Oscar Fisker Molgaard was among a bevy of young Kraken prospects racing around the locker room with Saturday morning energy and purpose.
This wasn’t just an ordinary preseason game they were preparing to play Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena in front of the visiting Vancouver Canucks. What became a 4-2 victory for the home side was one of only four preseason affairs they’ll play this year, down from the usual six or so given an expanded 84-game regular schedule that needed accommodating.
Givan all that, guys like AHL centerman Molgaard, who’ve already tasted NHL action and want more of it down the not-too-distant road, have limited time to make their case in front of Kraken brass. Same for other AHL players still looking to make their NHL debut, not-to-mention junior hockey draft picks about to embark on professional careers.
Throw it together, knowing this initial preseason test for the youngsters could well be their last if they don’t perform, the hyped-up mood inside the room was a lot more than you’d expect for a game that won’t count in the standings.
“I hope so – it’s the NHL, so we’d better be happy,” Molgaard, who centered a top line with Jani Nyman and Freddy Gaudreau, said after a morning skate at Kraken Community Iceplex. “I mean, this is our dream job and this is what we’ve worked hard all summer to do. So, I mean, I’m excited to get going for real this time.”
Saturday’s contest provided Climate Pledge Arena fans an interesting look at the next wave of top Kraken prospects expected to begin pushing their way into the NHL lineup over the next year or two. The new NHL collective bargaining agreement stipulates veterans with 100 or more games of experience can’t play in more than two preseason affairs, so the Kraken will mostly frontload the youngsters in Saturday’s contest and an ensuing one Sunday night in Calgary while the NHL regulars will mainly play the final two matchups.
Molgaard is at the tip of that next-incoming Kraken prospect wave alongside AHL forwards Jani Nyman and Jagger Firkus and defenders such as Tyson Jugnauth and Ty Nelson, not to mention recent junior hockey graduates Jake O’Brien and Julius Miettinen.
Nyman and Nelson got Saturday’s scoring started with a pair of first period goals and the Kraken cruised from there. Logan Morrisson added another power play goal, on a bang-bang play 42 seconds into the final period with Gaudreau and Molgaard drawing the assists.
Joey Daccord stopped all 14 shots faced the first two periods. Nikke Kokko came on in a scheduled third period appearance and kept the shoutout going until Braeden Cootes got Vancouver on the board with just under nine minutes to play.
Arshdeep Bains then scored on the power play with just over four minutes to go to make it a one-goal affair. But O’Brien restored the two-goal margin fewer than two minutes later off a nice set-up in the slot from Jacob Melanson.
Molgaard, who won’t turn 22 until next February, got going for “real” last season when the Kraken promoted him for 13 games over multiple stints during what was also his AHL debut campaign. The ascension was quicker than many expected for the second round, 20thoverall pick from 2023 out of the lesser known but emerging hockey nation of Denmark.
Three prior years in the tough Swedish Hockey League pro circuit have helped Molgaard mature beyond his years as have stints with Denmark’s national team at last February’s Winter Olympics in Milan and the prior year’s IIHF World Hockey Championships. But there’s nothing like an NHL taste to get young players hungry for more and so the twinkle-eyed Molgaard entered the day eager to show off more of what he can do.
“The big strength for me this year is coming in here with confidence and feeling more comfortable,” he said. “I think that’s the main thing and I’m hoping that’s something I can bring on to the ice as well.”
Molgaard showed off some first period speed in this one, beating a defender down the right side and sweeping in briefly alone before being thwarted by Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo.
Besides Molgaard, his Saturday night wingman, Nyman, also played in 28 Kraken games last season – initially breaking camp with them – and another dozen matchups the prior campaign.
It would be Nyman opening the scoring on the power play at 8:29 of Saturday’s opening period on a shot netminder Tolopilo whiffed on with his glove.
Firkus has now had a pair of strong AHL seasons and is hoping to make his NHL debut this season, as is defenseman Nelson following a pair of high level campaigns of his own in Coachella Valley. Nelson would convert the second Kraken goal by wristing home a puck from the high slot with only five seconds to play in the opening period.
Fellow defender Jugnauth had a strong Kraken camp a year ago ahead of an outstanding AHL debut season and also entered Saturday night hoping to put in another memorable preseason showing.
And then there’s centerman O’Brien, who had the goal and drew an assist on Nyman’s opening strike. The team’s No. 8 overall pick from last year is expected to make his pro debut this fall so this was a nice gateway to that. Normally a quiet, focused type, O’Brien didn’t deviate from that mindset as he quietly packed up from the Saturday morning skate preparing to play as the night’s third line centerman.
Another major junior prospect expected to open with Coachella Valley this season, former Everett Silvertips power forward Miettinen, drew into Saturday night’s game as the fourth line center.
With only four preseason games slated, the youngsters were expected to mostly play early on between Saturday and then Sunday’s night’s game in Calgary. After that, mostly veteran lineups were expected for the final two preseason affairs before the Oct. 1 season opener back in Calgary against the Flames.
Kraken head coach Lane Lambert wants to see where the younger players are at in their development given he’ll have limited chances to do so in person from here on. Lambert also wants to see how quickly they fit into his highly structured systems of play in case there’s an in-season decision on promoting them.
