The Seattle Kraken took to the ice on Thursday, Sept. 19, for the opening of coaching camp. With the common season starting on Oct. 4 and 5, through the newest version of the NHL World Sequence and Seattle internet hosting the Calgary Flames this Sunday night time (Sept. 22) for preseason hockey, it’s again to common enterprise hours for the membership and their 31 rivals. How did Day 1 go? Right here’s a glance.
Shane Wright First Participant on the Ice
The group was break up right into a trio of forwards, defensemen, and a pair of goaltenders. Shane Wright, the 2022 first-round draft decide, was included in group A, and he was the primary participant from group A to step onto the ice. The 20-year-old did the identical per week earlier than when he participated within the Kraken’s rookie camp.
There are solely so many alternative methods one can write that 2024-25 is a giant 12 months for the Ontario native. Hopes and expectations of what he may carry to the Kraken have simmered for the reason that June 2022 NHL Draft. Since then, he has predominantly honed his craft with the group’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He’s performed on the NHL stage, however solely 16 occasions in two campaigns.
One of many extra telltale indicators that this might be his breakout 12 months is that the Kraken are actually led by head coach Dan Bylsma, who was employed after main the Firebirds to back-to-back Calder Cup Remaining appearances (two defeats, alas). The 2 know one another effectively, and Wright is a talented ahead, whereas Seattle wants all of the offensive punch it could get. They had been the 29th-ranked assault in 2023-24, averaging 2.61 objectives per match.
Chandler Stephenson’s First Impressions
One in every of two controversial free company signings this summer season, Chandler Stephenson is now a real member of the Kraken. Sure, gamers have been skating briskly for just a few days already, however the first day of coaching camp has that particular aura of officialdom.
Stephenson is coming off extremely profitable back-to-back stints with the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights, each with whom he hoisted Stanley Cups. The preferred arguments towards his acquisition are that he’s on the fallacious aspect of 30 (he’ll be 31 subsequent April), got here at a excessive price ($6.25 million common per season), and wasn’t as productive as typical in 2023-24 (51 factors towards greater than 60 the 2 earlier seasons).
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Whether or not these misgivings are based or not will likely be identified within the coming weeks, months, and, for the membership’s sake, years. Stephenson is probably not an offensive juggernaut, however he’s nonetheless an excellent skater and got here to Seattle with extraordinary playoff expertise. What number of gamers win a championship with one franchise after which a second with the identical one they defeated to win the primary? It’s not as if Stephenson is outdated, per se. If he’s wholesome and there may be chemistry along with his teammates, who is aware of what can occur?
Talking to the media after apply, Stephenson was direct about what he hopes to perform with the Kraken: “A Cup. That’s the purpose.”
He additionally had some optimistic phrases for the Seattle area itself, which differs starkly from the District of Columbia and Nevada. “I didn’t count on it to be so many alternative areas. Bellevue, Kirkland…it looks as if the extra you retain going, the extra there may be. So that you sort of get every part, which is actually cool. You bought the mountains, you bought the ocean.”
Welcome aboard.
Matty Beniers’ Aggressive Nature
Talking of pricey contracts, Matty Beniers ($7.142 million common per season) is again in motion. The franchise’s ambitions undeniably relaxation on the 2023 Calder Trophy winner’s shoulders. All people has a job to play, however when a corporation dishes out over $7 million per 12 months for a quartet of campaigns, they count on it to pay dividends within the type of wins and, one would assume, a Cup.
Davy Jones’ Locker Room beat reporter Allyson Ballard commented on how Benier’s wrist pictures had been beating goalie Philipp Grubauer high shelf. Granted, it’s solely apply however her eye take a look at claimed that Beniers’ pictures had a “notably deadly pace to them.”
The 21-year-old introduced that very same depth to his feedback for the media afterward, if not essentially in tone.
On the membership’s expectations this season:
“To be within the playoffs. Something under that could be a disappointment for our group.”
On the angle and environment he enjoys at apply:
“I like when there’s a winner and a loser, and the loser has to skate.”
Oliver Bjorkstrand’s Good Well being
Not way back, there was gentle concern about how prepared Oliver Bjorkstrand could be for the beginning of camp. The Dane suffered an harm whereas enjoying for his nationwide squad within the Olympic Qualifiers. On the time, normal supervisor (GM) Ron Francis informed the media that his standing was not critical.
True sufficient, Bjorkstrand was current on Thursday, skating along with his mates. In reality, he was reunited along with his line companions for a lot of 2023-24: Beniers and the group’s main points-getter Jared McCann. By all accounts, he regarded good, which is a optimistic signal, contemplating he was the Kraken’s lone consultant ultimately season’s NHL All-Star Weekend.
Dan Bylsma Takes Cost
Final however actually not least, it was Bylsma’s first actual day answerable for the group. Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal had rookie camp duties per week in the past. Now it was time for Bylsma to get the band working collectively and determine what every participant’s function could be this season. The Stanley Cup-winning coach was all enterprise. It was his 54th birthday, however that was the very last thing on his thoughts with the common season looming.
“We’re 19 days from opening night time. That’s not loads of time to get snug.”
That’s true in additional methods than one. Not solely does the roster and linemates must jell, however getting into as a franchise’s new head coach and beginning work in earnest with lower than three weeks earlier than the opening face-off is a problem.
There may be additionally the fact that the group has its work lower out for it.
“There’s loads of sense of disappointment within the outcomes final 12 months. There’s loads of motivation and power to show that script.”
With the primary day of coaching camp within the books, the group will proceed to work and put together for Sunday’s contest versus the Flames. Issues will transfer rapidly over the approaching days and weeks. The primary match on Oct. 8 – when the Kraken host the St. Louis Blues – will likely be right here earlier than we all know it.
