We have officially reached the All-Star break/bye week.The Seattle Kraken are sitting fifth in the Pacific Division and two points behind the St. Louis Blues for the last playoff spot. We figured now would be a fine time for a good, old fashioned Sound Of Hockey Kraken Roundtable to take a pulse check on how we’re feeling about the season so far and what to expect the rest of the way.
Sound Of Hockey contributors Blaiz Grubic, Cameron Riggers, Curtis Isacke, John Barr, and Darren Brown all got together to answer some (not so) burning questions.
Enjoy!
Who is your outstanding performer of the season so far?
Blaiz: Joey Daccord. First, I was excited to see him even make the Kraken as the back-up this year. As he has taken over the starting job, I have enjoyed watching his style, especially how he plays the puck. This is something that makes me nervous in most goalies, but Daccord does it so well. I am in awe watching it.
Cameron: I think Vince Dunn. I love the consistency that he plays with, adding value to all facets of the game and playing with poise while not being afraid to lay a body out or get in someone else’s grill. I feel like I never notice him because he’s so seamless in his defensive style of play, and when I do notice him, it’s usually because he’s contributing offensively. He’s been underrated by many national circles for some time, and I think he’s really turned himself into a solid No. 1 defenseman.
John: As Blaiz mentioned, I think it has to be Joey Daccord. The budding star netminder has two shutouts and a .917 save percentage, and I don’t know where this team would be in the standings without him. It is great to see him get regular reps in the NHL, where we’re finding out what he’s capable of doing.
Honorable mention to Tomas Tatar. The Kraken traded for him for virtually nothing, and he has impressed me since he got here. He has been making his linemates better ever since his first day with the club.
Curtis: I agree that Daccord is probably the performer who stands apart from the pack. Advanced metrics rank his performance preventing shots from becoming goals somewhere between above average and elite. And, as I investigated (Part I, Part II), he may be having an even more significant impact on the game beyond that.
But since Daccord has received significant shine already, I need to call out Seattle’s one consistent goal scorer: Jared McCann. Coming off a 40-goal season, he has 20 goals so far this year, which is a 33-goal pace and represents 14.4 percent of the team total.
Pair this with solid defense and the ability to provide value on all special teams units, and I shudder to think where Seattle would be without McCann. Before the season, I was guarded in my expectations for the Kraken because I didn’t see the goal scoring beyond McCann. At least he has held up his end of the bargain.
Darren: Joey! Joey! Joey!
What is the biggest disappointment of the season so far?
Cameron: I’m hesitant to say the younger players, but their production hasn’t met my expectations coming into the season. Seattle has only gotten 19 points from Matty Beniers, 15 from Tye Kartye, and four from Ryker Evans, though his playing time has been limited. I know it’s difficult to expect the world from those players, given that they’re all still so young, but from the expectations they created for themselves last year (especially Beniers and Kartye), I was hopeful for a bit more.
John: I love love love Andre Burakovsky, but he has been a big disappointment this year. ‘Burky’ has one of the best shots on the team but only has one goal over the 19 games he has played. I know he has missed a lot of hockey over the last year due to injury, so I think it is just a matter of time before he returns to form.
Darren: I’m with you, John. I keep waiting for Burakovsky to Burrrrreak out (get it?), but it just hasn’t happened. The real disappointment with him, though, is just how much time he’s had to miss again this season. After rehabbing from a serious groin injury all offseason, he returned for a few games, got hurt again, played two periods, and got hurt a third time. That’s a tough, tough go for that guy.
He’s been a streaky scorer historically, so maybe after this break he can catch fire.
Curtis: You’re all right, those are disappointments. Given that Beniers is still working through clear development challenges, I’ll focus on Burakovsky.
Even when he’s been out there, he hasn’t been a factor. And there are only so many times you can rationalize his lack of production by telling yourself, “To be fair, he has only played x games in the last two months.”
I don’t think he’s found a comfortable fit in Seattle’s north-south, forechecking style. He is more inclined to slow the game, possess the puck as a playmaker, and send passes east-west. Stylistically, it just hasn’t clicked yet. He hasn’t been “bad,” but he should be one of the team’s higher-end play drivers, and that simply hasn’t happened. The skills are there, but he rarely looks in sync with his teammates. With three years left on his deal after this one, Burakovsky and the coaching staff need to find a solution.
Blaiz: The slow start to the season was a bummer for me. After the high of the playoffs last year, it was just a letdown to start the year with four straight losses. After that, it was even more disappointing to see the team just treading water for a bit before a swift kick to a body part resulting in a medium-body injury when the Kraken lost eight straight.
Are you buying, selling, or holding at the deadline? (If you are holding explain when you will decide… i.e., After the first road trip.)
John: I don’t know if you can consider this selling, but I would always be listening. I don’t think any of the players are untouchable, which means it just comes down to price. Even if the Kraken are in the playoff picture, I think they can move a pending free agent or two for the right price.
The biggest need for the Kraken right now is high-end talent, and the only real way to get that talent is through the draft. Any draft pick the Kraken get in a trade is likely a mid-to-late second-round draft pick. Second-round picks can turn into good players, but they rarely turn into elite-tier NHL performers.
Blaiz: I think it depends on if the Kraken have a realistic chance to make the playoffs. I am holding until that is not an option. The Kraken have a tough February schedule, so in the later part of the month, we should have a clearer picture.
I typically plan for the best, meaning they will make the playoffs. Assuming that happens, I am still holding; I am not ready to mortgage the future yet. That said, I do believe every player has a price so if something comes up that can make the team better, the Kraken should jump on it.
Darren: Blaiz and I are in the same camp here. While my heart would LOVE to see Seattle make a splash and go for it, my brain knows that’s not how Ron Francis operates, nor should he at this moment in time. I would expect either A.) what the team did in the inaugural season—selling all expiring contracts for draft picks—if Seattle is out of the playoffs at the deadline, or B.) standing pat, like the team did last season and doing what they can with that group.
Cameron: I really think that this next road trip to some of the Eastern Conference’s top teams will have a real say in where this club will go. I don’t think it’s in the position to be in either full-on buying or selling mode. Frankly, the Kraken exist in that awkward middle ground between competitive and not, but if they go something like 0-3-1 after the break, and the teams around them stay consistent, then they will be almost forced to shop their expiring UFA’s around.
A decision needs to be made soon, though. I personally think selling is the best thing for the future of this team, but what the Kraken do depends on where this next road trip takes them.
Curtis: Barring something truly unforeseen, Seattle shouldn’t be a “buyer” at the deadline. I don’t think that makes sense given where the team is in the arc of its roster and player development pipeline.
The team has a number of expiring contracts for players in their early-to-mid 30’s who would be risky to re-sign, given their ages. This makes me strongly inclined to listen to offers. That said, I agree that the team should hold its water as long as possible. The trade deadline is March 8, so make a tentative decision about whether to move forward with selling after the Feb. 22 home game against Vancouver.
Give us a reason to be optimistic or pessimistic about the last 32 games
John: I am generally an optimistic person, but I wake up aware of the challenges of the day. Looking at historical data, 33 percent of teams with 52 points in 50 games make the playoffs. That means 66 percent do not make it. That said, I do believe this team will continue to make a run at one of the wild card spots. Beniers, Jaden Schwartz, and Burakovsky have not been sharp since coming back from their respective injuries, and I think it is just a matter of time before they get going again.
Cameron: I’ll give a reason for optimism and one for pessimism.
Optimistic – After their road trip, the Kraken will play 15 of their next 19 games at home, practically spending their entire end of February and all of March in Seattle. They won’t really leave the Pacific time zone either, aside from a few central time one-offs. This streaky team can really play into becoming a more consistent club over the next two months by the favorable schedule, which will allow them to settle into a routine.
Pessimistic – The schedule lightens up for the teams around the Kraken in the standings as well, with Nashville, St. Louis, and Minnesota all set to enjoy easier strengths of schedule. Seattle still has to play Boston twice and Winnipeg three times, so there are some tough matchups ahead.
Blaiz: I’m optimistic. Since Daccord has taken the reins, the Kraken have a .659 points percentage in 22 games. If they can maintain that pace, they would capture 42 points, putting them at 94 on the season. That is definitely in the conversation for making the playoffs. Adding to what John researched, of the 33 percent of teams that made the playoffs after racking up 52 points in 50 games, 55 percent of those teams got into the playoffs with 93 or fewer points. This shows that 94 points would put the Kraken in a decent position to sneak in.
Curtis: Looking at the team’s on-ice play, I’m optimistic. Seattle’s roster is almost entirely healthy now, and the last three games against St. Louis, Columbus, and San Jose were actually three of the team’s strongest in terms of controlling overall shot quality (yes, I know they went 1-1-1 in those games and faced two bad opponents). Add to that strong play in goal, and there is reason to be confident this team will perform well down the stretch.
I must admit to some nagging pessimism, though. As has been discussed, the numbers indicate it is still an uphill climb to make the playoffs. But, more than that, I worry the team will get trapped in an “in between” position where it isn’t a true playoff threat but doesn’t sell either and misses a chance to acquire additional assets for the future. It’s an uncomfortable way to watch these games.
Darren: I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned the team’s health, Curtis. I’m sometimes too optimistic for my own good, but Seattle can win in a lot of different ways when healthy. Dave Hakstol has only had the luxury of rolling four lines for a handful of games this season, and coming out of the break, the team should be as healthy as it has been since Opening Night (and deeper than they were on Opening Night, since Tatar wasn’t here yet).
If they can stay relatively healthy down the stretch, I think the Kraken have a strong chance at the playoffs.
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Now it is your turn. What would be your responses to these questions? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.