GM Francis Receives ‘A’ Grade For Gourde/Bjorkstrand Deal

Moving Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to Tampa Bay for a pair of 1st round picks and a 2nd rounder, to one observer, represented a needed correction.

“It was about time Kraken GM Ron Francis saw the writing on the wall,” wrote Anthony Trudeau of DailyFaceoff.com. “Francis’ hodgepodge of middle-six forwards and second-pair defensemen was already overripe when the Hall-of-Famer took a big swing in the offseason by signing two 30-year-olds in Brandon Montour, who has been excellent, and Chandler Stephenson, who has not.

“Those deals meant Francis had cultivated a roster that, despite a surprise run in 2022-23, was neither good enough to contend nor young and cheap enough to improve. There’s plenty more clutter to clear out, but this trade was a positive start. Grade: A.”

Nyman Expected To Help Fill Open Roster Spot

With three Kraken mainstays – Gourde, Bjorkstrand, and Brandon Tanev – now departed, I asked GM Francis who might be summoned from AHL Coachella Valley. Francis specifically mentioned forward prospect Jani Nyman.

(It’s likely Nyman would play a maximum of nine games with Seattle this season, so as not to burn a year off his lower-cost entry-level contract.)

At training camp, the 20-year-old Finland native caught the eye of Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, who noted his “NHL ready” shot. In case you missed it (and even if you didn’t), Nyman was named AHL Rookie of the Month for February, when he scored nine goals plus four assists in 10 games for the Firebirds.

An AHL press release detailed the rookie’s big month. “Nyman tallied a goal and assist in a 3-2 overtime win at Texas before representing the host Firebirds at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic.

“He reached the 20-goal plateau in a 4-3 shootout victory against Bakersfield. Nyman extended his points streak to eight games by netting two goals in a 5-2 win over Tucson, and had two goals and an assist in a 6-5 win at San Diego.”

He’s scored a team-leading 26 goals and 41 points in 55 games for the Firebirds in 2024-25. Through Saturday’s games, 26 goals also tied Nyman (pronounced NEW-man) for 3rd in the entire AHL.

Nyman was drafted in the 2nd round by the Kraken in 2022. He joined Coachella Valley at the tail end of last season, after two years of Finnish hockey. Nyman made an immediate impression, scoring two goals in five regular season games, and one more in nine Calder Cup Playoff contests.

‘Dan Bylsma Hockey Award’

Speaking of the Kraken coach, did you know the Muskegon, Michigan Local Sports Journal annually presents the “Dan Bylsma Hockey Award” to an outstanding area athlete?

According the publication, “The Grand Haven native has had an illustrious hockey career that continues to this day.”

When first approached about creating an award using his name, Bylsma said, “That would be an honor for me,” At a banquet this past weekend. the “Dan Bylsma Hockey Award” was presented to one of a half-dozen budding hockey stars.

Sign Of The Times: Hometown To Honor Jessica Campbell

When the Kraken play in Edmonton on Mar. 22, we know one group of fans in Canada who will gather at a community center to root Seattle on. Or, if not the entire Kraken team, at least one of their coaches.

Jessica Campbell grew up in Rocanville, Sask., home to the largest oil can in the world – and the NHL’s first female assistant coach.

When the Kraken visited Winnipeg in January, many made the four-hour car ride east to sit in the stands and represent their hometown hero.

Now, many among Rocanville’s 900 residents are likely Oilers fans. However, when fans gather at the local community center to watch the game on big-screen TVs, everyone will be saving some cheers for their favorite NHL assistant.

If it’s ready in time, community leaders are also hoping to show off a new highway sign reading, “Home of Jessica Campbell.”

The plan, after the watch party unveiling, is to place it at the entrance to town, according to World-Spectator.com. A wall of the Rocanville rink already is adorned with a Campbell quote, “You can, and you will.”

There’s No Business Like Sports Business

Kraken co-owner Samantha Holloway, who often represents Seattle at NHL Board of Governors meetings, talked to Sports Business Journal about the difference between helming a sports franchise and other types of businesses.

“You don’t have as much control. I ran sales for my company, and you can walk in and do your sales pitch, and you can anticipate what’s going to happen. This is very different – anything can happen on the ice.”

On the topic of Seattle as a sports market, “There’s a lot of large businesses,” Holloway said. “There’s a lot of tech there, there’s affluence. There’s a lot there to support the sports community, and then the sports community also supports each other.

Holloway’s ownership group is positioning itself, as you’ve probably heard, to expand its portfolio. “The market will explode if an NBA team comes. We are interested in discussing it.”