Should we keep pumping the concept of “you can never have too many centers” for the Seattle Kraken?
Of course we should, because it’s true. Whether as part of the line-up or as a valuable trade chip, there’s always interest in a talented pivot.
Thanks to a 2022 trade deadline deal with the Flames that sent Seattle forward Calle Jarnkrok to Calgary, Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis added a 2nd-round 2022 NHL Draft pick that he used on Sudbury Wolves center David Goyette.
The lefty doesn’t turn age-19 until May, yet the teenager has been remarkably consistent.
Highlights
Goyette piled up 73 points in 66 Ontario Hockey League games as a 17-year-old. He’s well ahead of that pace this season with 61 points in 42 matches thus far.
This for a team that isn’t exactly a world beater; the Wolves are down near the bottom of the OHL Eastern Conference standings with just 19 wins in 47 games.
All scouts agree on his excellent skating ability, the number-one attribute any player can have. It all starts there, especially for a Kraken club that pushes the pace and turns up the pressure. He would fit right in and most believe he has top-6 NHL forward potential.
Obviously that wouldn’t be happening in the immediate future as he continues to grow and work on the finer points of the game and his spatial awareness around the ice surface.
Pros and Cons
As an export in 2019-’20, the Quebec native played AAA Bantam for the Selects Academy in Connecticut and had 153 points in 65 games.
Like so many OHL’ers, including a handful of Seattle Kraken prospects, Goyette missed a season of major junior hockey because of the Covid pandemic. He missed what would have been his rookie 16-year-old campaign.
Add that to the fact he’s still growing and getting stronger — some consider him too slight –, his development track in multiple areas remains a work in progress.
Yet he still produces. Goyette will be a strong part of the conversation for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship that starts this coming December.
He’s growing up. The Seattle Kraken will be patient, and it’ll fun to see what Goyette looks like and how he performs come the start of next season.
