Long Summer, Longer Season

Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard played nine full months of high-intensity hockey last season. As he transitions this week from Kraken Rookie Camp and two solid NHL Prospects games to Kraken Training Camp, the Denmark-born forward will embark on his first full year in North America but, at only age 20, his fourth as a pro.

Molgaard started his third and final regular season in Sweden’s top pro league last Sept. 21 as a 19-year-old, played for his native Denmark at the 2025 IIHF World Juniors over the winter holidays and celebrated his 20th birthday in mid-February. He then helped his HV71 pro club avoid relegation by scoring twice in six relegation-playoff games in late March. Job done in Europe, the 2023 second-rounder, taken 52nd overall, happily journeyed to play seven games for American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley over three weeks in April. He tallied two goals and an assist in four AHL games while wholly impressing Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal before departing to join Denmark’s national team for another six weeks.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Coachella Valley after getting drafted by the Kraken,” said Fisker Molgaard. “You’re always nervous at first, but I think it went well. I kind of adapted to North American hockey pretty quick. That also helped me getting back home, as I knew how to play against the North American players in the world championships. It’s a big help. Especially for the upcoming [AHL] season. I know the trainers, I know the coaches, I know some of the guys. It helps me a lot, coming in here with some confidence and calm.”

With Molgaard as a top star, Denmark upset Canada in the quarterfinal before a delirious home crowd and subsequently finished fourth – the country’s highest ever placement – in the IIHF World Championship that ended late May.

“I finally had a good, long summer,” said Fisker Molgaard this week, smiling and clearly not complaining about going long at the world tournament. “It felt good to work out to be stronger and get better at my game.”

Projecting ‘Bright Future’ with Kraken

Firebirds coach Laxdal said last spring Fisker Molgaard impressed so much those AHL debut games he would have earned playoff time if not ticketed for a dream international tournament in his homeland. That stint included three games on a line with NHL star Nicolaj Ehlers, who flew directly to Denmark after his former Winnipeg squad was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Molgaard racked up a goal and six assists, none timelier than sending a stretch pass in a game against Team Germany that bounced off the opposing end boards. The puck landed on Ehlers’ stick blade for a late tying goal that allowed Denmark to win in a shootout to qualify for the knockout-round quarterfinals.

“I think this training camp is going to be huge for him,” said Laxdal, who penciled Fisker Molgaard in for both games of this past weekend’s NHL Prospects series. “He wasn't here for last year's training camp, already playing in the SHL. I expect to see him take a great step forward. He is just going to grow. You think about his projection, his last three years playing in the SHL, he's mature beyond his years. His game is beyond a 20-year-old. He's got a very bright future for the Kraken organization ... I think he's one of those top pieces going forward.”

Cory Murphy, the new Kraken director of player development, added, “Anyone who gets a chance to play for their national team, it's a huge honor. For Oscar, it was really great to play on a line with a guy like Ehlers, then play so well. It’s good for his confidence coming into our training camp.”

Murphy spent five years as a defenseman in Sweden’s top pro league to complete a career that included 91 NHL games, 69 AHL contests, plus stops in Finland, Russia and Switzerland over 17 seasons. He said Fisker Molgaard’s 49 points in 129 games as a teenage Swedish pro were solid and that his stellar attention to smaller game details turned heads of NHL and AHL coaches.

Developing Pro Habits with Hall of Famer

“First things first, he's a great kid and he's motivated,” said Murphy. “He really wants to get better. From day one of getting drafted, he's been so receptive to information. Frans Nielsen [Europe-based Kraken player development consultant and former Team Denmark star inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame last spring] has obviously had a huge impact on him in developing these habits.

“An important thing about Oscar and what stands out is his pro habits,” added Murphy. “He showed that in the games this past weekend. He's a very cerebral player and plays the game the right way. He’s been playing pro in a very good league for three years.

“As for his scoring numbers, it’s the Swedish Hockey League. I played there and I coached there. It's a very defensive league. Usually, the league’s leading scorer only averages about a point per game. It's not an easy league to put up points, especially as a young kid. But [three SHL seasons] was a growth experience for him. With Franz’s help, really, you can see the pro details, the small things that he does. The plays that he makes that don’t make the score sheet, but ones that help teams win games.”