SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 01: Jani Nyman #38 of the Seattle Kraken looks on against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in a preseason game at Climate Pledge Arena on October 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Seattle Kraken trimmed their roster by three players on Sunday, designating forwards Oscar Fisker Molgaard and John Hayden, and defenseman Ville Ottavainen to the American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Fisker Molgaard and Ottavainen have been reassigned to the Firebirds. Hayden is scheduled to be reassigned to Coachella Valley upon clearing waivers, the latter as a move administered shortly before the Kraken took the ice on Sunday for practice at Kraken Community Iceplex.
It’s a clear message the Kraken though are sending, with potential players in the mix to prepare for a season-long schedule crunch.
“You’re in the final stages here,” said head coach Lane Lambert. “Let’s be clear – it’s an NHL season which is 82 games. It’s an Olympic year which condenses those 82 games, and you’re going to need those players.” where you’re going to need players.
“Anyone who’s here at this point in time, it bodes well for them.”
Opening day rosters for all NHL teams are due by Monday at 2pm PT, for a maximum of 23 players, not counting those injured. Barring any further ailments, the Kraken are close to aligning their roster accordingly, with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders – Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer, and newcomer Matt Murray.
Among the forwards remaining with the club is prospect forward Berkly Catton – who will attract plenty of attention for as long as he remains in the NHL, which is an unanswered question after managing a goal in five preseason games. Catton, 19, rode an insurmountable scoring wave last season to his second straight year surpassing the 100-point plateau, months after being taken by the Kraken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
The Kraken can test the waters with the offensively gifted Catton against NHL competition, weighing his potential as a cornerstone for years down the road. They will have nine games with Catton in the lineup to decide between keeping him at the NHL level, or sending him back to the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL, before the first year of his three-year contract is activated.
Jared McCann missed several days of training camp while nursing an ailment that was diagnosed as day-to-day, while Brandon Montour, like McCann, didn’t appear in any pre-season games. Montour had ankle surgery to remove a bursa sac and Lambert on Saturday stopped short of clearing him for opening night, despite remaining at day-to-day status.
Jani Nyman finished as the team’s preseason scoring leader with four goals and five points in five games, and while moved up and down the lineup in preseason and bearing just 12 games of experience, he unquestionably delivered moments living up to his billing as a burly forward, armed with a rocket shot that power play weapon capabilities.
Joey Daccord, the team’s undisputed starting goaltender, will likely anchor a tandem behind him for backup roles, which may come into play with the condensed schedule. Grubauer, due to return for his fifth season in Seattle, owned a solid .925 save percentage in a pair of preseason games, while Murray turned in a similar effort with a .920 mark. Daccord, the winner in all three of his appearances, owned a .934 save percentage.
The Kraken will open the regular season at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday, Oct. 9 against the Anaheim Ducks at 7pm PT (93.3 KJR-FM / Kraken Audio Network).