Going Sea by Sea:
Beaufort - large amounts of dispersion, but also mostly larger floes, and weather has mostly been cooler in this region. I suspect the ice is thicker and more durable than might be assumed at first glance looking at the broken appearance. However the forecast high will hit this hard with heat and sun going into all that open water between the floes. In 2012
Chukchi - the big story of the season with an ice boundary much further advanced than anything seen before. Ice floes are much smaller than Beaufort, there is a lot of dispersion on the edge. The forecast high will hit this area with heat, sun and wind, and the ice slaughter will continue.
ESS - Very weak ice, and an ice edge that has advanced further than 2012, but not as far as 2007. Bore the brunt of early heatwaves, has been under low pressur and clouds since and the forecast continues this. Ice would appear to be too weak to survive even under mostly favourable conditions.
Laptev - had a massive start early in June, but has been partly protected in the last few weeks. A burst of warm air is pushed into this region with a sharp low early in the forecast which will do some more damage, but overall I see this region has fallen behind 2012 which had significant dispersion deep in the pack. This year is a little like 2007 which had weaker melt in this region due to weather patterns pushing ice towards the Atlantic side, however NE passage remained blocked in this region in 2007 even at minimum and is now open (or at least very close to it).
CAB - the mystery. Previous heat hasn't impacted this region as much, although there have been at least a couple significant warm incursions. The forecast hits this region quite hard and it will be under serious assault from at least the Chukchi direction. Perhaps the ice in this region is healthy enough to slow the melt down and prevent a record. Or perhaps I'm clutching at straws. Have a look at
this region and compare to some other years. Dispersion starting on top and left edge, 2012 maybe a little ahead, especially towards top right. 2016, 2008 and 2010 also have some significant dispersion much deeper into this region. And 2010 wasn't a big melt year so no guarantees that this means anything.