NHL Prospect Watch: Seattle Kraken
In the lead-up to the 2026-27 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for every NHL team. To be included in this list, a player must be recently drafted, signed to an NHL contract, or meet the NHL’s criteria for rookie status.
The Seattle Kraken are among the NHL’s most Dub-heavy clubs and feature two of the WHL’s most recent champions.
Clarke Caswell
Buzzy playmaker Clarke Caswell’s first season in the NCAA saw him propel Denver to a national championship, netting 34 points (8G-26A) in the regular season before coming up big with the game-tying goal in the Frozen Four semifinal. He was recognized as the national Rookie of the Month for March/April. The 6-foot, 185-pound forward from Brandon, Man., previously spent parts of four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, including a run as captain in 2024-25. His final season saw him break out for 84 points (22G-62A) in 65 games. Over his WHL career, the 20-year-old logged 191 points (57G-134A) in 199 games. Caswell was selected with the 141st pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Berkly Catton
The 2024 eighth-overall pick managed to ‘Krak’ Seattle’s roster as a determined teenager, and while the offensive numbers that made him pop at the junior level didn’t necessarily follow, he certainly didn’t look out of place and has a strong base to build on in his sophomore campaign. Catton posted 17 points (7G-10A) in 66 regular-season NHL games, with all seven of his strikes coming in the back half of the season. Seattle opted not to loan Catton out for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in favour of more NHL opportunities. The 5-foot-10, 179-pound centreman from Saskatoon ranks as one of Spokane’s all-time greats with 284 points (116G-168A) in 197 games over four seasons. Catton ranks eighth in all-time Chiefs scoring and assists and 10th in goals, while captaining the squad in his final junior season. He posted back-to-back hundred-plus-point campaigns and won the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2024-25.
Lukas Dragicevic
Six-foot-2, 196-pound rearguard Lukas Dragicevic’s first full professional season is under his belt. The 21-year-old posted an 11-point run (1G-10) with the Firebirds in an injury-shortened 43-game campaign. Drafted with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Dragicevic split his WHL career between the Tri-City Americans and Prince Albert Raiders. He surpassed 70 points on two occasions and totalled a monster 277 points (53G-174A) in 268 games over parts of five seasons. The Richmond, B.C. product was also named to the WHL U.S. Division First All-Star Team in 2023.
Ryden Evers
Penticton Vees alternate captain Ryden Evers joined the WHL as an undrafted free agent and came away a Kraken prospect. The Vees alternate captain, 21, burst onto the major junior scene with a 74-point season (35G-39A), leading the B.C. Division champs in goals while sitting second in points and third in assists. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound centreman led the entire league with 937 faceoff wins (59.6%) and averaged just shy of a point per game in the playoffs with 13 (7G-6A) in 15 games to reach the Western Conference Championship. Seattle signed Evers to a three-year, entry-level contract in March of 2026.
Blake Fiddler
It’s easy to tell when 6-foot-5, 213-pound defenceman Blake Fiddler is on the ice. Defence is the bread and butter of the 19-year-old’s game, but the Edmonton Oil Kings alternate captain did score a career-best 36 points (11G-25A) and a +23 rating in 63 games. Fiddler recently suited up for the United States at the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase in hopes of earning a roster spot at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. He was picked up by Seattle with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft and currently has 84 points (26G-58A) over 190 WHL matches, all with the Oil Kings.
Jagger Firkus
Could the Firkus Circus be NHL-bound in 2026-27? The former WHL Player of the Year took a big step forward in his second season of professional hockey with 56 points (21G-35A) in 63 games with Coachella Valley. Firkus ranked third on the team in points, goals and assists and stepped up his output in the playoffs with nine points (4G-5A) in 12 outings. In an end-of-season media availability, Kraken General Manager Jason Botterill lamented that Firkus hadn’t yet made his NHL debut, putting the 22-year-old in a prime position to contend for an opening night roster spot. The 5-foot-11, 161-pound winger remains one of the most dominant players to suit up for the Moose Jaw Warriors, having amassed 310 points (144G-166A) in 230 games over parts of five seasons, culminating in his masterful 126-point (61G-65A) 2023-24 season that saw him earn WHL and CHL Player of the Year, WHL and CHL Top Scorer honours, and hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history.
Kaden Hammell
Hammell was another youngster bitten by the dreaded injury bug in 2025-26, but he still left quite the impression in his first season of professional hockey. His spirited tilt against Calgary Wranglers tough guy Alex Gallant- and a rematch just weeks later- made headlines, and Hammell managed to put up 13 points (6G-7A) in 44 games. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound defenceman ranked second among Firebirds blueliners in plus/minus with a +14 rating. The former Everett Silvertips captain was selected with the 148th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He racked up 103 points (26G-77A) in 242 games with the Kamloops Blazers and Silvertips.
Ollie Josephson
Shutdown centreman Ollie Josephson registered 20 points (6G-14A) in 38 games with the University of North Dakota in 2025-26. The 2024 fourth-round pick (105th overall) went down with an injury during his team’s run to the Frozen Four, but was ultimately able to return for the national semifinal. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound pivot notched 102 points (31G-71A) in 185 games over parts of four seasons with the Red Deer Rebels.
Tyson Jugnauth
2025 WHL Defenceman of the Year Tyson Jugnauth flexed his offensive prowess in his first season in the pro ranks. The 22-year-old bagged 45 points (9G-36A) to sit seventh in scoring among all AHL defenders and first among rookie blueliners. Jugnauth, who stands 6 feet, 183 pounds, cracked the AHL All-Rookie Team and represented the Pacific Division at the AHL All-Star Game. The former Portland Winterhawks alternate captain put up 130 points (20G-110A) in 106 games over two seasons in the Rose City, helping the Hawks reach the 2024 WHL Championship Series, where they ultimately fell to Firkus and the Warriors, and the 2025 WHL Western Conference Championship. 2024-25 also saw the Kelowna, B.C. product lead all WHL defenders with 89 points. His name was called 100th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Julius Miettinen
You couldn’t ask for a much better season for 6-foot-3, 207-pound centreman Julius Miettinen. The Everett Silvertips star erupted for 35 goals and 41 assists for 76 points in 52 games with the regular-season champion Everett Silvertips. He was third on the Tips in scoring, third across the entire league in plus/minus with a +60 rating and eighth in faceoff wins with 634 (60.6%). He hit a new gear in the postseason with a league-best 27 points (14G-13A) in 18 games, helping Everett capture its first WHL Championship and becoming the second European WHLer to be named Playoff MVP, following Leon Draisaitl in 2014. The 20-year-old had another goal and assist in five games to reach the Memorial Cup Final, and four points (2G-2A) at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with Finland. Miettinen was selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft and will jump to the pro ranks in 2026-27.
Caden Price
Saskatoon, Sask.’s Caden Price saw his first professional season clipped by injury, but he still had a solid showing with 11 points (2G-9A) in 42 outings. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defender put together four strong seasons in major junior, posting 159 points (29G-130A) in 231 games with the Kelowna Rockets and Lethbridge Hurricanes. He advanced to the 2025 WHL Eastern Conference Championship with the Canes with eight points (2G-6A) in 16 postseason matches. Seattle drafted Price with the 84th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 Draft.
