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Seattle Weekly
about 2 hours
More details, and friction, around Washington news fellowship | Free Press Initiative
Reporters in the program get paid more than newsroom journalists. That could be a problem.
Davy Jones Locker Room
about 6 hours
Draft Profiles 2k26: Ty Lawrence is a 200 foot Center with something to prove
Well, now that we’ve gotten the guy who is probably the consensus #7 pick, give or take a draft ranking or two… …Let’s immediately take a turn left from a perfectly reasonable 7th overall choice in this draft full of solid defenders into GAMBLING!!!!! …On a potentially game-changing Center with a lot of risk, given how his draft year went. Who is he? Tynan Lawrence is a New Brunswick-born Center who is a Left-handed shot. He measures at 6’1, and 185 pounds. He plays for Boston University in the NCAA, but also had a stint in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. What’s He Good At? Playmaking through superior intelligence. Tynan Lawrence is a player who thinks the game well above his peers. When he has the puck, Lawrence finds ways to create space through simple, easy adjustments of his position on the ice and his seriously scary ability to see the ice and look for advantages for his team to exploit. Gaps in the defense open when he moves, and he fills that space. When it locks down, he finds a way out of danger. While his hands aren’t going to wow anybody; what makes him so dangerous is that he has already figured out a way to get around you that involves having and also not having the puck. When he’s got the puck, he can blow past you and open up your stick for extra ice with speed, or he can pass it in just such a way to carve through the backcheck in order to facilitate a break. Even with a player almost on top of him, his strength on the puck and his ability to quickly gain body position on backcheckers means that rarely is a play ever going to die when it’s on his stick; he will make sure it gets to the right player to get a scoring chance. Away from it, or if he has to get rid of it, Lawrence seems to understand just the right way to turn what should probably be a dump-in into a pretty damn solid pass, and when he has to go find it, his understanding of where the puck carrier will want to go combined with his speed and determination make him an active misery to play against while on the forecheck, because he is going to break that play up at any cost. Lawrence also uses this for razor sharp passing; forcing the defense to commit time and positioning to keeping him away from their goalie, and usually this is where Lawrence springs his trap. For many prospects, figuring out this part can be the single biggest hurdle to getting their talent to translate to the NHL level, and it looks like Lawrence will not struggle with that if he’s able to do the kinds of things he’s doing in the junior/college levels. It’s why Lawrence does a little bit of everything for Team Canada and when he played in Muskegon; they could trust him to do it and at a level beyond a prospect of his age. What’s He Not So Good At? Picking times to jump up a level. If there’s a concrete issue to Lawrence’s game, it’s that explosiveness for him is not always coming off of the first step of his skate. At speed he’s excellent, but he needs a second or two to get going, and in the NHL that kind of second can easily be exploited. He will need to find a way to get that serious first burst of speed to truly become the game warping talent he’s sometimes been projected as. If he gets that, he’s a certified star. The real issue that has Lawrence bouncing all over the draft board is his timing when it comes to advancing up a level. The USHL level of the game was pretty clearly something that Tynan Lawrence was already above, having a point per game 2024-25 and 18 points in the USHL playoffs…and then he experienced a violent injury that left him out of much of the regular season, which he came back and was just about as productive with a 17 point campaign in 13 games. Then he decided now was as good a time as any to join the Boston University Terriers; a storied program in a fiercely competitive Hockey East Division, which finished with 5 ranked teams in the Top 25 in both the poll and NPI. It was there in his first taste of NCAA action that he struggled a bit to actually show any of that offensive flash, and while I understand the concern…I think it should also be clear that college hockey is kind of hard! He was 17 playing in a league comprised primarily of 19 thru 21 year olds, and the NCAA game is a lot more defensively responsible than the North American junior leagues! The kids playing in the NCHC are gigantic! I think we can at least recognize this was a possibility before deciding to drop him into the middle of the first round. But it is a cause for concern; while he is quite talented and in a full season might’ve been able to find his offense, Lawrence probably should’ve waited until he was 18 to play College Puck, and as a result of his aggressive push to prove himself after a miserable stroke of luck, he put himself in a position to look pedestrian in the most important year of his career to this point. That was a miscalculation that may save him from playing for the league’s dregs…but it might also mean he stays on the board way longer than he should, simply because his gamble didn’t look all that smart with the low, low sample size of 18 games. While none of that is his fault necessarily, he wasn’t at the level yet to actively try and take over that part of the game, and that will cause some scouts concern. Prospect Rankings 7th by NHL Central Scouting (among North American Skaters) 16th by EliteProspects.com 6th by TSN’s Chris Peters 13th by McKeen’s Hockey 6th by FloHockey’s Chris Peters 11th by DailyFaceoff 4th by Smaht Scouting 4th by Dobberprospects 4th by THN’s Tony Ferrari My Verdict As much as I like the idea of 200-foot, 2-way dynamic Centers, I recognize the log-jam at this position in Seattle; whether or not they want it to be seen that way, is not going to be solved by adding yet another one to it. Beniers fits that mold, Wright fits that mold, Chandler Stephenson…should fit that mold at least by reputation, unless you think Lawrence is able or willing to convert to wing, the only thing this is going to do is continue to cram this teams’ depth with roughly the same kind of player that may be great in the middle six, but needs to be transcendent to be a top line player. Lawrence however has a lot of what the Kraken ideally want to be (or wanted to be) in his game; smart, motivated, ferocious on the puck, and with a natural predilection towards attacking the middle of the ice. If he is available, then there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it would be a bad idea to pass him up. After all, do you dare take a chance?
NW Asian Weekly
about 21 hours
Rexa Han brings virtuosity to Vashon’s PianoFête
Rexa Han, an internationally acclaimed pianist and recording artist, will perform in PianoFête 2026—a beloved festival of two-piano repertoire unfolding July 8 to 11 at Vashon Center for the Arts.
PubliCola
1 day
Allegation: Civil Rights Office Director, Staff Went to Strip Club During City-Sponsored Civil Rights Trip
By Erica C. Barnett An investigation into Seattle Office for Civil Rights director that Derrick Wheeler-Smith details allegations that Wheeler-Smith… The post Allegation: Civil Rights Office Director, Staff Went to Strip Club During City-Sponsored Civil Rights Trip appeared first on PubliCola.
NW Asian Weekly
1 day
Raising the next generation, at home and at the Wing Luke Museum
On weekday mornings, Chrissy Shimizu starts her day the same way many working parents do: savoring a few quiet moments with her 18-month-old daughter, KaiyaWith the help of grandparents who pitch in with childcare, Shimizu boards the light rail into Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID), where she leads one of the city’s most beloved cultural institutions as the new executive director of the Wing Luke Museum.
NW Asian Weekly
1 day
K-FEST 2026 draws crowds for celebration of Korean culture
Thousands of people gathered at Seattle Center for K-FEST 2026 on June 18—a celebration of Korean culture featuring live performances, traditional fashion, food and community activities, organizers said.
NW Asian Weekly
1 day
Yoga practitioners gather across western Washington to mark International Day of Yoga
Hundreds of people across Washington state participated in events marking the 12th International Day of Yoga on Sunday, June 21, joining celebrations organized by the Consulate General of India in Seattle.
NW Asian Weekly
1 day
2 students in custody after shooting at high school in Philippines kills 3
Two students armed with hand guns opened fire in a high school in the central Philippines on Monday, killing three fellow students and wounding another seven, police said.
Davy Jones Locker Room
1 day
Draft Profiles 2k26: Alberts Šmits is Latvia’s ferocious hope
The Draft Profiles are back! And we start with a defender! Defenseman Alberts Šmits has one of the more unique paths as a defenseman in this draft; being a Latvian playing in Finland as one of the younger players in the top finnish league, and having a serious chance of being the highest drafted player from his home country. And he’s done it in a simple, easy to understand way; bowling over the competition. Who is he? Alberts Šmits is a Valmiera, Latvian-born, 6’3, 209-pound defenseman who shoots Left. He plays for Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga; the highest level of Finnish hockey. At the conclusion of their season, Jukurit loaned Šmits to EHC Red Bull München in the highest level of German hockey; the DEL. He also had a pretty active career this year with the Latvian National Team; playing at the World Juniors, the World Championships, and the Olympics. What’s he good at? AGGRESSION. European players have largely broken this through the last two decades, but there is a low level stigma around the European game of not being especially physical. This is largely because you need to actually commit to being physical overseas; their commitment to larger, Olympic sized rinks means if you whiff on a hit, you’re going to be extremely out of a play and looking ridiculous. As such, players develop more of an understanding of the defensive game from a less physical side of things. It appears nobody really told Šmits any of that, because he loooooooves gettin’ involved physically. Šmits combines a lot of the best aspects of your modern defenseman; good skating, solid instincts on how to clog up a lane and when, and strong stickwork, and marries it to a ferocious work ethic that makes him a nightmare to forecheck against. Alberts Šmits will move heaven and earth to get after you. His aggression regularly forces forecheckers to get rid of the puck in a hurry with the fear of a large Latvian sitting on top of them whacking away at the puck or at them, and his strong stickwork allows for a major advantage in winning board battles (the NHL-sized frame helps there a lot), then can allow him to either get a clean breakout through a pass, or he’ll get himself involved in the play as a first line of attack; using solid skating to get as close to a zone entry and then dump it, or even just go and see if he can create some offense. And yet, when in high danger situations, it always appears as though Šmits is right in his element. He closes shooting lanes with ease both on the cycle and in transition, he will casually maneuver players at speed away from the middle of the ice, and towards his Indeed, when he’s on his game, Šmits is a shift-warping defender who can be a major force of danger for his team. What’s he not so good at? Harnessing said aggression responsibly. It’s only natural that a player this aggressive will sometimes put himself in hot water, especially in a more stringent european league. This sometimes means whiffed hits, undisciplined play, or taking himself out of the play in order to tie up one player or go impose himself on the other team. It’s especially prominent in net-front defense, where he can be caught focusing down on one player and ignoring others; pulling himself out of position. Further, Šmits aggression didn’t come from nowhere; Jukurit would’ve been on the relegation chopping block had Liiga still operated as of the Finnish ice hockey relegation/promotion pyramid. Further, his national team is Latvia; an eternal underdog that is continually hard up for offense. His minute munching tendencies for both of these squads meant he wasn’t just being asked to do a lot defensively, he was often asked to be the instigating force for the offense. This has created a very shoot-first mentality in the young man that is prone to taking any old shot to see if it can get to the dangerous area of the ice, no matter if there’s a shooting lane or not. This can also end up creating bad bounces that have him on the back foot or making passes to seemingly nowhere in the desperate hope of creating something, anything, for his team. More than anything, honing Šmits’ aggression so that it compliments his skillset rather than giving it the chance to undermine his abilities will be critical to his development; allowing him the space to not feel like he needs to be the hero all the time. Prospect Rankings Ranked 2nd by NHL Central Scouting among European Skaters. Ranked 11th by EliteProspects.com Ranked 8th by TSN’s Craig Button Ranked 7th by DailyFaceoff.com Ranked 7th by Smaht Scouting Ranked 11th by DobberProspects Should the Kraken take him? If Šmits ends up in Seattle, it’s hard not to think of a scenario in which he doesn’t become a fan favorite as Šmits has a game that your average NHL fan can just wrap themselves in like a big, angry hug. It helps that other than Chase Reid, the rest of the defensive prospects in this draft will probably need at least a couple of years to find themselves in the pro level whereas Smits will almost certainly have a major leg up from having played in pro leagues already. I’m not saying he’ll play immediately, but if he gets to wear Deep Blue? It will be difficult taking him out of it if he brings that game to the NHL.
Davy Jones Locker Room
2 days
F Bobby McMann re-signs in Seattle for 6 year deal!
TIME TO GET MCMANNLY The Kraken announced today they have re-signed Bobby McMann for 6 years for $5.75 million a year. BOBBY'S STAYING IN SEATTLE! 🙌The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Bobby McMann for a 6-year deal. pic.twitter.com/9nQzDRSqif— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 21, 2026 McMann came over in a trade from the Maple Leafs, where he immediately made a name for himself due to the sheer amount of goals he scored…while also infuriatingly being on a team that could not actively make any gains after he scored. That said, he’s been nothing but a phenomenal player for the Kraken; finishing with 14 points in 18 games. Extremely solid dude. McMann’s contract will bring him to his 36th year in the NHL, and while that definitely is…something, I think having a player like McMann is a net positive for the Kraken. They desperately need players who are willing to go to the net, and Bobby McMann, above all else, is willing to do that. If nothing else, he can be an example for others in his later years. For now? Let’s get him back at nearly a point per game pace and have some fun. Welcome Bobby back to The Deep!
Davy Jones Locker Room
2 days
Kraken trade 25th overall pick, conditional 2nd rounder for F Mackie Samoskevich
Let’s set the scene with an appropriate song. The Seattle Kraken announced today that they have traded their 25th overall pick this year and a conditional 2nd round for 2027 (which is either going to be Winnipeg or Columbus’ picks) for Florida’s Mackie Samoskevich. COAST 🔀 COASTWe've acquired forward Mackie Samoskevich from the @FlaPanthers in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027 → http://bit.ly/SEAMackie— Seattle Kraken (Bot) (@notseattlekraken.bsky.social) 2026-06-21T17:39:51.221Z Samoskevich is a Connecticut-born forward who primarily plays Right Wing and Center. He is 5’11, and 180-pounds who came from the University of Michigan; playing with Matty Beniers in their National Title season. In the NHL, he has primarily played as a depth piece for the Florida Panthers through their cup runs in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Samoskevich is primarily described as a solid, analytically strong player with great skating speed who unfortunately has yet to truly break out in the NHL, with decent but low point totals. Of course, part of that was the Panthers top 6 was an absolute killer’s row, and when he was given additional ice time, he showed some flashes of potential; potential he only got to show when the Panthers were almost half Springfield Thunderbirds at one point. Mackie Samoskevich with 12 goals, 20 assists, and 32 points in 77 games during the 2025 seasonpic.twitter.com/I3UtZUSynI— RotoWire Sports Betting (@RotoWireSports) June 21, 2026 The trade for Samoskevich seems to indicate that the Kraken are trying to get a little younger, as even if he’s struggled to truly find his goalscoring form, he’s both an RFA and a 23 year old at that; potentially leaving one of Tolvanen, McMann, or Schwartz as the odd man out. It is also an acquisition for yet another middle 6 forward, so high-end skill is still a major need coming into the NHL Draft, and as NHL Draft theory goes; the higher the draft pick, the better chance of an NHLer coming out of the deal. If they kept this pick, EliteProspects.com suggests that the players potentially available at this position were Mathis Preston; a center who fell considerably throughout the year as his pedestrian season masked his otherwise strong skating ability, Juho Piiparinen; a Finnish defender who split time between Tappara and it’s U20 team, and Yegor Shilov; a Russian-born center from the QMJHL. It’s a bet, and given the price a potentially steep one if they’re losing out on Winnipeg or Columbus’ 2nd. But if Samoskevich keeps his form, there’s a good chance he could turn into a strong contributor for the team and remains so under a cost controlled contract; something that the Kraken could always use. Personally, I think this is a bet the Kraken should be taking if they can swing it. Get a high-skill forward at the draft, get an NHL-ready player just before, keep working the phones to get some more talent. As for how he meshes with the team? We’ll find out. Let’s all welcome Mackie to The Deep!
Seattle Weekly
2 days
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