NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: Can the Kraken's Youngsters Push the Team to New Heights?

The Seattle Kraken are today's focus in the NHL prospect pool overview series.

In this series, Tony Ferrari will dig into the Kraken's strengths and weaknesses, give a quick overview of their latest draft class, where the team's positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.

A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for these exercises, except in very specific cases.

First Thoughts

The Seattle Kraken have only had four drafts to build up a prospect pool from scratch and they have already built up an impressive crop of young, up-and-coming talent. With Matty Beniers – the Kraken's first pick in franchise history – leading the charge on the NHL roster and more young talent coming, the Kraken could be a dangerous team in a couple of years.

Shane Wright was one of the most impressive players in the world from his birth year when he was granted Exceptional Status into the OHL and then proved that he was worth it when he put up some of the best numbers of any player granted the special status. Wright isn’t a burner by any means but he plays a tactical and methodical game. He is always looking to pass around opponents and make a number of small plays that chain together to amount to one big play. Wright ending up behind Beniers in Seattle is an ideal situation for him as he doesn't have to be 'The Guy', he can just be himself. Wright should be the long-term 2C on the Kraken.

Sometimes a team will draft a player that has all of the components of being a really strong offensive player but they lack the consistency. Teams draft these players in the second and third rounds because they hope that if the player finds that consistency and puts the parts of their game together to become the player that they could be, the team feels like they hit a home run on the pick. For the Kraken, that player is Carson Rehkopf. The Kitchener Rangers forward has taken a massive step over the last year and he’s become one of the most dangerous finishers in all of junior hockey. His ability to score in a variety of ways makes him a headache for opposing teams to deal with. This year, he should be one of the favorites to win OHL MVP and could challenge for a scoring title.

Speaking of OHL scoring titles, this past season it was Kraken prospect David Goyette who paced the league in scoring with 117 points. The dazzling playmaker finished second in assists league-wide with 77 and tacked 40 goals ontop of that. Goyette helped make the Sudbury Wolves' top line one of the most feared in junior hockey. Goyette is shifty and skilled, using his hands to create unique passing lanes and feathering pucks from unorthodox positions to find teammates in prime scoring positions. This season, he is going to be taking the step to the AHL and should be an important part of the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Seattle didn’t only have the OHL scoring leader in their pipeline, they also had the WHL scoring champion, Jagger Firkus. Leading the Moose Jaw Warriors to their first WHL championship, Firkus’ offensive creativity was so much fun to watch. His hands are quick and deliberate, his passing is incredibly smooth, and his shot is an absolute missile. Firkus is always looking to attack seams and push the tempo of the game. He’s going to jump into the AHL this upcoming season which should be the perfect next step in his development.

After a full season in the SHL, Oscar Fisker Molgaard continues to showcase just how detailed his game is. He understands the nuances of playing away from the puck both offensively and defensively. Fisker Molgaard plays a pro-style game, supporting his teammates and consistently looking to win small battles all over the ice. It will be interesting to see when Fisker Molgaard comes over to North America because the 19-year-old could play a meaningful role in the AHL as soon as this season.

Joining the Barrie Colts before being traded to the Kitchener Rangers, Eduard Sale left the pro game in Czechia to step back down to junior hockey to acclimate to the North American game. Unfortunately, Sale underperformed at both stops and looked disengaged at times. This upcoming season, he will look to bounce back and get his game back on track. Sale is a skilled passer and a heavy shooter. His game never really found a comfort level in the OHL but he has all of the tools to be a dangerous player.

After a couple of good AHL seasons and a 36-game NHL stint last year, Ryker Evans has grown quite a bit over the last few seasons. His playmaking ability was evident in the AHL but he struggled to gain traction at the NHL level. His defensive game is still inconsistent but he’s improved with his gap management and looks to jump on bobbled pucks. His value will always come from his offensive game and breakout ability as a passer.

Caden Price has all of the tools but struggles to put things together consistently. He can move quite well but tends to misread the play a bit. His passing ability can be dynamic and crisp but every once in a while he sends a pass right onto an opponent's stick to give them a premier opportunity. Price remains a long-term project but his tools are worth betting on.

Despite his smaller size, Ty Nelson plays far bigger than he is thanks to a stout frame and excellent strength. He looks to throw some big hits when he sees the opportunity and his defensive reads have become much better over the last year. Offensively, he is at his best when he is looking to push the pace and play an aggressive style of hockey. He still boasts a bomb for a shot and his playmaking continues to be a strength. As a passer, his ability to break out is fantastic. If Nelson were a bit taller, there wouldn’t be much of a worry about the way he plays, but at 5-foot-10, it’s a bit concerning as to whether he can make it work long term.

If his mobility was a bit more refined, Lukas Dragicevic’s skill would be enticing beyond belief. His hands can be lightning quick, his passing is crisp and accurate, and he loves to get involved in the play up-ice, and he looks to constantly make things happen in transition. There are times in which Dragicevic can lose his edge in the offensive zone as he just doesn’t always try and make the most dangerous play, but he has the skill to make anything happen. He was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders this off-season so it will be nice to see him get out of the Tri-City Americans’ environment and see what he can do next season.

U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster

Shane Wright (C), Tye Kartye (C), Matty Beniers (C)

2024 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 8th overall - Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)

Round 2, 40th overall - Julius Miettinen, C, Everett (WHL)

Round 2, 63rd overall - Nathan Villeneuve, C/W, Sudbury (OHL)

Round 3, 73rd overall - Alexis Bernier, RD, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)

Round 3, 88th overall - Kim Saarinen, G, HPK (Fin.-Jr)

Round 4, 105th overall - Ollie Josephson, C, Red Deer (WHL)

Round 5, 141st overall - Clarke Caswell, LW, Swift Current (WHL)

Round 7, 202nd overall - Jakub Fibigr, LD, Mississauga (OHL)

The Seattle Kraken did a great job at the draft in Vegas, making plenty of high-upside picks and nabbing players who were falling throughout the draft. They started things off by taking high-octane center Berkly Catton with the eighth overall pick. Catton torched the WHL, scoring over 50 goals despite being one of the most lethal playmakers in junior hockey. His ability to read the ice and then attack a weakness no matter how small was simply incredible. 

Catton elevates those around him with his playmaking. He flies up the ice in transition, using his quickness and agility to evade defenders while looking to set teammates up in open space. Simply put, Catton was one of the most lethal offensive producers in this draft class and if he weren’t 5-foot-10, he would have likely been a top-five pick.

In round two, the Kraken had a couple of picks, the first of which was Finnish center Julius Miettinen. A solid 200-foot presence who understands how to generate offense through solid defensive play. He always seemed to be in the right spot to disrupt play and turn pucks over before heading up ice. Miettinen is a solid shooter who can leverage his size to add some pop to his shots as well. His upside may not be all that high but Miettinen could find a nice fit as a third-line center down the road.

The Kraken’s second pick in round two came a few picks later when they took Sudbury Wolves’ forward Nathan Villeneuve. At 5-foot-11, Villeneuve is always looking to make opponents think he is bigger than he is by outworking and outmuscling players for the puck. He has a dogged nature about his game, constantly looking to put in work when he doesn’t have the puck. He loves to get under his opponents' skin as well. Villeneuve could be a really fun bottom-six piece.

Alexis Bernier is an interesting player in that his offensive game isn’t quite refined but he shows some really nice passing on the breakout. His defensive game is predicated on eliminating his opponents along the boards and preventing entries more than anything but he sometimes falls behind when defending in zone. As of right now, Bernier is more about the potential and the possibility of becoming an impact defender than actually being that player right now.

The Kraken had another third-round selection, taking Finnish netminder Kim Saarinen. He has size, skating ability, and solid tracking skills. Saarinen put up solid numbers in junior and even looked solid in two Liiga games. He plays a calm game in his crease, rarely looking flustered or shaky in the net. His movements are concise and crisp around the net, and Saarinen was young for the draft class which is just an added bonus.

The later rounds are when the Kraken really began to shine at the draft. Taking Ollie Josephson in the fourth round might be one of the best picks in the latter half of the draft. Josephson was a transitional wizard on the Red Deer Rebels. Although his production doesn’t jump off the page, he has more to give offensively. His speed is his best asset on both sides of the puck, and his defensive awareness and motor allow him to be an effective bottom-six center. If he does find another gear offensively, this could be a wicked pick for the Kraken.

Getting Clarke Caswell in the fifth round was excellent value for Seattle. Caswell was a strong producer on a very good team in the WHL, putting up 77 points in 68 games. Caswell plays tactical hockey at a high speed, looking to push the defense back by working give-and-go plays and making passes to open areas and allowing teammates to attack with speed. Caswell hunts down loose pucks and consistently knows where the best passing options are. Like many of the players that Seattle drafted, Caswell’s ability in transition was evident throughout the season.

Finishing off the draft in the seventh round the Kraken drafted defender Jakub Fibigr from the Mississauga Steelheads, a mobile blueliner who loves to get himself involved in the play, good or bad. His decision-making isn’t always the best which can get him into trouble at times but the foundation of his game is solid and if he takes his time and learns to play within his skillset a bit more, Fibigr could be a solid pickup in the final round of the draft.

Strengths

The center depth in the Kraken’s prospect pool is as impressive as they come. In all likelihood, Wright is going to be making the jump to the NHL this season. They just added Catton in the draft and he very well could be their most offensively gifted center in a few years. Miettinen and Fisker Molgaard both profile as really solid third-line centers who provide plenty of depth down the middle. David Goyette may end up on the wing but his playmaking is as good as anyone's in the pipeline. Villeneuve and Josephson were excellent additions at the draft. The depth down the middle features several players with various skill sets. It’s impressive how fast they’ve managed to build up the pipeline with players at the hardest position to find.

Weaknesses

Seattle’s prospect pool has been well-built over the past few years since the franchise came into existence. They have no clear-cut weakness but the left side of their defense pipeline is a bit underwhelming. Evans and Price are both decent depth options who could be NHLers with some development. Fibigr was a solid late pick but he’s still a late-round pick and banking on them turning out is a fool’s errand. Adding a high-caliber, left-shot blueliner could be a good move for Seattle at the draft next year.

Next Man Up: Shane Wright, C

When the Kraken saw Wright fall from the consensus first-overall pick to their pick at fourth, the team was ecstatic. Wright was once considered a can’t-miss prospect and then everything changed after a missed season because of COVID-19, a good but not great draft year and a bit of an up-and-down first couple of seasons post-draft. 

Wright’s NHL stint toward the end of the season was the best he’s looked in pro hockey so far. If he can build off that, he should be primed for a solid first full season in the NHL as one of Seattle’s middle six centers.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Carson Rehkopf, Clarke Caswell, Justin Janicke

C: Shane Wright, Berkly Catton, Julius Miettinen, David Goyette, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson, Tucker Robertson, Ryan Winterton

RW: Jagger Firkus, Eduard Sale, Andrei Loshko, Jacob Melanson, Jani Nyman

LD: Ryker Evans, Caden Price, Jakub Fibigr, Tyson Jugnauth

RD: Ty Nelson, Lukas Dragicevic, Ville Ottavainen, Alexis Bernier

G: Niklas Kokko, Kim Saarinen, Visa Vedenpaa, Semyon Vyazovoy

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition!