Seattle Kraken’s Jani Nyman’s Finnish Foundation & His NHL Blueprint

The payoff was obvious. In 2023-24, he scored 26 goals in 48 games for Ilves, top among U-20s and the line that anchors any projection. It was not just volume. On wider Finnish sheets he had time to set his feet, find the weak side, and lean into a heavy catch-and-release. The Liiga page is the reference point here.

Why Ice Size Matters to Finns, and to Nyman

Finnish rinks at top IIHF events are 60 by 26–30 meters, which spreads forechecks and gives shooters extra lateral delay to manipulate sticks. The NHL standard is 200 by 85 feet, tighter gaps and less glide. That difference changes what “good” looks like for a prospect. A wider sheet can hide clunky stop-start feet. A smaller sheet demands quicker first touches, faster posture, and retrievals through traffic. Nyman’s Ilves tape showcased posture and finish. The next questions were agility and in-zone recoveries.

What the AHL Added

Coachella Valley gave him the NHL rink every night and the density that comes with it. Across his first full season, he put up 28 goals in 58 American Hockey League (AHL) games. The league site lists the full line, and the club’s mobile stat hub mirrors it. More important than totals, a lot of those goals looked the same: inside-foot one-timers from the slot, quick catch-and-shoots off entries, and rebounds finished from the goalie’s eyes rather than the perimeter. Those are small-ice skills.

The First NHL Checkpoints

Seattle called him up in March and he scored in his debut, a power-play strike that helped flip a game against the Montreal Canadiens. The team recap and gamecenter log have the details. That finish matters for translation; he arrived on time in the pocket and released immediately under NHL pressure.

September Proof

Fast forward. Nyman spent camp scoring. By Sept. 26, the Kraken were writing that he had a team-leading fourth preseason goal. On Oct. 7, the club confirmed he made the opening-night roster and name-checked him as the preseason leading goalscorer among the young forwards who stayed. That is your internal validation that the shot plays at NHL pace, and the staff trusts the details enough to keep him.

What Each League Gave Him

Liiga, Wider Ice: more lateral delay, more time to set posture, and repetition as a primary finisher. Significant because he proved he can create his own shot diet, not just live on the power play. Risk to watch, wider ice can soften urgency on retrievals and hide agility gaps.

AHL, NHL Sheet: denser checks and trench offense. His 28 goals in 58 games confirm the release and middle-lane routes survive contact. That is why Seattle viewed him as near-ready.

NHL, Smallest Margins: decisions on the first touch. His debut goal and preseason run were both first-touch finishes in tight windows. That is the right signal.

Why His Production Is Significant, Not Just Hot

For Finnish readers, the meaningful part is how his scoring shows up after the move. On small ice, he is not waiting for time; he is creating it with early scans and ready posture. Independent scouting reports across Liiga, AHL, and NHL viewings this past year flagged the same growth asks: improve agility and stop-start so forechecks and entries do not stall, and keep adding a pass threat so defenders cannot sit on the shot. The March NHL clip where he sold shot then slipped a backdoor look is the counter, there is dual-threat there. Seattle keeping him after a four-goal preseason says they see enough of those reads to play him while the feet keep catching up.

Where He Fits For Seattle Today

Right wing, depth scoring, with a chance to ride with a driver. The latest game-day notes had him working with Shane Wright and Mason Marchment, and that combination unlocked a goal within minutes. That is the right type of usage for a finisher who thrives when someone else transports. If he stays on a line that creates controlled entries, the five-on-five goals will come. If injuries change the mix and he ends up with three shooters together, the touches shrink.

What This Predicts

If he holds a five-on-five depth role and limited special teams through the first half, pencil in 12–16 goals and 22–28 points over roughly 70 games. That range assumes about 1.5 even-strength shots per night with a low-to-mid teens conversion, a conservative AHL-to-NHL scale. Two levers can move it. Give him PP2 flank or bumper time and the goal total can jump five to seven. Keep him tethered to a transporter like Wright and he will live in stride touches instead of static looks. Seattle’s own camp posts already tie his scoring to responsible details, which is what keeps him in late-game rotations.

If the slot touches and first-touch decisions hold, Nyman settles as a depth right wing who adds real finishing pop with PP2 upside. Keep tightening agility and retrieval work, and the Ilves finisher becomes a reliable middle-six scorer who gives Seattle cheap offense without breaking structure.