Seattle 2022 Draft Pick Averaging 2+ Points Per Game For Moose Jaw
What say we check the headlines and see who's making news among amateur prospects.
That would be Jagger Firkus, center with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. The 19-year-old center was drafted by the Seattle Kraken in the 2nd round, 35th overall in 2022.
Firkus has more points than any other player in major junior hockey, built on 32 goals and 47 assists in 37 games. That's got to be music to the ears of the Kraken front office. Seattle currently ranks 27th in the NHL in goals per game. How many of the Kraken's nine OT and shootout losses could have avoided with an extra elite sniper?
Here's what the hockey press has been saying about Firkus underneath these headlines.
The Hockey News
"Firkus is a dangerous player because he can burn teams in multiple ways. While he isn't afraid to shoot the puck, he is also a great playmaker, which makes life difficult for the opposition. This often results in defenders giving him space, which is a mistake as he is also one of the most creative players in the entire CHL."
Daily Faceoff
"It’ll be interesting to see if Firkus can play himself into Seattle’s lineup next year. He’s a tremendously talented forward who has produced as well as anyone in the WHL the past few years. He might struggle on the physical side of things, but he’s got great hockey sense and one of the best shots of any prospect in the game today."
McKeen's Hockey
"It seems that Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus took exception to not making the Team Canada World Juniors roster right out of the gate (he was added for two games filling in for injury). Back in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he’s been absolutely on fire, with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in just four games. He’s up to 75 points (!) in 36 games with no signs of slowing down."F
Kraken Director Of Player Development Jeff Tambellini
(To NHL.com) "He's always been a very intelligent player, but what I love about his game is he's always trying to get better to get pucks back, He's doing a really good job of staying on pucks and winning a lot of battles, which in turn gives him more attempts at the net and more attempts to make plays.
"For us that's a big, translatable trend. It's something we've talked to him about and he's doing a real good job of adding that to his game and doing it on a nightly basis."
Moose Jaw Coach Mark O'Leary
(To CTVNews.ca) “Often times before I even get to him about things that we’d like to improve, he already knows. He’ll bring it up sometimes before I even do,. He’s the loudest guy in the room, whether things are going well or not going well, you can count on Firky to bring that same energy and enthusiasm. And you know it’s a long year, you need guys like that,”
