News Kraken Team Notes

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Kraken end six-game slide with miraculous 3-2 OT win against Kings

While an atmospheric river continues to pound the Pacific Northwest, Seattle Kraken fans can take solace in the fact that Losing Streak Camille (that’s what we began calling it on the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast episode) has finally ended.

The Kraken rallied back in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, tying the Los Angeles Kings 2-2 on a Matty Beniers redirection with 26 seconds remaining in the third, then getting an overtime power-play goal from Vince Dunn to end a six-game skid that started with a 1-0 shootout loss at the New York Islanders on Nov. 23.

“I thought it was awesome, just the fight from our group,” Joey Daccord said. “We’ve competed so hard these last couple weeks, and it just hasn’t gone our way.”

Here are Three Takeaways from a thrilling 3-2 Kraken comeback win over the Kings.

Takeaway #1: Late-game heroics​

The Kraken penalty kill has definitely gotten better now that the team has switched from the wedge plus one to a diamond formation, which seems to have eliminated the ever-present too-easy seam pass. The PK did allow one off a rush on Wednesday, though, and it came at a bad time with the game tied and five minutes remaining in the third period.

Ryker Evans took a four-minute double-minor for high sticking Corey Perry, and Anze Kopitar quickly sent Kevin Fiala on a partial breakaway, on which Fiala converted for what felt like the winning goal at the time.

But the Kraken didn’t give up. Back on the power play themselves and with Daccord off for an extra skater, Eeli Tolvanen sent a shot-pass toward the top of the crease that Matty Beniers redirected into the top corner.

MATTY MAGIC!

Let's play overtime! #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/5ymp7xZpnG

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 11, 2025

“Matty’s goal, there, there’s not much to it,” Dunn said. “It’s throwing the puck where guys are going to the net, and eventually it’s going to go in for us.”

Beniers then cut hard to the net in the overtime period and drew a penalty on Adrian Kempe, which gave Seattle its seventh power play of the game. Tolvanen contributed again, laying a perfect pass into Dunn’s wheelhouse.

HE DUNN DID IT!

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT, THEY PULL YOU… BACK IN!

Beniers ties the game with 26 seconds left, then draws a penalty. On the ensuing power play, Vince Dunn wins it with a bomb.

Losing Streak Camille has ended. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/Nu3tWdz6Yi

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 11, 2025

“It’s not anything special drawn up,” Dunn said. “It’s just taking the shot that’s there and hoping good things happen.”

The game-winning goal was Dunn’s third point of the game and Tolvanen’s second assist in just over two minutes between the third period and OT.

Takeaway #2: Jared McCann scores, gets hurt again​

Jared McCann, who recently returned from a 17-game absence due to a lower-body injury, looked like vintage Jared McCann in this game and scored a power-play banger (all three goals came on the power play for the Kraken, which also gave up a short-handed goal seconds after it failed to convert on a 5-on-3, but that’s neither here nor here) to open the scoring at 3:21 of the second period.

MCCANN CAN!

Great setup, and a vintage Jared McCann finish for the power-play goal.

1-0 #SeaKraken. pic.twitter.com/C5joHBws3u

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 11, 2025

But the play that put Seattle onto a 6-on-4 power play and led to the late tying goal also sent McCann to the locker room with what looked like another bad lower-body injury.

Goalie Anton Forsberg got caught behind the net and went scrambling to get back in his crease. When he did, his right pad tangled with McCann’s left leg and took the Kraken’s best scorer down in an awkward way.

As Seattle headed to the all-important manpower advantage on the ice, McCann was helped down the tunnel and not putting much weight on his left leg.

After McCann’s mysterious lower-body injury dragged on for much of the beginning of the season, and as Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, Matt Murray, and Tye Kartye (illness) all try to work their way back from various ailments, seeing McCann go down was the last thing the Kraken wanted.

Lane Lambert did not have an update after the game.

Takeaway #3: The Kraken needed that win​

During the losing streak, the Kraken genuinely played some very good games—except for the two against the Edmonton Oilers, who steamrolled them twice. They had a chance to win every other game of the stretch but found different ways to lose those.

“We’ve had some losses here, some tough losses at home, where we’ve played well,” Lambert said. “We were playing well again tonight, and I’m just happy for our players that they finally got rewarded for it, because they’ve been working.”

With the win, the Kraken stopped the bleeding in the standings, at least for now. They had quickly plummeted from second place all the way down to sixth in the Pacific Division and appeared to be headed for tank. While they remain firmly outside the bubble, they’re still just two points out with games in hand on everybody.

Now, if they want to remain competitive in the coming months, they need to use this miraculous victory as a jumping-off point to start rebuilding their belief in themselves.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, and McCann exiting once again makes things even harder. But at least Losing Streak Camille is a thing of the past.

The post Three Takeaways – Kraken end six-game slide with miraculous 3-2 OT win against Kings appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/10/kraken-defeat-kings-in-overtime-mccann-injury/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects

Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. Last Saturday, Seattle Kraken vice president and assistant general manager Ryan Jankowski sat down with with Kraken Hockey Network for a wide-ranging conversation on Kraken prospects. We will dig into the insights he passed along, before updating Kraken prospects named to World Juniors rosters. Of course, we’ll also pass on all of the Kraken prospect news, video, and data you could want, plus our weekly game preview.

If you have a Seattle 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.

Assistant general manager Ryan Jankowksi emphasizes adversity and competitiveness in Kraken prospect development​

Ryan Jankowksi is the new manager at the top of the Kraken player development operation this season. Last Saturday, he joined the KHN pregame show and provided some insights into his player development priorities and early Kraken prospect impressions. While the conversation stayed fairly general—as it should—a number of interesting points emerged. You can watch the full interview below.

The most robust conversation centered on a new player development pathway that opened this year for aspiring NHL players: moving from junior hockey to play in the NCAA. (We explained the background of this change here.)

When asked about Kraken prospects Ollie Josephson and Clarke Caswell making this move this year, Jankowksi conceded “this was uncharted territory for everyone, so we weren’t sure how it was going to go. The adjustment has been there for both guys, but it’s been really positive for them because it’s another level of hockey. It’s a bit faster. It’s a little bit older. They’re adjusting very well and having success as a result.”

When asked whether the organization has encouraged its younger junior players to pursue this transition, or will do so in the future, Jankowksi said, “The one thing you have to keep in mind is they’re unsigned players.” (This is because players signed to NHL contracts are still ineligible for NCAA hockey.) “They’ve got to make the decision for themselves. We can’t really get too involved. Obviously, they’ll consult with us, they’ll ask our thoughts, but they have to do what’s best for them.”

Jankowksi continued, explaining that each development path has its advantages and disadvantages, and that the best course may be player-specific. “For us, every opportunity is a good opportunity, whether it’s staying in the [Western Hockey League] as a 19-year-old, playing a ton of minutes, being the go-to offensive guy, or making this adjustment [to college hockey]. So, at the end of the day, . . . every opportunity is different and it’s a different path for every player.”

That said, what he likes about the college option is the opportunity for young, talented junior players to experience challenge and failure earlier in their careers. “What we want to see is a little bit of adversity because there’s going to be adversity when they get to professional hockey,” Jankowski said.

As for the specific players who made the jump, Jankowski said of Josephson: “One thing that Ollie Josephson mentioned is that they don’t play as many games, so he’s had to get used to that. But over the last couple of weeks, Ollie’s taken a really nice step.” About Caswell, Jankowski said: “Clarke was able to jump in right away on a really talented Denver team and play a really good role because he is skilled, creates offense, and is a really smart player.”

When talking about other players in the organization, Jankowksi often returned to another theme: competitiveness. Of 2025 seventh-round pick Loke Krantz, Jankowksi said: “He’s been a bit of a surprise for us, but he’s done a really nice job getting himself to this point with hard work and competitiveness.”

Jankowksi said about 2024 second-rounder Nathan Villeneuve: “[He] brings a lot of physicality. He’s kind of a pit bull. He brings a lot of energy, he’s really good in the battles, h e’s the team captain, so he’s bringing his team into the fight every night, which is important for [Sudbury] because they’re fighting for some wins.”

Finally, Jankowski highlighted the youth movement in Coachella Valley: “The one thing that’s different this year is there [are] so many young players. I was at a game this year where four of the defensemen had a total of nine American Hockey League games [of experience between them]. So, it’s a total shift from basically winning every night to now this path of development for the organization with young players, and they’re handling it very well. [Vice president of hockey and business operations] Troy Bodie and [Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach] Derek Laxdal do a tremendous job. You’re going to have ups and downs. You’re not going to win every game, and the emphasis is on development, but they are winning games as a part of it [too].”

O’Brien, Miettinen, Saarinen named to World Juniors rosters​

As of our last Kraken prospect update, Team Canada and Team Finland had not yet announced their World Juniors rosters, but we projected forward Jake O’Brien to Canada and forward Julius Miettinen and goalie Kim Saarinen to Team Finland. In the week since, both Canada and Finland have announced their rosters, and, as expected, those players were included.

With Berkly Catton sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury (to his hand after blocking a shot), he is now very unlikely to join Team Canada. This may open the door to a top-nine and power-play role on Team Canada for O’Brien. I’m hopeful he gets that look, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he is used sparingly.

Miettinen and Saarinen return to the Team Finland roster after also attending last year’s event. Miettinen projects as a key all-situations contributor for the Lions, while Saarinen will likely begin as the backup goaltender. His recent solid play in Liiga may make it a closer call than it appeared a few weeks back, though.

Notes on three more Kraken prospects​

Tyson Jugnauth | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

With five points in four AHL games over the last week, Tyson Jugnauth is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week. His ability to transport and pass the puck has shined in the open ice available on the power play or in overtime—and he is being featured in those situations. He has shown offensive play-driving skill at 5-on-5 as well, with the ability to outlet the puck, dissect the offensive zone with passes, and walk the blue line. The defensive skills are taking incremental steps too, though they remain an area for development. While older than most, he leads all AHL rookie blueliners in total points (18) and assists (14).

Nathan Villeneuve | F | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)​

Villeneuve’s season is flying a bit under the radar, but he is doing everything you would hope a high-drafted 19-year-old junior player would. He’s the captain and emotional leader of his team, as Jankowski mentioned, plays in all situations, and his 1.59 points per game ranks seventh in the OHL. The offensive production is encouraging for a player who has also demonstrated pro-level grit and grind during his playoff stint with Coachella Valley last season. A strong pro future is looking more and more certain for Villeneuve.

Visa Vedenpää | G | Kärpät (Liiga)​

Vedenpää has not appeared in a game in nearly a month, last appearing on Nov. 15. I do not believe there is an injury involved because Vedenpää has dressed as the backup for Kärpät in each game since. It is likely that the team views him as a true backup at this stage, which is fair given his modest production this season. But it is a reminder of the development challenges that playing in a professional league overseas can present. At a certain point, Vedenpää’s development is better served by drawing regular starts at a lower level, but Kärpät believes it is in the team’s best interest to keep him as the backup.

Kraken prospects data update​

Forward Ben MacDonald had a standout weekend for the Harvard Crimson, scoring one goal and adding two assists.

Logan Morrison and Jagger Firkus are tied for ninth in the AHL with 11 goals apeice.

Saarinen continued his solid play last week, positing a .920 save percentage in two starts. HPK lost both games, though, with the offense generating only two goals in those games.

With a few more solid appearances last week, Nikke Kokko edged his save percentage over .900 for this first time this season.

Highlight of the Week​

With a slow-skating “assist” from Jacob Melanson, Firebirds center Oscar Fisker Mølgaard scored on a breakaway against the Calgary Wranglers on Thursday, Nov. 11.

Oscar Fisker Molgaard joins the puck party 3-1 firebirds pic.twitter.com/0iKUfbH0XQ

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) December 12, 2025

Speaking of which, the Firebirds played two consecutive games against the Wranglers and goalie Owen Say. On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Say shut out the Firebirds on 43 shots on goal. Then, on Dec. 11, the Kraken scored five goals on 11 shots knocking Say out of the game en route to a 7-4 win. Hockey is weird like that sometimes. Hey, hey, whaddya… Say? (I’ll see myself out.)

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

2: Jagger Firkus, Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen

1: Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom

Previewing the week ahead​

The Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week are matchups between Barrett Hall’s St. Cloud State Huskies and Clarke Caswell’s Denver Pioneers on Friday, Dec. 12, at 5:00 pm PT, and Saturday, Dec. 13, at 4:00 pm PT. The games are available to stream with a subscription to NCHC.tv.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Ilia Morozov​

The 6-foot-3 Russian-born Ilia Morozov has rapidly risen prospect rankings this year with a productive NCAA season for Miami University. At 17 years old, he leads all first-time draft-eligible college hockey players with seven goals (Gavin McKenna has only four goals). Morozov is third in total points among first-time eligibles. Corey Pronman of The Athletic had Morozov as the No. 16 overall prospect in his most recent draft rankings. Even if his stock cools a bit, his scoring ability and size makes him a likely top-50 pick.

Recent prospect updates​

December 5, 2025: World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds

November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship

November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

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.

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The post Down on the Farm – Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/13/down-on-the-farm-ryan-jankowski-talks-kraken-prospects/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Kraken misery continues with ugly 3-1 loss to Sabres

Things are getting dire, folks. You could sense it from the moment you walked into Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, where a big swath of fans arrived very late after the Seattle Seahawks narrowly defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts. And when they did arrive, they didn’t have much reason to cheer. The Seattle Kraken dropped their eighth game out of their last nine (1-7-1) with a 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Of course, we’ve been here in years past, but this free fall does sting, especially given that the Kraken started their season so well and gave hope that they could be a playoff team for just the second time in their five-year history. Instead, the plummet toward the bottom of the standings continued Sunday.

After the game, I asked Chandler Stephenson, who scored Seattle’s only goal in the game, “What is the mood of the team right now?”

Sounding downtrodden, Stephenson gave a long and thoughtful answer to a relatively simple question.

“I mean, it’s tough. Obviously, it’s no fun losing. And yeah, obviously, we got a little bit of energy with the dads being here [for the recent dads and mentors trip], and it’s exciting having them here. I think it’s just… it’s a hard league. It’s hard to stay positive when things are going this way. But, I think that’s kind of the MO right now, is that [winning is] going to come. That’s kind of the hard thing is that you’re just waiting for it [to happen], and it seems like it’s kind of the same thing. The effort’s there, goalies are playing well, giving us a chance to win. Offense isn’t overly there, but the PK has been better, power play has been pretty good too as of late. So yeah, I think it’s just that everything needs to be going for us to win games right now, and we’re just going to go into the next one, and hopefully we can have some energy and have some juice and get something going here before Christmas.”

Worth noting: the next Kraken game is against the 23-2-7 Colorado Avalanche.

Anyway… here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken loss to the Sabres.

Takeaway #1: Two bad mistakes​

You generally have to score more than one goal in a game to win, but with the way things have gone for the Kraken this month, you also can’t afford to make mistakes. Seattle made two huge ones in this game, and both resulted in rush goals for Buffalo—something we almost never saw in the first (almost) two months of the season.

The first goal, which ended with a pretty give-and-go between Noah Ostman and Josh Norris at 17:09 of the first period, came off a 2-on-1 that started when Alex Tuch escaped a Jamie Oleksiak pinch and made a quick breakout pass to Ostman in the middle.

“Their first goal, our D stands in,” coach Lane Lambert said. “Our protocol is our forward has to back him up, and he doesn’t, so it’s a 2-on-1. Can’t do that. And it’s happening too often, and there’s no excuse for it. These players, the guys have to do the job that’s required.”

Sabres break the ice off a 2-on-1.

Beautiful passing play between Noah Ostlund and Josh Norris. Norris crashed hard into the end wall. Was able to get up and skate off, though.

1-0. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/Mmm7KekgPN

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 15, 2025

In this case, Jacob Melanson (more on him in Takeaway #2) was the F1 on the forecheck, and Ben Meyers was the F2. That meant Tye Kartye was the high forward—and the one Lambert was clearly implicating. Kartye got caught flat-footed at the blue line, and Ostman had a ton of speed hitting the neutral zone. Kartye was so stationary, in fact, that Meyers—who was down at the offensive-zone face-off dot when the play started coming back the other way—ended up closer to catching the 2-on-1 rush than Kartye did.

The other non-empty-net goal, scored by Tage Thompson, came off an egregious turnover by Vince Dunn in the second period. Trying to clear the zone up the wall, Dunn had his pass knocked down by Tuch, suddenly turning it into a 3-on-1 that became a 2-on-0 in tight on Joey Daccord. Peyton Krebs slid it across to Thompson, who jammed it under Daccord’s pad for the 2-0 lead.

It's 2-0 Buffalo after…. this. pic.twitter.com/sz8UPfxMm9

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 15, 2025

“Obviously, the second one was a costly turnover,” Lambert said. “Right now, we have to play the perfect game to give ourselves a chance to win. And there’s mistakes here and there that are reaching up and biting us.”

I asked Lambert whether these mistakes are happening more frequently than they were earlier in the season.

“That’s a good question. No, I think that it’s just biting us a little more now. It wasn’t like we were mistake free, certainly. But right now, it’s magnified, right? Because you’re not winning, and you’re having trouble scoring goals 5-on-5, so those little mistakes get magnified.”

Takeaway #2: Jacob Melanson was a silver lining​

On a night when the veterans didn’t appear to have much juice, Jacob Melanson—who found out around 3 p.m. Sunday that he would be in the lineup for his second career NHL game, replacing a sick Mason Marchment—did exactly what you’d want. He was fast, physical, relentless on the forecheck, and looked like he belonged in a depth NHL role.

On his first shift, he dumped Rasmus Dahlin in the corner, then slammed Thompson into the end wall a few minutes later, doing everything he could to get under the skin of the Sabres throughout the night.

“The way I play, I play physically, bring energy, and the easiest way you get into it is get that first big hit, and I felt much better after that,” Melanson said. “Everyone’s been welcoming and happy to have me, and I thought tonight, I brought my energy, brought my physicality, and I’ll keep bringing that when the team needs it. And I feel like I can be a big part of that.”

The nastiness in Melanson’s game is an element the Kraken don’t really have, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with him moving forward. Though he played just 7:47, he brought a spark to an otherwise lifeless lineup. Could that earn him more time with the big club?

“I did like [his physical game],” Lambert said. “I thought it was exactly what we needed, and [he brought] some youthful energy, and certainly he finished his checks. I thought he played well.”

Takeaway #3: Something has to give​

One day after a true blockbuster trade sent Quinn Hughes, one of the best defensemen in the NHL, to the Minnesota Wild, it’s fair to wonder whether the Kraken will make a move of their own to try to salvage the season. Last December, former general manager Ron Francis traded for Kaapo Kakko. That didn’t ultimately rescue the season, but it was a signal that Seattle still wanted to keep trying to compete.

One year later, the Kraken are right back in the same position. Things are spiraling quickly, and while the playoffs remain attainable, constant injuries and illnesses have exposed just how thin this roster really is.

If the Kraken don’t pull off a trade or two for forwards who can put the puck in the net, that may be a sign that they’re instead beginning the march back toward sell mode.

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 misery continues with ugly 3-1 loss to Sabres appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/14/kraken-lose-to-sabres/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings – Sliding down to irrelevancy?

Last week I asked whether the Seattle Kraken had hit bottom. Technically, they squeaked out a win against the Los Angeles Kings last Wednesday, but that brief moment of optimism didn’t last. Since then, they’ve dropped two straight, including an underwhelming 3–1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. It’s ugly right now, and game by game, the Kraken are playing themselves toward irrelevancy.

Goals are still hard to come by​

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Kraken are struggling to score. Over their last five games, they’re shooting an abysmal 7.6 percent. A modest bump up to their season average of 9.7 percent would have produced roughly three additional goals over that stretch. Given that most of those games were essentially one-goal affairs, those three goals could have swung multiple results.

Things got even tougher when the Kraken lost their leading scorer, Jared McCann, for several weeks during Wednesday’s game against the Kings. That injury came just six games since he returned from a five-week absence. Seattle managed to tread water during McCann’s earlier absence, but that was with Jaden Schwartz in the lineup. Schwartz has now been out for three weeks himself, and suddenly the margin for error has disappeared.

Injuries are part of the game, and the Kraken have certainly had their share this season. The challenge for a team like Seattle is organizational depth. The AHL roster is loaded with prospects, but there aren’t many players down there who are ready to step in and handle even limited NHL minutes right now. When multiple top-six forwards are missing at the same time, the cracks become pretty obvious.

Objective of the 2025–26 season​

No one picked Seattle as a playoff team entering the season. ESPN and The Athletic both projected the Kraken to finish 29th overall. Here at Sound Of Hockey, we’ve been consistent that a reasonable expectation was simply to play meaningful games in March.

The Kraken’s solid start made that goal feel very attainable. Then the losses piled up, the injuries got worse, and suddenly the season has been in a spiral. And yet, despite how bleak things feel, Seattle is still just five points out of the final playoff spot. As bad as it’s been, they’re technically still on pace to be playing those meaningful games in March.

Given the current state of the roster, the path forward is pretty clear. If the Kraken can hover around .500 while McCann and Schwartz are sidelined over the next few weeks, they’ll give themselves a fighting chance once the lineup starts to stabilize.

Opportunities​

With Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann out, and Berkly Catton also working his way back from injury, several players are getting extended looks and increased responsibility. There are three players in particular who need to elevate their game.

• Shane Wright – I wouldn’t say Wright’s game has regressed since last season, but he hasn’t looked nearly as dangerous as he did down the stretch last year. He has five goals in 30 games and is shooting 11.4 percent, a sharp drop from last season’s 25.9 percent. There’s been plenty of fan frustration about his ice time, but much of that is tied to the coaching staff’s trust in him: he’s not on the top power-play unit and continues to get protected starts with limited defensive-zone usage. These injuries should open the door for more responsibility. Now it’s on Wright to take advantage and raise his game to the level everyone expects.
• Kaapo Kakko – Kakko’s production is largely explained by injury, and I’m willing to give him some leeway there. Coming back from two separate injuries is no small thing. That said, the Kraken badly need scoring from the wing, and Kakko has been back for seven games without looking like much of a threat. The hope is that more time and opportunity help him turn the corner over the next few weeks. Worth noting, he missed Monday’s practice with an illness.
• Freddy Gaudreau – Like Kakko, Gaudreau’s offensive numbers are down compared to last season, largely due to injury. I’ve liked his game lately, though, especially his two-way play. He looks more comfortable and always makes the right decision. It feels like he’s starting to find his stride with the Kraken. If a few more pucks start going in for him, that would go a long way toward stabilizing this team right now.

Other musings​

• The Kraken have been generating more shot attempts lately, though some of that can likely be attributed to playing from behind more often. Shot volume is nice, but context still matters, and chasing games isn’t exactly a sustainable offensive strategy.

• The Kraken are now 3-8-4 when allowing the first goal this season. Playing from behind continues to be a recipe for long nights.
• Seattle had 2:22 of 5-on-3 ice time over the past week and failed to convert. They are now one of just two teams this season with more than five total minutes of 5-on-3 time without a single goal, joining Montreal in that unenviable category. Meanwhile, opponents are a perfect 2-for-2 on 5-on-3 chances against the Kraken.
• By the definition, this is a face-off goal, yet who won this face-off?

Matty Beniers – Seattle Kraken (4)
Power Play Goal pic.twitter.com/xbzNTHkcg4

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) December 11, 2025

• Mason Marchment’s two-goal performance against Utah marked the seventh time a Kraken player has recorded a multi-goal game this season. That total is tied for 27th in the league, which says a lot about how rarely Seattle is getting game-breaking performances from individual players.
• Jacob Melanson was recalled on Saturday and was immediately pressed into action Sunday due to illness elsewhere in the lineup. I’ve always liked his game, and while this might be a brief look, I still think he has the makeup of a regular NHL player down the road.

Goal of the week​

Seattle Kraken sixth-round pick from the 2022 draft, Barrett Hall, scored this game-winning goal in the final minutes of St. Cloud’s 4–3 win over sixth-ranked Denver.

PRESENT FOR THE HUSKIES FROM BARRETT HALL! WRAP IT UP AND TIE IT WITH A BOW #NCAAHockey x Twin Cities CW / @SCSUHuskies_MH pic.twitter.com/UBGLhn6fPr

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) December 14, 2025

Player performances​

Tyson Jugnauth (CVF/SEA) – “Juggy” had two goals and two assists in the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ 7–4 win over the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday. It was one of those nights where he was involved in everything.

Kraken goaltenders – Over four games this week, Kraken goalies posted a .914 save percentage and saved 2.2 goals above expected. They’re doing their part, and then some.

Marcus Johansson (MIN) – Former Kraken forward “JoJo” had three goals and three assists in four games this week, including a nice game-winning goal against Seattle. Of course.

The week ahead​

They had to come to town eventually, and now they’re here. The 23-2-7 Colorado Avalanche visit Seattle on Tuesday at perhaps the worst possible time. Colorado leads the league at 4.0 goals per game, while the Kraken sit last at 2.47. Anything can happen in the NHL, but on paper this one is pretty terrifying.

After Colorado, Seattle heads out to Calgary on Thursday and San Jose on Saturday. At first glance, those might look like opportunities to grab some points, but the Flames have won four of their last five games, and the Sharks have taken three of their last four. There are no easy games in this league, and given how the Kraken are currently playing, these will all be tough.

Until further notice, the goal for the week should be simple: grab 50 percent of the available points. If the Kraken can hang around a .500 points percentage while waiting for McCann and Schwartz to return, they at least keep themselves in the bubble conversation. Even then, this team is going to need a real run to become relevant again, and that likely won’t happen until those pieces are back in the lineup.

The post Monday Musings – Sliding down to irrelevancy? appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/15/monday-musings-sliding-down-to-irrelevancy/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

10 for 10: Seattle Kraken Games 21–30

We’ve crossed another 10-game mark in the Seattle Kraken season. The previous installments of this series carried a tone of optimism, but if you’re looking for silver linings this time, you may want to take this one off. The 2025–26 Kraken just endured one of the roughest stretches in franchise history. The theme of this 10-for-10 is less about excitement and more about confronting the reality of what’s unfolded over the past three weeks.

If you’re still reading, don’t forget, I warned you.

Data point 1: Points percentage in the Pacific Division​

10 games ago, Seattle sat third in the Pacific, just two points behind division-leading Anaheim with a game in hand. Since then, they’ve been the worst-performing team in the division, even allowing Vancouver to gain ground.

The Kraken now find themselves tied for sixth in the Pacific and five points out of the final wild card spot.

Data point 2: Goals for and against (excluding empty-netters)​

Scoring has been a season-long issue, but the last 10 games have been especially brutal, with the Kraken averaging just two non-empty-net goals per game. Meanwhile, defensive lapses have led to more goals against.

With Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz sidelined for at least two more weeks, offensive relief is nowhere in sight.

Data point 3: Special teams​

Special teams have mirrored the broader struggles. In one three-game stretch, Seattle allowed seven of eight opposing power plays to convert while scoring just once on 11 opportunities.

The recent trend is slightly better: the penalty kill has stopped 10 of the last 12 chances, and the power play has clicked at 29.4 percent over the last four games.

Data point 4: Shot attempts per game​

Earlier this season, shot volume was a glaring weakness. Over the last 10 games, attempts have increased—but much of that may be inflated by playing from behind.

Data point 5: Shooting percentage​

More shots haven’t translated to more goals. Seattle’s shooting percentage has cratered to just 7.4 percent over this stretch.

Data point 6: High-danger chances (all situations)​

The low shooting percentage is partly explained by shot quality. Seattle averages only 5.87 high-danger shots per game—the lowest in the NHL. The lone bright spot: they also allow the fewest high-danger shots against per game.

Data point 7: Defensive zone faceoffs​

Chandler Stephenson has taken 44 percent of the team’s defensive zone draws this season, consistently facing the toughest matchups. This usage drags down his public analytics, since zone time isn’t factored into most models, but it underscores his importance in Lambert’s system.

Data point 8: Five-on-three power play time​

Seattle has led the league with 4:44 of five-on-three time since November 23, yet they’ve failed to score. Against Utah, they squandered 1:42 of five-on-three in what was essentially a one-goal game (excluding empty-netters).

Data point 9: Goals against average (last 10 games)​

While goals-against average isn’t the best measure of goalie performance, it does reflect team defense. Allowing fewer than three goals per game usually gives a team a chance to win. Seattle has hovered near that mark, though I’ve excluded the 9–4 drubbing in Edmonton as a mulligan.

Data point 10: Goals lost to injured reserve​

Injuries remain the defining storyline. McCann and Schwartz—Seattle’s top two goal scorers—are both on IR. Without them, the Kraken continue to play tight, one-goal games (excluding empty-netters), but the margin for error is razor-thin.

Closing Thoughts​

This 10-game stretch has been a sobering reminder of how fragile success can be in the NHL and how thin this Seattle Kraken team really is. The Kraken aren’t being blown out nightly, but the lack of scoring depth and reliance on injured stars has left them clinging to close games without the finishing power to tilt results in their favor.

The good news? The season is long, and reinforcements are on the horizon. If McCann and Schwartz return healthy, and if Lambert can coax more consistency from the special teams, Seattle still has a shot to claw back into the playoff picture but it will take an impressive turnaround. The margin is shrinking, and the next 10 games may define whether games 21 to 30 is just a stumble or the start of the collapse.

The post 10 for 10: Seattle Kraken Games 21–30 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/16/10-for-10-seattle-kraken-games-21-30/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Kraken come close but lose to Avalanche, now losers in nine of 10

The Seattle Kraken gave it their all against the vaunted Colorado Avalanche and nearly came away with an unlikely victory. But in the end, Colorado’s stars proved to be too much and handed the Kraken their ninth loss in 10 games.

“I thought we played hard, like we have been,” coach Lane Lambert said. “We just can’t find a way to get it over the finish line.”

Here are Three Takeaways after a 5-3 Kraken loss to the Avalanche.

Takeaway #1: Every chance to win it​

If you put this game in a vacuum and forget about the fact that the Kraken have gone 1-8-1 since Nov. 23, you’d feel great about their performance. Ostensibly, they played one of their best games of the season, going toe to toe with a team that came in with just TWO regulation losses through 31 games.

In fact, the Kraken had every chance to win this one, taking a 3-2 lead after Chandler Stephenson scored his second power-play goal in as many games at 19:24 of the second period to send Seattle into the third in the driver’s seat.

STEVIE DOES IT!

His seam pass, intended for Matty Beniers, hits Brent Burns' skate and caroms through Blackwood. #SeaKraken taking a 3-2 lead into the 3rd period. pic.twitter.com/CqT7yVrJ4R

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

But Nathan MacKinnon did Nathan MacKinnon things, racking up two goals (one an empty-netter) and an assist in the third period to help Colorado rally back for its NHL-leading 24th win of the season.

The Avalanche converted on essentially the same play twice in a six-minute span. Both times, Cale Makar walked across the top of the zone from left to right, then passed it back across to MacKinnon in the left circle. On the first such look, MacKinnon one-timed it off Adam Larsson and in to tie the game 3-3 at 2:40 of the third.

The Kraken then got a power play AND a penalty shot after Josh Manson put his hand over the puck in the crease. They failed to convert on the power play, and Jordan Eberle hit the post on the penalty shot.

Just 26 seconds later, Vince Dunn went to the box for tripping, and the Avs struck again on the Makar-to-MacKinnon connection. This time, the puck got a friendly bounce off the end wall for Brock Nelson to bang it home.

4-3 Avs. Brock Nelson gets a good bounce after they run the exact same play that MacKinnon scored on six minutes earlier. PPG. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/Wl4Pibw756

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

“We made a big mistake at the end on the last kill,” Lambert said, during his very strange media availability (more on that in Takeaway 3). “We can’t make that. The power play scored for us, so, aside from the goal we gave up, which was a critical situation and a critical error, [special teams] were fine, but again, not good enough. Didn’t get the job done.”

I believe the “critical error” Lambert was referring to was Ben Meyers shading from the left side over to the right and leaving that side unprotected. Meyers also got his pocket picked by MacKinnon earlier in the sequence, which eventually led to MacKinnon’s first goal.

Takeaway #2: Nyman / Wright / Kakko​

Lambert shuffled up his lines for this one, making the “top line” Eeli Tolvanen, Chandler Stephenson, and Freddy Gaudreau. That was clearly a matchup play, hoping to get three players he trusts defensively out against MacKinnon as much as possible.

He also gave Shane Wright another look between the two big Finns, Jani Nyman and Kaapo Kakko. All three looked effective against an outstanding team and were rewarded with a good, hard-working goal at 3:03 of the second period.

WRIGHT AS RAIN! ️

This Nyman/Wright/Kakko line has been solid tonight, and they get rewarded.

Wright hits Nyman in the with his shot, Jani hits the post with the rebound, then Shane Wright cleans it up.

1-1 pic.twitter.com/M0p9GfpJ33

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

That’s a trio I’d like to see stick together and try to develop some chemistry. It’s high time for all three to get going, and they seem to work well together.

Takeaway #3: A strange post-game experience​

The post-game experience after this one was quite bizarre, with media availability handled in an especially peculiar way. Considering that—even though the Kraken took yet another ‘L’—they played a great game, players and coaches shouldn’t have felt embarrassed or hesitant to face the media, which is generally quite fair to them in this city.

But they received extra protection on this night in a way I’ve never seen before in my five years of closely covering the organization, with Lane Lambert only fielding a few questions from a team employee and none from reporters.

To set the scene and give you a peek behind the curtain, I’ll speak personally. In addition to my Sound Of Hockey duties, I’m also the local Seattle correspondent for NHL.com. That means wearing a lot of hats on home game nights: writing the neutral game story for NHL.com on a deadline, running the Sound Of Hockey Twitter (but don’t tell anyone it’s me), and trying to ask meaningful questions of players and coaches in post-game scrums so I can complete the NHL.com article and eventually Three Takeaways here on Sound Of Hockey… dot com.

After all that, I drive home, usually around midnight, and start actually writing Three Takeaways, which takes at least an hour. If all goes well, I’m asleep by 2 a.m.

That’s all to say that I—and others in the local media corps—invest a lot into covering the Kraken and filling gaps in a sports landscape dominated by the Seahawks and Mariners. The Kraken need us.

One challenge of the NHL.com role is that I’m expected to tell the story from the perspective of the winning team, with commentary from the losing team mixed in. While I’d prefer to always go to the Kraken dressing room, a stretch like this one means I’ve been visiting the opposing locker room more often than not. Even so, I typically still make it to Lane Lambert’s press conference, where I ask at least one question. (I’d prefer to ask more, but I understand the dynamics of a shared presser and can’t always hog the mic.)

On this particular night, I went to the Avalanche dressing room, where players were understandably celebratory after the comeback win. I asked Mackenzie Blackwood what it’s like playing behind Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar just as MacKinnon walked back in from his TNT interview. Somewhat jokingly—but very much on the record—Blackwood said, “He’s fucking nasty!” while nodding toward MacKinnon. MacKinnon shouted back, “Next question!”

Blackwood then doubled down: “No, those guys are fucking unbelievable leaders, and I love to watch those guys on a nightly basis.” That unnecessary on-mic cursing got a chuckle from the room.

After that, I asked Colorado coach Jared Bednar a few questions in the hallway outside the Avalanche dressing room and then headed to the Kraken media room, where Lambert had not yet arrived. When Lambert did come in, the microphone—normally passed from reporter to reporter—was already in the hands of a Kraken employee, who asked a short series of questions. Lambert gave brief answers, and the Kraken PR representative then cut off the presser without allowing anyone else in the room to ask a question.

Here’s Lane Lambert’s entire press conference. Only a team employee was allowed to ask questions tonight. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/CCKAjHEFdz

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

It was peculiar behavior and a bad look for a team desperately trying to maintain interest in a crowded sports market. I included the background on my night not to complain (I absolutely love doing all this; otherwise, I wouldn’t do it), but to illustrate how much effort goes into covering a team that has lost nine of its last 10 games and frankly isn’t earning much positive attention right now.

All that said, following the availability, it was communicated that this approach was a one-off decision and would not be repeated.

Bonus Takeaway: Brandon Montour potentially injured​

The Kraken had their jump back in this game after looking sluggish on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. Many on the team have been sick, with Mason Marchment missing that game, and then Kaapo Kakko and Vince Dunn missing practice on Monday. All three were back in the lineup, making things feel like Seattle was inching in the right direction in terms of its many health- and injury-related issues.

But early in the third period, Mason Marchment found himself throwing gloved fists with Josh Manson.

FISTICUFFS!

Mason Marchment gets into with Josh Manson, and the two start throwing massive punches with gloves on, then all hell breaks loose.

Montour ends up down on the ice with Burns, throwing punches, and he goes down the tunnel after. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/Pd5B09TSYZ

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

Chaos ensued, and Brandon Montour ended up on the ice, punching Brent Burns. Montour left the game after this and did not return. Lambert did not give an update on his status.

Needless to say, the Kraken simply cannot survive adding Brandon Montour to their injured list.

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 come close but lose to Avalanche, now losers in nine of 10 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/1...t-lose-to-avalanche-now-losers-in-nine-of-10/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Berkly Catton through 20 games: How it stacks up with Kraken’s other first-rounders

With Berkly Catton on the shelf for the foreseeable future, out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, it puts a pause to his much anticipated rookie season.

It was promising to see him out with a red sweater at morning skate on Sunday morning, but coach Lane Lambert said he’s still pretty far from a return.

Berkly Catton on the ice in a red jersey, working with Jess Campbell, after #SeaKraken morning skate. pic.twitter.com/cG8pB3yzhW

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 14, 2025

20 games (well, 21 now) into his NHL career, the 19-year-old remains one of the youngest players in the league. Yet, it’s looking more and more like he will stay with the team for the entire season.

There are a lot of high hopes for Catton among Kraken faithful, with many thinking his playmaking abilities would pay dividends right away for a team that has struggled to find a consistent source of offense. In certain ways he has helped in this regard, but the player who once scored 54 goals in a season in the WHL has yet to find the back of the net as a pro, so the scoring touch hasn’t yet translated.

Obviously, the first 20 games are not going to define the next 20, the next 200 or an entire career. Not all development paths are created equal, but this is a large enough sample size to begin comparing and contrasting.

So, while his season is on pause, let’s take some time to compare Catton’s first 20 games with the other two Kraken first-rounders to reach that mark: Matty Beniers and Shane Wright.

Catton’s first 20​

The Kraken had the option of sending Catton back to the Spokane Chiefs for another season, where he did not have much left to prove, or keeping him in the NHL for a full year and burning a season of his entry-level contract.

Drafted No. 8 overall by the Kraken in 2024, the decision to have him spend his first season in the pro ranks was a heavily calculated one by the front office and coaching staff, who felt it was in his best interest to stay in the NHL and learn the ropes a little earlier than normal.

Catton has experienced some ups and downs to start his NHL career. He came out of the gates hot with three assists in his first five games, including an assist in his debut.

Featuring wholesome Catton parent content…

The goal is now Eberle from Fleury and Catton, BTW. #SeaKraken https://t.co/LzqI8oDUx8 pic.twitter.com/ArRfXxkAnC

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 20, 2025

But he went quiet over his next 15, recording only two helpers. He’s totaled 17 shots on goal so far with some quality chances, but he just hasn’t been able to finish.

He’s getting close, though, and gaining confidence along the way. Here’s one of those opportunities he had against the Islanders on Nov. 23.

Golden opportunity for Berkly Catton to get his first NHL goal, but Rittich shuts it down.

Nice buildup too, Shane Wright->Jani Nyman->Catton #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/LDpZRZ6lBz

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 24, 2025

Here’s another against Edmonton on Nov. 29. He seems to really like burning by teams with orange circular logos for whatever reason.

Berkly Catton gets a breakaway. Nice move, but Skinner reads it and gets his toe on it.

Catton continues to look for his first goal… pic.twitter.com/jNPS7VQzhY

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025

Catton has spent the majority of his young career playing on a line with Jordan Eberle and the aforementioned Wright, but he has also seen his fair share of different combinations—six in total, according to MoneyPuck.

He was averaging a little more than 12 minutes per night, with that number fluctuating game-to-game, as it often does for players his age.

Comparing it to Wright and Beniers​

Wright, drafted No. 4 overall by the Kraken in 2022, split his first 20 NHL games across three seasons from 2022-23 to 2024-2025. He spent time in the OHL, AHL and at World Juniors between his NHL debut and reaching the 20-game mark.

When he was on the ice with the Kraken during those early stints, he produced at roughly the same pace he is producing at now, totaling five goals and two assists while getting about 11 minutes a game. It took Wright until the eighth game of his career to score his first NHL goal, memorably against Montreal.

While Wright hasn’t been the world-breaker he was hyped to be during his junior career, he has still developed into a solid NHL producer, with 63 points in 124 games.

Matty Beniers, meanwhile, is much more of an outlier when it comes to early-career production for the Kraken. His Rookie of the Year award and scoring in just his second ever game underscore that point.

Through his first 20 games, 10 at the end of the 2021-22 season and 10 in 2022-23, Beniers averaged nearly a point per game at seven goals and 10 assists. He was playing more than 18 minutes per night, a luxury that came when the Kraken were just starting out and building their foundation.

What’s to come…​

In terms of production, it’s safe to say Catton’s first 20 games looked far more like Wright’s than Beniers’, although his path to 20 has been far more linear than that of Wright. While Catton is probably the most offensively gifted player of the three, it was always going to take something monumental to match Beniers’ first-year totals.

Many different factors play into these development paths. Top picks are always given plenty of runway, and Catton, like the rest of the Kraken’s first-rounders (all of whom are still under the age of 23), undoubtedly has way more time to become the player he was drafted to be. Benchmarks like these simply give context for what may come next.

So when he gets back, how do you think the next 20 games will look for Catton?

The post Berkly Catton through 20 games: How it stacks up with Kraken’s other first-rounders appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/1...-stacks-up-with-krakens-other-first-rounders/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Photo Gallery – Torrent vs Charge – Dec 17th

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The post Photo Gallery – Torrent vs Charge – Dec 17th appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/17/photo-gallery-torrent-vs-charge-dec-17th/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Shane Wright is still showing positive signs of development

Folks who follow the Seattle Kraken, myself included, expected Shane Wright to take another step in his development this season. Although the results have not surfaced yet, a deeper look at his analytics shows progress. It also highlights areas where the 21-year-old center still needs to grow.

Statistics are from MoneyPuck at 5-on-5 play unless otherwise noted.

The Wright stuff​

Expected goals​

Expected goals for (xGF) estimates how likely a shot is to become a goal based on shot type and location. While xGF models do not account for defenders or goaltenders, those real-world factors help explain why expected goals do not always match actual goals scored. Wright leads all Kraken skaters in xGF per 60 minutes at even strength at 0.95. Last season he posted 0.61, making this a significant jump.

In addition to leading the Kraken, Wright has been part of a line performing at the top of the NHL. Since Kaapo Kakko returned from injury, he has spent the most 5-on-5 time with Wright and Jani Nyman. The trio averages 7.79 xGF per 60 minutes, the highest mark in the NHL.

The sample size is small, but any time you are in the statistical neighborhood of players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, and Jake Guentzel, it is worth noting. This has been Wright’s most frequent line combination, though the group has only logged just over 43 minutes at even strength. Expected goals are not actual goals, though, and the trio has only two goals to show for their strong underlying play.

Still, the line is generating offense and could spark production on a team struggling to score. In fact, it got on the board in the most recent game against Colorado.

WRIGHT AS RAIN! ️

This Nyman/Wright/Kakko line has been solid tonight, and they get rewarded.

Wright hits Nyman in the with his shot, Jani hits the post with the rebound, then Shane Wright cleans it up.

1-1 pic.twitter.com/M0p9GfpJ33

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

Constant injuries have created a rotating cast of linemates for Wright, making chemistry difficult to build. Wright has played on 12 different line combinations, the most among Kraken centers. Chandler Stephenson has played on 10 combinations, Freddy Gaudreau has been on seven, and Matty Beniers six.

Blocked shots​

Wright continues to sacrifice his body, ranking third in Kraken forwards in blocked shots. At 3.56 blocks per 60 minutes at even strength, he only trails Eeli Tolvanen at 4.17 and Berkly Catton at 3.61. What makes this notable is Wright starts just 5.6 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone, so when he is on defense, he’s doing a good job of getting in shooting lanes.

Blocking shots is not new to Wright’s game. He led Kraken forwards last season at 3.96 blocks per 60 when he had nearly double the percentage (10.8) of defensive-zone starts under former head coach Dan Bylsma.

Shots on goal​

Although Wright only has six goals, one fewer than he had through 31 games last season, he is generating more shots on goal. Last season he averaged 4.91 shots on goal per 60 minutes. This season he has increased that number by 32.2 percent to 6.49. Just as important, his overall shot attempts have remained consistent, rising from 11.01 per 60 minutes last season to 11.88 this year. The result is a higher share of those attempts reaching the net.

Wright is also getting into better scoring areas. MoneyPuck defines rebound shots as attempts within three seconds of a previous shot. Wright recorded seven rebound shots all of last season. Through 31 games, he already has 12, which leads Kraken forwards.

Shane Wright shots 2024-25 – All Situations

Shane Wright shots 2025-26 – All Situations

The (W)right opportunities​

As Wright continues his development, a few areas could still use some attention. First, let’s look at his line deployment. Coaches choose matchups based on face-off location and opponent, directing players to start shifts in the offensive, neutral, or defensive zones. Wright has been deployed in the offensive zone 17.9 percent of the time, 15.3 percent in the neutral zone, and just 5.6 percent in the defensive zone at 5-on-5. The rest of his shifts, 61.2 percent, start on-the-fly while the puck is in play. In theory, on-the-fly shifts tend to begin when the Kraken have puck possession or after a dump-in.

Given that Wright starts most often in the offensive zone, strong possession numbers would be expected. Corsi measures shot attempts for and against while a player is on the ice, with 50 percent representing an even split. Wright sits at 49 percent, meaning opponents generate more shot attempts than Seattle when he is on the ice. That is notable given his favorable deployment.

Sound Of Hockey’s Darren Brown spoke with head coach Lane Lambert about this topic after a practice earlier this week in the context of Chandler Stephenson, whose analytics are consistently poor.

Darren asked:

“Chandler Stephenson, with the publicly available analytic models on him, it never shows very kindly. What doesn’t show up in those models that kind of makes you rely on him as much as you do?”

Lambert said:

“Face-offs, he plays against the other team’s best players every night, he always gets the toughest matchups. So, it’s easy to sit back and look at the analytics, and you would like them to be a little better, sure. If we played him down in the third line, he’d have great analytics, probably. So you’ve got to keep it in perspective here. This guy plays a ton of minutes for us, he does a ton of things for us, and they’re hard minutes.”

This piece focuses on Wright, but Lambert’s response is a reminder of how usage and matchups can skew metrics. Lambert notes Stephenson would likely post stronger analytics in a third-line role. By the same logic, Wright’s numbers are benefiting from easier matchups compared to veterans handling heavier defensive assignments.

Face-offs and giveaways​

Face-offs and giveaways help explain this. Wright has won 39.3 percent of his face-offs, last among Kraken centers. He posted 43.5 percent last season. Face-off winning percentages do not tell you everything about possession, but with a sub-50 Corsi, it suggests opponents gain control more often.

Giveaways are another area for improvement. Wright led the Kraken forwards with 65 giveaways last season in all situations. He currently has 30 and is on pace for 79, an increase over last year’s mark. Wright may be trending toward another high giveaway season, but he has been spared the top spot so far, with Mason Marchment at 38.

More concerning, Wright leads all Kraken forwards in defensive-zone giveaways (12) despite rarely starting shifts there. These totals are not normalized for ice time, but Wright ranks ninth among forwards at 14 minutes per game, and the tendency may be contributing to his continued third-line usage.

After practice on Dec. 14, Piper Shaw asked Wright what he has been focusing on personally.

“I think just consistency overall. I mean, playing well with the puck, I feel like, [I’ve been better] offensively and creating chances, and I think just being able to be [trusted] a little more defensively, stronger plays in the zone, in my own end, stuff I can clean up a little bit. But yeah, just trying to keep trending in the right direction.”

Still room to grow​

It is no secret the Kraken have struggled offensively, scoring just 2.48 goals per game, dead last in the NHL. They also rank last by a wide margin in total goals scored (77), though they have played the fewest games (31) in the NHL. Generating offense remains a priority.

Fans often look at players like Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini and hope for a similar breakout from one of Seattle’s prospects. That is not a fair or realistic benchmark for most young players. Development is rarely linear. Wright turns 22 on Jan. 5 and still has room to grow. Patience remains necessary, but the analytics point to positive progress. If the Kraken can stay healthy and find stable lines, Wright’s production may soon reflect the improvement happening less visibly.

Blaiz Grubic​

Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Shane Wright is still showing positive signs of development appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/18/shane-wright-is-still-showing-positive-signs-of-development/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Kraken crumble again in third, lose 4-2 to Flames; 10th loss in 11 games

This team. Things went from horrendous to atrocious on Thursday, when the Seattle Kraken—who held a one-goal lead entering the third period for the second straight game—fumbled it away again, suffering their fourth straight loss and 10th in 11 games (1-9-1).

Against the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, you knew the 3-2 lead going into the third was anything but safe. In this one, against a bad Flames team that had lost two of its previous three, it felt like the Kraken were finally going to find a way to close out a victory and generate some semblance of positive vibes within the group.

Instead, they took two straight penalties in the third period (five total in the game), allowed a season-high 46 total shots through to Joey Daccord, and once again let a winnable game slip away in a 4-2 loss.

With the defeat, the Kraken are now on their second consecutive named losing streak—Losing Streak Cynthia—which makes landfall right on the heels of the catastrophic Losing Streak Camille.

Here are Three Takeaways from yet another Kraken loss.

Takeaway #1: A third-period meltdown​

Although the Flames haven’t had great results this season, they do tend to be a high shot-volume team, averaging 29.5 shots per game, sixth-most in the NHL. On this night, they threw everything at Daccord, who was excellent and gave Seattle a chance to win despite being outshot exactly 2-1 (46-23).

Daccord’s teammates put him in a brutal position late, forcing him to kill two straight penalties in a high-volume game. Defensive-zone time is taxing on a goalie regardless of shot count, and back-to-back penalty kills under those conditions are especially punishing. Eventually, Calgary broke through.

Nazem Kadri tied the game on a power-play one-timer at 10:04 of the third, and Matt Coronato scored the winner just 65 seconds later.

The Kraken had a 3-on-2 brewing, with Adam Larsson jumping into the play. Eeli Tolvanen tried to hit Larsson at the blue line, but the pass was picked off and the play reversed. Tolvanen and Larsson collided trying to recover, and Rasmus Andersson hit Coronato in stride at the Seattle line. At full speed, Coronato burned around a flat-footed Vince Dunn and sniped it over Daccord’s left shoulder.

…AAAAAaaaaaand 3-2 Flames.

Matt Coronato with a snipe. Jonathan Huberdeau gets his 800th point.

Flames have 44 shots on net, BTW. pic.twitter.com/rcAmev3keP

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 19, 2025

“More detail. More detail in certain areas that are game changers,” coach Lane Lambert said. “We cannot turn the puck over entering the blue line on their third goal. It just can’t happen. And we keep doing these things over and over again, and it’s getting old, and we’ve got to figure this out.”

Daccord may have wanted that last goal back—it was unscreened and from an angle—but you can’t hang this one on him. He finished with a .933 save percentage and deserved a better outcome.

Kaapo Kakko offered an interesting perspective afterward, saying he thinks the team is “scared” to make plays when protecting a one-goal lead.

Lambert didn’t like that idea one bit. “I think that’s ridiculous,” Lambert scoffed. “I think we needed to get on the forecheck. We talked about staying on our toes, so if that’s what’s going on, then it has to change.”

Takeaway #2: Still liking the Nyman/Wright/Kakko line​

I touched on this after the last game as well, but the Jani Nyman, Shane Wright, and Kakko line continues to impress. For a team desperate for offense and chemistry, it’s refreshing to see a trio consistently creating something.

After Wright scored against Colorado on Tuesday, Kakko followed up with a power-play goal in this game, with both of his regular linemates on the ice as part of the unit.

Nyman nearly lost the puck along the wall just inside the blue line but recovered it and fed Ryker Evans rolling downhill. Kakko timed his drive perfectly from the corner, presenting his stick as Evans threaded a shot-pass under MacKenzie Weegar’s stick and onto Kakko’s tape for an easy deflection into the net.

HEYYYYY KAAPO KAKKO!

Shot-pass by Ryker Evans, perfect redirection by Kakko. Power-play goal.

2-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/1RL3GYWn5S

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 19, 2025

It was a beautiful sequence, and another sign that this line is building something.

HOWEVER…

Takeaway #3: Why Shane Wright doesn’t get as much usage as Chandler Stephenson​

While that line contributed Seattle’s second goal, they were also on the ice for the Flames’ first. Mikael Backlund’s tying goal at 10:20 of the second period—a bit of a doinker—came immediately off a defensive-zone face-off.

Sound Of Hockey’s Blaiz Grubic wrote Thursday about Wright’s development and noted that one reason he doesn’t get as much ice time as Chandler Stephenson (who has four goals and three assists in his last seven games and scored a beauty in this one) is Lane Lambert’s lack of trust in Wright on defensive-zone draws. Wright starts just 5.6 percent of his shifts in Seattle’s end.

Flames answer. Shane Wright had Mikael Backlund tied up, but it glanced off a skate.

This is why defensive-zone starts matter, and why Lane Lambert leans on Stephenson so heavily for these draws.

1-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/k8TXY1wO8Z

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 19, 2025

Backlund’s goal is a clear example of why. Wright stayed with Backlund and tied up his stick reasonably well, but the clean face-off loss put Seattle on the back foot immediately, and Backlund ultimately got a fortunate bounce. Worth noting, Wright didn’t get the defensive-zone start by choice; Seattle had previously iced the puck, meaning they weren’t allowed to change lines.

Wright’s usage frustrates fans because everyone wants to see him continue to grow and take on more responsibility. But these are the details Lambert keeps referencing. To earn trust and move up the lineup, Wright needs to improve in these areas. He likely will over time, and when that happens, the minutes will follow—but this is important context in the meantime.

I’m sure you will all react very calmly and respectfully to this take in the comment section. (Seriously, please be nice to each other. It’s been a little ugly in there lately.)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find something to break.

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 crumble again in third, lose 4-2 to Flames; 10th loss in 11 games appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/1...ird-lose-4-2-to-flames-10th-loss-in-11-games/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken acknowledge mistake after restricting Lane Lambert’s post-game press conference

What happened on the ice Tuesday should have been the story. It was a hard-fought, entertaining battle in which the underdog and heavily slumping Seattle Kraken went toe to toe with the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche, only to be undone by the superstar prowess of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Instead, what transpired after the game quickly overtook the narrative. In the hours following and throughout Wednesday, media members from across North America and beyond began taking notice of how the post-game press conference had unfolded.

Here’s Lane Lambert’s entire press conference. Only a team employee was allowed to ask questions tonight. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/CCKAjHEFdz

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 17, 2025

Seattle coach Lane Lambert spent about a minute on stage, during which Bob Condor, editor in chief of the Kraken’s official website, was the only attendee permitted to ask questions.

“The bottom line was it wasn’t the right call at all, and it was a mistake and would never happen again and won’t happen again,” a member of the Kraken’s communications department said.

Before Lambert had entered the media room, Condor spoke with several reporters in attendance and asked which questions they wanted him to ask, noting that he had been informed by other team staffers that he would ask all of the questions.

From Sound Of Hockey’s perspective, it was difficult in the moment to believe that this was truly how things would proceed. But when Lambert arrived, Condor retained the microphone for the entirety of the coach’s one-minute press conference, asked five rapid-fire questions that were met with notably brief responses, and then a Kraken public relations representative ended the availability without offering the microphone to other reporters in the room.

“Last night after the game, the questions that were posed to Lane during the press conference were, I guess you want to call it, funneled through Bob, who writes for the Kraken,” the team representative said. “And other reporters weren’t given the chance to ask questions in that moment, as [Sound Of Hockey] personally experienced.”

This is accurate. Sound Of Hockey was asked by Condor for questions, but for those unfamiliar with standard media procedures, this is not how post-game press conferences are typically conducted. It is a problematic approach for a professional sports organization that relies on an independent media corps to provide access, insight, and accountability.

“I feel bad for Bob, too, because we put him in a position where he’s… all I have to say, obviously, is it’s a tough position for Bob to be put in.”

Even though Condor—who was not involved in the decision but was instructed to ask all questions—solicited input from other reporters and relayed their questions, the optics of the arrangement were poor, particularly given the timing. Conducting the press conference this way created the appearance that an NHL head coach was avoiding questions from independent reporters after his team suffered its ninth loss in 10 games.

The perception of a coach hiding from the media does not fully reflect what happened, though. According to the Kraken communications department, the decision was made independently by them, and the organization maintains that Lambert was unaware of the altered plan for the availability. “Support for Lane was the basis of it, but it wasn’t because we didn’t want to give others a chance [to ask questions].”

Since then, the Kraken PR staff has engaged in damage control, reaching out to reporters who were present—and others who were not present but who contacted the team for an explanation—to offer apologies and provide context for the decision.

“It doesn’t reflect what we’re trying to do in Seattle as a new team and trying to make inroads with a new market and build relationships with media,” the team employee said. “It doesn’t represent what we’re all about, and so we’ve spent the day… we own the decision, obviously. And we’ve all made decisions we’d wish we’d done differently, and that was definitely one of them. And we spent much of last night and today connecting with— hopefully we’ve reached all the reporters who were in the room last night… There’s a long list of reasons why that just wasn’t the right call.”

It is clear the Kraken communications department is taking the misstep seriously and is remorseful for how the situation was handled.

“It’s not who we are as a communications team.”

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Kraken acknowledge mistake after restricting Lane Lambert’s post-game press conference appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/1...ing-lane-lamberts-post-game-press-conference/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken trade Mason Marchment to Columbus Blue Jackets for draft picks

Mason Marchment, we hardly knew ye. The Seattle Kraken traded the 6-foot-5 winger to the Columbus Blue Jackets late Friday, mere minutes ahead of the NHL’s holiday roster freeze. In return, the Kraken received a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick, a slightly better return than the 2025 fourth-rounder and 2026 third-rounder that Seattle sent to Dallas to acquire him over the offseason.

“I’d like to thank Mason for his contributions to our club, and we wish him and his family all the best in Columbus,” general manager Jason Botterill said via press release. “This trade gives us more draft capital and flexibility as we look to improve our team moving forward.”

Despite coach Lane Lambert utilizing Marchment in a high-leverage role, things just never really got going during his short tenure in Seattle. He posted four goals and nine assists in 29 games but also led the Kraken forwards in giveaways and—based on our Twitter mentions almost every single night—was not exactly beloved by the fanbase.

The transaction also suggests the team was not overly enamored with his sometimes lackadaisical performance. Trading him in the midst of Losing Streak Cynthia, when the Kraken have lost 10 of their last 11, and with Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, and Berkly Catton all out with injuries, tells you everything you need to know about how the organization viewed him. There was clearly no interest in bringing him back after his contract expires following this season.

There were some good moments for Marchment with the Kraken, like his Opening Night goal against the Anaheim Ducks and his two-goal game against the Utah Mammoth a week ago. But the highlights were few and far between, and he also had some brutal gaffes and seemed to lose the puck for no particular reason multiple times per game.

He was also at the center of several on-ice controversies, including after he blew up Darnell Nurse against Edmonton on Nov. 29 and wouldn’t answer the proverbial bell. That sequence led to the Oilers chasing him around and taking runs at other players, including Catton.

Here's the root of the disagreement. Mason Marchment leveled Darnell Nurse from behind. Adam Henrique challenged him, but he wouldn't accept a fight.

Marchment was also right in the middle of the extended conversation between the teams at the end of the 1st period. #SeaKraken https://t.co/yF1TXjNIdg pic.twitter.com/ts41eRxWv6

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025

Seattle lost that game 4-0, and Marchment was then not in the lineup for the rematch on Dec. 4 due to a mysterious “injury.” Edmonton got its vengeance on the Kraken with a 9-4 drubbing in that one, and we never did find out the designation on that injury…

The most recent bit of controversy came when Marchment got into a post-whistle tussle with Josh Manson in Seattle’s 5-3 loss to Colorado on Tuesday, throwing gloved punches at the Avalanche defenseman and inciting a full-line brouhaha. When Manson dropped his gloves, Marchment appeared to shy away. In the ensuing chaos, Brandon Montour did drop his gloves and started pounding away on Brent Burns. Montour later left the game with an injury and was unavailable on Thursday.

Marchment did deliver two unforgettable moments, though:

Just an all-time goal celebration from Mason Marchment. #SeaKraken broadcast doing him dirty with the reverse angle here. pic.twitter.com/Zds666dQro

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025

GOT HIM! pic.twitter.com/mzKwTtTyEj

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 24, 2025

With Seattle now in last place in the Pacific Division and seven points out of a playoff spot, is this an indication the team is officially in sell mode? Heck, are the Kraken in tank mode, even? Or does the front office view this as addition by subtraction—moving on from a player that simply wasn’t working out here?

Check back to Sound Of Hockey for more analysis on the Mason Marchment trade in the coming days…

The post Kraken trade Mason Marchment to Columbus Blue Jackets for draft picks appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/1...ent-to-columbus-blue-jackets-for-draft-picks/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Resetting Seattle Kraken draft capital after the Mason Marchment trade

Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week and next, these will be slimmed-down “holiday” updates. I expect to return with fully loaded reports from the World Junior Championship and a mid-season Kraken prospect ranking as we move into the new year.

In the interim, we’ll still bring you all of the Down on the Farm content you’ve come to expect, including news from around the organization, weekly and season-to-date data updates, all-shifts videos, Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, a preview of the week ahead, and more.

If you have a Seattle 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. Happy holidays to all!

More information on the Mason Marchment deal​

NHL trade rumors ticked up this past week as the league approached two milestones. The first was the “Roster Freeze.” From midnight ET Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, through midnight ET on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, teams would not be able to make trades, place players on waivers, or loan players—with the exception of transactions made necessary by injuries (i.e., emergency recalls) or the activation of players off injured lists.

The second marker was 75 days before the March 6, 2026, NHL Trade Deadline—which fell on Dec. 21, 2025. Why was this date important? A new CBA rule restricting multiple salary-retention transactions on a contract within 75 days meant that if a player was going to be moved to a contender at the deadline with up to 75 percent of his salary “retained” by other clubs, a first trade involving that player would need to be completed by Dec. 21. In reality, due to the Holiday Roster Freeze, this meant the deal needed to get done by the end of the day on Friday.

As it turns out, we didn’t see any moves involving salary retention on Friday, but we did see two NHL players moved before the Roster Freeze. The Los Angeles Kings traded Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens. And the Seattle Kraken dealt Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It’s often apocryphal to regard a deal announced close to a deadline as a “last-minute deal.” In this case, though, it seems the deal really did come together in the waning moments before the Roster Freeze. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Kraken and Blue Jackets did not begin discussions in earnest until Kraken GM Jason Botterill called Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 19. After three hours of negotiations, the teams placed the trade call formalizing the transaction at 11:22 pm ET.

While Marchment had a 10-team no-trade list, the Blue Jackets were not on the list.

As mentioned, there was no salary retention involved in the deal. Seattle has all three retention slots available as the team moves toward the deadline. This is relevant if the Kraken become true deadline sellers, with veterans on expiring contracts like Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, and Eeli Tolvanen potentially available.

The Seattle Kraken have significant draft capital to make upgrades​

There has been some (slight) confusion about the return for Mason Marchment. All reports agree the Kraken received a fourth-round pick originally held by the New York Rangers—acquired by the Blue Jackets in the Jack Roslovic deal—in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, as well as a 2027 second-round pick. Reports differ as to whether the Kraken received Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick or a 2027 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Minnesota Wild.

The trade history is a bit complicated, but I believe I’ve gotten to the bottom of it with the help of PuckPedia. Columbus acquired the Wild pick in a 2024 transaction that sent David Jiricek to Minnesota, giving the Blue Jackets two second-rounders. Columbus then traded the lower of those two 2027 second-round picks to the Colorado Avalanche in a deal for Miles Wood over the summer. Under the terms of that deal, however, if Columbus traded the other pick in the interim, the Avalanche would receive that pick instead (regardless of whether it ultimately ended up being higher or lower).

Since the Kraken’s official social media account indicated the team obtained Columbus’s own second-rounder, we can surmise that Columbus will be sending that pick to Seattle and Minnesota’s pick to Colorado. With Minnesota primed to be a Stanley Cup contender for the next two years, this could be a meaningful difference.

Following the deal, the Kraken now have eight picks—four in the first round and four in the second round—across the next two drafts. In addition to its own first-round picks, Seattle has first-rounders originally assigned to Tampa Bay in each of the next two drafts. In addition to its own second-round picks, Seattle has second-rounders from Columbus and the Winnipeg Jets in 2027.

This gives the team ample latitude to make an aggressive move for a top-of-the-lineup player if such an opportunity comes along, without disrupting its prospect pipeline. And this is before potential transactions involving expiring veteran contracts at the deadline.

Notes on three more Kraken prospects​

Jake O’Brien | F | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)​

After a week of camp and one pre-tournament game, Team Canada announced its skater cuts, effectively finalizing its World Juniors roster of forwards and defensemen—absent an unexpected late assignment from an NHL team. Unfortunately for Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien, he was among those released from camp.

We had previewed this as a possibility when he was skating with a “spare parts” line during camp that included a likely cut (and Brantford teammate) in Marek Vanacker. It is still likely to be a disappointment for O’Brien. He is unquestionably one of Canada’s 12 most skilled forwards, but he has struggled to produce on the national stage in the past.

From my vantage point, O’Brien plays a game that can seem fairly “quiet” for several shifts until he suddenly unlocks two or three high-danger scoring chances with his passing and hockey IQ.

It’s unsurprising that O’Brien would not necessarily impress in a camp setting, but if a lack of camp impact was the reason he was cut, it feels short-sighted. It sure would be a shame if that came back to haunt Team Canada.

O’Brien still projects to figure prominently on next year’s World Juniors team, when he will be 19 years old.

Alexis Bernier | D | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMHL)​

Though he is still recovering from summer ACL reconstruction surgery, Alexis Bernier was traded from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Friday, Dec. 19.

The Saguenéens are a top QMJHL team this season and have significant playoff aspirations. The return in draft capital was substantial, and there was no indication in the reporting that the picks were “conditional” on Bernier’s return to the ice. This creates the impression that there is optimism for Bernier’s return toward the end of the QMJHL season, even if there is no official timeline yet.

As always with junior trades, the trade of Bernier’s QMJHL rights has no impact on his status with the Kraken. Seattle retains his NHL rights as an unsigned 2024 third-round pick.

Visa Vedenpää | G | Kärpät (Liiga)​

We noted last week that Vedenpää had not played in nearly a month while serving as the backup goaltender for Kärpät. The team finally got him some work on Tuesday of last week, assigning him to Hermes, a team in the second-tier Finnish league, Mestis. Vedenpää stopped 33 of 36 shots on goal, but Hermes fell by a 3–2 score.

Kraken prospects data update​

Forward Barrett Hall scored a goal and added two assists for the St. Cloud State Huskies last weekend, which was enough to earn him Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week in a relatively quiet seven-day stretch for Seattle’s prospect pool.

O’Brien and Nathan Villeneuve are second and fifth, respectively, in the OHL in points per game. Both project as NHL pieces for the Kraken (or elsewhere).

In addition to a solid Liiga start, Kim Saarinen drew a start in a World Juniors pre-tournament game for Finland on Friday, Dec. 19. He stopped 14 of 17 shots in a Finland win over Germany. It remains to be determined if he will see time in net when the real games begin.

After a slow start due to injury, Nikke Kokko has assumed a true starter workload for Coachella Valley over the last few weeks, starting nine of the Firebirds’ last 11 games.

Highlight of the Week​

It hasn’t been a great season for Eduard Sale, but every once in a while, he’ll still flash the skill level that made him a first-round pick.

SALE WITH THE POWERPLAY GOAL AND TO TIE THE GAME

3-3 pic.twitter.com/GsHfYLEw60

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

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

2: Jagger Firkus, Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen

1: Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom

Previewing the week ahead​

With a light holiday schedule ahead, we’ll give our Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week to World Juniors pre-tournament matchups currently underway. You can watch them (with a monthly subscription) on USAHockey.tv.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Tynan Lawrence​

Tynan Lawrence’s stock has risen from potential top-15 pick to potential threat for the No. 1 overall pick, despite being slowed by injury for much of the fall. For many, Lawrence is the clear top center in the draft, with his primary appeal coming from his skating and two-way skill. Lawrence has been a volume scorer in the USHL, but the overall offensive skill is a tick below the level of a Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg.

Recent prospect updates​

December 13, 2025: Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects

December 5, 2025: World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds

November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship

November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

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 – Resetting Seattle Kraken draft capital after the Mason Marchment trade appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/2...raft-capital-after-the-mason-marchment-trade/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways: Kraken beat Sharks 4-2 to end skid

The Losing Streak Cynthia is in the books!! Seattle put together a strong third period and earned its first regulation win in a month. The last regulation win came Nov. 20 against Chicago.

Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson each recorded two-point nights, with a goal and an assist. Stephenson extended his career-best point streak to eight games, with five goals and four assists during the run. The Kraken are 2-6 in that span, but this win offered a needed step forward.

Here are three takeaways.

Takeaway #1: Kraken on their heels in the first​

Coming into the game, the Kraken were 1-9-1 in their previous 11 games. Facing a division rival and sitting seven points behind the Sharks and the final wild-card spot, urgency was expected. Instead, Seattle allowed four Grade A chances in the first five minutes.

Four really tough shots on Joey Daccord in the first 5 minutes of this game, but he's stood tall so far. #SeaKraken looking messy on the defensive end…

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 21, 2025

Seattle did push back and outshot San Jose 17-12 in the period, but the overall play remained shaky. One bright spot was the penalty kill, which handled two minor penalties with ease. That momentum did not carry over, as the Sharks converted on their next powerplay in the second period on a goal from Adam Gaudette.

Sharks tie it on the power play. Starts with a face-off loss for Freddy Gaudreau. Celebrini's shot hits bodies and pinballs to Adam Gaudette for a tap-in.

1-1 pic.twitter.com/ZzxWSXERha

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 21, 2025

According to MoneyPuck, San Jose posted 1.61 expected goals in the first period compared to Seattle’s 0.80. It was a poor start, but the Kraken escaped the period tied 0-0.

Takeaway #2: Joey Daccord is a beast​

The only reason the game remained scoreless through the first period was Daccord. He turned aside high-danger chances and consistently kept Seattle in the game. Daccord finished the night with 3.41 goals saved above expected.

One of his superpowers is puck handling. On Seattle’s lone powerplay, San Jose cleared the zone and headed off for a line change. Daccord recovered the puck and fired it to Freddy Gaudreau at the far blue line, creating a scoring chance that Yaroslav Askarov was able to stop.

Daccord closed the night with 35 saves, a .946 save percentage, and the win. Without his performance, this outcome would not have been possible. The defense struggled in the first two periods, but confidence in the goaltender allowed the Kraken to stay committed to the game plan.

Joey doing Joey things. Stretches out for a toe save to keep the Kraken up 3–2 with 3:42 remaining. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/j471L0PocR

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 21, 2025

Takeaway #3: Third-period response​

After practice, captain Jordan Eberle said, “I look at [the 9 losses], I think we are tied or leading in the third period in like six of them.”

That trend nearly continued. Seattle entered the third tied 1-1, but the Sharks took the lead just 36 seconds in. Collin Graf picked off a Vince Dunn pass, put the puck on net, and watched his shot hit the post, then Daccord, before crossing the line.

Collin Graf makes it 2–1 Sharks as the puck pinballs around, hits the post, then caroms off Joey Daccord and into the net. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/1ySOZIdGn5

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 21, 2025

Kraken fans braced for another third-period collapse. Instead, Seattle responded with two goals in a span of 2:32 to take a 3-2 lead. Neither goal was flashy. Both came from defensemen simply getting pucks through traffic.

Ryker Evans tied the game by holding the blue line and snapping a wrist shot on net. Ryan Lindgren followed with his first goal as a Kraken and the eventual game-winner, taking a pass from Stephenson and firing a wrist shot from the top of the circle.

3-2 #SeaKraken

Lindgren has been playing very well of late and gets on the scoresheet as a reward with his first w/SEA.

Stephenson's primary helper sets a new career high 8-game point streak pic.twitter.com/espNChXYfK

— Alison (@AlisonL) December 21, 2025

Seattle tightened defensively over the final 15 minutes and slowed the game down. Stephenson added an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win and finally end Losing Streak Darren, I mean Cynthia.

Next up​

This was not Seattle’s sharpest game during the current stretch, but it was effective. The Kraken kept the game close, leaned on strong goaltending, and capitalized in the third period. Improvements are still needed on the penalty kill and in defensive coverage to reduce pressure on Daccord.

The Kraken are off Sunday before continuing their California road trip. They face Anaheim on Monday and Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Blaiz Grubic​

Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Three Takeaways: Kraken beat Sharks 4-2 to end skid appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/20/three-takeaways-kraken-beat-sharks-4-2-to-end-skid/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Photo Gallery – Torrent vs Fleet – Dec 21

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The post Photo Gallery – Torrent vs Fleet – Dec 21 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/21/photo-gallery-torrent-vs-fleet-dec-21/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings: A pulse amid the plunge?

The Seattle Kraken, at least momentarily, ended their skid Saturday night with a gutsy 4–2 win over the San Jose Sharks. It’s been a grueling four‑week stretch, 10 losses in 11 games, and while the Kraken haven’t played outright poor hockey, their issues run deeper than bad luck. Injuries, a thin roster, and too many nights where the opponent simply had more have all caught up to them. Saturday didn’t fix everything, but it did give them a bit of reprieve from this brutal stretch.

Playing tight games​

Regardless of what the record says, the Kraken have been competitive all season. As rough as the last several weeks have been, they’re still keeping games close and giving themselves a chance. Their last eight games have all been decided by one goal, and they’ve played 25 one‑goal games this season when you exclude empty-netters, second most in the league behind the Los Angeles Kings.

A great example came last Tuesday against the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken went toe-to-toe with them and entered the third period with a one‑goal lead before Colorado flipped the game with two goals (plus an empty-netter) in the final frame. In the first 20-plus games of the season, that game almost certainly would have reached overtime and earned Seattle at least a point. But that just isn’t happening right now. In their first 23 games, the Kraken reached overtime 10 times; over their last 10, they’ve made it to the extra frame just once.

They mentioned this on the postgame show Saturday night: when Vince Dunn turned the puck over deep in the Kraken zone, leading to San Jose’s go‑ahead goal early in the third, it felt like another “here we go again” moment. But the Kraken responded less than a minute and a half later to tie it, and suddenly the energy shifted. A few minutes after that, Ryan Lindgren scored his first as a Kraken, the eventual game‑winner.

Departure of Mason Marchment​

As you probably know by now, the Kraken shipped off Mason Marchment on Friday for a couple of draft picks from Columbus. There was some excitement about Marchment providing additional depth scoring, but that never materialized. Coming into the season, I thought it was reasonable to expect around 20 goals from him, roughly 0.25 per game. Instead, he managed just four goals in 29 games (0.14 per game). He also struggled defensively, leading Kraken forwards in turnovers and penalties taken.

His Kraken legacy pic.twitter.com/6YcIZiCSNI

— g (@krakenisles) December 20, 2025

Considering the drop‑off in performance, it’s actually impressive that Seattle got more in return than what they paid for him in the offseason.

More trades to come?​

Given how the season has gone, a lot of fans are expecting, or demanding, a sell‑off of veteran players. As always, the team will listen to all inquiries, but there’s no rush. The trade market doesn’t really heat up until about 30 days before the deadline. If the Kraken do become sellers, and right now that seems likely, they’ll want as many teams in the mix as possible to drive up demand. Some clubs don’t yet know whether they’re buyers or sellers, and others may develop deeper needs as the deadline approaches.

The other side of the equation is prospect readiness. You don’t want to bring up players who aren’t ready for the NHL, and right now there aren’t many in Coachella Valley who are prepared for full‑time roles. Rushing them would be detrimental to their development.

Other musings​

• The Kraken have the same number of standings points as they did at this time last season.
• When Seattle scored the empty‑netter against San Jose on Saturday with 1:30 left, it was their first two‑goal lead since Nov. 15, also against San Jose. They’ve held a two-plus-goal lead for just 4.4 percent of their total game time this season, the lowest rate in the NHL.
• One encouraging trend: special teams. The penalty kill hasn’t been perfect, but over the last seven games it’s operating at 80 percent after sitting at a league‑worst 64.8 percent prior. The power play has also surged, converting at 30 percent over the same stretch after sitting at 17 percent for the season.

• Seattle averages 0.65 points per game when scoring first and just 0.31 when allowing the first goal.
• In case you missed it, Brandon Montour is out four weeks. Add it to the long list of significant injuries this season. Montour is second on the team in time on ice and has often dragged the Kraken back into games. Injuries happen to everyone, but when they hit your best players, the impact is brutal.

Brandon Montour out approximately four weeks after hand surgery, per @SeattleKrakenPR.

Got injured in the below brouhaha. https://t.co/sfuIsVGNDp

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 22, 2025

• It was great to see the Torrent open the 100 level and Space Needle Lounge for Sunday’s game versus the Boston Fleet. Seattle is averaging the second‑highest attendance in the league this season.

Goal of the week​

Regular readers and Sound Of Hockey listeners know how much I love this kid:

WHAT A GOAL BY OSCAR MOLGAARD. HIS 5TH OF THE SEASON AND GIVING THE BIRDS BACK THE LEAD

3-2 pic.twitter.com/xdXmUdevH1

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) December 18, 2025

By the way, the Kraken are 2‑0‑0 with Molgaard in the lineup.

Player performances​

Chandler Stephenson (SEA) – Riding a four‑game goal streak with five points in his last four. He also has points in eight straight.
Jagger Firkus (CVF/SEA) – Five points in two weekend games. He has 13 goals in 26 games after scoring 15 in 69 last season.
Nathan Villeneuve (SBY/SEA) – Eight points in his last four games. He has 14 multi‑point games and is on pace for 98 points in the OHL.

The week ahead​

The Kraken face a dreaded back‑to‑back with games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, starting Monday night in Anaheim. Both teams sit ahead of Seattle in the standings, but the Kraken have beaten each of them once already this season. Nothing is easy for Seattle right now, but both the Ducks and Kings look more vulnerable than their records suggest. Anaheim is 5‑5‑0 in its last 10 and has been giving up goals in bunches. The Kings are 4‑2‑4 and struggling to score. If there’s ever a good time to face these teams, this might be it.

After the holiday break, the Kraken return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday the 28th. The Flyers have lost four of their last five but reached overtime in four of those games, including two against Carolina.

Given how Seattle has been playing, grabbing three of six possible points this week would be solid. But if they can snag three of the four points available against Pacific Division teams, that would be a real confidence boost, and a sign that this slump might finally be ending.

And finally…​

There’s plenty of other hockey to enjoy this week. The Seattle Torrent play one more home game this month when they host Marie‑Philip Poulin and the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge. After the break, they head to Dallas for their first Takeover Tour game against the New York Sirens. Both games will air locally on Fox 13+ and YouTube (though you wouldn’t know it from the PWHL schedule page).

World Juniors also kicks off Friday. The Kraken will be represented on at least three teams (Finland, Sweden, and Czechia) and possibly a fourth if Blake Fiddler sticks with Team USA. Regardless of who you’re rooting for, the tournament is always a blast. All games will air on NHL Network, which is getting harder to find with the current streaming landscape.

This column will likely take next week off, but the hockey certainly won’t. Between the Torrent’s final home game of the month, the Takeover Tour stop in Dallas, and a World Juniors tournament loaded with Kraken prospects, there’s plenty to keep Seattle fans entertained through the holidays. It’s been a chaotic, injury‑riddled, occasionally maddening calendar year for the Kraken, and hopefully this team can turn the page with the new calendar year. Thanks for reading, for riding the waves with me, and for making this space such a fun one to write in. Enjoy the holidays — we’ll pick things back up in the new year.

The post Monday Musings: A pulse amid the plunge? appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/22/kraken-show-a-pulse/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Eberle scores twice, Kraken win 3-1 over Ducks, Vince Dunn injured

The Seattle Kraken continued reconstructing some positive feelings in their locker room Monday with a 3-1 win over the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, frustrating them into submission with stellar goaltending and opportunistic scoring.

Jordan Eberle scored twice, Freddy Gaudreau scored once, and Philipp Grubauer was outstanding to help Seattle to its second straight win on the heels of a miserable 1-9-1 run.

Coach Lane Lambert credited the fourth line of Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson for helping turn the tide of a game that was often dominated by Anaheim but remained anybody’s contest until very late.

“They turned it around for us in the third period,” Lambert said. “A couple of great shifts, a couple of big hits, got us emotionally involved. And I thought that between them and Philipp Grubauer, it’s probably the main reason why we won the game.”

So that was nice… but… the Kraken’s already long injured list apparently added yet another member on Monday.

Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Takeaway #1: What a game for Grubi​

It’s no coincidence that in these two straight wins over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and the Ducks on Monday, the Kraken have gotten stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and Grubauer.

The German Gentleman was razor sharp against Anaheim, making the saves he was supposed to make while also coming up with some acrobatic stops that he had no business making. Lambert called Grubauer Seattle’s “best player” in the game.

In all, Grubauer stopped 39 of 40 shots, his highest total of the season.

“I mean, it’s not ideal [having that many shots],” Grubauer said. “Like in the second period, I don’t think we got too much going. And we sat back a little bit, so we definitely learned from that. But we stick together. Kartsy, obviously, huge hit, guys stepping up for each other, that’s huge, and we found a way to play it the right way in the last period there.”

Considering back-to-backs have been a massive challenge for this club over the last season and a half, getting a performance like this from Grubauer in the first of two games in two nights—with Joey ready to back the boys when they’re on tired legs Tuesday in Los Angeles—sets the team up for (potential) success.

Takeaway #2: A big night for Eberle​

While the Kraken got caved in on most statistical metrics in this game, they won a classic bend-don’t-break type of contest. Freddy Gaudreau broke the ice at 4:49 of the second period with a power-play goal after Chandler Stephenson drove to the net and drew a penalty. With the puck pinballing around Lukas Dostal, Kaapo Kakko and Shane Wright both took whacks at it before it landed on Gaudreau’s stick, and he lofted it past the prone Ducks netminder for his second goal of the season.

After Mikael Granlund tied the game 1-1 at 15:40 of the second, captain Jordan Eberle took it from there.

Midway through the third period, Eberle struck for his first of two goals. Off a quickly developing 3-on-2 rush with his recently tweaked line alongside Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko, Kakko sent a rushed, fluttering chip pass to Beniers. Beniers made a spectacular play to bat it down and somehow corral it in time to slide it over to Eberle. Eberle delayed and got Dostal to drop down, then sniped it over his shoulder against the grain.

O, CAPTAIN!

Off a rush with Beniers, Jordan Eberle goes top corner and gives the #SeaKraken a 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/gkoPq4us6J

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025

Eberle followed that up with an empty-netter at 19:24 of the third to seal the win.

Takeaway #3: Vince Dunn injured?​

It is bonkers how many injuries this team has had this season. What started with injuries to key players like Stephenson, Kakko, and Ryker Evans in training camp has slowly evolved throughout the season, with important pieces going into and out of the lineup like there’s a revolving door into the injured ward.

It was announced Monday morning that one of Seattle’s top two offensive defensemen, Brandon Montour, would miss four weeks after hand surgery stemming from his fight in defense of the now-traded Mason Marchment. Montour joined McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray on the shelf.

But would you believe me if I told you that Vince Dunn—Seattle’s other top offensive defenseman—may now be injured as well? He got blindsided in the second period and appeared to run face-first into Ross Johnston’s shoulder pad. After standing on the ice for a moment at the stoppage, Dunn flipped his lid. He kicked the door, broke his stick on the dasher, nearly took off the heads of Joey Daccord, equipment manager James Stuckey, and a random security guard, then threw a bag down the hallway and finally exited the game.

Vince Dunn left the game after this and did not return.

All-time meltdown from him before heading down the tunnel.

Add him to the injury list that already includes Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray. Crazy. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/BXV31SWq6p

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025

We wondered recently how the Kraken could survive without Montour. How can they survive without Dunn or Montour?

Bonus Takeaway: The Kraken are 2-0-0 since Mason Marchment was traded​

Since the hockey world is abuzz with Marchment’s hot start with the Columbus Blue Jackets—three goals in his first two games since the trade—we’ll simply note that Seattle has won both of its games since the deal.

One side benefit has been Kakko elevating onto the top line. Kakko had been working well with Shane Wright and Jani Nyman, but he looks even better alongside Beniers and Eberle.

“[Kaapo is] working, he makes plays, he holds onto pucks,” Lambert said. “It’s a good spot for him. I hadn’t seen him in that spot prior to a couple games ago, and it’s been a good change for him to get up there and those guys to have him there.”

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 – Eberle scores twice, Kraken win 3-1 over Ducks, Vince Dunn injured appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/2...kraken-win-3-1-over-ducks-vince-dunn-injured/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

The Current: Torrent up and down since the international break

The Torrent recorded the franchise’s first win in exciting fashion, beating the New York Sirens 2-1 on Dec. 17. Following the game, many of Seattle’s stars were absent from practice, joining their countries for the international break. Most of them went to Edmonton and played in the final two games of the Rivalry Series. The remaining players stayed put and kept practicing hard. Coach Steve O’Rourke specifically called out the Torrent’s first-round draft pick Jenna Buglioni as having taken some steps given the extended practice opportunity.

Torrent vs. Charge Game Recap – 12.17​

The team’s first game back after the break was a bottom-of-the-table clash, the seventh place Torrent taking on the eighth place Ottawa Charge. The Charge came to Seattle on a back-to-back after a 2-1 loss to Vancouver the day prior.

O’Rourke called both teams “snake bitten” at the pre-game press conference, saying that they both have the ability to score more, and haven’t shown it yet.

This was the first game back from injury for former Charge defender Aneta Tejralová, who was in Czechia playing with her national team during the break. O’Rourke said having her back in the lineup gave the locker room confidence and that she brought energy and fun to the ice every day.

Wanting to get rookie goalie Hannah Murphy more experience, O’Rourke tapped her as the starter for the second time. The Charge also started their rookie goalie, Sanni Ahola, for the first time.

Hannah Bilka takes a shot against the Charge. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

Period 1​

Murphy was put to the test early but stayed solid. Her team helped her out by making some good blocks. The Charge had most of the momentum in the first, but the Torrent had moments of good possession. Despite Ottawa’s 13 shots on goal to Seattle’s seven, the Torrent ended the period up 1-0. Julia Gosling netted a power-play goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass in the last 30 seconds.

Period 2​

The Torrent came out strong in the second period and scored on an early power play. Alex Carpenter put up both of the period’s goals by providing a strong net-front presence. Momentum shifted as the period went on, though, and Seattle was lucky not to concede on a few dangerous chances at the end of the second.

Period 3​

Lots of penalties came early in the third, with Seattle’s PK being tested often. The game stayed physical from start to finish, and Hannah Bilka scored her first ever goal in a Torrent jersey on the empty net. In the last minute of the game, Rebecca Leslie scored for the Charge, ruining Hannah Murphy’s clean sheet.

Post-Game Thoughts​

Overall, the team seemed to be jelling in this one, making fewer mistakes and missed passes than in previous games.

Bottom-six center Mikyla Grant-Mentis stood out to me this game, making several shot blocks and playing hard against the boards. Second-line center Danielle Serdachny also stood out, coming up with some clutch shot blocks and drawing penalties throughout.

Torrent vs. Fleet Game Recap – 12.11​

Boston came into Seattle with a single loss on their record. O’Rourke complimented their elite level of play, and emphasized that Seattle would have to work on keeping them away from the net front. He said they had been putting an emphasis on a strong box out and getting under sticks.

O’Rourke called out Lexie Adzija before the game, saying: “I make sure she’s our first penalty killer.” He said he thinks she has developed an identity here, and wasn’t sure she had that in Boston.

Hannah Bilka came into this one with her first ever back-to-back multi-point games in the PWHL. Coach pointed to her time with USA Hockey as a reason for her increased confidence. He said, “She is an elite winger picking up pucks off the wall,” and he said teams should fear when that line starts scoring.

When asked if the plan for the goalie situation was a 1A/1B with Schroeder and Murphy, he agreed. But he was also quick to put his trust in third goaltender CJ Jackson, saying he would be comfortable with them starting. O’Rourke said all three were amazing, and brought different skill sets, and gave credit to CJ “[they are] starting to make improvements…holding onto pucks.”

Corrine Schroeder in action against the Fleet. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

Period 1​

The game started with early chances on both ends. Boston struck first with a goal directly from a face-off. The Torrent had good possession at the start of the period and set a physical and scrappy tone. Seattle killed one penalty and then went to the power play twice. The Fleet also had the first jailbreak goal at CPA. Despite ending the period down 2-0, goalie Corinne Schroeder made some great saves for the Torrent, and the first ever Schroeder chants came after a huge stop on a Fleet shorthanded breakaway.

Period 2​

Boston started the second period with momentum. The Torrent had some good chances, but Boston had better ones, and forced Schroeder to make multiple point-blank saves. Jenna Buglioni was checked into the boards and was down on the ice. Seattle’s continued issues clearing the zone worsened in the second.

Period 3​

Schroeder continued to stand on her head for Seattle. The third was relatively sedate without many chances. Hilary Knight got the crowd on their feet when she sat down a Fleet skater in open ice, but Boston capitalized on the resulting power play. The fans, at least, had one thing to cheer for, as a late goal for the Torrent came from a beauty of a tip by Jessie Eldridge off a shot from Tejralová.

Postgame Thoughts​

I think this game was the Torrent’s worst effort so far, with the only bright spot for Seattle being Schroeder’s performance. Despite the result, after the game she claimed to be having fun and was “in a flow state.” Hannah Bilka also stood out as playing tough and scrappy against her former team.

After the game the players praised the huge turnout (over 11,000) and the fans for giving them energy throughout the game, despite the poor performance.

The Torrent look to turn things around quickly with a game Tuesday against the second place Montreal Victoire.

The post The Current: Torrent up and down since the international break appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/23/the-current-torrent-up-and-down-since-the-international-break/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – California dreaming for the Seattle Kraken

The Kraken closed out their four‑game road trip through Calgary and California with the kind of gritty, resilient win that was a staple of this team in the early stages of the season, edging the Kings 3–2 to complete the first three-game Golden State sweep in franchise history.

All three victories came in regulation against teams sitting above Seattle in the standings, a detail that matters a lot more than it sounds. And on top of that, the Kraken finally snapped their long‑running curse on the second half of back‑to‑backs, a streak that stretched all the way back to March 5, 2024. It wasn’t always pretty, and there were long stretches spent absorbing pressure, but Seattle’s structure held, their depth delivered, and they flew home for the holiday break with six massive points in their pocket.

Takeaway 1: No Dunn, no Montour, no problem​

The Kraken walked into Los Angeles missing their top two defensemen and still found a way to clamp things down when it mattered. Vince Dunn’s late injury in Anaheim forced him out Tuesday, and with Brandon Montour already sidelined, Seattle needed someone to step into the void. Enter Ryker Evans.

Evans logged a season high 21:36 and carried 82 percent of the team’s power-play minutes. Evans always looks comfortable when taking an expanded role, and no game was probably bigger than Tuesday night. The team needed him to step up, and he delivered.

Seattle also got Berkly Catton back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 6. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he flashed the skill that makes him such an intriguing piece of the future. The little shake-and-go moves, the space creation, the confidence. Yes, there were turnovers. Yes, there was a penalty. But for a player jumping back in cold, it was an encouraging return.

And the fourth line? They were outstanding again. Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson continue to give Seattle honest, heavy minutes. Meyers’ goal stood up as the game winner, and he’s quietly become a reliable penalty-killing option. That line is earning every shift it gets.

Ben Meyers gets in on the party. Kraken 3-0…but LA would add a response goal…now 3-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/sijgHhouRa

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 24, 2025

Takeaway 2: Special teams is back​

Two weeks ago, the Kraken’s penalty kill was in freefall, giving up seven goals on eight opportunities over a brutal three-game stretch. Since then, the turnaround has been dramatic. Seattle has posted kill rates of 83.3 percent over the last eight games and 88.9 percent during the California swing, driven by a structural adjustment the team made earlier this month.

The power play has been just as impressive. With nine goals on their last 28 opportunities, Seattle is converting at 32.1 percent since Dec. 7, the third best mark in the NHL over that span.

O' captain my captain. Eberle gets the #SeaKraken on the board first. Kraken up 1-0 early in the second period. pic.twitter.com/8V86z5Io9k

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 24, 2025

Special teams were sinking this team earlier in the month. Now they’re helping to drag it back into relevance.

Takeaway 3: Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in​

Let’s be clear: the Kraken still have a long climb ahead if they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender. But sweeping the California teams — all in regulation, all above Seattle in the standings — is a massive step in the right direction.

The underlying numbers won’t blow anyone away. The Kings carried long stretches of play, and Seattle spent plenty of time weathering pressure. But the Kraken defended the interior, kept L.A. to the outside, and found timely goals despite missing four key players.

Help is coming, too. Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz are inching closer to returns, and their presence should give this team a much needed offensive jolt.

Three straight regulation wins against division opponents is enough to make things interesting again.

Odds and Ends​

• Seattle scored first in all three games and trailed for just 1:19 across the entire 180 minute trip.
• Tuesday marked the Kraken’s 27th one-goal game of the season (excluding empty netters), second only to the Kings.
• Eeli Tolvanen extended his points streak to five games, equaling a career best he set back in 2022-23.
• Jamie Oleksiak might have had his best game of the season. His defensive play led directly to the Ben Meyers goals, and he was stellar defensively.
• Goaltending has been outstanding for the Kraken lately. Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord have really carried them through these three games.
• And a quick nod to the Seattle Torrent, who held on for a tense one-goal win of their own against Montreal. For those of us running dual screens, those final 10 minutes were… not relaxing.

The post Three Takeaways – California dreaming for the Seattle Kraken appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/24/three-takeaways-california-dreaming-for-the-seattle-kraken/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Watching Kraken prospects at the 2026 World Junior Championship

Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week, we have one more slim “holiday” update before returning with more standard columns next week. We’ll have actual updates from the World Junior Championship and a mid-season Kraken prospect ranking as we move into the new year. In the interim, we still have all the Kraken prospect content you’ve come to expect, including news from around the organization, weekly and season-to-date data updates, all-shifts videos, Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, a preview of the week ahead, and more.

If you have a Seattle 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. Happy New Year to all!

When and where to watch Kraken prospects at the 2026 WJC​

As is tradition, the hockey world’s attention turns to the World Juniors on this Boxing Day. The tournament has added significance for the United States this year, with the team looking for its third straight title—and this time on home turf in Minnesota. The team will face stiff competition, particularly from Team Canada and Team Sweden, which look like equal or superior contenders for gold. With Team Finland and Team Czechia also serious competitors, there should be plenty of drama.

From a Kraken prospects perspective, the team will have four players participating: Kim Saarinen and Julius Miettinen for Finland, Loke Krantz for Sweden, and Jakub Fibigr for Czechia. As we noted last week, Jake O’Brien was one of the last cuts from Team Canada camp. Likewise, when Team USA announced its final cuts on Wednesday, Dec. 24, defenseman Blake Fiddler was among them. Berkly Catton returned from injury this past week, but the Kraken opted not to loan him to Canada for the tournament.

All of this clears the road for Kraken fans to be low-key, unofficial Team Finland fans yet again. (This feels like an annual tradition dating back to Nikke Kokko and Jani Nyman’s time at the tournament.)

The United States and Sweden headline pool play Group A. Canada, Czechia, and Finland are in Group B. Play starts at 10:00 am PT on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, when Sweden takes on Slovakia. A full schedule, with team games involving Kraken prospects highlighted, can be found below. Almost every game can be found on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.

For the U.S. cord cutters out there, NHL Network is a frustrating channel to access because it is only available through online cable bundles. The most cost-effective method I’ve found to get NHL Network for the World Juniors is to sign up for a month of Sling’s “Select” plan and then add the sports package. The total comes out to about $35.00 for the month in the Seattle area, though it can vary slightly in other markets.

Anyone have predictions? I suspect this may be the year Canada breaks its “skid” and reclaims gold.

Notes on four more Kraken prospects​

Jakub Fibigr | D | Team Czechia (WJC)​

Former Thunderbird Radim Mrtka suffered an apparent injury in the first period of Czechia’s first pre-tournament game and did not return. Now, Mrtka was left off the list of players Czechia registered for the tournament. While most teams list eight defensemen, Czechia listed only six. I suspect the team will add another blueliner at some point, but the path is clear for Fibigr to play heavy top-four minutes at the WJC. A big opportunity awaits him.

Maxim Agafonov | D | Tolpar Ufa (MHL)​

After getting a game of KHL action early in the season and playing most of the year at the second professional tier (VHL), 2025 fifth-rounder Maxim Agafonov has been moved down to the Russian junior league (MHL) in recent weeks. Agafonov is a skilled, puck-moving defenseman, but the offensive production has not been there this season against professionals. Whether he was overmatched or simply not getting the necessary opportunities to develop and deploy his offensive assets, a (temporary) move down may be for the best—even if it is a disappointment to the player.

Tyson Jugnauth | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Tyson Jugnauth has had a tale of two seasons so far. The Firebirds have relied on him to drive offense, and he has delivered. His 21 points are the most in the AHL among rookie blueliners—three more than the player with the second most. Defensively, the acclimation process has been difficult. His instincts and physicality both need to take significant steps for him to be a viable option for promotion.

In other news on the Firebirds blue line, Gustav Olofsson sounds primed to return this week after missing more than two months with an injury.

Jagger Firkus | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Jagger Firkus, 21, continues to be the essential offensive spark for the Firebirds. With two goals and three assists in two games last week, Firkus is your Sound Of Hockey Player of the Week. (This puts him alone in the lead for the “coveted” season-long honor, with three such weeks.)

Firkus leads the team and is tied for sixth in the AHL in total scoring points. That total is the most by any player 23 years old or younger. While there have been quiet games mixed in, it is now commonplace for Firkus to generate three or four high-danger looks for himself or a linemate each game. While there is still more that could be done, his board work has improved, particularly his ability to extract the puck and win one-on-one puck battles. His frame is, and will always be, slender, but he is finding a way to make it work for him—much like Matty Beniers has done at the NHL level. It’s starting to look more and more like a sheltered offensive winger role is in his future.

Kraken prospects data update​

Loke Krantz did not play any club games in the last week because he was participating in Team Sweden camp ahead of the WJC, but even so, he was a strong contender for an unconventional Player of the Week. A relatively obscure and underaged player to begin the year, he was not on my radar for Team Sweden. Earning a role as an 18-year-old on a team with gold medal aspirations is one of the more impressive achievements by any player in the Kraken organization this year.

Nathan Villeneuve proved last year that he could physically control a junior game, and this year he’s proving he can dominate offensively as well. He is fifth in the OHL in points per game, an all-the-more impressive achievement on a subpar Sudbury team that has only two players—Villeneuve and Kieron Walton—in the top 90 in scoring rate.

Semyon Vyazovoi is earning the starter’s share of games for his KHL team and continues to deliver solid results. He has done everything he can to earn an NHL contract and a timeshare in Coachella Valley next season.

Beyond the stats, Nikke Kokko has a knack for winning—often making his best saves at the most important moments. He is 6-1-2 in his last nine starts.

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

3: Jagger Firkus

2: Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen

1: Barrett Hall, Ollie Josephson, Tyson Jugnauth, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom

Previewing the week ahead​

We’ll give our Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week to the WJC matchup between Miettinen and Saarinen’s Team Finland and Fibigr’s Team Czechia at 12:30 pm PT on Monday, Dec. 29.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: William Håkansson​

William Håkansson is a big-framed defenseman with shutdown, play-killing ability and a ton of pro experience for a draft-eligible player—having played parts of two seasons in Sweden’s top professional league (SHL) already. Corey Pronman of The Athletic had a mid-first-round grade on Håkansson in his most recent prospect ranking. Håkansson will represent Sweden at the WJC.

Recent prospect updates​

December 20, 2025: Resetting Seattle Kraken draft capital after the Mason Marchment trade

December 13, 2025: Ryan Jankowski talks Kraken prospects

December 5, 2025: World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds

November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship

November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

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.

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The post Down on the Farm – Watching Kraken prospects at the 2026 World Junior Championship appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/2...spects-at-the-2026-world-junior-championship/