Dev Camp Diary: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Development camp brings together the next wave of talent in the Kraken organization. This year, we're telling the story of each day's events through the eyes of a different participant.

The Kraken have been effective at finding on-ice talent in many different ways, and the roster at this year's development camp isn't made up of just players that have been drafted by the organization.

Take, for example, Logan Morrison. The forward had the third-best points per game total (1.68) in the OHL this season and put up 90-plus points for the second straight year while setting career highs in goals (40), power-play goals (T-9), and game-winning goals (T-4). That kind of sustained success will draw the attention of an NHL club and in April, the Kraken signed the forward to an entry-level contract.

"It's been a long journey to sign a contract," Morrison said. "Five years in the OHL and to finally sign on my last year it was really special and obviously great to do it with Seattle to such a first-class organization - I think it's a great fit."

Morrison doesn't take this opportunity for granted. And the message delivered by Ron Francis, director of player development, Jeff Tambellini and Dave Hakstol was right in line with the purpose Morrison is bringing to this week in Seattle.

"Their message was to have fun," Morrison said. "But at the same time that we're not just here just to be here, we're here to prove something, and don't just think you're coming here just for the fun of it. You have a chance to make the NHL."

After a Saturday full of medical testing, "fun and obviously tough" fitness testing, Morrison hung out with his fellow Kraken at a Mariners game that all agreed was a great time. But come Sunday morning - Morrison was in work mode.

The 20-year-old was with the Coachella Valley Firebirds through the conference finals and saw the work that team put in to come within one win of an AHL championship. That built familiarity with the team's coaches and players, but, even though Morrison attended a different NHL development camp last year, this week marks his first chance to "turn heads" in front of the Kraken coaching staff.

"Making that great first impression is huge for me," Morrison said. "You want to impress them with all the work you've put in so far."

And Morrison wasn't the only one bringing the intensity. In the first on-ice action of camp, a brisk 45-minute session led by Hakstol and his assistant coaches, the focus was on pace and honing the necessary skills of an NHL-caliber player.

In the second of two sessions, Morrison and his campmates upped the challenge level and things got a little fiery at times.

"You come to an NHL camp, you're not just going through the motions," Morrison said. "You're here to prove something. I think it's great that guys are battling and that's what (the organization) wants to see."

After work comes play, of course. And all the players headed down to Climate Pledge Arena to see the gameday home of the Kraken, tour the locker room and take in a Seattle Storm (WNBA) game - something Morrison was really looking forward to.

But after a good night's sleep, you can be sure Morrison will be back out on the ice giving it his best just as he did Sunday with noticeable performances in rush-based drills and one-on-one play.

And surely the other part of management's camp opening message is lodged in the Guelph, ONT native's mind. Francis brought up Tye Kartye as an example of what could be - another undrafted player who attended the Kraken training camp last season and less than 10 months later was scoring goals in the NHL playoffs for the Kraken.

Maybe Morrison is that next great find for the Kraken organization, or maybe, as Francis pointed out in his comments about Kartye to media Saturday, Morrison's success will be a credit to the work the player puts in - they just needed the opportunity.