced that Mason Marchment would be out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
“We’re definitely being tested,” Jordan Eberle said. “We have some adversity, some big guys out, but ultimately, you’re going to go through a season, and every team there’s injuries that happen, guys need to step up, play more minutes. Right now, that’s the case for us… Adversity happens, and that’s right now.”
Marchment’s sudden absence makes it six regulars out of the lineup at once.
Meanwhile, because Seattle continues to carry three goalies on its roster, there are no extra skaters available. The team has maxed out its roster while resisting placing McCann and Marchment on injured reserve, moves that would require either player to miss at least seven days. (The fact Seattle hasn’t done so suggests the organization doesn’t expect either player to be out for long.)
Still, we were hoping for a little more from the Kraken on Tuesday against the Capitals, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead and fended off a late push.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-1 Kraken loss to the Capitals.
Takeaway #1: Slow start dooms undermanned Kraken
When you consider the depleted roster and the tired legs from playing the night before, it’s easy to imagine a team looking sluggish and ineffective—and then packing it in once it falls behind. The Kraken did fall behind, but to their credit, they put together a strong third period and even started to generate a bit of belief that maybe… just maybe… they could come back.
That didn’t happen, but it was still an impressive final frame in which they turned the momentum and controlled large portions of play.
Matt Murray made his official Kraken debut, and although it would have been nice to get a save on the third goal—a power-play tally by Jacob Chychrun from the top of the right circle—he played a relatively solid game, stopping 30 shots in all.
Seattle, however, looked understandably flat for most of the first two periods. Before Murray could truly settle in, Nic Dowd scored an easy tap-in off a sharp passing play, Ryan Leonard beat Murray after an Adam Larsson turnover, and Chychrun added the power-play goal.
“I felt a little bit off, and really, if I make a save there early in the second period, maybe there’s a different flow to the game,” Murray said. “But I love the way that our guys battled out there. We defended hard, and for a team going through a lot of adversity right now, I loved our compete level. So, there’s some positives to build on.”
Seattle battled hard in the third, but it was too little, too late.
“I thought we made more plays in the third period,” head coach Lane Lambert said. “We inflicted pain on ourselves by turning pucks over, not making plays quick enough, certainly early on in the game. And you can’t do that. We have to be better than that… You can’t put yourself in a position where you’re down 3-0 in this league.”
Takeaway #2: Berkly Catton is an NHLer
Although Berkly Catton had an assist and a few good looks in the Philadelphia game, he looked tentative—similar to what we’ve seen from other young Kraken players in their debuts. He’d get the puck and quickly dish it off even when he had time, a sign of a 19-year-old trying to avoid mistakes.
On Tuesday, he looked like a different player… an NHL player, in fact. He held onto pucks, distributed confidently, and showed real creativity and poise.
Catton could have had several points, both goals and assists, but a few big saves by Logan Thompson and some near misses kept him off the scoresheet. Case in point: This perfect pass by Catton to Eberle that should have gotten Seattle within one goal.
While the Kraken came out losers again, it was an impressive showing for Catton. He made the most of his opportunity, earning 18:13 of ice time—including power-play minutes and a late shift during the 6-on-5 push when Lambert was trying to spark a comeback. He finished with three shots on goal and a plus-one rating.
When you think back to how Shane Wright looked in his first few NHL games—when he frankly seemed in over his head—as a 19-year-old, it’s encouraging and exciting to see Catton driving play and earning the coaching staff’s trust in just his second game.
Of course, it’s only two games, but I’m now feeling more sold than I did a week ago that Catton can stick with this team and be an impactful player.
Takeaway #3: Injuries killing the vibes
Seattle started the day Tuesday by sending defenseman Ville Ottavainen back to Coachella Valley of the AHL and recalling forward Ben Meyers. Then, just before puck drop, it became clear Meyers would be playing. For a moment, that raised the question of whether Catton might be coming back out of the lineup.
Not so. Instead, the team announced minutes before the game that Meyers had actually been summoned to replace Marchment, who had joined the ever-growing injured list.
This rash of injuries is both shocking and, somehow, predictable. When Seattle saw players dropping during training camp, it felt concerning—not because of the immediate absences, but because when injuries pile up early, they often have a way of snowballing once the season starts.
Sure enough, three weeks into the season, Seattle is desperate for healthy bodies.
And while the roster has taken a massive hit, the vibes on this six-game road trip have also tanked. For a while, it looked like Seattle might cruise through this stretch and bring home eight or more points out of 12. Now, after two regulation losses, the Kraken need a win against a good Winnipeg Jets team on Thursday just to salvage six of 12.
“We have an opportunity here,” Lambert said. “We can lament in the last couple games, but we have an opportunity in Winnipeg to go .500 on this road trip. That’s our focus.”
The vibes have gone from immaculate to pretty stinky in just two days. Let’s see if the Kraken can turn it back around and come home from this long road trip feeling good about themselves, despite this massive adversity.
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 – Injury-riddled Kraken team comes up short against Capitals appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/21/kraken-lose-to-capitals-marchment-injured/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Three Takeaways – Kraken finish road trip strong with 3-0 statement win over Jets
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/23/kraken-defeat-jets-daccord-shutout/
“Well, what a disappointment that road trip ended up being.”
…Is what we would have written if the Kraken had come up short against the high-flying Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. After starting the trip 1-0-2—including an impressive win over the Toronto Maple Leafs—dropping the final three games and returning home 1-3-2 would have really stung.
Instead, the Kraken handed the Jets their first home shutout loss since the middle of the 2023-24 season and brought home a downright solid 2-2-2 record, collecting six points and improving to 4-2-2 on the year.
“I thought our guys did a really good job of responding from the Washington game [on Tuesday] where I don’t think any of us were happy, coaches or players,” head coach Lane Lambert said.
On this night, Joey Daccord pitched a 32-save shutout and had an assist, while Jaden Schwartz notched two goals and an assist.
Here are Three Takeaways from an all-around 3-0 Kraken win over the Jets.
Takeaway #1: Just a solid game
Considering all this team has endured over the past two weeks—visiting six different cities, crossing into Canada twice, jumping time zones, and dealing with as many as six simultaneous absences to key players—it would have been understandable if they’d limped home with an underwhelming result.
(Thankfully, Mason Marchment returned after a one-game hiatus and delivered some high comedy.)
The Kraken refused to let their manpower challenges be an excuse, though, and built off an improved third period in Washington on Tuesday and followed it up with a full 60-minute, all-hands-on-deck effort Thursday. The result was a huge win over what should be one of the top teams in the NHL.
We’ll talk about Joey in the next Takeaway, because he deserves plenty of praise. But it’s worth noting he didn’t need to be spectacular in this one. The Kraken played with structure and discipline, stifling nearly every bit of momentum Winnipeg tried to generate.
Did you ever hear the typically raucous home crowd really get into the game? Maybe for a few minutes in the third, when the Jets strung together a couple of solid shifts in the offensive zone, but otherwise, Seattle made them look disjointed and kept the home fans quiet.
Takeaway #2: Daccord out-duels Hellebuyck
Joey Daccord surely wants to make Team USA for the Olympics, though his inclusion has generally been seen as a long shot. Meanwhile, the presumed starter for that team—Connor Hellebuyck—was in the opposite crease Thursday, fresh off a season in which he won both the Vezina and Hart Trophies and started for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
On Hellebuyck’s home ice, it was Daccord who came away victorious.
Daccord needed a strong outing after a couple of questionable goals in Philadelphia on Monday landed him on the bench for the third period and ultimately took the Kraken out of that game. He responded in a big way.
As noted in Takeaway No. 1, he mostly needed to be steady rather than spectacular, thanks to the defensive effort in front of him. But against an elite team like Winnipeg, any goalie will face chances, and Daccord turned aside every one of them.
The biggest scare came late in the first period, when Mark Scheifele’s point shot deflected up and over Daccord, clanged off the crossbar, and dropped into the crease. Daccord swept it out with his stick, right back to Scheifele, then dove across and gloved Scheifele’s follow-up shot to end the period in chaotic fashion.
WHAT?!#SeaKraken #gojetsgo
That's how the period ends… 0-0 through 20. pic.twitter.com/SqMMe6Bc4f
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025
Aside from that wild sequence, Daccord was calm, cool, and collected throughout and even chipped in offensively with an assist on Jordan Eberle’s empty-net goal to seal the deal.
I’m pretty sure Joey was thinking about taking the shot himself before he rimmed it around. Good for him for taking the unselfish point.
JORDAN EBERLE EMPTY-NETTER!
3-0 #SeaKraken… DEF thought Joey was going to shoot this, but he settles for the assist. https://t.co/VqZYjeAQbv pic.twitter.com/6CNwCZWzaY
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025Takeaway #3: Jaden Schwartz’s big night
Is it me, or does Jaden Schwartz just keep getting better? After posting 26 goals and 23 assists last season, the 33-year-old winger is off to another hot start with eight points (4-4=8) in eight games.
He got the sluggish Kraken on the board with their lone goal Tuesday, then on Thursday provided all the offense Seattle needed by doing what he does best: going to the front of the net.
Just 2:28 into the second period, Shane Wright made a heady play from the right circle, intentionally shooting into Hellebuyck’s right pad to create a rebound. He placed it perfectly, forcing the big netminder to kick the puck into a dangerous spot.
THE POWER OF THE SCHWARTZ!
Shane Wright with a pass off the pads, and Jaden Schwartz bangs it home for his second goal in two games.
Note Jani Nyman right in front, creating confusion.
1-0 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/i92jzywGya
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025
Sure enough, Schwartz crashed in from the weak side, found the rebound right on his stick, and buried it into an open net. For good measure, he added an empty-netter at 18:20 of the third, then assisted on Eberle’s ENG 23 seconds later.
Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz.
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 Three Takeaways – Kraken finish road trip strong with 3-0 statement win over Jets appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/23/kraken-defeat-jets-daccord-shutout/
Seattle Kraken
Starter
Down on the Farm – Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/2...-all-situations-contributor-as-an-ahl-rookie/
“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll focus on Firebirds rookie center Oscar Fisker Mølgaard and his rapid ascension into an important role in North America. After that, we’ll pass along injury news, standout performances, and other notes from the Kraken system.
As always, if you have a Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Let’s dive in.
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard shows skill and maturity in key AHL minutes
When we highlighted Oscar Fisker Mølgaard last season, we noted that the Danish center was an impressive but underexposed prospect. His career to date had been in the Swedish league, and his trade was speed, smarts, and defensive ability, rather than gaudy scoring production.
Mølgaard came to North America for a cup of coffee with the Coachella Valley Firebirds at the end of last season. During that stint, he gave fans a hint that his game would translate to a smaller ice surface and the more physical, pressure-based play style of the AHL and NHL. But he was a role player in his time in the Valley, focused on acclimating.
“[Mølgaard] is a 20-year-old player, but he’s been playing with the men in the [SHL] for three years, [and] three years on the Danish Men’s National Team as well,” Firebirds vice president of hockey and business operations Troy Bodie said. “He’s a very smart player, good skill. We saw that last year when he adapted to not only the league, but he’s never played on the small ice. In a lot of ways it’s a different game. Just how smart of a player he is, he adapted very well.”
Mølgaard discussed his journey with Sound Of Hockey at Kraken Rookie Camp this summer.
As Kraken training camp progressed, players were re-assigned to junior leagues or the Firebirds in multiple waves, but Mølgaard remained. He stuck with the team until the very last day of cuts, along with players like John Hayden and Ville Ottavainen—both of whom have already been recalled to the Kraken for stints in the NHL early this season. This gave us a hint of the team’s view of the young Dane.
“It means a lot because you’re [still with the NHL team] in the final stages here,” head coach Lane Lambert said of the last group of cuts. “And let’s be clear, this is an NHL season, which is 82 games. It’s an Olympic year, which condenses those 82 games, and you’re going to need players. There’s a lot of games in a short period of time, and so anyone who’s here at this point in time… it bodes well for them, for sure.”
Even though he had only played a handful of AHL games, the team viewed Mølgaard as a top option for the big club.
Fair or not, this raised expectations for Mølgaard. It was up to him to prove that he could meet that standard on the ice in Coachella Valley. From my vantage—and, apparently, the team’s—he has done all of that and more.
“Oscar is a very intelligent, very skilled, two-way player,” Bodie said. “He’ll be a big part of [the Firebirds].”
With only two AHL “veterans” on the Firebirds roster at the moment (and one of them is day-to-day with a lower-body injury), Coachella Valley has been leaning on its young players in key roles. No first-year player has responded as well as Mølgaard.
He quickly assimilated to the smaller spaces available to him on North American ice; his speed through the neutral zone transporting the puck into the offensive zone is perhaps even more noticeable now than it was in Europe. It allows him to tilt the ice in his team’s favor, particularly when matched with his strong backchecking, shot blocking, and defensive-zone instincts. Those latter aspects of his game could be true high-end traits at his peak.
On the penalty kill he is active and instinctual, particularly as the high neutral-zone forechecker. He is responsible for a handful of disruptions in the early going that have helped the Firebirds qualify as a top-10 penalty-kill unit.
Most surprising to me is his deployment on the power play, where he has been the first center over the boards, taking the draw and manning the half-wall “quarterback” position. He can connect on a one-timer when the situation calls for it, but that is not a strength of his game at this point. Even still, he has been comfortable skating and passing the puck to open areas from the half wall, which is a skillset we didn’t see from him in Europe (perhaps because he never had the chance).
His overall offensive production, including a willingness to get to the net front, has also surpassed my expectations. I have seen a skill level in his hands in the early going that wasn’t evident in his role within his SHL team’s structure. If he can keep it going, and add some necessary size, his projection will look more and more like a middle-six player than a bottom-six defensive specialist.
Notes on five more Kraken prospects
Eduard Sale | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Injuries have been a theme of the early season for the NHL team. Kraken prospects in the system have fared a bit better so far, but the strain on the Kraken has been felt by the Firebirds as well—with key players like John Hayden and Ben Meyers unavailable to the team because they are filling roles in the NHL. The forward depth will be tested further with Eduard Sale also out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. (Luckily, Mølgaard did not miss any additional time after leaving the team’s game on Oct. 10.)
Ty Nelson | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Add to the strain on the Firebirds forwards a recent week-to-week lower-body injury for defenseman Ty Nelson, and the Firebirds are certainly undermanned at the moment. Nelson was one of only two players to play every game for the Firebirds last year, so his absence will be keenly felt.
Kaden Hammell | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Hammell made his AHL debut this week and picked up both his first professional assist and first professional goal in two contests. With Nelson out, Hammell should have an extended opportunity to make his mark and prove he deserves to remain active on game days. His size and physical play are valuable, though there are some details in his reads that he needs to improve to succeed at the AHL level.
HAMMELL WITH HIS FIRST AHL GOALpic.twitter.com/PoHYhbZtvb
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) October 23, 2025Semyon Vyazovoi | G | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)
Semyon Vyazovoi started the season playing sparingly, likely hampered by an injury. When he did get in there, the results were not up to his standard. That changed over the last week, with Vyazovoi earning each of his KHL team’s starts and performing well. He was 2-1-0 from Friday, Oct. 17, through Thursday, Oct. 23—the time period technically covered by this late-arriving column—with a .931 save percentage. With that, all of a sudden, he leads the Kraken organization in save percentage again, as he frequently has done in recent years. His performance makes him our Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week. (He also added a .958 save percentage win on Saturday, Oct. 25, but we’re objective here and did not allow that to sway our player of the week “voting.”)
Let’s Get Quzzical: Two of Vyazovoi’s starts last week matched him up against a former Kraken goaltender. Name the goalie. Answer later in the column.
Jake O’Brien | F | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
You know you’re a star 19-year-old in junior hockey when a two-point-per-game week qualifies as “ho hum” and actually lowers your season average. That said, Sound Of Hockey got an in-person viewing of O’Brien last week from our OHL Correspondent John Barr. Check out that conversation at about the eight-minute mark in the most recent Sound Of Hockey Podcast.
Kraken prospects data update
(Author’s Note: This update covers games through Thursday, Oct. 23.)
Loke Krantz returned to the Swedish U20 league and had a productive week, scoring three goals and adding two assists.
Logan Morrison has stepped up as a top forward for the Firebirds in the early going, playing key minutes. As a third-year player, he qualifies as an experienced leader on this year’s club.
Kim Saarinen has had a couple of tough outings in recent weeks, but he continues to operate as a lead goalie for HPK in Liiga.
Victor Ostman cracked the Firebirds lineup last week, and while his numbers weren’t very good, he was mostly solid. He should be productive if he continues as the AHL backup this season. The longevity of the three-goaltender situation at the NHL level remains a question mark.
Let’s Get Quizzical Answer: The former Kraken goalie that Vyazovoi faced twice last week was Chris Driedger, who is playing for Traktor this season. Vyazovoi was 1-1-0 in those contests.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
2: Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen
1: Jake O’Brien, Semyon Vyazovoi
Previewing the week ahead
With apologies that this is coming late, hopefully it can still orient your watching for Saturday and the remainder of the week. Both Clarke Caswell’s Denver team and Ollie Josephson’s North Dakota team will have games available to stream on ESPN+ this weekend. The Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a Sunday matchup between two top WHL squads: Julius Miettinen’s Everett Silvertips and the Spokane Chiefs.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Ryan Roobroeck
While he has been overshadowed by some buzzier prospects, few can match the junior scoring production of OHL forward Ryan Roobroeck. Add in a 6-foot-4, 216-pound frame and there is a lot to dream on with this player. Roobroeck has had a relatively quiet (by his standards) 11 points through 12 games this season.
Recent prospect updates
October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds
October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season
October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster
September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in
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 – Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.
Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/10/2...-all-situations-contributor-as-an-ahl-rookie/