The Kraken’s second training camp went more or less according to script — no big surprises.
Matty Beniers picked up where he left off at the end of last season, scoring a goal in each of his four preseason games. At 18, Shane Wright rarely looked out of place. Wright was a strong possibility for an immediate NHL jump the moment he was drafted fourth overall this year.
If there were an underdog story, it was Daniel Sprong converting a professional tryout into a one-year deal. Depth signings John Hayden and Michal Kempny pushed for opening-night spots but ultimately cleared waivers and were assigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League on Monday. Everyone who was initially supposed to make the team made it.
Though he warned that things could still change before the Kraken’s season opener Wednesday at the Anaheim Ducks, coach Dave Hakstol seemed happy with his assembled, largely familiar group. The work continues — everything needs to be faster, more fluid.
“The completeness of what we’re doing and the execution has to continue to rise,” Hakstol said. “You start looking around the room to your veterans who have been through it before and know the elevation that’s necessary to go from where we’re at today to where we have to be at on Wednesday.”
Sprong scored six times in 16 appearances with the Kraken last season but entered camp without a firm arrangement. Goals weren’t the problem. There was a referenced coaches’ wish list that included two-way play and “hunger around the net.”
“I think the message was loud and clear, what I got in the offseason,” Sprong said. “I think everyone knows in this league I can provide offense, but it’s the other side of the game [that needs work].
“I think in the three games I’ve played in, in the practices, I’ve shown that I’ve listened and matured in that. I think I’ve had a good camp.”
His one-year, two-way contract with a $750,000 NHL salary was announced Oct. 3.
Sprong, who saw power-play time in preseason games, missed practices Saturday and Monday at Kraken Community Iceplex. Hakstol said the forward is taking care of immigration paperwork and will rejoin the team as soon as possible, hopefully within the next few days. He didn’t commit to Sprong’s availability for the season opener.
Kole Lind, who appeared in 23 games last season (2 goals, 6 assists), was on the cusp. He was placed on waivers Oct. 2. Cale Fleury was the extra defenseman Monday and due to injuries and Sprong’s absence, there were exactly four lines out there.
The Kraken didn’t make it through the two and a half weeks without getting dinged up. Jaden Schwartz is day-to-day because of a lower-body injury. He dealt with hand and upper-body injuries last season.
Joonas Donskoi was caught in a tangle of limbs in front of his own bench during a preseason game in Vancouver, left the bench and has been day-to-day because of an upper-body injury since.
The two big offseason acquisitions at forward, Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand, took their place on the top two lines as anticipated. Beniers, Alex Wennberg and Wright make up the middle, with Brandon Tanev, Morgan Geekie and Karson Kuhlman on the fourth line.
“I thought we ran a really competitive camp,” Kuhlman said. “I thought everyone was pushing each other quite a bit.
“We’re going to be playing for points every night from here on out. I think the mindset and the competitiveness needs to stay up.”
Captaincy update
Hakstol doesn’t see a “C” handed out this season after all.
Without a captain since Mark Giordano was traded in March, the coach said Monday that he’s decided to “go with assistant captains,” and that’s his vision for the entire season. The alternate captains are Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson and Schwartz.
“It’s a real good, strong leadership group and a real good group of guys that we trust, but more importantly are trusted inside of this dressing room,” Hakstol said.
One option was to elevate one of the Kraken’s alternate captains. Another was to bet on Beniers, who turns 20 Nov. 5. Current captains Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers all assumed that role at 19 years old.
The Penguins and Oilers both used a rotation of alternate captains the season before giving the “C” to their teenage star. All three had played at least 45 games before the move. Beniers has just 10 regular-season NHL games to his name.