The Seattle Kraken didn't follow the same expansion route as the Vegas Golden Knights, and they have a growing prospect pool as a result that puts the rest of the NHL on notice.
The Seattle Kraken didn't follow the same expansion route as the Vegas Golden Knights, and they have a growing prospect pool as a result that puts the rest of the NHL on notice.
As the NHL off-season ticks on, Tony Ferrari continues to analyze each team’s prospect pool, with the Seattle Kraken next up.
In this series, Tony Ferrari digs into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, their latest draft class, where their positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for a shot at the NHL. Note that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises unless mentioned otherwise.
Introduction
Well, that didn’t take long. They’ve only been in the league for two years, but the Kraken have built up quite the talented prospect pool. They managed to get to the second round of the NHL playoffs while bringing in some young players and maintaining the core they built in their first two seasons. The Kraken are in a very good spot as a franchise.
Shane Wright was heralded as one of the next great prospects, matching Connor McDavid’s scoring total from his exceptional status season at 15 years old and doing it in fewer games. Then COVID-19 happened, and he was forced to sit out an entire season as a 16-year-old in his draft-minus-one season as the OHL shut down for the year. He played in the under-18s that year and absolutely tore it up, but he was outshone by two younger players in Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov.
His draft year went fine as the OHL returned to play, and Wright tallied 94 points, but the layoff hurt his draft stock and led to questions about if he was dynamic and explosive enough to become a true game-breaker. He famously fell to fourth overall on draft day, which was seen as a massive win for Seattle. Last year, he played in the NHL, AHL, and OHL as well as the world juniors, which could be a strain on his development. Heading into the season as a 19-year-old, Wright still has plenty of potential as a methodical, tactical center with the skill to score at the pro level. Seattle needs to settle on where he plays this upcoming year – the NHL or the OHL – and let him play a full season with that team.
Jagger Firkus is one of the most skilled and shifty forwards in the WHL. His ability to cut to the inside and rip a shot by a netminder is a dream for coaches. Despite Firkus not having the biggest frame, he uses his agility and puckhandling ability to bait and evade defenders and get to the inside lane. He has a great shot and loves to play high-octane offensive hockey.
The Kraken took David Goyette in the second round of the 2022 draft, and the silky-smooth playmaker has looked great since. He can send a pinpoint pass through traffic and onto the tape of a teammate. Goyette should be one of the best point producers in the OHL next season, as he has developed his shot to become a dangerous goal-scorer at the level as well. Goyette has incredible vision and understands spacing on the ice.
The depth of forwards the Kraken have is envious as well. Jani Nyman had a very good season in the Liiga last year, using his excellent off-puck movement and precise finishing talent to put points on the board. Tucker Robertson was drafted as an overager who missed his draft year in the OHL but has torn it up ever since with a knack for advancing play with simple yet effective puck movement and a good shot. Ryan Winterton was one of the most dangerous players in the OHL playoffs in each of the last two years after missing his draft year in major junior as well.
On the back end, the Kraken built an interesting group. Ty Nelson is a short but stalky blueliner with a big shot and a willingness to mix it up physically despite his 5-foot-10 size. He took a big step defensively this past year, understanding how to use his mobility to cut off lanes and push attackers outside. He became much more willing to evade and penetrate the offensive zone to use his shot.
Ryker Evans is a skilled puck-mover who excels on the breakout and loves to exploit his opponents with his passing. His rookie year with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL couldn’t have gone better than it did – he posted 44 points in 71 games and a dominant 26 points in 26 playoff games, showing all the best traits in his game. Evans can change the tempo of the game with the puck, stopping and starting to create separation and open passing lanes.
In net, the Kraken are working to build up their cupboard still, but they do have a couple of promising goalies in the system. Niklas Kokko has played well for Finland’s international teams at his age level and should be the favorite to start at December's world juniors. He played pro hockey split between the Liiga and Mestis, putting up good numbers throughout. He has excellent size and stays square to the shooter, which helps him excel. He needs to develop athletically, but he is a solid prospect in net for a team still building their prospect pool.
2023 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 20th overall - Eduard Sale, LW, Brno Kometa (Czech)
Round 2, 50th overall - Carson Rehkopf, LW, Kitchener (OHL)
Round 2, 52nd overall - Oscar Fisker Molgaard, C, HV71 (SHL)
Round 2, 57th overall - Lukas Dragicevic, RD, Tri-City (WHL)
Round 3, 84th overall - Caden Price, LD, Kelowna (WHL)
Round 4, 116th overall - Andrei Loshko, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Round 5, 148th overall - Kaden Hammell, RD, Everett (WHL)
Round 6, 168th overall - Visa Vedenpaa, G, Karpat U-20 (Finland Jr.)
Round 6, 180th overall - Zeb Forsfjall, C, Skelleftea Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
Round 7, 212th overall - Zaccharya Wisdom, RW, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
The 2023 NHL draft was another big one for the Kraken. With five picks in the top 85 selections and 10 total draft choices, the Kraken were a busy team in Nashville at the draft.
Eduard Sale kicked things off for them as they added a highly talented winger to the system with skill and scoring ability. He could've been a top-10 choice had his work ethic not repeatedly come into question. He can feather a pass across the ice in transition or work his way into open space to act as an off-puck finisher. The upside with Sale is that of an impact top-six winger with the versatility to play with a center of any skill set. It’s just a question of whether he will allow himself to get there.
The Kraken had three second-round selections, beginning with Carson Rehkopf. The 6-foot-2 winger is a highly effective off-puck shooter who can build up speed and attack downhill. He can find an extra gear and create distance between himself and a defender, which allows him to find pockets of space. His defensive game was inconsistent, but he showed traits of being a steady defender in transition, along the boards and high in the zone. He needs to find some level of consistency, but he’s solid value where Seattle took him.
Next came Oscar Fisker Molgaard, a Danish center who played in Sweden and brought with him impressive pro tendencies and an intelligence that is seldom seen from players his age. That allowed him to play most of his season in the SHL last year as a depth forward who was able to fill just about any role asked of him. He goes to the high-danger areas with and without the puck, constantly looks to create the most impactful play, and understands how to play against men who may have a bit more strength or size than him. If he can continue developing physically, his puck skill and intelligence could make him the steal of the draft.
All gas, no brakes defenseman Lukas Dragicevic rounded out their second-round trio. The Tri-City defender plays north-south attacking hockey. Often asked to shoulder the load of creating offense for a team that lacked a difference-maker, Dragicevic was constantly in motion with the puck. His straight-line speed was a major asset, and while he was a capable lateral mover, he lacked agility at times. Engagement in his own end was certainly an issue, but the ability to attack up ice as a fourth forward was very intriguing.
Caden Price is a raw talent on the back end who showed flashes of what could be one of the best defenders in the draft class. But all too often, Price fell victim to a slower processing speed and couldn’t get his game in sync at times. The "what he could be" and "what he is" are quite far apart, but you get enough of the picture that he can pull you into his game as a skilled transition defender who uses deception and skill to evade pressure and create plays up ice.
QMJHL forward Andrei Loshko came into his own as a playmaking pivot with a diverse set of passing skills. He feathered saucer passes over a defender's stick or used his puckhandling to get into the defender's feet and pass out of the triangle. His awareness allows him to be an effective and deceptive drop passer, and his deft touch allows him to one-touch with the best in the 'Q.' There are questions about his offensive upside outside of his passing ability, but his mature play and defensive awareness could make him an excellent depth option.
Kaden Hammell is a solid breakout passer who has shown some projectable defensive traits. He makes good decisions to close down the gap when he is defending in transition, but he lacks the agility and foot speed to keep up with quicker attackers. He needs to develop his skating a bit more and become cleaner at pivoting and keeping his edge.
Goaltender Visa Vedenpaa has many of the tools you’d want to see in a netminder, from quick reaction time to a solid frame. The 6-foot-2 Finnish tendy is athletic, and he does a good job of sealing his posts but can get sloppy when moving from the post to the top of his crease. If he can clean up some of his form, Vedenpaa has NHL potential, and thankfully, he will have some runway to develop in Finland.
Swedish winger Zeb Forsfjall is an excellent bottom-six defensive player and penalty-killer. He has the quickness and work ethic that could make him an effective role player at the NHL level. Forsfjall has been a leader on many of the teams he’s played for, fairly consistently wearing a letter on his chest.
Zaccharya Wisdom is a nose-down, head-to-the-net player. He doesn’t always show the open-ice skill that could make him a lethal impact player, but he has no issue working harder than anyone else on the ice. He found success at the USHL level, scoring 28 goals last year as a 19-year-old. Wisdom is heading to Colorado College to further his development at the NHL level, and patience will be needed to see if he can become a pro.
Strengths
The forward depth, particularly down the middle, is impressive for the Kraken. Matty Beniers just won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in the NHL, and they still have Wright, Goyette and Fisker Molgaard in the pipeline. Tye Kartye joined the Kraken during the playoffs and injected energy and a bit of scoring into the lineup. He was a pivotal player for the Firebirds this year, winning AHL rookie of the year honors en route to an AHL final appearance. Logan Morrison wasn’t even mentioned above, and the overage OHLer was dominant and pivotal in London’s run to the OHL final after being acquired mid-season. The Kraken center depth is envious.
Weaknesses
It’s a bit nitpicky to say that Seattle’s pipeline has any specific weakness, but they could use a stud goalie in the pipeline. Kokko is solid and could be a good NHL backup, and Vedenpaa has a ton of tools but lacks refinement. The goalie position is the most volatile in hockey, so the Kraken gathering a number of solid prospects may ultimately be the way to go, but it would be nice to have a player like Jesper Wallstedt or Yaroslav Askarov in the system.
Next Man Up: Shane Wright, C
He was with the Kraken to start last season but went to the AHL on a conditioning stint. He then headed to the World Junior Championship to captain Canada to gold before being sent back to the OHL, where he was immediately traded from Kingston to Windsor. He then dealt with an injury but also helped the Spitfires to the OHL’s best regular-season record. Unfortunately, the Spitfires were swept in the playoffs by an overpowered eighth-seed Kitchener Rangers. Needless to say, Wright’s year was up and down after he fell to the Kraken in the draft.
Wright should battle for a spot in camp with the Kraken, and his ability to play a third-line role if need be could be useful to the Kraken, but Wright has the talent to play second-line center. With no one truly solidified and in the way of Wright taking a middle-six role if he’s ready, he should come into camp fired up to take the spot. He needs stability at the end of the day, so finding one place to play all season long will be huge for his development.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Eduard Sale, Justin Janicke, Carson Rehkopf, Ville Petman, Kyle Jackson
C: Shane Wright, David Goyette, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Tye Kartye, Logan Morrison
RW: Jagger Firkus, Jani Nyman, Tucker Roberston, Ryan Winterton
LD: Ryker Evans, Caden Price, Peetro Seppala, Tyson Jugnauth
RD: Ty Nelson, Lukas Dragicevic, Ville Ottavainen
G: Niklas Kokko, Semyon Vyazovoy, Visa Vedenpaa
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook, Prospects Unlimited, and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition.