As the season goes on, we’re seeing that the Seattle Kraken’s prospect pool could be setting them up to be successful for a long time. It’s interesting because it can be hard to judge some of these older prospects playing in junior leagues, as a lot of them are having strong seasons. In this edition of the Seattle Kraken Prospect Report, we’re going to be looking at Kraken prospects that range in age from 18 to 20 years old.
All of these prospects were selected during the 2022 NHL Draft, and feature four forwards and a lone defenseman. The Kraken have done a good job of finding potential value deeper in the draft, as we’ll even be discussing a seventh-round selection along with the recurring report on fourth-overall pick Shane Wright. Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Shane Wright Showing Promise
Since we last checked in on Wright, he’s continued to put up points for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires. In seven games, he’s scored six goals and 14 points with a plus-2 rating. He’s played seven games, and the Spitfires are on a seven-game winning streak; coincidence?
This was the best thing that could’ve happened for Wright. He’s now had experience in three different leagues this season and captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship. While I might not have kept him in the NHL for as long as the Kraken did, I think that his experience at the World Juniors and strong five-game stint with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Coachella Valley Firebirds could prove to be invaluable for him down the line.
Related: 4 Kraken Players Who Are Key to a Playoff Push
I feel like as a hockey society, we’ve grown accustomed to the “Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews Effect.” That’s what I call the expectation that blue-chip prospects can step right into the NHL and perform following their draft year. Those are unfair expectations, and I feel like that was thrust upon Wright to a degree. I’m guilty of it too. He’ll presumably remain a point-per-game player, and if he can go on a deep OHL playoff run, I think we’ll be seeing a different Shane Wright for the 2023-24 season than we did in his eight NHL games this season. Time, opportunity, and patience are the key.
Keep an Eye on Jagger Firkus
I’m very excited about Jagger Firkus and what he could bring to the Kraken one day. While I am enamored with their offensive depth, it would be really nice for them to have another elite shooter on the team to give Jared McCann more competition. Firkus has 28 goals and 63 points in 51 Western Hockey League (WHL) games for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He’s closing in on his career-high, set last season at 36 goals.
One thing that could be a slight cause for concern is that he seems to have plateaued in terms of his top-line potential.
“He’s scoring at roughly the same clip (1.25 points per game), creating chances at roughly the same rate, and bringing roughly the same defensive impact. But he’s still prone to getting too fancy or blindly throwing pucks into the slot. Inefficiency lingers…the flashes of top-line-calibre NHL play that appeared last season have remained just that.”
-Mitch Brown, Director of NA Scouting, EP Rinkside
That’s not to say that he couldn’t find a home in the top-six, or even be that top-line player he has the potential to be; he’s 18 years old and still has room to grow. It’ll be interesting to see how much he can elevate his game once the postseason comes around.
Ty Nelson Is Lighting Up the Blue Line
Last season, Ryker Evans was my real focus among Kraken defensive prospects playing junior hockey. This season I’ve been keeping my eye on Ty Nelson of the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. He’s having a career year in his second OHL season, and in 51 games has 19 goals and 61 points. He currently ranks second in the OHL in goals, assists, and points by a defenseman.
He’s a right-handed defenseman, which is something I think the Kraken could use more of. While their top-six seem set in stone, they will have some players approaching free agency this offseason. In addition, it just doesn’t seem like Cale Fleury has a real role on this team, which could clear the way for Nelson in the future. I think he would benefit from some time in the AHL, similarly to Evans, especially to ensure his defensive game is up to snuff. If we’re looking to the future I have little doubt he’ll crack this roster in the next few years.
Tucker Robertson Is a Consistent Scoring Threat in OHL
We’re going to take a trip to Peterborough and check in on 19-year-old Tucker Robertson, drafted 123rd overall in 2022. He has scored 31 goals and 72 points in 51 games for the Petes. He has a strong chance to surpass his career highs in goals and points (he already passed it in assists this season).
I think it’s promising to see that, despite the Petes’ additions at the OHL Trade Deadline, he’s still leading the charge. (from ‘Tucker Robertson gets hat trick, Owen Beck has goal and two assists in 8-3 win over Oshawa Generals,’ Peterborough Examiner, 02/09/2023) It’s really important to see that amid potential shifts in chemistry, he’s able to remain consistent. I may be thinking a bit too far forward, but he could be a player that gets spot call-ups once he joins the AHL until he’s ready to take on the NHL full-time. Having a prospect who can benefit from time in the AHL, but is good enough to fill in for the varsity team would be a testament to the Kraken’s organizational depth.
Seventh-Rounder Kyle Jackson Continues His Strong Season
We’ll head back to North Bay to finish this one off and look at 20-year-old Kyle Jackson, who’s in the midst of a career year for the Battalion. He’s tallied 28 goals and 68 points in 51 games with a plus-14 rating. He’s set career-highs in assists and points, and is on pace to surpass his high of 30 goals, which he scored in 45 games last season.
He’s an overager in his final OHL season, so I’m slightly apprehensive that these numbers could be inflated due to the competition he’s facing and the fact that he’s on a good team. Though, that’s not to take anything away from him and how good of a year he’s having. I think that a player like him could create good competition among Kraken prospects as they continue to develop in the AHL, and he could earn a spot on the varsity team when his time comes.
Kraken Prospects Will Benefit From Playoffs
As we move through February and into March, keep an eye on how the Kraken’s prospects respond as playoff hockey draws near. I firmly believe that it starts roughly a month prior to the playoffs, especially on teams fighting to make it in. This is where we will get a really good grasp on which players can elevate their games in big moments. In some cases, it could be what earns them their entry-level contract.