Catching Up With Former Seattle Kraken Player & Assistant Coach

Jay Leach

A three-year Seattle Kraken assistant to Dave Hakstol, Jay Leach was hoping to move up when Hakstol was fired. Instead, he moved on to Boston when the Kraken chose Dan Byslma as their new bench boss.

Joining Jim Mongomery's Bruins staff is on its surface a lateral move. But Causeway Crowd suggests Leach's five-year tenure coaching the Boston AHL affiliate makes him a prime candidate for future advancement.

"Bringing someone who has head coaching experience in the system, and someone who played for the team is telling."

One scenario is that Boston's top assistant, Joe Sacco, could be a head coaching candidate with another NHL team. Sacco's departure would "catapult Leach into a spot to take over for Montgomery once his time with the Bruins is over.

"Sure, Leach will start by just working with the the defensemen, but if that works out to be a stronger unit for Boston because of tutelage, don't be alarmed if you see Montgomery, (general manager Don) Sweeney or others attempt to move him up in the coaching hierarchy down the road.

"Leach has the pedigree in the system, and was once thought to be the one to take over once there was a vacancy with the Bruins before he left for the Kraken."

Colin Blackwell

The Kraken plucked Colin Blackwell from the New York Rangers in the 2021 expansion draft because of his "hard-working mentality" and "all-out hustle."

Blackwell lived up to those plaudits. In a 4-3 win over Nashville, the Seattle Times noted his "second-effort goal of the year, taking three or four whacks at a loose puck in front of Juuse Saros and finally jamming it home when everyone else thought it was frozen."

That was March 2, 2022, which included Blackwell wearing the Davy Jones hat (above photo). 18 days later, Blackwell and team captain Mark Giordano were traded to Toronto for draft picks. So ended Colin's tenure in Seattle after 39 games.

His Maple Leafs rental proved even shorter; 19 games, after which he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks. Last March, he scored his first NHL hat trick in a Hawks victory over Arizona.

In 44 games last season after returning from surgery, he also gave Colorado superstar Nathan MacKinnon a rough ride.

Tony Marchese of On Tap Sports Net gave Blackwell high marks. "The 31-year-old played with a ton of heart. While the score sheet didn't always include Blackwell's name, he always seemed to be involved in the play, especially in the dirty areas.

"Handing out a B may be a bit of a stretch for a 12-point player over 44 games, but the way he presented himself on the ice earned him the above-average grade for me. Blackwell was one of the more fun players to watch in quite a dreadful season."

Chicago is expected to let Blackwell test the market next month as an unrestricted free agent.