The 2024 NHL Draft is in the books. Today, we’ll dive deep on all eight Seattle Kraken draft picks with information from the Sound Of Hockey Big Board, three viewings at 2024 Kraken Development Camp, and all other sources of information we can muster. What kinds of players did the Kraken get? And what did Seattle tell us about the 2024 Draft with its picks? Let’s get to it. The Kraken prospect pool before the draft After the 2023-24 season, we put together the Sound Of Hockey consensus Seattle Kraken prospect ranking. Here was the top 10 (and ties): Notably, the group includes only two defens ..read more

The Everett Silvertips faithful were out in full force at Kraken Community Iceplex on Friday, July 5, as the Stucky Cup scrimmage (coincidentally named for former Silvertips equipment manager James Stucky) concluded Seattle Kraken Development Camp. They showed off their support for not just the local NHL squad, but also two players of their own in Kaden Hammell and Julius Miettinen that they’ve seen develop through the years at Angel of the Winds Arena. Silvertip Country showed out for @SeattleKraken Camp! ?: Come As You Are Hockey pic.twitter.com/Bt4jNN0xKb — Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilver ..read more

On Sunday, the Seattle Kraken announced the signing of 2024 third-round draft pick Kim Saarinen to an entry-level contract. That deal brought the team’s total number of NHL contracts to 50. If this number rings a bell for you, it’s probably because you’ve heard mention of the “50-Contract Rule,” which limits how many players a team can have signed at any one time. What is this rule, and what does it mean that Seattle now has 50 NHL contracts? Even the most dedicated fan would be forgiven for not knowing the nuances of this rule. This is because discussion of the 50-Contract Rule typically lack ..read more

Several weeks have passed since the Seattle Kraken made a significant splash in free agency by committing $90 million to two high-profile signings. Assuming no trades on the horizon, the Kraken’s roster appears set for the 2024-25 season. I have previously stated on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast that both Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour are likely to immediately join the first power play unit when the regular season begins. Evaluating the impact of these additions to the power play is challenging, but I wanted to take a deep dive into the Kraken’s power play potential. Historical power p ..read more

The Seattle Kraken drafted Alexis Bernier, a right-shot defenseman out of the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar with the No. 73 pick in the NHL Draft. Despite speculation the Seattle Kraken would invest on the blue line in this draft, the team came away from the first two rounds with three forwards: Berkly Catton, Julius Miettenen, and Nathan Villeneuve. Bernier, who played top-pair minutes for a Baie-Comeau club that made it to the QMJHL finals in 2023-24, was the first defenseman selected by Seattle. This pick was a bit surprising based on the public rankings. Bernier’s highest ranking we tracked ..read more

It’s no secret that the Seattle Kraken, since the announcement of the 32nd NHL franchise in 2018, have worked hard at establishing their roots in any way possible in the Pacific Northwest. From doing pop-up community events throughout the PNW to inking a new TV deal aimed at reaching a wider swath of fans across the region, it’s clear they’re trying to create and sustain lasting bonds within the local community. Much of the most die-hard fan engagement in the early days came from the WHL fanbases in the U.S. Division, where the Kraken’s roots are grounded with the core group of people that dro ..read more

We just had a very busy week covering the Seattle Kraken, and something that might have been overlooked was the official release of the NHL schedule for the 2024-25 season. As I do every year, I enjoy looking at a few key data points across the league to see how the Kraken schedule stacks up against that of other teams. Travel distance by NHL team Based on the location of some NHL franchises, it is expected that certain teams will log more miles in a season compared to the rest of the league. Seattle is one of those teams that needs to travel more than most. The Kraken have consistently falle ..read more

Phew! Those last couple of weeks in the hockey world were nutso, and now that the Seattle Kraken Development Camp has wrapped up, it feels like we can finally take a big collective breath. The NHL crammed a lot into a short period, with teams having just a few days between the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Draft, which happened last weekend in Las Vegas. The draft always segues straight into Dev Camps for many teams, but wedged in-between was the opening of unrestricted free agency, adding its own chaos. Toss in a couple of coaching announcements from the Kraken, and you have a w ..read more

As the smoke clears from an active opening to free agency, we at Sound Of Hockey, wanted to highlight some of the movements around the NHL. There were 190 signings on the first day of free agency and 252 signings and counting so far with more than $1 billion committed across the league. We will focus on the impacts to the Pacific Division teams, what the new additions to the Seattle Kraken mean for their chances, and touch on a few other teams that made significant moves around the NHL. Seattle Kraken General manager Ron Francis was not his usual conservative self and made a big splash, signin ..read more

On Tuesday, the Seattle Kraken announced the trade of defenseman Brian Dumoulin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Anaheim’s 2026 fourth-round draft pick. Dumoulin, who signed a two-year contract with the Kraken on July 1, 2023, with an annual cap hit of $3.15 million, played 80 games during the 2023-24 season, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists. Why did Seattle trade Dumoulin? How do we evaluate the move, and what does it mean for Seattle’s offseason plans? Let’s dive in. Dumoulin played a valuable role for the Kraken Before discussing team dynamics, it’s important to note Dumoulin’s ..read more