The Seattle Kraken are making a slight change to their forward corps with two games remaining in the regular season. The Kraken announced that they’ve recalled forward Jani Nyman from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and reassigned Jacob Melanson and Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a corresponding roster move.
Nyman has already spent a decent chunk of the season in Seattle. The 21-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Kraken and has spent the last two years playing in the organization.
He’s been fairly engaged during his appearances this season. Nyman has registered four goals and six points in 26 games with 22 hits, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, his possession and defensive metrics rank well on the team. However, it’s important to note that Seattle is currently one of the league’s poorest teams in controlling shot attempts at even strength this season.
Still, despite his less-than-ideal scoring output in the NHL so far, there is plenty of hope that Nyman will become a consistent contributor in the near future. He’s been one of the Firebirds’ best forwards the past two years, scoring 49 goals and 77 points in 96 games with a +22 rating.
Meanwhile, unlike Nyman, Melanson has played more games with the Kraken this year than the Firebirds. Still, he has almost exclusively been a fourth-line player with Seattle, scoring two goals and five points in 36 games, averaging 9:22 of ice time. He’s understandably performed better in the AHL, albeit in fewer games, registering seven goals and 16 points in 26 games this season.
Lastly, Fisker Molgaard has spent most of the year in the AHL, where he has performed quite well. In 46 games, the 21-year-old has scored 10 goals and 32 points, good for seventh on the team in scoring in his first professional season.