Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Seattle Kraken.

It didn’t take long for the Seattle Kraken to amass an impressive prospect pool.

They haven’t had many become actual NHLers – and, granted, they first drafted in 2021. But if they can hit on just a few pieces from that 2022 Draft, they’ll be in such good shape.

Shane Wright and Jagger Firkus both look to be big pieces in the long term, and I expect Jani Nyman, Ty Nelson, David Goyette, and Niklas Kokko to all become NHLers. The 2023 draft had some interesting pieces, but they then snagged one of the most exciting prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft in Berkly Catton with the first pick in 2024 to really spice things up.

Eventually, the Kraken will need to make serious steps forward, and that could include moving some young pieces to get immediate help. But when it comes to looking to the future, the Kraken have a pipeline brimming with potential and at least one notable piece at every single position.

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. They also have decent goaltending depth, too. In all, it’s a solid pool with some question marks to some notable players, but they’re in a good spot already.

Biggest Strengths

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.

Biggest Weakness

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.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Ron Francis
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Robert Kron
Dir. of Player Development: Jeff Tambellini
AHL Affiliate: Coachella Valley Firebirds
ECHL Affiliate: Kansas City Mavericks

*Berkly Catton (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Berkly Catton, C, 18 (Spokane, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted eighth overall, first round in 2024

Catton could become one of the best prospects from the first round – I had him at No. 5 in my draft rankings. Catton isn’t built physically strong, which could cause him issues as a center. But you can’t deny the pure talent, scoring 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games in his second full year in the WHL. The Chiefs’ alternate captain is so good with the puck, often taking control of the game when Spokane is down and out. Few draft eligibles are as good at producing high-quality chances as Catton, and he works hard enough at both ends to earn the benefit of the doubt as a future NHL center. But we’ll see. And to be clear: yeah, Catton isn’t huge, but he’s 5-foot-11. It’s not like we’re talking about a puny shrimp out there. I’m not worried about his size, truthfully. His skill negates those concerns for me.

2. Shane Wright, C, 20 (Seattle Kraken)

Acquired: Drafted fourth overall, first round in 2024

Wright has received no shortage of attention early in his career after the Montreal Canadiens made the shocking decision to pass on what was being billed as the top prospect in 2022. But it’s been a mixed bag ever since, with his development in his Draft+1 year last year being a mixed bag. But this past season was a much better showing, with the 20-year-old center scoring 22 goals and 47 points in his first full year of pro hockey in Coachella Valley. Wright helped the team make the playoffs and was quite good when the games started to matter more. He also skated in eight NHL games, putting up a solid five points for a Kraken team that ultimately missed the playoffs. The onus is on him to insert himself into a spot to be a regular contributor but I still believe in him – his two-way game is too good for him to fall by the wayside.

3. Jagger Firkus, RW, 20 (Coachella Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 35th overall, second round in 2022

*Jagger Firkus (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)*

People have doubted Firkus for most of his career; when he was drafted, the biggest concern was that he wasn’t physically strong enough. So far, that hasn’t slowed him down, and he just led the WHL in both regular season (126 points) and playoff points (32) with Moose Jaw. Firkus won his first WHL title and helped take the team to the Memorial Cup, only for the team to get knocked out before the final. Still, Firkus won CHL Player of the Year and top scorer honors and did just about everything possible to show he’s a lethal producer. Firkus is 5-foot-11 and listed at 161 pounds, so there’s still legitimate concern about what he’ll become at the next level. But I do expect him to challenge for AHL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024-25, and we’ll see what he can do from there. I think Firkus’ future is bright.

4. Carson Rehkopf, C/LW, 19 (Brampton, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 50th overall, second round in 2023

Rehkopf was one of the best players in the OHL this past season, scoring 52 goals and 95 points for the Kitchener Rangers. He also had four points with Canada’s World Junior team as a power-play specialist, giving the team some nice scoring depth deeper down when they needed it. Now he’s off to play for Brampton, which is set to be a serious contender this coming year. Could Rehkopf finish with 60 goals while playing alongside top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Porter Martone? He should also make Canada’s roster again on home ice in December, so it’s shaping up to be a potentially huge season for the scoring forward. Rehkopf has good speed and loves to attack the puck, but many believe he still needs to add more defensive awareness if he’s going to make himself fully useful at the next level.

5. David Goyette, C, 20 (Coachella Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 61st overall, second round in 2022

Seattle loves their high-scoring CHLers, don’t they? Goyette was a menace in the OHL, leading the league with 117 points just two years after finishing as the top-scoring rookie. With 282 points in 197 games over the past three years, no OHLer has been as productive in that span. Goyette is An incredible skater with so much pace and pure skill, which could push him to the wing once he turns pro. I do question how Goyette will handle the next level physically and he can get caught trying to do a bit too much, but I think a couple years in the AHL will help build up into becoming a middle-six scoring threat for a team that has a few of those options at their disposal.

6. Jani Nyman, RW, 20 (Coachella Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 49th overall, second round in 2022

*Jani Nyman Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

After a fantastic season that saw him finish just shy of a point-per-game with Ilves in Finland, Nyman is set to challenge for a top-six role with the Firebirds this season. Nyman was tremendously productive throughout the year, and while he had just one assist in nine AHL playoff games, I thought he got progressively better as he adapted to the smaller ice. You don’t find a ton of 6-foot-4 wingers with his skill and I don’t think he’s honestly too far away from the pro game. I think it’ll be interesting to see if Nyman and keep the scoring pace up while he adjusts to the speed and physicality of the AHL but I think Nyman could end up becoming one heck of a pickup in what was a stacked second round for the Kraken.

7. Ryker Evans, LHD, 22 (Coachella Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 35th overall, second round in 2021

I was definitely higher on Evans last year, but I do think other pieces in this pipeline have done some catching up, too. The 2021 second-rounder played more in the AHL than the NHL last year, putting up nine points in 36 games with Seattle and another 15 points in 25 games with the Firebirds. I found myself much more impressed with him in 2022-23, but I do think he showed he can take on more responsibility and make fewer mistakes. Evans is really competitive and I think he’s good enough at both ends at 5-on-5 to make himself a versatile option. I think he’ll cap out as a bottom-pairing defender, but his mobility and two-way play will keep him in the ice time conversation.

8. Ty Nelson, RHD, 20 (Coachella Valley, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 68th overall, third round in 2022

The first overall pick in the 2020 OHL Draft, Nelson has been one of my favorite prospects to watch in recent years. He’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, but he’s nearly 200 pounds and might be one of the strongest sub-6-foot players I’ve ever watched in person. I was happy to see Nelson make the Canadian WJC team as a late addition and I thought he played well with open space on the bigger ice. His production fell a bit in North Bay last year but there’s little reason to worry – all his signature offensive traits were evident all season long. I think Nelson has top-four potential, and, at the very least, he can contribute on the power play. I’m not worried about his lack of size being an issue here.

9. Eduard Šalé, LW, 19 (Kitchener, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 20th overall, first round in 2023

*Eduard Sale (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Expectations were high for Šalé in the OHL last year after going high in the 2023 NHL Draft. Instead, it was a difficult transition. Šalé had 20 points in 25 games with Barrie before getting traded to Kitchener, where he put up 18 points in his final 24 outings. It felt like the confidence Šalé often showed playing with Czechia’s national junior team was missing, and then there was simply bad puck luck along the way. This year will be about finding his groove again and showing he’s still a high-end producer who is more than capable of playing against quality competition. I think part of that begins with adding more muscle this summer and carving through the middle of the ice to create more scoring opportunities.

10. Niklas Kokko, G, 20 (Pelicans, Liiga)

Acquired: Drafted 58th overall, second round in 2022

Kokko had a busy year, splitting time with two different Liiga teams and serving as Finland’s starter at the World Juniors. He was excellent with the Pelicans, posting a .926 save percentage in 13 games and I don’t think he could have done much more on a bad Finnish team at the WJC. The fact the 6-foot-4 goaltender played as well as he did against men – helping the Pelicans reach the final – is a positive sign because he has shown he can come up big more often than not. Kokko still has some seasoning to do, especially dealing with traffic, but I think there’s a lot to like here for him to become the team’s first true homegrown goaltending prospect.

Other prospects: Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, C (19), Logan Morrison, C (22), Tucker Robertson, C (21), Lleyton Roed, LW (21), Ryan Winterton, C (20), Jacob Melanson, RW (21), Clarke Caswell, LW (18), Ollie Josephson, C (18), Julius Miettinen, C (18), Nathan Villeneuve, C (18), Zeb Forsfjall, C (19), Andrei Loshko, RW (19), Zaccharya Wisdom, RW (20), Barrett Hall, RW (20), Ben MacDonald, C (20), Caden Price, LHD (18), Lukas Dragicevic, RHD (19), Ville Ottavainen, RHD (21), Alexis Bernier, RHD (18), Jakub Fibugr, LHD (18), Kaden Hammell, RHD (19), Tyson Jugnauth, LHD (20), Semyon Vzazovoi, G (21), Visa Vedenpaa, G (19), Kim Saarinen, G (18), Victor Ostman, G (23)