Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff recently released his ranking of the top 10 Seattle Kraken prospects, providing an insightful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses within the Kraken's prospect depth chart.
Kraken's Draft History and Prospects' Progress
The Kraken have only participated in four NHL drafts to date. Each year, they have opted to select a forward with their first-round pick, choosing Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Eduard Sale, and Berkly Catton. So far, Beniers is the only drafted prospect to have graduated from prospect status.
However, the Kraken are poised to see two more graduates soon: Shane Wright and Ryker Evans.
Ellis highlighted the Kraken's depth at center as a significant strength:
The Kraken have solid options down the middle, which, alongside Matty Beniers, is beneficial. Berkly Catton and Shane Wright are high-quality prospects, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard and David Goyette also show NHL potential. While I'm not completely sold on Julius Miettinen, he had a good year in the WHL and has decent size. Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson, Tucker Robertson, and Winterton are notable names too.
Having a surplus of center prospects is advantageous, as they hold substantial trade value and can transition to wing more easily than wingers can transition to center.
Ellis pinpointed goaltending as the Kraken's biggest weakness:
I think Niklas Kokko is a solid goaltender, but I'm not convinced he's more than a fringe backup. We'll see how he performs in the AHL, but compared to other positions with potential impact players, it's Kokko or bust. Visa Vedenpaa and Kim Saarinen have had their moments, but I'm not overly optimistic about their NHL futures. Goaltending is always unpredictable.
Ellis's Top 10 Prospects List
Ellis's top 10 list didn't contain many surprises:
Catton, the Kraken's most skilled prospect, tops the list, followed by the best two-way forward, Wright. Firkus, Rehkopf, and Goyette, all CHL players, have posted impressive junior hockey numbers but need to prove themselves at higher levels. Nyman, Evans, and Nelson have shown NHL potential and could become valuable middle-lineup players. While hopes remain high for Sale, his ninth-place ranking is somewhat discouraging.
Ellis also mentioned several prospects who narrowly missed the top 10 but still have NHL potential:
I believe almost everyone on this top 10 list will play NHL games. I feel similarly about some late cuts, including Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, Caden Price, and Ryan Winterton.
The Kraken's prospect pool is deep and brimming with talent. The next challenge for the organization is to promote these players carefully without rushing or overwhelming them.
