Kraken Forward Jani Nyman Eager to Shoot Puck, Take Advantage of Increased Opportunity
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5504"]
Seattle Kraken right winger Jani Nyman (38) is seen on the ice during the pre game warm up as the Edmonton Oilers take on the Seattle Kraken before the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. - With Jaden Schwartz (lower body) and Berkly Catton (hand) each out for multiple weeks, it’s next man up for the Seattle Kraken forwards. Or rather, ‘Nyman’ up.
After jumping in and out of the lineup since the beginning of November, Jani Nyman will be getting extended, uninterrupted playing time for the foreseeable future. The 21-year-old winger is still developing in his first full NHL season, but will be relied upon to pull his weight as the Kraken look to break out of a six-game losing streak.
“We’re a young team that needs to develop our players on the fly here as well,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said after Tuesday’s practice. “So it’s very important that we keep a positive mindset.”
After scoring three goals in the first six games of the season, Nyman’s production cooled off. He scored a meaningless goal in the final seconds of a 9-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on December 4, bringing his season total to four.
Perhaps a consistent role with linemates he has established chemistry with will help him establish his game at this level, and while he did not record a point in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, his connection with fellow Finn Kaapo Kakko as well as Shane Wright marked a highlight for Seattle.
In 9:58 of 5-on-5 time together, the trio posted a 62.5 Corsi For Percentage, and the Kraken outshot Minnesota 7-2 with those three together on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. Nyman himself had two shots on goal on the night.
Just two games prior in Seattle’s aforementioned loss to Edmonton, the line posted even better metrics despite the lopsided final score, with an 11-4 shots advantage, a 10-4 scoring chance advantage and a 70.37 Corsi For Percentage in 9:10 of 5-on-5 time.
“I like to have (Kakko) playing (with me). He’s a very good passer,” Nyman told the Emerald City Spectrum on Tuesday. “And of course, I love to shoot the puck because it’s my biggest thing. And (Wright) is very good, too. He’s doing a little bit of both. He’s passing the puck and he shoots the puck, so it’s a good line.”
Lambert acknowledged the line’s success from an analytical standpoint, and that being on the “positive side” of the shot chart gives him optimism for them building it into tangible production the longer they play together.
But he realizes it’s still a work-in-progress for Nyman compared to Kakko and Wright.
“For a young player, it’s not easy to create in this league,” Lambert said. “It’s not easy to score in this league (against) the best goaltenders in the world. It’s a situation where that side of it and his understanding where he needs to be and how that needs to happen. You continue to learn and grow and develop that.
“And the defensive side of the game and where he needs to be for that is something we really have to work on as well.”
While development on both ends remains the focus, it appears Nyman could be poised for another opportunity to make his mark in another area of a team desperate for a turnaround. During Tuesday’s practice, Nyman practiced with the top power-play unit.
#Kraken Power Play Units 12/9
PP1:
Eberle
Stephenson-Beniers-Nyman
Dunn
PP2:
Kakko
Marchment-Wright-Tolvanen
Montour— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) December 9, 2025
It should be noted that Jared McCann, a Kraken power-play staple when healthy, missed Tuesday’s practice for a maintenance day, and Lambert said he should be good to go for Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.
Regardless, it appears Nyman will get at least some looks in a bigger role on the man-advantage. He ranks 13th among Kraken skaters in power play time-on-ice with 14:18 across 15 shifts, according to Natural Stat Trick.
“Every time, if I’m ready to play the power play, I want to shoot the puck if I have a chance,” Nyman said. “I hope so. I have a couple shots, and the one goal (in a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 20). But yeah, I’m ready, always, to play on the power play.”
With no other healthy forward threatening to push him out of the lineup, linemates he’s clicking with and a potential increased role on special teams, Nyman has every opportunity to take a step forward in his development and help Seattle return to the win column in the process. The only question now is will he?
“We have to continue working with him, coaching him and teaching him,” Lambert said. “What he has that you can’t teach is he’s got size. He’s got determination. He’s strong. He’s making some good plays with the puck and he’s getting shots on goal, so those are good, positive attributes for him.”
