Kraken's Clarke Caswell: Joins Seattle prospect pool
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Caswell was the 141st overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
A true playmaker in every sense of the word, Caswell has been on the prospect map for quite a while. He was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft and led a good Swift Current team in scoring (26 goals and 77 points in 68 games) this past season. While the offensive skills are intriguing, there's a real chance Caswell's skill set won't translate to the professional ranks. He's undersized (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), not all that fast, and tends to play too much on the perimeter. Still, his vision and hockey sense make him an intriguing addition to the Seattle prospect pool.
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Kraken's Kim Saarinen: Finnish goalie heads to Seattle
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Saarinen was the 88th overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
The Kraken added another goaltending prospect to a growing system during Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday. Plenty of knowledgeable people felt Saarinen was one of the better ones available in this class. At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, he not only has the size but possesses plenty of quickness, particularly side-to-side. Saarinen mostly played in the Finnish junior league last season but did get into two games in the top-tier Liiga. He should get more time there this coming season to give prospect evaluators a better idea of his long-term potential.
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Kraken's Alexis Bernier: Round 3 pick of Seattle
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Bernier was the 73rd overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Bernier logged big minutes for QMJHL Baie-Comeau last season, but his offensive numbers (four goals and 31 points in 64 games) were lacking. He was a bit better in the playoffs, with nine points in 17 outings. Bernier is a steady rearguard, keeping things simple and making good outlet passes. He rarely puts his teammates in trouble. There doesn't appear to be a ton of upside here, but with a late June birthday, Bernier has more runway than some other prospects in this year's draft.
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Kraken's Nathan Villeneuve: Surprise pick late in Round 2
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Villeneuve was the 63rd overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
This seems like a reach for the Kraken given where Villeneuve was expected to be selected, but the club has done a pretty nice job with their draft picks the last few years. Villeneuve averaged less than a point-per-game (23 goals, 50 points in 56 games) for OHL Sudbury a season ago, but he's known more as a responsible defensive center than a point producer. It will be interesting to see if his offensive game can develop a bit in the coming years.
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Kraken's Julius Miettinen: CHL import picked by Kraken
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Miettinen was the 40th overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
A first-round pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, Miettinen crossed the pond and joined WHL Everett for this past season. He ended up averaging more than a point per game (31 goals, 66 points in 67 games) and got better as the year progressed. There's an intriguing combination of size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and skill here. Miettinen projects as more of a depth option at the NHL level, but it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if he continues to pile up the points for the remainder of his junior career. The fact that Miettinen already has a year of North American hockey under his belt is a great sign for his future development.
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Kraken's Berkly Catton: High-upside pivot off to Seattle
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Catton was the eighth overall pick by the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Catton is one of the most complete players in the 2024 draft class -- he's above average in every category except size, where his 5-foot-10, 170 lb frame gives us pause. Still, in the right situation -- like Seattle -- the stars might align on the Logan Cooley and Mathew Barzal comps. Worst case, might be like Seth Jarvis, who at age 22 finished third on the Canes' scoring list this year from the team's third line. Catton has all the pieces to be a strong second-line player, maybe even on the wing, or a middle-six scorer who kills penalties. That's a high floor. But Catton could develop into a top-line guy and get PP1 time. He certainly has the drive. He's a dynasty dice roll. It's hard to pass on his skill.
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Kraken's Oscar Fisker Molgaard: Signs entry-level deal
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Fisker Molgaard inked a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kraken on Friday.
Fisker Molgaard had nine goals and 21 points in 50 regular-season appearances with Jonkoping of the Swedish Hockey League in 2023-24. Seattle took the 19-year-old with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He will likely start the 2024-25 campaign with AHL Coachella Valley.
Price signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kraken on Wednesday.
Price had another strong campaign with WHL Kelowna in 2023-24, posting 13 goals and 42 assists over 62 regular-season contests and another 11 points over 11 playoff games. The defenseman will still be eligible for junior hockey next season, so he'll likely continue with Kelowna for 2024-25.
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Kraken's Carson Rehkopf: Inks ELC
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Rehkopf signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Kraken on Sunday.
Rehkopf was a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old forward racked up 52 goals and 95 points through 60 games with OHL Kitchener this season. He'll likely report to Seattle's training camp before the start of the 2024-25 campaign and could make his NHL debut as early as next season.
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Kraken's Ryker Evans: Dropped to AHL
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Evans was reassigned to AHL Coachella Valley on Sunday.
Evans totaled one goal and nine points through 36 games as a rookie this season. The 22-year-old blueliner should have a good chance at making Seattle's roster to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
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Kraken's David Goyette: Moved to AHL
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Goyette was assigned to AHL Coachella Valley on Saturday, per CapFriendly.
Goyette had 40 goals and 117 points in 68 regular-season contests with OHL Sudbury in 2023-24. He also supplied five goals and 10 points in nine OHL playoff outings. Seattle selected Goyette with the No. 61 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Oleksiak recorded an assist, a plus-2 rating and four blocked shots in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
Oleksiak earned five assists over the final 13 games of the campaign. The 31-year-old played in every game of the season for the first time in his career, but he had just 15 points to go with 177 blocked shots, 110 hits and 108 shots on net. Oleksiak is signed for two more seasons and will continue to be a significant part of the Kraken's top four with a focus on the defensive side of the ice.
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Kraken's Justin Schultz: Notches helper in win
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Schultz posted a power-play assist in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
Schultz snapped a four-game point drought with the helper. The veteran defenseman posted 26 points (10 on the power play), 100 shots on net, 68 blocked shots and a minus-23 rating over 70 appearances this season. He is the lone pending unrestricted free agent among the Kraken's blueliners, and there's a decent chance he won't be brought back as the team begins to integrate more prospects in 2024-25.
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Kraken's Jared McCann: Gathers helper Thursday
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McCann posted an assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
McCann faltered late in the campaign with four points over eight outings in April. It was still a strong year for the 27-year-old forward, who produced 29 goals, 33 helpers, 216 shots on net and a minus-10 rating over 80 appearances. McCann will continue playing this spring with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship, per Darren Dreger of TSN.
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Kraken's Brandon Tanev: Offers two helpers
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Tanev notched two shorthanded assists, three hits, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
Tanev's five points over nine contests in April matched his previous high mark for a month (January) in the challenging season. The 32-year-old winger was limited to 66 contests and picked up just 16 points with 73 shots on net, 148 hits, 62 blocked shots, 51 PIM and a plus-2 rating. His $3.5 million cap hit could be tough to trade, but it's unclear if Tanev has much of a future with the Kraken entering the final year of his current contract.
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Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand: Caps career year with two apples
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Bjorkstrand logged two assists and two PIM in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
Bjorkstrand matched his career-high 57 points April 9. He then endured a four-game point drought before picking up two helpers in the season finale. While it wasn't a 60-point campaign, it was still a solid year for the 29-year-old winger, who earned his first All-Star nod. Bjorkstrand posted 20 goals, 39 helpers, 186 shots on net, 67 hits and a minus-20 rating over 82 outings while also earning 25 power-play points. He is likely to remain a key part of the Kraken's offense in 2024-25.
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Kraken's Tye Kartye: Nets goal Thursday
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Kartye scored a goal in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Wild.
Kartye finished the campaign with goals in back-to-back games, giving him 11 tallies on the year. The physical 22-year-old added nine assists, 109 shots on net, 228 its and 37 PIM over 77 appearances. Kartye is likely to peak as a bottom-six forward, though he has moved up the lineup on occasion to help the Kraken cover for injuries.
