A final session of on-ice drills concluded Seattle Kraken rookie camp Tuesday at KCI. Now, coaches will huddle to discuss what they’ve learned, and begin sorting out who might stick in the NHL and who’s going to start the season either in the AHL or back in junior hockey.
Here’s my conversation with Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal, who led both the practice sessions and the two-game Prospect Showcase against Canucks rookies this past weekend.
Glenn Dreyfuss: “Coach, you have a lot of experience both in juniors and Coachella Valley with integrating a lot of youngsters into your lineup at the same time. Since the Kraken may be doing that, having eight or nine forwards 23-and-younger, what are the advantages and disadvantages of a lot of kids growing and learning on the job?”
Firebirds Coach Derek Laxdal: “Well, there’s two things. One, the energy the kids are going to bring every day, to the back-to-back (games), to the three games in four nights. They’re going to have the young legs, the exuberance to step up and play every night. They play 72 games in the AHL, so they’re pretty used to the schedule. It’ll be like 12 extra games. So at the end, they’ll find a way.
“The second part is, we know they’re going to make mistakes. Those are the areas they’re going to learn. There’s no difference in the games. There’s difference in the execution, the size, the speed, the details of the game.
“But if we get them in the right areas, doing the right things, like making our first breakout pass, getting pucks deep, that allows them to gain the trust of the coaches, gain the trust of teammates, and put them in a position to succeed. With that growth, you have that next level of Seattle Kraken going forward.”
What’s Ceiling For Kraken Prospect Nelson?
The Kraken drafted defenseman Ty Nelson in 2022’s 3rd round. Entering his third AHL season, the 22-year-old is now a first-pairing blueliner for the Firebirds.
The lingering question in whether he will graduate to Seattle is his 5-foot-10, 208 pound frame.
Dreyfuss: “I’ve loved Ty Nelson since his first camp. His engine’s always revving. When his team won the (rookie scrimmage) Stucky Cup, he was as excited as if it was an even bigger trophy.
“He’s got everything going except, ‘Boy, It’d be great if he was 6-2.’ So can there be a place for him in the National Hockey League?”
Laxdal: “That’s a great question because, for me, he has the motor, right? He might get scored on or make a mistake. But that compete motor is there night in, night out, practice in, practice out. And he brings the energy in our dressing room. You’re not going to find a better guy in our group. So I think that’s important.
“You have to have glue guys, culture guys. You have to have guys who bring the juice every day. Whatever he lacks in size, he will make up with compete, character, with effort, tenacity. He’ll block three shots in a shift. At the end of the game, 5-on-6, he’ll make a great play with a shot block. So we never, ever talk about his size, because he just he makes up for it.”
Kraken Future Skated Together On Sunday
Dreyfuss: “Late in the (prospects) game Sunday, you put Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, Jagger Firkus and Jani Newman together (on a line). I bet you were thinking, ‘I’d like to have that for a while with the Firebirds.'”
Laxdal: “I wanted to see those three guys together. I think they controlled the play for a minute and a half on one shift. So you can see that next evolution of those players.
“Firkus is going into year three already. Jani’s going into year three. Oscar’s going into the year two. Those are three guys hoping to take that next step (with the Kraken) at the start of the season, or breaking in halfway through the season. I think the fans and the organization are starting to see these kids grow right in front of us.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Robertson Rejection Releases The Kraken in Matty Beniers
Earlier Canucks:
— Simmer’s Holiday 9; Canucks, Kraken Bad Signings? A Remembrance
