The Kraken made their way through the first week of training camp healthy as far as we know as the newbies mixed with the veterans and the physicality and pace gradually intensified.
Some of the youngsters will be re-assigned shortly while others will get a longer look. Confidence rules the day and takes many forms.
“For me a lot of it is you see their presence on the ice in the way that they’re performing,” Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said after the skates Sunday. “When you’re ready to compete for a spot usually you’re carrying yourself in that way and it’s pretty obvious.”
Winger Tye Kartye has ten games of Stanley Cup playoff experience, it’s his third training camp with the Kraken, and his physical presence and confident determination stand out. The 22-year-old seems to have fully developed his ‘power forward’ tendencies, winning many of the puck battles he’s involved in.
“Expectations are a little bit higher than they were coming in last year, but I think that’s expected, you want to get better year by year and I think that just kind of comes with it,” Kartye said. “I just need to try to play my game and try to compete, just try to show that I really want to be here. I came in in pretty good shape and had a good summer. Doing the little things right, playing physical, using what I use to my advantage, my shot, physicality, work ethic, things like that.”
Twenty or so men will head with Hakstol and part of the coaching and development staff to Calgary to take on part of the Flames squad, while another twenty or so Kraken will play another portion of the Flames training camp roster at Climate Pledge Arena on Monday night at 7 pm.
We’ll post those line-ups when we see them on Monday morning.
Kraken New Guy
Brian Dumoulin, new to Seattle, but entering his 9th full season in the NHL, gave us his impressions of camp on Friday. The two time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins essentially replaces Carson Soucy on the back-end roster-wise. The Kraken return five other regular D-men and a couple of reserves.
“Doomo”, a 32-year-old native of Maine who played three seasons at Boston College before turning pro, signed a two-year contract on July 1st, the first day of summer free agency.
“I’ve been here since the first of September and just as a group you can see it’s tight knit and guys are very comfortable with each other, and it seems everyone has a voice, which is great,” Dumoulin told a group of media. “It’s a really hard working group, in the gym, off the ice, on the ice. You can tell guys compete here and they skate, it’s really fun to be a part of.”
Dumoulin signed for two years at $3.15-million per season, one year shorter and $100,000 less than what Soucy signed for in Vancouver. It’ll be a comparison worth watching all season with the Canucks having improved overall on paper and with Soucy likely seeing ice time on the top pair with Quinn Hughes. Also worth watching because the rivalry should intensify this season between the neighbors, with both the Kraken and Canucks legitimate playoff contenders.
“I just have to be consistent, I think that’s one of the biggest things I can bring,” Dumoulin said. “What I’ve been successful at my whole career from game to game, my teammates know they can count on me, and same with the coaches, they know what game their getting from me and hopefully that leads to winning.”
The veteran had a career high 25 points last season, 24 of them assists, but may have stepped just a wee bit out of his comfort zone. He’s at his best when he’s efficient, not flashy. His best years, the championship ones, came paired with offensive minded workhorse Kris Letang.
Also, somewhat recent injuries, dating back to 2021, may have impacted this blue-collar worker. Knee, ankle and foot problems flared up prior to Dumoulin bouncing back to play all 82 games last season. That trend should help him as he changes his NHL scenery for the first time.
“I played with some of the guys here and that helps with compatibility,” he said. “The guys are very friendly here, there’s not a lot of egos, and it’s been really nice to get to know everyone, get to talk to people and find out who has kids, who doesn’t, what their family life is like, where they live, you can tell guys are welcoming here which is really nice.”
Dumoulin won the two Cups with current Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz.
Earlier Sunday:
— Simmer’s Sunday 9: Kraken Games, Anti-War, Flower and Huggy
