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canes2112 · 08-31-2020, 09:20 PM

The Carolina Kraken began the season as defending four star champions, defeating the Anaheim Outlaws in the finals. With this great success, new challenges were ahead. Two new expansion teams were entering the league and the Kraken had to adjust to the expansion draft and the graduation of players to the SHL. Keith Lee, Stan Hanson, Sven Yxskaft, Zelma Zuntnere, Michael Lee, Moritz Muller, and Frans Eller would all not be on the roster for the next season. Keith Lee and Frans Eller were arguably the biggest losses as Lee contributed 41 points in the regular season and Eller was the starting goalie earning 28 wins, tied for the league lead. This led up to the SMJHL draft, where the Kraken were able to replenish some of the lost talent.

With their first selection in the SMJHL entry draft, the Kraken selected Alexander Kozlov (@FlappyGiraffe) 5th overall. A two-way forward, he will help replenish the center depth with Lee’s departure. Without a second round pick, the Kraken selected Adrian Ayers (@gordieboom) with the 27th pick. A speedy forward to add depth to the wings. In the fourth round, Grape Fruit (@canes2112) was picked at number 46. This furthers the wing depth and variety as Grape Fruit is a setup man. For their final selection, the Kraken take Ragnar-Alexandre Ragnarsson-Tremblay (@LarryTheMVP), a goaltender. He would come in to backup Blunt Man for the upcoming season. The Kraken would pass on their remaining picks.

Fast forward to the end of the regular season and the Kraken have finished 2nd place in the league, only a single behind the league leading Newfoundland Berserkers. Crushing their divisional opponents, Carolina secured the #2 seed and a first round bye as they await their opponent. Below are the individual player results:

S52 Ulrik Bergstrom - 52 GP 5 G 21 A 26 P +9: A trade deadline acquisition from Anaheim, Bergstrom stepped into the third defense pairing to solidify the backline going into the playoffs. Bergstrom replaced Paddy Kane-Reilly II as an upgrade to compete with the top team’s back end depth. Primarily a shutdown defenseman, he still chipped in a decent amount offensively.

S53 Ambacas Cuddles - 50 GP 4 G 21 A 25 P +29: The top pairing defenseman on the Kraken, Cuddles anchored the top pairing on the left side. Leading the Kraken in takeaways and blocked shots, he was the key defensive cog playing against the opposition’s best players.

S53 Jimmy Wagner - 50 GP 17 G 26 A 43 P +30: The returning captain for the Kraken, Wagner finished second on the team in points while tied for first in power play assists. A slight dip in production from his previous season, Wagner has one last run at the four star cup this season.

S53 Ben van Dijk - 50 GP 6 G 24 A 30 P +24: Cuddles’ counterpart on the top defensive pairing, he tied the team lead in points from a defenseman and led the team in power play points. He will be leaned on heavily going forward if the Kraken hope to make another deep run into playoffs

S54 Dwight Knight - 50 GP 14 G 23 A 37 P +21: On the second line, Dwight Knight provided some much needed secondary scoring for the Kraken. An important part of the scoring attack, he ended the season fifth in points and contributed to the rugged nature of the second line with 71 hits.

S54 Stein Nilsen - 50 GP 7 G 9 A 16 P +13: The fourth line right winger, Nilsen was the elder statesman on a line of two rookies. While he did not light up the scoreboard all season, he contributed to the line which surprisingly had decent plus minus.

S54 Vitek Vitecek - 50 GP 16 G 26 A 42 P +32: Another component of the top line, Vitecek was shooting at every opportunity. He led the team in shots on goal with 154. The third best point getter of the team, he’ll look to continue rolling in the playoffs.

S54 Panda Panico - 50 GP 13 G 23 A 36 P +21: The wrecking ball of the Kraken, Pandico totaled a whopping 130 hits, good for sixth in the entire league. Centering the second line, he was no slouch in the scoring department either, contributing 36 points. He impressively only accumulated 20 PIM despite the hard hitting style of play.

S54 Kwame Dakari - 50 GP 22 G 18 A 40 P +18: Dakari was the most efficient shooter on Carolina’s roster, scoring on 18.97% of his shots. This was enough to pot 22 goals, tied for the team lead. He also led the team in shot blocks for the forward group.

S54 Adam Friedland - 50 GP 12 G 18 A 30 P +16: Playing on the third pairing, Friedland still managed to contribute 30 points, tied with van Dijk for the top defenseman scorer. One of three quarterbacking defensemen on the team, his offense will be relied on going into the postseason, especially if he can keep up the goal scoring.

S54 Bobby Bergen - 50 GP 5 G 15 A 20 P +5: Centering the third line, Bergen was a mainstay on the penalty kill. If the Kraken want to beat teams like Newfoundland, his role becomes crucial in shutting down high powered offenses when they have the man advantage.

S54 Linus Grimstad - 50 GP 22 G 32 A 54 P +35: Clearly the best offensive performer on the Kraken, Grimstad finished fourth in the entire league in points. He led or was tied with everyone on the Kraken in any offensive category. He could be the Kraken’s most important offensive player going into the playoffs. He will be relied on heavily.

S55 Blunt Man - 37 GP 26 W 10 L 1.99 GAA .920 SV% 6 SO: Taking over the starting role this season, Blunt man was one of the better goalies in the league. Finishing third in wins, second in GAA and third in SV%, he provided the solid backstop for the Kraken. Poised to be the starter for next season, he could remain at the top of the league.

S55 Axel Foley - 50 GP 5 G 20 A 25 P +29: An all around defenseman, Foley contributed in a multitude of areas throughout the season. He was rather unlucky, only scoring on 4.63% of his shots. Next season, he should take on a larger role and continue to be jack of all trades on the back end.

S55 Connor Hutton - 50 GP 8 G 12 A 20 P +26: Foley’s partner, Hutton completed his second season in the SMJHL and increased his point totals. He is a prime candidate to step up his production in the playoffs as secondary defense scoring will potentially be a series decider against good teams.

S55 Vincent Wolfe - 50 GP 9 G 7 A 16 P +2: The sniper of the third line, Wolfe scored 9 goals. He held onto the puck successfully with only 9 turnovers the entire season, best on the team.

S56 Ragnar-Alexandre Ragnarsson-Tremblay - 13 GP 11 W 2 L 1.99 GAA .913 SV% 1 SO: The rookie goalie showed well in his limited playtime, only losing two games the entire season. The future is bright for Ragnarsson-Tremblay if these numbers continue. These numbers could put him in contention for rookie of the year.

S 56 Aleksander Kozlov - 50 GP 10 G 8 A 18 P +12: The Kraken’s top pick in the entry draft, Kozlov put together a solid season as a rookie. He was responsible for one of the two shorthanded goals scored by the team this season. With decent production from the fourth line, he looks to continue driving the success into the playoffs.

S56 Adrian Ayers - 48 GP 3 G 12 A 15 P -1: Unfortunately the only minus player on the Kraken, Ayers was still able to find some success. The second round pick got third line minutes and had the best offensive grade of all the rookies on the team.

S56 Grape Fruit - 50 GP 6 G 13 A 19 P +14: The last rookie skater, Grape Fruit made the most of his time on the ice. Edging out Kozlov for the rookie scoring lead with 19 points, he will need to continue providing some offense to strengthen depth scoring. Grape Fruit will not run you through a wall with only 12 hits total in the regular season.

Overall, the Kraken should be very excited heading into the playoffs with a chance to defend their title. The x factor could be Linus Grimstad and if he can continue to produce at a top 4 level into the playoffs. Blunt Man has a lot of weight on his shoulders, facing some good teams. Allowing the second fewest goals in the regular season, the defense needs to continue to step up and perform if a title is in the cards. Finally, secondary scoring will need to be found at all places in the lineup to relieve some pressure on the top two lines. If the Kraken can accomplish all of these things, there is a very real shot at a successful title defense.

While all eyes might be on Newfoundland as the only team to pass the Kraken in the standing, the Anchorage Armada were only 2 points behind Carolina. With an incredible goaltending performance, the team cannot afford to overlook the Armada with a potential clash prior to Newfoundland. With several potential call ups next season, this might be one of Carolina’s best chances to take home another trophy in the near future.

(First article x2 bonus)

Mazatt · 08-31-2020, 09:27 PM

This is some Groot stuff! Kraken

***sve7en*** · 09-01-2020, 09:13 AM

Groot <3

overdoo · 09-01-2020, 11:53 AM

Awesome article

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