Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff gave his ranking of the top 10 Seattle Kraken prospects and provided strengths and weaknesses of the Kraken prospect depth chart.
Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff gave his ranking of the top 10 Seattle Kraken prospects and provided strengths and weaknesses of the Kraken prospect depth chart.
The Kraken have only been involved in four NHL drafts. Each year they've taken a forward with their first round pick, those being Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Eduard Sale and Berkly Catton. As of now the only drafted prospect to graduate from prospect status is Beniers.
It's not surprising that this is the case but the Kraken are set to have two graduates in Wright and Ryker Evans.
Here's what Ellis had to say about the Kraken's biggest strength.
"The Kraken have some solid options down the middle, which, in addition to Matty Beniers, is a good thing to have. Berkly Catton and Shane Wright are both high-quality prospects, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard and David Goyette both look like NHLers, too. I’m not fully sold on Julius Miettinen, but he had a nice year in the WHL and has good size. Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson, Tucker Robertson and Winterton are all notable names, too."
Having too many centre prospects is a good problem to have. Not only do they hold more value in trades but the transition from centre to wing is much easier than transitioning from a winger to a centre.
With lots of value up the middle, the biggest weakness in Ellis' eyes comes in net.
"I think Niklas Kokko is a solid goaltender, but I’m not completely convinced he’s more than a fringe backup. We still have to see how he’ll play when he eventually comes to the AHL, but compared to other positions that have some impact players in the waiting, I feel like it’s Kokko or bust. Both Visa Vedenpaa and Kim Saarinen have had their moments, but I’m not overly excited about either as future NHLers. We’ll see what happens, because we know goaltending is a total crapshoot."
Ellis' top 10 didn't come with many surprises or exclusions.
1. Berkly Catton
2. Shane Wright
3. Jagger Firkus
4. Carson Rehkopf
5. David Goyette
6. Jani Nyman
7. Ryker Evans
8. Ty Nelson
9. Eduard Sale
10. Niklas Kokko
The Kraken's most skilled prospect in Catton tops the list with the best two-way forward coming in just behind him. The next three on the list, Firkus, Rehkopf and Goyette are three CHL players who have put up big point totals in junior hockey but are going to need to prove it at the next level. Nyman, Evans and Nelson have shown many signs of NHL potential and could become valuable middle-of-the-lineup players. Hopes are still high with Sale but seeing him come in at ninth is a discouraging sign.
Ellis also talked about a few Kraken prospects who just missed the cut but he can see NHL potential in their game.
"I feel confident that just about everyone on this top 10 list will play NHL games. I also feel the same about a few late cuts, including Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, Caden Price and Ryan Winterton."
The prospect pool is deep and filled with high-end talent. The next step for the organization is finding ways to promote these players without rushing or overwhelming them.
Make sure you bookmark THN’s Seattle Kraken site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.