Sizing Up the Preseason

The second preseason for the Kraken offers a lot more familiar than unfamiliar. Lots of veteran teammates are now deeply connected rather than the get-to-know-each-other vibe last September. The players easily traverse the Iceplex facilities (which they continue to rave about) and feel comfortable and enthusiastic about Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
Such familiarity gives this year's squad a jump on establishing all-important team chemistry. It likewise affords primary focus on the work at hand: Getting better in all areas of play.

"We want to be better in every piece of our game," said coach Dave Hakstol in his first media scrum of Kraken Training Camp Presented by Starbucks. "The work ethic and tenacity of our team was really good last year. Our defensive effort structure was consistently very good throughout the second half of the year. But we need to find ways to be better offensively, getting inside [net front] more and finding those scoring opportunities."
The first two days of training camp started with drills, scrimmages and skating. Lots of skating, especially at the end of on-ice workout to build stamina for the season and hanging onto leads in the third periods of games.
The early camp days stoked team and fan excitement about adding scorers Andre Burakovsky (free agent signed from Stanley Cup winner Colorado) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (acquired in a trade with Columbus that is widely considered a "steal" for the Kraken). Both players showed shooting and playmaking prowess with Bjorkstrand scoring the first scrimmage goal Thursday.
Fans on hand at the Iceplex were no doubt anticipating a full NHL season for late-season rookie sensation Matty Beniers and the potential for a second gifted young center, 2022 No. 4 overall pick, Shane Wright, to play a part. On Friday, Wright scored the scrimmage-winning goal with seconds left on the clock.
The Kraken will play six preseason games over 12 days (starting Monday against Edmonton at Climate Pledge Arena).

Prospects and Playing Time

The Thursday and Friday scrimmages were a forum for draft choices in camp to make a case for playing significant minutes in the Sept. 26 and 27 home games. One-on-one puck-battle drills was another testing ground, along with those end-of-practice skating sprint drills with Hakstol manning and checking his stopwatch.
"The young guys get a chance to show their skills and their summer conditioning," said Kraken GM Ron Francis Friday, noting he is happy with the progress of many 2022 draft choices between July's development camp and the two-day rookie camp last Monday.
The 2022 draft choices in camp, except for Wright, are likely to return to their elite juniors teams after first roster cuts, making it easier for Kraken coaching staff to determine a final 23-man NHL roster among 40-plus players still in camp after the first two preseason games.
Wright and 2021 second-round pick Ryker Evans will be given every opportunity to make the big club. Francis and Hakstol have made that clear at every turn.
"Shane is an outstanding young man," said Hakstol Thursday. "He's a young guy who is really well-liked by the guys in the room. He's got an easy way about him. He's obviously done the work because coming into camp he aced all of the first-day conditioning tests]. We like what we've seen [this week]. He's been able to maintain his level and pace of play."
The 20-year-old Evans is competing for a roster spot after an outstanding juniors season last year. He will play pro hockey in October either for the Kraken or American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley (the Firebirds play four "home" games here in the Seattle area, visit
[here
for ticket information).

How Veterans Use the Preseason

Training camp for experienced NHLers is all about getting their timing synced to regular-season form. It's accomplished via preseason games, intrasquad scrimmages and puck-battle drills. Preseason game outcomes take second-seat to timing and acclimation to the physicality of games that count in the standings.
"Preseason for me is getting back into game shape, feeling the puck, getting the [stick] touches," said fan-favorite Yanni Gourde after Friday's workouts. "It's a matter of getting to my compete level, being hungry on the puck, doing what makes me successful during the regular season."
For veteran goaltender Martin Jones, who signed this summer to fill the void left by Chris Driedger's knee-injury sustained in the gold-medal game of the Worlds Championships in May, this preseason required both the usual preparation for the year ahead plus getting adjusted playing behind new teammates, especially the defensemen.
"I am working on the details of my game in practice [such as lateral movements in net or minimizing rebounds]," said Jones, who led the San Jose Sharks to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. "My game-timing will come from scrimmages and preseason games. I'm out trying to get my rhythm and feel back."

It's Preseason for Game Presentation Crew, Too

With 2022 preseason home games at Climate Pledge Arena compared to Western Hockey League arenas last year, the game presentation crew will be able to ramp up to regular-season mode themselves. Most of the new game presentation elements will not debut until the puck drops for real Oct. 15, but expect the crew to be trying out some new elements and introducing some new content.