This is our last look at some of the younger names on the Seattle Kraken’s expanded preseason roster, as found on the NHL website.
And our last instalment is rather intriguing.
Kim Saarinen was the franchise’s 88th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. That would be the 23rd pick in the 3rd round. He’s a big goalie, 6-foot-4, and fluctuating somewhere around 180-pounds. He’s been playing professionally for HPK in his native Finland, the same club in which he came up through the youth program.
Elite Prospects partially described him this way in their 2024 draft guide:
“Saarinen brings a unique combination of skill and size to the table. He keeps excellent access to his edges and remains patient when the puck is passed around the zone, capable of making quick adjustments in either direction.”
Technically on loan back to HPK Hameenlinna, in his hometown, he’s already played one game this season, but he’ll be in Seattle for camp in the next couple of weeks, getting a look behind Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer.
In last March’s playoffs back home, he played nine games, went 4-4 with a 1.67 goals against average and a whopping .944 save percentage. He’ll try to repeat those numbers against North American shooters on a consistent basis, although it appears he might go back home to play at least one more season in Finland. The other option is the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL. That could happen sooner than later.
Or as Dobber’s Hockey scouting report pointed out this summer:
“Saarinen skated with HPK while still on loan in the Liiga. Playing 38 of the team’s 60 games, Saarinen got the chance to be the go-to guy for his hometown team rather than being part of a tandem in Coachella Valley.”
They refer to him as a “big goalie who moves well.”
Simple, but it could be the magic potion for the Kraken moving forward. No rush, it’s safer to let goalies develop, but it’s still worth keeping a close eye on Kim Saarinen.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken’s 2026 Relevance Put To The Test
