Last Word On Hockey

At 31 years of age, Finnish forward Joonas Donskoi elected to retire from professional hockey. He addressed his decision on his personal social media accounts, citing his history with concussions as a major factor. The right winger missed the entire 2022-23 campaign after sustaining his seventh and final concussion during a preseason game. Joonas Donskoi Retires from … [Read more...] about Joonas Donskoi Retires from Professional Hockey

As the NHL’s most recent expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken began with a rag-tag cast of players. These players’ original teams decided not to protect them, opting to retain others instead. That already marks them with unattractive labels, even if not entirely accurate. But even after expansion, Seattle continued grabbing castaways by making frequent waiver claims. They … [Read more...] about Seattle Kraken Hope Kailer Yamamoto Becomes Their Next Success Story

Despite a relatively quiet offseason, the Seattle Kraken retained tremendous balance on defence. Some models label certain defencemen in Seattle as overpaid based on their calculated on-ice value. That said, the models depend on future projections, and six of Seattle’s eight defencemen on the roster see their contracts expire in the next two summers. For this year and … [Read more...] about Balance a Key Attribute for the Seattle Kraken Defence

In the modern NHL world of analytics, some of the most useful data originates in measuring puck possession. And where does puck possession start? At the first drop of the puck to begin play; in the faceoff circle. There’s plenty more that goes into success, obviously. Still, finding a way to win that first possession after each whistle certainly helps. The Seattle Kraken … [Read more...] about Measuring the (In)Significance of the Kraken’s Faceoff Weakness

Injuries disrupt things in professional sports more than any other variable. Just ask Chris Driedger, whose future with the Seattle Kraken was altered massively 14 months ago. They come with near-zero predictability and with a dramatic range in terms of severity. After an injury, recovery becomes a player’s number-one focus. The player hopes to rehabilitate and re-integrate … [Read more...] about Chris Driedger and his Future with the Seattle Kraken