As the Kraken embark on their fourth season, Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord are set to again share time between the pipes. Seattle was a top-10 team in goals against (232) and save percentage (.909) during the 2023-24 season, but notably, it was the only top-10 team in goals against that missed the playoffs.
Kraken goaltending has improved every year since the team’s inception. Will it take another positive step in the upcoming season?
Goalies under contract
Grubauer and Daccord are the only two goaltenders under contract with NHL experience within the Kraken organization. Grubauer has three years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.9 million. Daccord is entering the final year of his two-year contract with a cap hit of $1.2 million. General manager Ron Francis will need to make a decision on Daccord’s future within the next year, but at least to start the season, and barring injury, the goaltending positions do not appear to be open for competition.
How they fared last year
Grubauer has faced scrutiny for his performance over the first three years of his Kraken tenure, some of which is warranted; his save percentage has yet to eclipse .900 for a full season with Seattle. However, as Kraken goaltending as a whole has improved year over year, he too has taken positive steps with each campaign, with last season being his best statistically since joining the Kraken.
Grubauer missed two months due to a lower-body injury between December and February, limiting him to 36 games on the season. Even after he returned, then-coach Dave Hakstol continued running Daccord out as the starter for a couple more weeks before Grubauer finally returned to game action on Feb. 13, when he re-took the 1A goaltender role for the remainder of the season, playing in 19 games down the stretch.
During this span, he posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA). If you exclude the game against Montreal on Mar. 24, when he was pulled, his save percentage improves to .918. The Kraken as a whole did not fare well in their final 30 games, going 13-14-3, but Grubauer was in net for nine of the 13 wins. He also faced tougher competition, starting seven games against playoff-bound teams compared to Daccord’s four. Grubauer finished the season with a 9-7-1 record over his last 17 starts.
The 2023-24 season marked Daccord’s full-time arrival in the NHL. The 27-year-old goaltender was not eligible to be considered a rookie but made a strong impression in his first full season. His standout moment came in front of 47,000 fans during the Winter Classic, where he shutout the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0.
He also played a key role in the Kraken’s franchise-best nine-game winning streak. Unfortunately, following the streak, the Kraken went 2-6-1 and fell out of playoff contention. Daccord finished the season with 50 games played and ranked sixth in the NHL in GAA (2.46) and save percentage (.915). However, he cooled off in the latter part of the season, finishing 4-7-2 with a .898 save percentage and a 2.73 GAA from mid-February onward.
Who is the starting goaltender?
Both goalies made a case to be the starter with their performances last season. But who will ultimately snag that “1A” role to start 2024-25?
The case for Grubauer
Grubauer finished last season strong and has the experience and contract to be the Kraken’s starter. Though that big contract isn’t the reason to give him the job, the Kraken (and I) want to see him succeed, and he’ll be given the opportunity to do so. At 32 years old, staying healthy, getting into a rhythm early in the season, and continuing his solid play from last season are crucial.
The case for Daccord
Daccord excelled when Grubauer was sidelined, leading the Kraken to a 12-7-3 record with a .935 save percentage and a 1.996 GAA—numbers that would be worthy of Vezina consideration if maintained for a full season. However, these numbers dropped once Grubauer returned, and the Kraken faded from the playoff discussion. New head coach Dan Bylsma has seen Daccord’s success firsthand for two years at the AHL level, which means he will not hesitate to swap goalies if either netminder struggles.
The “Starter”
My projection is the Kraken will likely continue their 1A/1B goaltender strategy in the 2024-25 season, with Grubauer starting as the 1A and Daccord as the 1B. I project a 60/40 split in starts, but this will be fluid as the season progresses. Hopefully, the coaching staff can get both goalies operating at peak performance, giving the Kraken a stable duo for the entire season. Grubauer’s play at the end of last season is the main reason for getting the 1A role, but he will have to work and continue to perform to keep it. Competition here is a good thing.
Coachella Valley Firebirds
Three goalies are expected to compete for the AHL affiliate roster this year.
- Ales Stezka: Signed a one-year, two-way deal.
- Niklas Kokko: Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
- Victor Ostman: Undrafted free agent signed from the University of Maine.
One of the younger goalies, Kokko or Ostman, will likely play in the ECHL with the Kansas City Mavericks. Kokko is transitioning from Liiga and will need time to adjust to the North American game. Ostman recently signed as a free agent out of college. My hunch is that Ostman will be assigned to the ECHL, Kokko will be the backup in Coachella Valley, and Stezka will be the starter. If the Kraken need to recall a goalie during the year, it will be interesting to see who they bring up. Stezka is waiver-eligible and could be claimed by another team, while Kokko and Ostman are exempt from waivers, though that shouldn’t prevent Stezka from getting a callup if he’s needed at the NHL level. All three goaltenders have zero NHL experience.
Kraken goaltending outlook
To be clear, goaltending was not the Kraken’s issue last year. With a solid blue line, if they can continue to improve in this area, they will be a very difficult team to score against. However, I expect some regression as the Kraken focus on increasing goal scoring, as the extra pressure to create offense could lead to defensive lapses. Bylsma has two quality goaltenders, but the depth chart ends there, so Seattle will also need good health from Daccord and Grubauer. Assuming both do remain healthy, competition between Grubauer and Daccord should help push each goaltender to get better.
I’m ready with the “Gruuuuuuu” and “Joey, Joey, Joey” chants when the Kraken hit the ice in a few weeks. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below. You can find me on the X at @blaizg.
Kind of a 50/50 choice between the two. If Grubauer starts the season as the number 1 he probably at some point will be injured once again forcing Daccord into the role.
Like last year Joey can really look pretty good if given the opportunity to play consistently.
If were going to throw out a game…
let’s go with the horrendous five minutes forty-one seconds Joey played against Buffalo. If we take away the three goals on four shots he gave up that night, his save percentage after the return of Gru rises to .907 and his goals against average drops to 2.49. While he did “cool off” down the stretch, I think a good deal of that cooling took place over less than six minutes.
As far as win-loss comps… given the absolute dearth of scoring by the Kraken, I wouldn’t put much on records. Again, after the return of Gru, Joey got the loss in four games where he surrender just two goals and another three where he only allowed three.
If we think of “down the stretch” as the final quarter of the season – 21 games – things are a little more even. This also happens to be exactly when Vince Dunn went out with an injury. Over this period Joey got 10 starts and posted .901 SV%, 2.47 GAA, 1.17 GSAA. Gru started 11 games and put up .893 SV%, 3.05 GAA, -1.17 GSAA.
It seemed to me, when Grubauer returned he looked excellent and his numbers bore this out. His shutout against Pittsburgh was the best game I’ve ever seen him play. As the season went on; however, I felt it was him more than Daccord who was tailing off.
I think right now it’s anybody’s job and I don’t think Grubauer has put himself back on top. Furthermore, I think if you look at how Bylsma used Daccord in the playoffs in Coachella, it’s pretty clear he has a ton of faith in him. In his final season with the Firebirds, Joey appeared in 65 games including starting and finishing all 26 playoff games. Even after a five-and-a-half period win, Daccord was given the next start with only one day rest while NHL goalie Chris Driedger watched from the bench.
I’m really excited to see how this plays out…
Go Kraken!!!
The under-usage of Driedger last year was bizarre. He looked to have been perfectly capable of playing NHL games, but the coaches just rode Daccord while Grubauer was out. It seemed like they burned Joey out early, which was what caused his regression at the end of the season, at least to my eyes. I would have preferred to see Driedger pick up several more starts in that stretch when Grubauer was out.
Speaking of injuries, as you noticed the way the whole team, both offensively and defensively, fell off a cliff without Vince Dunn was downright shocking to see. I would be inclined to give those games where Dunn was out less consideration in regard to the performances of other players, even goaltenders like Grubauer and Daccord. Boy, do I hope that Brandon Montour helps with the times when Vince Dunn is not on the ice (even just between Dunn’s shifts). He will be well worth the cap hit if he does.
I also would have liked to see more Driedger…but at the time – while Gru was out – Joey was outperforming every goalie in the league, including Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck. It’s easy for me to see why Hakstol would keep running him out there given how they were still “in it” at that point.
I also think the departure of Dunn is hard to overstate. When he went down, Seattle and St. Louis were tied at six games back of a playoff spot behind a Vegas team that had lost eight of it’s last ten. Add in the departure of Wennberg two games later – the right call I believe – and I think the final twenty games are a total write-off.
Hi Blaiz! Long time no comment ha!
Sorry if this sounds harsh but I have a few issues with this article. It’s a nice summary, but it’s full of statistical fallacies. This whole “removing one game” or whatever is just nonsense. The bigger sample size you have on someone, the more information you’ve gathered on them, period. Good goalies have bad games, but bad goalies (eg Grubauer, especially in his first year) have bad games more often.
Also, this recency bias makes me crazy. Yes the Kraken faded down the stretch, but blaming Daccord who still finished towards the top of major goalie categories and was the primary reason they even sniffed playoff contention is literally insane. You mention he faded down the stretch with a .898 Sv%, also known as basically Grubauer’s Sv% FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. The ONLY argument that one can make (that I don’t buy) is Daccord was not used to starting that many games, so he got tired, but why is the conclusion then that a statistically worse Grubauer should be 1A over him to start the season? Why not have Daccord 60/40 or 70/30 until he gets tired? He’ll only be a .915 goalie if he starts 40% of the time? Or is it that the stupid $$ they committed to Grubauer or our “desire” to see him succeed should supercede the actual 3 years of data we have on him which portray him as a mediocre backup?
Whether we like the free agent contracts they signed this offseason or not (I don’t), at the very least it means they got better for next year, and want to win. To win, you need to play your better players, and Daccord was better than Grubauer over a pretty large sample, and should get the majority of the starts, end of story.
Sorry, my rant is not over ha! Nothing fires me up more than when SOH discusses Grubauer and Daccord.
I noticed something else in the article:
“Grubauer finally returned to game action on Feb. 13, when he re-took the 1A goaltender role for the remainder of the season, playing in 19 games down the stretch.
During this span, he posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA).”
I find it very interesting that you cite Daccord’s peak Hasek-like .935 sv% and 1.996 GAA pre mid-February as well as his “cooled down” .898% and 2.72 GAA, but you ONLY cite Grubauer’s better stats post-Feb above in 19 games. What are his stats PRE mid-Feb, you ask? 3.25 GAA and .884 sv% over 17 games, 4th worst among goalies in the NHL up to that date (>10 GS). Why was that left out? Was it not as meaningful because it happened 8 months ago instead of 5, or because it was only 17 games and not 19? Or are we assuming he was playing hurt, even though it wasn’t mentioned as a possible theory? Why can’t we say that Grubauer is just a really slow starter and Daccord should get most of the starts at the at the beginning of the season, instead of the opposite? My point is, we shouldn’t do either imo, because both arguments based on chopped-up seasons are silly. It just makes the sample sizes LESS meaningful, not more, and shouldn’t be used as justification for playing time going forward.
It just seems like y’all are conflating what the Kraken SHOULD do with what they WILL do. The contract is the big elephant in the room (as you do mention), and if we’re being honest, it will likely and sadly dictate a tandem situation, at least. But you all are fans first, as I am, and what the Kraken SHOULD do is glaringly obvious. Daccord’s floor was better last year, his ceiling was better last year (regardless of their permutations), and his overall was way better than any of Grubauer’s 3 years, including his “best” season last year. Does Daccord need to do more to really prove he’s a legit #1? Sure, but he’s more than earned that shot, and I’m frankly surprised y’all aren’t more staunchly in favor of Joey #1 as I am.
Thank you Boist for your thoughtful comments and insights.
Regarding the sample sizes, you’re absolutely right bigger is better. Grubauer’s career gives him a significant advantage in terms of statistical analysis and holds a career .911 save percentage. However, Daccord’s performance, though limited, has been impressive. The coaching staff will undoubtedly monitor both goalies closely and make decisions based on their performance throughout the season.
As for the Kraken’s late-season struggles, I apologize if my previous statement was unclear. I did not intend to imply that Daccord was solely responsible for the team’s decline. Instead, I wanted to highlight his statistics during that period and the quality of opponents they faced. The five players in front of the goaltenders did not play well down the stretch.
Regarding Grubauer’s early-season numbers. I made the decision to omit them to maintain a clear and concise article. My thinking was it was implied by his overall season numbers.
I believe a 1A/1B strategy will be used, with both goalies seeing significant playing time. While I anticipate Grubauer starting more games initially, the exact split will likely fluctuate throughout the season based on performance.
Daccord is undoubtedly a talented goaltender with a promising future. His active style and puck-handling skills are assets to the team. As fans, we can all hope to see both goalies succeed and form a strong tandem that pushes each other to improve.
I was wondering about his “active style” just the other day. As the season went on he seemed to retreat from that to some degree and I always got the impression Hakstol wasn’t a fan. I’m curious if he’ll go back to being more aggressive under Bylsma again?
I did not seem to notice a less active style, but also with one of the Kraken’s best puckmovers, Vince Dunn, out maybe he just played more conservatively. Bylsma is used to his playing style from the AHL, so I would agree if there was limitations for Hakstol, they will be removed.
Actually… Grubauer returned to “action” on January 23rd and then sat on the bench for the next six games. After the All-Star break, he sat for the last two of his six game sit and finally got a start on night two of an east coast back-to-back against the Islanders. He played excellent in that game; however, an uncredited Will Borgen save was the difference in that game… if I recall correctly.
Personally, I never felt like Grubauer “retool the 1A”. I seemed to me that Hakstol was giving the start to whoever won and for a bit that happened to be Grubauer.
Actually I believe Gru was getting the load at the end of the season and it wasn’t a win a game you play the next situation. Gru started after losing etc…. I think they knew that they were done and with Daccord carrying the load for some time 🔥H wanted to get Gru some games in really nothing more.
In regards to Joey being overworked, yes I believe that he was and could have used some more rest (I’ll blame coaching as we had options) but it’s possible that he preforms better with a #1 goalie workload, keeping a rhythm can be important for goalies.
Every season with the kraken Gru was better down the stretch then he was through the first 3/4 of the season, very bad take to assume that he’s found his form and it will carry over into next season. We’ve seen exactly what Gru is capable of and I’ll admit that yes it’s possible to build a winning team around him but why bother when better options exist. We’re not going to be playing the Avs every postseason….. The worst mistake the kraken could make is letting Joey go after this season if he continues to show he’s capable, Gru was a mistake to start with he needs to be gone after this season. Trade him with a prospect to sweeten the deal, buy him out, whatever it takes.
It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out this season, I hope that both goalies show improvement this season and Gru’s improvement is enough that we could actually convince another team to take on even 75% of his salary. Fingers crossed 🤞
I definitely agree… it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out.
Beginning at the trade deadline the Kraken actually alternated all ten starts for the remainder of the month of March. Unfortunately, they lost eight of those ten so it had the effect of neither goalie getting a start after a loss. After Joey got the final start of the month, Gru got four in a row to start April… and then they went back to every other for the final five games. Joey started 10 of the final 21 and Gru started 11. Those four in a row… Grubauer won three – SJS, ANA, ARI… the three worst teams in the Western Conference. The other game, he surrendered five to the Kings as the Kraken got shutout.
After the departure of Dunn and Wennberg, this team really took a turn. I think it would be a mistake to draw conclusions about the goaltending during this stretch. Gru came back strong… but he didn’t finish strong. Over those final 21 games of the season, he posted an .893 SV%, 3.05 GAA -4.46 xGA in 11 starts. All these numbers were worse than Joey’s.
Joey definitely got a heavy load for a bit there, but on the season he only appeared in 50 games. The season before he played in 65 with Coachella including all 26 of their playoff games over two months and two days. This included almost 90 overtime minutes. You might be onto something with him thriving under a heavy workload.
Lots of intriguing going into the season… stay tuned.
Go Kraken!!!
Another thing I’d like to add….
It really doesn’t impress me that Grubauer has played his best hockey when 1. Was playing his old team that didn’t want him (little bit of revenge motivated play I’m sure) and 2. When his job was being threatened by another goalie.
The way I see it is that he has an issue motivating himself to play at his best and is capable of playing at a higher level than he has shown us 90% during of his games played.
Grubauer, good riddance. I don’t want that overpaid time bomb costing us Daccord.
Joeys a liability in net on a good day. On a bad day, the opponent reads him like a fiddle and continually punishes him for over committing and leaving the net. You saw that more and more at the end of the season when the D couldn’t cover for his mistakes as easily. I’d love to believe Joeys a starter but other than his save % (which is a wretched stat to base anything on) there’s not much encouraging me that he can carry any load and he’s going to end up a career backup. I’d love to be proven wrong this season.
I’m not going to argue about whether you’re right or wrong but have you seen the other option!!! Doesn’t read plays well, slow cross ceases movement… I could go on but what’s the point it’s being beaten like a dead horse. Are you saying that we need a third option?
Your bias is showing. Gru has his flaw but none as easily exploitable as Joeys. Time to open your eyes and put your bias aside. Ideally we have a good starter. Healthy Gru can be that. We saw it in the playoffs and at the end of last season (he had a nagging thing to start the year which all the Gru haters like to forget).
The problem at the end of the season – in my opinion – wasn’t the defense not covering for Joey… it was the absolute lack of scoring.
Seriously, backstopping a team that can’t score and is constantly pressing from behind and he’s still putting up solid numbers down the stretch. Go back, I would say… look beyond save percentage… I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.
Joey – and the whole team – started slow, but I think it’s a myth he was somehow “in the bag” at the end of the season… it’s a total joke. And the notion that Grubauer finished strong – I believe – is also a bit rich.
Over the final quarter of the season – 21 games and his final ten starts – not only did Joey outperform Grubauer, he posted very respectable numbers. I know numbers aren’t as important as vibes, but this revisionist history is getting kind of absurd.
0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1,1… that’s the Kraken goals scored in seven of Joey’s last ten starts. In the other three… he won both games where they scored more than 2 goals. In eight of his starts they scored a total of six goals… but that’s supposedly because the defense wasn’t covering for him? By the way… 2.47 GAA in those 10 starts. He was No.9 in the league on the season at 2.46… so, what was so obvious about the defense not covering for him down the stretch?
I honestly don’t know what to expect this season… but I do know what I actually saw last season… and the two seasons before.
Gru played in front of the same D and didn’t have these problems. The mental gymnastics people will go through to defend their golden boy is unreal. Sometimes you need to use your eyeballs… something the Joey defenders seem unable to do. Knew I’d get this pushback
What I saw after Grubauer returned – I’ll give you the “nagging thing” – was very sharp play and form that faded as the season wrapped up. Down the stretch, in front of the same D, I saw Gru getting back to overcommiting on play below the dots. After Dunn went down, he posted SV% .893, GAA 3.05, -4.46 GSAx – all significantly worse numbers than Daccord. What I saw – and what these numbers suggest to me – is a reversion to his performance since arriving in Seattle.
In regards to not having the same problems – if you’re talking about the lack of goal support – the Kraken scored a total of six goals in five of Grubauer’s final eleven starts.
As far as the playoffs… he had a truly outstanding series – against his old team. Against Dallas, he had a couple good games, but overall, was not impressive in the second round.
I do think the team in front of both these goalies makes it hard to get an actual read on what to expect this season… but regardless, I think a competition between the two will hopefully bring out their best.
How about goalie Jack LaFontaine’s prospects and destination? He’s under contract, played well into the playoffs for their Kansas City ECHL affiliate, and even played some with Coachella Valley. Imho, he’s better than Stezka and Ostman and should be higher in the Kraken goalie “pecking order”. Of course, I am a University of Minnesota alum, and saw many of his games in college too:-) Cheers
It was nice meeting you at the Rookie camp today. He definitely had a great year with the Mavericks, but the Kraken Org has a crowded net in Coachella Valley. I think he will be back in Kansas City with most likely Ostman, but could be Kokko. Then if the Kraken need to call a goaltender, Lafontaine then could make an appearance CV. With Daccord being 28 and Gru being 32, the focus in CV will be to develop one of the drafted goaltenders and get them 3+ years of experience at the AHL level before we need them in the NHL.
Stezka has better success at the AHL, so will probably be the starter in CV, but again the Kraken will be looking to get Kokko/Ostman reps, so we have a goalie of the future.
Jack is not out of it, but he will need to continue his stellar play in the ECHL for him to get a shot.