The Seattle Seahawks’ offense is expected to look much different this fall under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

One thing Seattle Seahawks GM Schneider says never changes about O-line

For one, there certainly will be an increased emphasis on running the football. Kubiak divulged as much during his introductory press conference Tuesday, stating that he wants the run game to be Seattle’s offensive identity. That comes after the Seahawks struggled mightily on the ground this past season, which was a major reason why they parted ways with former OC Ryan Grubb.

In addition, with Kubiak running a version from the famed Shanahan scheme, his offense will likely feature a much heavier dose of under-center snaps and play-action passing.

As a result, former Seahawks running back Robert Turbin thinks Seattle’s offense under Kubiak could look similar – at least from a schematic perspective – to the Detroit Lions’ top-ranked scoring unit.

“I think you’ll see a lot more under center with (Seattle quarterback) Geno Smith, very similar to how the Detroit Lions approach their offense,” Turbin, a Seahawks Radio Network analyst, said Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

“(Lions quarterback) Jared Goff is much more under center. They’re a run-heavy scheme and then they’re able to utilize play-action off of that (with) a lot of in-breaking routes. … I think you’ll see something very similar with the Seahawks.”

Under-center usage and play-action passing were both solely lacking from Grubb’s offense this past season.

The Seahawks operated under center on just 24.7% of their snaps, which ranked 29th in the league according to Pro Football Reference. They also ranked 29th in play-action rate, using play-action on just 15% of their pass attempts. They totaled just 513 yards on play-action passes, which ranked 31st.

Meanwhile, during Kubiak’s one-year stint as the New Orleans Saints’ OC this past season, his offense ranked seventh in under-center rate (44.5%), 16th in play-action pass rate (20.9%) and ninth in play-action passing yards (1,081). And if not for a slew of offensive injuries, those numbers very well could have been higher.

And as for the high-scoring Lions? They ranked second in under-center rate (56.0%) this past season and led the league by a wide margin in both play-action passing yards (2,114) and play-action passing rate (39.9%).

Turbin, who was the Seahawks’ backup running back from 2012 to 2014, explained how an offense can benefit from operating under center instead of in shotgun.

“My issue with shotgun is that you leave things wide-open for the defense to see, and so it can be a little bit easier (for defenders) to key on their assignments,” Turbin said. “When you’re under center, it can make things a little bit more foggy for defenders and you get their eyes out of place. It can help with forcing guys to be undisciplined in their gaps. And that’s where you’re able to break the big runs. That’s where you’re able to go play-action and break those big passes down the field.”

Smith showed an ability to thrive with more consistent play-action usage in 2022 and 2023, when the Seahawks were middle-of-the-pack in play-action rate under former OC Shane Waldron. According to FTN Fantasy, Smith was one of the league’s best play-action passers over that span, ranking top-five in play-action completion rate and play-action passing yardage in each of those two seasons.

“I think that’s really the big difference,” Turbin said. “You’re gonna see Geno Smith under center, and then that play-action pass (will be) more impactful because of it.”

Listen to the full conversation with Robert Turbin at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks GM: ‘We know exactly what our deficiencies are’
• Rost: How Seattle Seahawks’ QB situation compares to NFC West
• Huard: What a new development with Nwosu’s Seahawks contract says
• What Seattle Seahawks coach Macdonald said about Tyler Lockett’s future
• Four things we learned from Seattle Seahawks OC Kubiak’s press conference

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“Down on the Farm” is your weekly update on all things Seattle Kraken prospects. This week we’ll stack Seattle’s prospect pool, provide an update and scouting video on Ollie Josephson, get you data from the last week, and preview the week ahead. As always, if you have a prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey. Let’s dig in.

2024-25 mid-season Seattle Kraken prospects ranking

During this pause in the NHL schedule, we have a moment for reflection, and one thing we wanted to do was get you a mid-season Seattle Kraken prospect pool ranking.

Two caveats up front. First, we approach this project with a heaping helping of humility. While we do our best to be informed and watch as much as we can, personally I haven’t viewed any non-Firebirds or WHL prospect more than a handful of times this season. (And, right now, I’m deep into my pre-draft video work, so that leaves even less time.)

Second, a “ranking” of prospects already in the system is inherently a bit trifling. Unlike pre-draft prospect rankings where the difference between the No. 4 and No. 6 player could make a real-world difference, what’s the consequence once the player is in the organization already? In reality, the question is whether an individual player is meeting or exceeding a development trajectory. Prospect rankings are fun, and the goal is to reveal information about the progress of the players, but they are just a conversation starter.

With that said, I approached this ranking focused on a player’s projected NHL contributions. My approach gave some consideration to a player’s “ceiling,” “floor,” and timeline, but I resolved close cases by asking which of two players I’d rather have if I could only have one and my only goal was NHL team success. I tried to avoid thinking about the current state of the Kraken roster and instead focus on the merit of the player.

Here is your Deep Sea Hockey Top-22 Kraken prospects. I’ll follow with a few reactions from other writers here at Sound Of Hockey, and then some concluding thoughts of my own.

• John Barr: “As much as I love Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, I don’t think we know enough about him to put him that high on the list. He still needs to play on North American ice and will need to contribute more offensively if we are going to rank him No. 2. Carson Rehkopf has questions as well, but he has showcased the ability to score and would likely be more valuable than a shutdown center.”

• Darren Brown: “I’d put Eduard Sale higher as well. Such a weird development curve for him, but he’s shown he can be an effective pro.”

• Blaiz Grubic: “Names that jump out to me as low: Lleyton Roed, Tyson Jugnauth, Jacob Melanson. Names that seem a little too high: Ryan Winterton, Julius Miettienen. Definitely seems like the rankings favor age.”

John touched on the individual ranking that had me going back-and-forth the most. For me, Berkly Catton was clearly the No. 1 prospect in the system and Nyman was solidly No. 4. Conversely, I found it difficult to situate Mølgaard and Rehkopf between No. 2 and No. 3. So, they’re a similar grade or tier for me. This marks a rise for Mølgaard from my pre-season ranking.

Rehkopf has the higher ceiling, I’d say, as a top-notch scoring wing, but that value is largely tied to an elite shot. The depth of his skillset hasn’t filled out much. That’s a bit hard to do in the OHL where he can win consistently with what he’s got. He needs the challenge of a higher competition level, and he’ll get that next year. Mølgaard, on the other hand, has had high-level professional challenges for two-plus years now and has responded by pushing his game forward across the board incrementally.

I find it hard to imagine a future in which Mølgaard is not a productive third-line NHL center within a few years. He could be more than that too, but is unlikely to reach Rehkopf’s peak value. Rehkopf, on the other hand, could struggle to find consistent NHL time if his elite traits don’t fully translate.

If you were to flip them in this ranking, I wouldn’t argue with you much. And I’d imagine virtually all other rankings you could find would have Rehkopf above Mølgaard (and perhaps significantly so). So, this ranking is offered as a market correction (or conversation starter), if nothing else.

Eduard Sale is another interesting one, noted by Darren. I’ve gone through stretches with him this season where I believe his off-puck play has turned a corner and he has learned where he needs to be in the offensive and defensive zones to find success. In other viewings, I have struggled to notice him at all. He had a strong World Junior Championship and his early run at Coachella Valley was heartening. I’d like to see him reassert himself with a solid finish to the season if I’m going to put him above consistent, hard-working, high-floor players like Winterton and Miettinen.

Blaiz noted a few names that he thought were too low and I like all of them, particularly Roed and Jugnauth, so it’s hard to argue. I explained my high regard for Winterton a couple weeks ago. Miettinen really impressed me as a depth piece at the World Juniors. It’s easy enough to see a professional role for him that I couldn’t justify moving him too much lower on the list.

Regarding the defensemen in the system, I think Jugnauth and Lukas Dragicevic are in a similar tier. Dragicevic is younger and longer, with arguably some superior physical traits. Jugnauth is more advanced, detailed, and dominant offensively in the WHL this season. Still, I’d take Caden Price over both of them, despite a recent scoring drought, due to a superior defensive profile (if not realized production) to go along with offensive skills. That said, there are significant questions about Price’s projection too, which is why my top defenseman comes in at No. 9 in the system.

Finally, on the goalies, we have documented (and run out of adjectives to describe) the dominance of Kim Saarinen and Semyon Vayzovoy in their respective European pro leagues. The inherent variability of the position is the only thing keeping them this low in the ranking. These two have taken perhaps the biggest production leaps in the system this season (Jugnauth also comes to mind). Yet, Nikke Kokko’s solid early work on the closest rung to the NHL convinced me to keep him as the top goalie in the system. Even though none are receiving national prospect attention, this goalie group is quite strong, in my opinion.

Let’s get quizzical

Catton’s 1.98 points-per-game pace is the eighth-best single season pace in the WHL in the last 20 years. Two of the players above him on the list are also in the Kraken organization. Who are they?

Notes on three Kraken prospects

Ollie Josephson | F | Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

2024 fourth-round pick Ollie Josephson missed about a month of the WHL season from the end December through the end of January with an apparent injury. The Red Deer Rebels captain was back into the lineup last week and got back into the scoring column this week, with two points in four games. His point production has never lit up the WHL, but he plays fast, is strong fore-checking and back-checking, and plays all situations for Red Deer. He projects as a bottom-six role player. Check out his shifts from Red Deer’s October 5, 2024, game against Calgary below, in which he had a goal and two assists.

Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)

Nyman has points in five straight games for the Firebirds (totaling three goals, three assists, and a +3 plus-minus during that stretch). He now has 19 goals in the AHL this season, which is most among AHL rookies, third among AHL players age 23 or younger, and 11th in the AHL overall. After a transition period at the end of last year and to begin this season, Nyman has been finding space to use his elite shot with regularity. There are still skating, puck possession, and defensive aspects of his game that need more time, but his carrying trait is working just one level below the NHL.

Carson Rehkopf | F | Brampton Steelheads (OHL)

Last Friday saw two notable offensive explosions from top Kraken prospects. Catton tallied four goals and an assist, while Rehkopf scored three goals and added three assists. We recognized Catton as last week’s Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week so it seems only appropriate that Rehkopf pick up the award for this week. While his other games were a bit quieter, Friday’s performance alone earned it.

🌟 #OHLPerformer of the Night 🌟@SeattleKraken prospect Carson Rehkopf had an unbelievable performance, scoring three goals AND three assists as the @OHLSteelheads put up TEN goals Friday night!🚨🚨🚨🍎🍎🍎#OHL | @bastardburrito | #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/U3qeqiXDtk

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 8, 2025

Kraken prospects data update

Pre-season standout Nathan Villeneuve’s scoring has been trending upward of late. He had four goals and an assist in three OHL games this past week.

Answering our “let’s get quizzical” prompt, Catton’s current 1.98 points-per-game pace was topped by Kraken teammates Jagger Firkus (last season) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (in 2014-15).

Semyon Vyazovoy remained in the VHL (Russia’s second-level pro league) for the second straight week. He did all he could to prove he didn’t belong there and should be back in the KHL by posting a shutout in is his only start.

Victor Östman is currently on the NHL roster after the team sent Ales Stezka to the AHL as part of some pre-Four Nations break maneuvering. NHL rules require NHL teams to carry two goalies at any given time and Östman was the choice to fill the second spot over the break. He has carried the heaviest workload among Kraken goalies in the minors and performed well for the Mavericks. So, he earns a well-deserved vacation (and at an NHL salary, no less). I’d expect him to be returned to the ECHL by the time NHL players return to practice on Feb. 18.

2024-25 Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker

Berkly Catton: 3

Clarke Caswell: 2

Tyson Jugnauth: 2

Alexis Bernier: 1

Andrei Loshko: 1

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: 1

Victor Östman: 1

Caden Price: 1

Carson Rehkopf: 1

Kim Saarinen: 1

Nathan Villeneuve: 1

Ryan Winterton: 1

Semyon Vyazovoy: 1

Previewing the week ahead

Tyson Jugnauth and the Portland Winterhawks are slated to be in Seattle (ahem, Kent) Saturday when they clash with the Thunderbirds at 6:05 pm PT.

Recent prospect updates

February 8, 2025: Oscar Fisker Mølgaard quietly ascends the ranks

January 31, 2025: Measuring the performance of the Seattle Kraken prospect pool

January 24, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth is putting on a show in Portland

January 17, 2025: Jani Nyman’s scoring, 2025 NHL Draft coverage

January 10, 2025: Interview with Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini

January 3, 2025: Stock Up, Stock Down for Kraken prospects at the World Junior Championship

December 20, 2024: Kraken system after the Kaapo Kakko trade, David Goyette’s progress, and World Juniors

December 13, 2024: Three Kraken prospects make Team Canada WJC roster

December 6, 2024: Seattle Kraken goalie prospects progressing in the professional ranks

Curtis Isacke

Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle police officers who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally and protests at the U.S. Capitol can be identified in public court records, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The ruling says the officers haven’t shown that the public release of their names violates their right to privacy, The Seattle Times reported.

Four officers who attended events in the nation’s capital on the day of the insurrection claimed they are protected under the state’s public records law. Using pseudonyms, they sued over whether an investigation into their activities should be made public. The officers say they did nothing wrong and that revealing their names would violate their privacy.

“We conclude they have not met that burden because they have not shown they have a privacy right in public records about their attendance at a highly public event,” wrote Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis for the majority opinion.

The majority concluded that allowing the case to go forward using pseudonyms is tantamount to sealing a courtroom, which requires specific findings and justification.

When then-Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz learned that six of his officers traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally, he ordered the Office of Police Accountability to investigate whether they had violated any laws or department policies.

The investigation found that married officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett crossed barriers set up by the Capitol police and were next to the Capitol Building, in violation of the law, prompting Diaz to fire the pair. Investigators said three other officers had not violated policies and the fourth case was ruled “inconclusive.”

Sam Sueoka, a law student at the time, filed a Public Records Act request for the OPA investigation. The officers, filing under the pseudonym John Doe 1-5, filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop their release.

“At this time in history in particular, with growing efforts to prevent the public from learning information about our government, we are very pleased with today’s Supreme Court decision,” Sueoka said in a statement. “We look forward to obtaining the full records about the investigation into the attendance of Seattle Police Department officers at portions of Stop the Steal.”