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That’s more like it.
He was tough on himself after his Seattle camp debut in July, but 2023 first-round pick Eduard Sale got another crack at it a few months later. As rookie camp wrapped up Tuesday afternoon at Kraken Community Iceplex, the 18-year-old’s outlook was sunnier.
“Better and better every day,” Sale said. “I’m happy to be here and excited.”
Rookie camp serves as a lead-in for Kraken training camp, which gets underway Thursday. Shortly before the group met at center ice and dispersed, Sale shook off Ryan Winterton on a two-on-two drill and slid the puck to Logan Morrison, who roofed it. Easy as can be.
Sale — pronounced Ed-u-ard Sholl-eh — is embracing what he called a new chapter in North America. His tournament resume was strong, but he dipped out of the top 10 in many draft projections after his production fell to 14 points in 43 games in the top Czech men’s league. He competed for HC Kometa Brno in the Extraliga, a teenager seeing limited ice time against 30-year-olds.
Sale hails from Bron, Czech Republic, the same town as Kraken director of amateur scouting Robert Kron, and Kron has known about him for years. The Kraken gladly scooped him up at No. 20.
After a hectic June and early July, Sale enjoyed a few weeks at home before life dramatically shifted.
“Now, the new career will start,” he said.
Sale finished up national team responsibilities in August and joined the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League in early September, scoring in each of two preseason appearances. The Colts drafted him 29th overall in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) import draft; he recently signed his OHL scholarship and development agreement. If he isn’t one of the rare few to make the Kraken roster during his draft year, he’s expected to return to Barrie.
This week saw two days of on-ice work with NHL and American Hockey League coaches, plus many of the prospects Sale skated with in July. At prospects development camp days after he was drafted, Sale wasn’t pleased with his performance, but he acknowledged that timing played a part. He’d had a long layoff, and the staff was aware.
“I think this is probably the first time he’s been on the ice since the end of the season,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said at the time. “Which I think that’s the case for a lot of kids out there.
“He’s upbeat. His skill set is very obvious. You don’t want to do much evaluating out there.”
Sale’s vision and playmaking are among his greatest assets. He put on the weight he wanted — “a few kilos” — this summer and is feeling good and ready for the road ahead.
He learned English in school and is comfortable with it, though he never expected he’d be using it this much. He had goaltender Ales Stezka, whom he played against last year in the Extraliga and later roomed with, to chat with during both Kraken camps. Stezka signed a one-year, two-way contract in May.
Sale noted that he played in Finland for a time, and that language adjustment went fine.
“I just need a couple days, and I’ll be OK,” he said.
The Colts have big plans for Sale, if and when he returns to the OHL. Sale’s plans are big picture.
“I’ll play my style and have fun because last year was tough,” he said. “I want to just enjoy this year and we’ll see what it brings.”
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