Encouraging words for fans of the Seattle Kraken’s AHL farm team: “With so many quality prospects headed to Coachella Valley in 2025-26, their minor league team will be must-watch entertainment.” So says Steven Ellis of DailyFaceoff.com, who believes the crop of future Seattle Kraken age 22 and under is “a pipeline you can easily get excited about.”
Here’s projections for some of his favorites, who in most cases will require a year or more of seasoning (the entire story is well worth reading).
- Berkly Catton, F: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Catton is given a sizeable role (with the Kraken) out of training camp.”
- Jake O’Brien, F: “I can’t see him being anything less than a second-line NHL center.”
- Jagger Firkus, F: “I expect him to get 50 points this year with the Firebirds.”
- Blake Fiddler, D: “His size and hockey IQ should allow him to have a solid career.”
- Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, F: “I like how he out-thinks opponents under pressure. I think Mølgaard will be a solid bottom-six forward in the next couple of years.”
- Jani Nyman, F: “I expect him to become a middle-six power forward who might not drive play, but he’ll make your line more difficult to contain.”
- Ryan Winterton, F: “His reliability will take him far. He’s going to be a decent NHLer, even if the ceiling isn’t that high.”
- Ty Nelson, D: “You’re never going to find a prospect his size (5-foot-10) with that much muscle. He’ll be one of the few smaller defenders to really make it work.”
Ranking The City/Team Rankings
How rude it would be to follow that feel-good prospect report with a downer of a Kraken ranking. So, as a public service, I will be outraged for you about some nonsense that Cardinal Point Athlete Advisors apparently expected to be taken seriously.
From their website: “With assistance from Numbeo, the world’s largest cost of living database, Cardinal Point ranked all thirty-two NHL cities according to seven significant considerations.” The Kraken came in 30th, ahead of only the Capitals and Rangers, and right behind the Bruins and Devils.
For the record, those “significant considerations” were safety (Seattle ranked 23rd); cost of living (28th); traffic (30th); climate (4th); rent (26th); cost of groceries (30th); and restaurant prices (32nd). The top five teams using this formula were the Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Mammoth, Oilers and Flames.
Okay, Seattle is an expensive place to live. Maybe this should have been added to my “No Duh” story. What makes the rankings ridiculous is their subjective, and limited, list of factors.
For comparison, Resonance, a marketing firm, made its own list of best cities for 2025. Seattle came in at #5 in the U.S., and number #19 in the world. Among the cities in the Cardinal Point top five, Montreal was #35, Salt Lake City #66, and Columbus, Edmonton and Calgary didn’t crack the top 100.
For what it’s worth, the Resonance methodology “is a combination of core statistics from more than 400 global cities and resident and visitor perception indicators like user-generated ratings and reviews. Resonance interprets this data through the lens of three key factors – Livability, Lovability and Prosperity.”
Chew on that, Cardinal Point.