The Seattle Kraken have opened their 2026-27 NHL season on the right note, but their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley has already hit a little turbulence.
The Firebirds rolled past the San Diego Gulls on Friday, Oct. 9, winning 6-3 on home ice. Since then, though, they’ve dropped two straight: an overtime loss to the Ontario Reign on Sunday and a 1st regulation loss of the season against the Henderson Silver Knights on Oct. 14.
Even with the skid, there have been some encouraging individual performances along the way.
Nikke Kokko reached a notable milestone in the Firebirds’ win over San Diego. He turned aside 31 of 34 shots to help secure his 40th AHL victory.
That came in his third season as Coachella Valley’s starting goaltender. Kokko won 20 games in 2024-25 and added 19 last season, finishing just one short of the 40-win mark before getting there early in 2026-27.
Tyson Jugnauth has been driving the offense from the blue line. He opened the season with two assists in the Firebirds’ first game, then added four more in the second half of a back-to-back.
He kept it rolling with an assist against San Diego, then another against Ontario. That run ended against Henderson, where Coachella Valley was held without a goal.
Jugnauth now leads the Firebirds in points with eight assists. For a defenseman, that’s a loud start, and it’s the kind of production that can get noticed quickly if it keeps up. He’s in his second full AHL season with Coachella Valley and already looks like one of the team’s most productive players.
The shutout loss to Henderson was the first time this season the Firebirds were clearly out of step offensively. Their previous two defeats still produced points because both went to overtime, but this one ended without a goal on the board.
It’s an early stumble, not a reason for panic. Coachella Valley has shown enough punch so far to suggest there’s still plenty of runway to get back on track.
In Other News...
Philipp Grubauer Is Giving The Kraken Exactly What They Needed
Philipp Grubauer has been giving the Kraken exactly the kind of stability they were looking for in goal, carrying over the strong play that made him such an important part of last seasons push. On a recent road trip, his work helped Seattle keep collecting results, with the goaltender again looking like the steady presence the team needs when games tighten up late.
Off the ice, Grubauer has also become a familiar part of Seattle in a different way through his partnership in a local brewery, where he sometimes even works behind the scenes. It is a reminder that his connection to the city runs beyond the rink, but the bigger concern for the Kraken right now is how long he can keep this level going as the road trip continues and the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Josh Anderson Decision That Could Shape Their Next Move
The Krakens season could soon force an uncomfortable accounting of where the roster stands and where it is headed. As the standings tighten, Seattle is among the teams to watch for possible deadline decisions, and the names coming up are not fringe pieces. Vince Dunn and Jared McCann have both been central to the clubs recent identity, which is why any talk about moving on from them would say as much about the bigger picture as it does about the present chase.
If Seattle slips further from the playoff race, the conversation around those veterans gets even louder because it is tied to the teams long-term timeline. Both players would be 31 in the first season of their next contracts, a detail that makes any new commitment a tougher call for a front office trying to balance immediate competitiveness with what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Showed Real Fight In A Loss That Still Feels Different
The Kraken left Tampa with a result they did not want, but the way they got there looked a lot more like the kind of game they can build on. Seattle got goals from Jared McCann, Ryan Winterton and Matty Beniers, got a power-play marker of its own, and spent long stretches matching the Lightnings pace in a game where Vince Dunn logged the most ice time and the team generally looked engaged from start to finish.
Philipp Grubauer saw plenty of action, stopping 35 shots for an .886 save percentage, and Seattles special teams gave it a chance to stay in the fight by killing off all three Tampa Bay power plays. The road trip rolls on against the Florida Panthers, and the bigger question for the Kraken is whether this was just a competitive night in a loss or the start of something sturdier away from home. [Read more 🡒]