NHL Prospect Watch: Seattle Kraken
Ahead of the 2024-25 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for each of the NHL’s 32 teams. Throughout the series, we’ll highlight WHLers who have been signed to an NHL contract, were recently drafted, or are included in the NHL’s definition of a rookie.
Today, we’ll see what’s Kraken in the Pacific Northwest.
Clarke Caswell
One of four Western League players selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Clarke Caswell brings his shifty playmaking to the Kraken prospect pool. The 5-foot-11 Swift Current Broncos forward more than doubled his totals from his rookie year, putting up 26 goals and 51 assists for 77 points and a +17 rating in all 68 regular-season games. Caswell was second only to Conor Geekie in goals, assists and points on the team. The 18-year-old had three scoring streaks of seven or more games in 2023-24, highlighted by a 17-game run (10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points) to close out the regular season and bleed into playoffs. Originally selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the Brandon, Man. product is also the first Swift Current Bronco to be drafted by the Kraken. He’s also childhood buddies with Seattle’s top draft pick from this year…
If this was Fortnite, Clarke Caswell would be the king of Shifty Shafts. @SCBroncos | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/LrkeBZAleo
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 4, 2024
Berkly Catton
WHL U.S. Division First Team All-Star and Player of the Year nominee Berkly Catton has flexed his vision, hockey IQ and scoring touch all season. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound winger buried a career-best 54 goals (including a league-leading seven shorthanded markers) and 62 assists for 116 points in 68 games in 2023-24. He’s one of only three WHL skaters to surpass 110 points and one of five to pot 50 goals or more. Catton also recorded a monster 13-game point streak (12 goals, 17 assists) and a 14-game stretch (15 goals, 13 assists). The former WHL first-overall pick was chosen eighth overall by the Kraken in June. The Saskatoon, Sask. product has already put pen to paper on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kraken. He’s previously represented Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he captained the team to gold, and the 2023 IIHF World U-18 Championship, winning bronze. He’s fresh off of Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase and aims to pull on the Maple Leaf again at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
aaaaaaaand STRIKE! ⚾️
first-round draft pick Berkly Catton tossed the *perfect* first pitch at tonight’s @Mariners game! pic.twitter.com/yxuCQ7CH8p
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 3, 2024
Lukas Dragicevic
The WHL’s East Division is about to see a whole lot more of high-scoring defenceman Lukas Dragicevic. The Kraken’s 2023 second-round pick has been traded from the Tri-City Americans to the Prince Albert Raiders in a blockbuster summer trade. The 19-year-old served as one of the Ams’ alternate captains last season, tallying 14 goals and 36 assists for 50 points in 66 tilts. Dragicevic, who stands at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, registered 11 multi-point games in his third WHL campaign, including a pair of three-assist efforts against the Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs. He signed his entry-level contract with Seattle upon the conclusion of the regular season and made his professional debut with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, earning an assist in four appearances.
Watch Lukas Dragicevic…
You won't be disappointed!@TCAmericans | @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/kTzju1sHg2
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 26, 2023
Jagger Firkus
…How much time do you have? 2022 second-round pick Jagger Firkus didn’t just lead the WHL in scoring, he led the entire CHL with a monster 61 goals and 65 assists for 126 points in 63 games. The 19-year-old was named WHL and CHL Player of the Year while helping the Moose Jaw Warriors to the franchise’s first-ever WHL Championship and Memorial Cup appearance. The 5-foot-11, 16-pound winger tied for second among WHL skaters with 10 game-winning goals in the regular season and had more games where he scored a hat trick (six) than games where he was held off the scoresheet (four) in 2023-24. Firkus, from Irma, Alta., went off for the league’s most impressive scoring streak this season, burying 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 26 straight games from November 25, 2023, to February 17, 2024. He also led the league in postseason points with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 20 games, including five points in Moose Jaw’s four-game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL Championship Series. The ringmaster of the Firkus Circus wrapped up the year with two goals and two assists in four matches at the 2024 Memorial Cup
JAGGER FIRKUS WITH THE MICHIGAN!!! 🎪🚨🎪🚨@MJWARRIORS | @SeattleKraken | #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/mAAws9vYS6
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 24, 2024
Kaden Hammell
2023 fifth-round pick Kaden Hammell enjoyed a career year in his first full season as an Everett Silvertip, potting five goals and 20 assists for 25 points, a +13 rating and 100 shots in 52 contests. The 6-foot-1, right-shot defenceman has said he’s focusing on developing as a two-way defender, rather than assuming a shutdown role- something that began to shine through in the later stage of the season, especially when Hammell potted eight points in his final 10 regular season games. The alternate captain also tied for second on the Tips in playoff goals with three- two of which came on the powerplay- and another assist in nine matches. The Langley, B.C. product also got a taste of professional life when he signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement with Coachella Valley after Everett was eliminated, though he hasn’t appeared in an AHL game yet.
#SeaKraken prospect Kaden Hammell does it all himself!@WHLsilvertips | @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/OlD6HROv4i
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2024
Ollie Josephson
Red Deer’s ‘Captain Serious’ set a tone as a shutdown centreman in his second full WHL season, more than doubling his offensive totals from his rookie campaign. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward lit the lamp 12 times (including two game-winners and two shorthanded tallies) and 35 assists in all 68 games, while finishing second on the Rebels and 13th among all WHL skaters in faceoff attempts (1,214) and faceoff wins (643). Josephson, a Victoria, B.C. product, added another five points (two goals, three assists) in nine postseason contests, including a goal and an assist in a dramatic first game that saw the Rebels storm back from a 4-1 deficit to a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Josephson was one of 40 players invited to take part in the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and helped Canada win gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he netted three assists in seven games. Seattle snapped up Josephson in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Never count the @Rebelshockey out!
Ollie Josephson and the Rebels march back from a 4-0 deficit to even the score late in the third period!#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/n75xdFv4it
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 30, 2024
Tyson Jugnauth
Smooth-skating defenceman Tyson Jugnauth made a seamless transition after leaving the NCAA for the Portland Winterhawks mid-season. The 2022 100th overall pick netted seven goals and 34 assists for an even 41 points and a +40 rating in 41 games- finishing second on the powerhouse squad in points-per-game by a defenceman. Jugnauth, a 6-foot-1, left-shot blueliner, picked up two assists in his WHL debut and recorded 12 multipoint games. He’d do some of his best work in the playoffs, where he ripped four goals and four assists in Portland’s second-round sweep against Everett and six assists in a dramatic Western Conference Championship battle against the Prince George Cougars. While the Hawks would be downed by Moose Jaw- and Jugnauth’s former Kraken camp roommate, Jagger Firkus- the 20-year-old would still finish second in playoff scoring among all defenceman with 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 18 tilts.
TYSON JUGNAUTH COAST TO COAST 😱#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/NwLsdpSA8T
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) April 13, 2024
Julius Miettinen
2024 second-round pick Julius Miettinen is not a guy you want to go up against in a netfront battle. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound forward has intimidated many an opponent when parked in his favourite spot on the ice. Despite a slow start as Miettinen adjusted to his first season of hockey in North America, the 18-year-old ended up leading all WHL rookies with 585 faceoff wins and added 31 goals (eight of which were game-winners) and 36 assists for 67 points and a +27 rating in 66 contests. Miettinen racked up 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in the final 29 games of the regular season, including a 10-game point streak to close out the 2023-24 slate. He picked up an invitation to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and earned Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week honours three times. Miettinen had a pair of goals and assists in nine playoff matches- defeating Vancouver before being eliminated by Jugnauth’s Winterhawks. He’s represented his native Finland six times on the international stage, most recently scoring once in five matches at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
🎥 HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT 🎥
Orange Julius might be smooth, but ain't no way it's as smooth as Miettinen, Julius. @WHLsilvertips | #NHLDraft | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/IoCXQ1glay
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 2, 2023
Caden Price
Kelowna Rockets defenceman Caden Price put forward a career-best campaign after being selected by the Kraken in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound blueliner compiled 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points in 62 games, leading all Rockets defencemen in all three categories and finishing fourth in points among all Rockets skaters. Price kicked off the campaign with a seven-game point streak that saw him gather a goal and 10 assists, helping him earn a spot on the WHL B.C. Division Second All-Star Team. The 18-year-old also averaged a point per game in the postseason with a goal and 10 assists in 11 games against Wenatchee and Prince George. The Saskatoon, Sask. native signed his entry-level contract with Seattle upon the conclusion of this season and briefly joined the Firebirds on an amateur tryout. Price is also one of 16 WHL players to participate in Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase in hopes of representing their country at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT!@SeattleKraken prospect Caden Price is the WHOA-vertime hero for the @Kelowna_Rockets! pic.twitter.com/aRc5RE1tDh
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 2, 2024
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