The crowded training camp for the Seattle Kraken is now much lighter.
29 players have been sent to their respective homes, clubs, and various corners of the world.
Reassigned to Coachella Valley:
This is a little disappointing, specifically Jani Nyman and Jagger Firkus. Both of them seemed like they had good camps and Firkus finally (finally!) looks like he’s put on the muscle to survive physical play in the NHL. Alas, they have been sent back to the desert. Three players were signed to Professional Tryouts (PTOs), which is for free agents who don’t have a contract and are limited to 25 games. It is essentially a way to stock the training camp with players.
- Alexis Bernier
- Lukas Dragicevic
- Ryden Evers
- Jagger Firkus
- David Goyette
- Kaden Hammell
- Tyson Jugnauth
- Andrei Loshko
- Julius Miettinen
- Ty Nelson
- Jani Nyman
- Caden Price
- Carson Rehkopf
- Lleyton Roed
- Eduard Sale
- Nathan Villeneuve
- Ian McKinnon (PTO)
- Gustav Olofsson (PTO)
- Mitchell Stephens (PTO)
- Justin Janicke (rookie camp tryout, signed with CV)
Reassigned to Coachella Valley but need to navigate the treacherous waters of waivers:
This group of names is like the group above, except that everyone other team in the NHL has the opportunity to claim any of these players and put them on their roster during the next 24 hours. If no team does so, then these players have cleared waivers and are in Coachella Valley. I don’t anticipate anyone claiming these players, but it’s a possibility.
(Eeli Tolvanen was famously put on waivers by Nashville hoping to get him down to their AHL affiliate, but Seattle snapped him off in 2022 and he played out the next three-and-a-half seasons as a valuable forward for the Kraken.)
- J.R. Avon
- John Hayden
- Logan Morrison
- Victor Ostman
Players going to places other than Coachella Valley:
These players go back to their junior clubs, hopefully having learned from the experience and can take things with them as they continue to accumulate experience and developmental time.
- Finn Kearns (Sudbury Wolves)
- Will Reynolds (Newfoundland Regiment)
- Rylan Singh (Guelph Storm)
- Maks Corovic (Owen Sound Attack)
- Brody Gillespie (Spokane Chiefs)
So who does that leave?
It’s still too many players for the opening day roster and more cuts will be made.
Jake O’Brien, Cale Fleury, Ryan Winterton, Josh Mahura, Nikke Kokko, Curtis Douglas, Ville Ottavainen, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard are the players on the bubble who are currently on the roster.
O’Brien is a particularly interesting name here. While I expect him to ultimately not make the NHL roster because he really doesn’t seem ready, him making the roster (for now) over players like Nyman and Firkus is an intriguing decision.
The Kraken play two more preseason games: home against the Flames on September 24th, and at the Canucks on September 26th. After that it’s a few days off and then the regular season starts in Calgary on October 1st.