Friday, Sept. 20 noticed the Seattle Kraken take to the ice for Day 2 of their 2024 coaching camp drills. New workouts, fascinating defensive pairings, and extra phrases from head coach Dan Bylsma about what he hopes to perform this upcoming season. Let’s dive into what the day was like.
Joey Daccord and Niklas Kokko Get Screened
Goaltenders Joey Daccord and Niklas Kokko had been screened on Friday on the Kraken Neighborhood Iceplex. Not within the sense that safety needed to double-verify their identities or something of the kind. Nay, they had been each on the ice a bit earlier as a part of Group 2 and partook within the drills throughout which every was screened towards pictures on track.
That is, arguably, one of the crucial vital pictures a netminder can follow for. That in of itself is a bit ironic on condition that it may be subsequent to inconceivable to foretell which special approach the deviated puck will take. That’s, in any case, the aim of trying a tip-in; the goalie has a decrease likelihood of stopping it. As such, a tip-in – or deflection – is taken into account a high-danger shot.
In 2023-24, Daccord sported a 0.739 save share (SV%) towards high-danger pictures, as per MoneyPuck. Out of all of the keepers who performed in at the very least 40 matches, the 28-year-old ranked 14th out of 34. That doesn’t sound terrific, however take into account that gamers like Juuse Saros, Sergei Bobrovsky, Linus Ullmark, and Jacob Markstrom had been forward of him. These are a few of the greatest within the enterprise.
In an fascinating transfer at one level through the session, simply as shooters ripped pictures from the highest of the face-off circle, a screener could be tugged alongside the crease by one other skater pulling a rope. The thought, presumably, is to make sure a “excellent” display. There have been no obstructions, and the screener himself didn’t have to fret about how rapidly or slowly to enter the goalie’s visual view. It appeared a bit unusual however appeared to do the trick.
Though the chances of younger Finn Kokko taking part in within the NHL are slim – barring unexpected issues – it was vital for the 20-year-old to follow with the NHLers and get acclimatized to that surroundings. Teammate Daccord was impressed with what he noticed in Kokko:
“The largest factor for me, once I take a look at goalies, is their presence within the internet. You’ll be able to inform when somebody will get within the internet immediately whether or not they have that presence. And I feel he has that.”
Brandon Montour’s Good Day
In our Day 1 recap we highlighted new Kraken Chandler Stephenson’s first strides together with his Seattle brothers in arms. One other summer season signing that had pundits typing away at their keyboards was defenseman Brandon Montour. He was the goal of lots of the identical criticisms: too outdated to signal for therefore many campaigns for a lot cash (30 years of age, seven seasons, $7.142 million annual common).
However loads of what we wrote in our Day 1 report might be copied and pasted right here. Assuming he nonetheless has an honest quantity of juice left in these legs, it is a defender who has performed in back-to-back Stanley Cup Ultimate collection with the Florida Panthers and gained the latest of the 2. Though the Panthers didn’t attain the identical postseason success three seasons in the past (2021-22), they entered the playoffs because the Presidents’ Trophy winners with Montour on the again finish.
Associated: Racapping the Seattle Kraken’s Day 1 of 2024 Coaching Camp
Properly, talking of juice in legs, seeing him blast away on the skating ladder drills was spectacular, to say the least. He blew by his competitors. His pictures had been as highly effective as rockets in different drills (with passes served by, you guessed it, Stephenson), and reviews from Davy Jones’ Locker Room point out that Montour was undoubtedly feeling himself, even celebrating after scoring on younger Kokko.
Once more, these are solely September follow classes, nevertheless it’s good realizing that after all of the critiquing the membership acquired for giving Montour and Stephenson large contracts, every has appeared fairly good by way of two days.
Kraken Defensive Pairings
On the subject of Montour, the defensive pairing was value noting. The previous Panther was positioned alongside Jamie Oleksiak. When everybody was wholesome final season, Oleksiak was extra of a second-pair blue liner, not a primary.
Does this imply that Bylsma and his workers are contemplating Montour as a match for the second pair regularly? It’s too early to inform, however one assumes the coaches need to see what occurs when completely different gamers are compelled to play collectively. The Montour acquisition felt as if a pairing with prime defender Vince Dunn was inevitable, and that also may occur, however the Torontonian Oleksiak was no slouch final season. He had a minus-2 ranking in 82 video games on a workforce that had many gamers with a far worse quantity. Dunn has performed with Adam Larsson to this point at camp.
A 3rd pairing that may have an effect on what the Kraken do in 2024-25 was Ryker Evans and William Borgen. Borgen, 27, is simply coming into his personal within the NHL. The 2022-23 marketing campaign was the primary throughout which he was a real common, taking part in in all 82 of Seattle’s contests. He’s one thing of an iron man, having replicated the feat final season. For his half, Evans turned a well-known face to see on the ice when the Kraken wanted reinforcements as soon as Dunn missed vital time with accidents.
Welcome to the NHL, Berkly Catton
Nobody really expects Seattle’s 2024 first-round draft choice Berkly Catton to be a drive within the NHL this season. His 2024-25 might be spent principally if not completely within the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Spokane Chiefs. That mentioned, it’s good to see him make it out of final week’s rookie camp unscathed and be an lively participant at camp with the massive boys.
As large boys need to do, they welcome younger bucks in particular methods. Enjoying in the identical group as Dunn, at one level the veteran defender reportedly made fast work of the rookie, bouncing him off the puck. The 18-year-old’s physique mentioned hey to the ice and slid into the boards. Worry not, it was all a part of the coaching camp grind. Catton rapidly received up and rejoined his mates.
Benefit from the NHL, kiddo.
Dan Bylsma’s Message of Intent
As was the case on the conclusion of Day 1, the pinnacle coach shared a while with the media. It’s all the time a doubtful proposition, realizing how a lot inventory one ought to put into what a brand new coach says at coaching camp. It’s early days, no video games have been performed, and no shedding streaks have been suffered. As such, there may be all the time a little bit of PR stunt work together with his end-of-day interviews, particularly at the moment of 12 months. Is a coach, particularly a brand new one, going to deliberately say something that rocks the boat? No.
Even so, Bylsma continues to be a reasonably straight shooter, no pun meant. He desires his gamers to not solely work arduous however be good about it as nicely:
“We don’t need to be (simply) a hard-working workforce, we need to be an intentional, good, hard-working workforce and that will get put in in follow with element of what we do and the way we do the drills and why we’re doing them and hopefully that may be a message they clearly get.”
With Day 2 of coaching camp within the books, the Kraken are starting to search out their stride, if simply barely. The gamers return to the ice on Saturday for Day 3 and have the posh of staying house all weekend. They open the preseason on Sunday night at house to the Calgary Flames.
