The Seattle Kraken have named Lane Lambert as the third head coach in franchise history, the team announced Thursday. Lambert, 60, brings a wealth of NHL experience to the franchise, both behind the bench and as a former player.
Lambert most recently served as an associate coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2024-25 season, working under head coach Craig Berube. Before that, he held the head coaching role with the New York Islanders for parts of two seasons from 2022-23 through 2023-24. He was replaced by Patrick Roy on January 20, 2024, after compiling a 61-46-20 record (.559 points percentage) in 127 games as the Islanders’ bench boss. At the time of his departure, the Islanders were 19-15-11 (.557), hovering around the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Born in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Lambert played 283 NHL games across six seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Quebec Nordiques. Following his playing career, Lambert built an extensive coaching résumé, including a long tenure as an assistant under Barry Trotz with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders. His time in Washington culminated in a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, when he served as an assistant coach during the Capitals’ Stanley Cup run.
Although Lambert does not have extensive ties to the current Seattle Kraken roster, he was part of the Islanders’ coaching staff during the tenure of current Kraken captain Jordan Eberle, who played on Long Island from the 2014-15 to 2020-21 seasons. That existing familiarity could help establish early communication and leadership dynamics as Lambert transitions into lead his new team.
“After conducting an extensive search, we’re thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach,” said Kraken General Manager Jason Botterill in a team statement. “We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench.”
Lambert replaces Dan Bylsma, who was relieved of his duties on April 21, 2025, after just one season behind the Kraken bench. Bylsma led the team to a 35-41-6 record, which fell short of expectations, particularly after the team’s two big free agent signings last summer. Bylsma was named head coach last summer, replacing the Kraken’s first head coach, Dave Hakstol, who went 107-112-27. Hakstol coached the Kraken to their first playoff appearance in 2022-23, which included the a first-round playoff series victory over the defending champion Colorado Avalanche.
As the Kraken enter their fifth NHL season, Lambert will be tasked with continuing the development of key young players such as Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Jani Nyman, and Berkly Catton, while also guiding the team back to playoff contention. With a mix of emerging talent and established veterans, the expectation is not just growth, but meaningful progress toward becoming a consistent postseason threat. Lambert’s ability to balance player development with immediate results will be central to Seattle’s next phase. It is expected Lambert will round out his coaching staff over the next few months.
Are we pleased? Disappointed? I’m hearing a great big Meh from my more informed friends…
Not crazy about this, recycling a coach that only lasted 1 1/2 years in his last and only run as a NHL head coach.
Who would you have picked from the available options?
I don’t think this is a home run hire, but he’s a good candidate. He’s one of the most experienced and respected assistants in the league. His tenure with NYI was brief, but he had a positive points percentage for a franchise that was a sinking ship before he took over and has only gotten worse since.
Honestly I feel that they backed themselves into a corner by restricting their ability to select their own assistant coaches. Shows they are an over controlling organization and the good candidates looked the other way. Really it’s a moot point who I would have preferred at this point. I do worry that watching the kraken could become much like watching paint dry. His system with the islanders was incredibly boring and hard to watch, not what I’m looking for as a season ticket holder…. Hopefully he changes up his system and we don’t see the islanders 2.0
I feel like they backed themselves into a corner by putting up 76 points on the heels of 81 points, being on their third coach in five seasons, having a front office shuffle, and being in a tough division and conference. Their limited options had nothing to do with the assistants and everything to do with their circumstances.
“If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will”
– Abraham Lincoln
I get what you’re saying but there were insider reports that the mandatory retention of one of our assistant coaches was a factor in missing out on our top coaching candidates. You can try to spin this anyway you want but I’m pretty confident that your insider knowledge isn’t there and you’re just spinning this in a direction that gives you a warm fuzzy.
This move was extremely unconventional and I don’t believe it’s ever happened where a franchise has publicly stated that one of their assistant coaches must be retained by the new coach, honestly how can that not effect your ability to find a head coach.
It’s very unfortunate that the Kraken have chosen PR over winning.
The average tenure of current coaches is 2.4 years. 2 coaches in 4 years is SLIGHTLY ahead of the average. No corner backing whatsever. Coaches also know what’s up and they know Bylsma. If Friedman and Wyshynski are both aware of his personality issues, you bet the rest of GMs and coaches are WAY more aware. The options weren’t limited by any account. I’m shocked so many don’t see Lambert as a good candidate. Of all the other names people keep throwing around, he’s one of the most promising candidates. Love has 1/5 the experience and nothing there says “guaranteed to get my team to play well” any more than Lambert. Sullivan won 2 cups with a PRIME and STACKED Pens team and has then been extremely underwhelming with that roster (don’t blame him for the last three years… old expensive guys clogging up the system), the rest of the available coaches have nothing really exciting to offer either. Hell even Tocchet’s resume is underwhelming. I feel like a bunch of folks invented this world where Mitch Love was some god tier candidate but taking a step back and being objective about it will tell you otherwise
@RealityCheck…
I say “backed themselves into a corner” in response to Nino. Realistically, given the field of available jobs and coaches the Kraken were going to have limited options. I think Lambert is a good get – but I thought the same of Bylsma – and I think someone like Sullivan was simply never going to happen. Lambert was the “belle of the ball” when he got the Isle’s job… but a failing roster and Lamoriello flailing to keep his job spelled an early exit.
John talked about this quite a bit on the pod, but I think there’s a lot more there with Lambert than folks realize.
I assume the “insider” report you’re referring to was the Anthony Di Marco report on Daily Faceoff that stated:
“Speaking with an NHL executive on Tuesday, it sounds like the Kraken had their hearts set on Tocchet before shifting gears to Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love; the deal was close with Love but fell through at the finish line. SOME BELIEVE that there is a condition for the next head coach in Seattle to retain current assistant coach Jessica Campbell, who was promoted along with former bench boss Dan Bylsma; this condition could be throwing a wrench into finalizing their next head coach.”
Tocchet was going to Philadelphia… period. Mitch Love is hardly a “top coaching candidate” and it’s difficult to think the Kraken would go with a first time coach at this point. You can wring your hands all you want over the Campbell thing… the Kraken were never getting a “top” coach and your interest in twisting this into some sort of determining factor of this franchise is telling.
I honestly don’t give a frogs fat ass who the assistants are at this point and I’ve no “warm and fuzzy” for Campbell, but trying to heap so much derision on an assistant – of any gender… what a joke.
That is some very creative wording that seems like it was trying to generate controversy out of thin air.
We know I am not a fan of Campbell but given Mitch Love would be coming in as a new head coach at the NHL level, it seems quite dubious that he would already have a handpicked group of assistants that he’d insist on putting into place. So I call bs on Campbell being the reason any purported deal with Love didn’t happen.
Tocchet said he wanted to go back east when he left Vancouver. Sullivan said he wanted to stay on the East Coast. Karle was never leaving Denver and I can’t see Seattle’s mostly casually engaged fans accepting Torts or Quenneville.
This “insider” report isn’t really known at all let alone known for having reliable sources and just talked to some random executive and then added a ton of his own speculation. You need to learn how to read these and parse them so you don’t fall for rage bait again. The Tocchet thing which is what he started with was debunked by this very pod. They didn’t restrict shit. This happens all the time in the NHL where assistants are kept when the new coach comes on and the coach can then decide what roles he wants them in or who he wants to let go. For instance, only Mike Sullivan has officially left the pens. You then jumping to conclusions about the org being overcontrolling when they behave like literally every other hockey team just shows a lack of experience with the league. That’s fine, but you’ll save yourself a lot of misplaced anger if you stop falling for rage bait and use that energy to learn.
There were very few good options that would have taken the job because management wanted the new coach to keep Campbell on board for whatever reason.
Found the misogynist. It’s very telling when people run with a side comment from someone no one had ever heard of before. Where was this fake outrage when we kept assistants from Hakstol for Byslma? It happens all the time yet this time people are mad…
There was no mandate from ownership that any coaches must be retained last time. A new coach was appointed and it seemed as though it was his decision whether he retained assistant coaches or not, no comparison between the two situations.
There is as yet no mandate here either. It’s funny watching people make shit up
And no there wasn’t a story. There was SPECULATION from a random reporter. Stop regurgitating rage bait bud. It’s a bad look
The people defending someone only because of their gender seem to be the most upset about this situation. It all narrows down to a coach wants the freedom to be able to put together a staff that fits the system he wants to run.
Has their been any actual reporting that retaining the assistants was an issue for anyone they interviewed?
Chas G, yes there was a story out the day before the hiring that stated insider reports were that it was a factor in not landing our top candidates. I feel like it’s possible that report forced the krakens hand to just hire anyone that would accept the job asap.
It’s funny seeing the mental gymnastics people do to avoid accepting reality and just admit they have a problem with a woman coach. I’ll repeat it for you… MOST teams retain so subset of the assistants. This is not new. Hell the Pens are in the exact situation right now. I’m not even defending Jess (though by all accounts she did a good job). I’m combatting spreading speculation from a no name reporter and people twisting said rage bait to justify their misogyny.
It is quite telling that no one is mad Bob Woods and Dave Lowry are still assistants. Question why this is bothering you so much
Who has he ever developed? Desperate pick, park the bus style defense, probably more coddling of the vets. Nothing dynamic about this guy or his record. More recycling, bad sign from Botterill
Given the realistic options I’m pleased. 93 points in 82 games and 49 points in 45 games.
Let me be the first to say that I’m guessing at his initial press conference he will announce that Jessica Campbell has a new role as associate head coach or something similar. Either way my guess is that he will speak about her taking on more duties. I’m honestly surprised she wasn’t named head coach. I think he is somewhat handcuffed on exactly what decisions are his. Unfortunately, just like the Mariners, the office folk are too meddlesome! A puppet hire.
Lambert’s resume does not give us a lot to be excited about, but that is not necessarily a disadvantage. He has been on the staffs of some really good coaches, but he has never had a real chance to establish himself as a bench boss. He could be a kind of high-risk/high-reward pick, which, given the situation that the Kraken are in, is not a bad tack to take. We’ll see. It will be interesting to hear from him.
My concern is that it’s a reactionary hire to “fix” bad defense, just like hiring Byslma was to “fix” the offense. It feels like another move by a front office without a plan for the Team’s style and roster construction. Ultimately the team is a at point where half the roster needs significant transition so it’s unlikely to matter much.
Okay, I am really, seriously liking the fact that, when I look up Lane Lambert on Invidious the search results are full of videos of him fighting guys. Will he get guys to stand up for their teammates so that embarrassing events like when the Ducks came here don’t happen? That alone would make so much of a difference for this team.
This team has really boxed itself into a corner and having that playoff success in year 2 could be seen as a detriment. It set expectations too high for a team that somehow had the 2nd highest shooting percentage in the league despite not having any high end talent. That reality came crashing down in year 3 and Hak paid the price. Then we bring in Disco who they should’ve kept in CV where he was doing a great job and somehow we get even worse. We barely have an All-Star player nevermind a Superstar player (which all Cup contenders have if not multiple) so regardless of who’s behind the bench we can only pray to be 4th in the West at best. Vegas flipped the script on how quickly an expansion team can have success and in reality it couldn’t be repeated ever again. This is now Botterill’s team (I think) and hopefully he can succeed where Ron didn’t and it starts with seeing if our young players are going to be the future by getting them ice time. Catton, Yani, Winterton, and others should be playing a ton of minutes this year as we need to have them grow so we can be good as soon as possible.
I told my 12 year old that the Kraken’s new head coach is Lane Lambert, and he said that sounds like a superhero alias. Good call by him.
As for whether Lambert will actually save the day, who the heck knows.
There was this old Almost Live skit (a Seattle comedy tv show in the 90’s ) called “the Lame List” and I keep thinking now we should have the Lane List.
The Lane List or What’s Bleak This Week
Jay Woodcroft would have been a lot more exciting a hire for me, but ah well. Hopefully we will transcend “meh” hockey this time around.
One article I read excitededly talked about him being reunited with Stephenson, Grubauer, and Burakovsky from the 2018 Caps team. Two of those players should be bought out immediately, while Stephenson’s numbers will eventually sag under the overpay contract and get bought out a couple years down the road.
Why buy them out? Buyouts are bad cap management unless there is someone specific to give that freed-up cap space to. Grubauer seems to want to leave now (I don’t blame him), so maybe a tanker looking to hit the cap floor will take some of that contract if he is packaged with an asset like a draft pick or a prospect. Burakovsy is over-payed (unless we get lucky and Lambert gets his old player back to his old form), but it would be a waste to dump him without someone to spend the cap space on. Right now the team is well under the cap in a weak free agency market. Even after they get some of their own free agents re-signed they are going to have more than enough cap space to throw at whoever they may like apart from Marner.
Speaking of who they may like, given that Lambert is now the coach, I wonder if Kyle Palmieri is interested in following his old coach to the opposite coast. If they can get him on a short-term deal, he would be a really good guy to have around the young fellas. At his age he is no kind of long-term answer, but he knows the new system and would make the transition easier for a linemate like, say, Shane Wright. Then again, Jordan Eberle has also played for Lambert and could handle that role just as well. Will just one of those guys be enough, or will Catton join the big club and need some veteran help on his right side as well?
I sure would not be opposed to picking up another high-character veteran with some scoring touch. I invite you to read up on how Palmieri got to free agency. The Isles didn’t want to let him go, but the mess with their GM situation let him slip away. Also, he is coming off a couple good years which may indicate that his skills are of the kind that age well. That’s a guy who makes a team better right now and at a position (RW) that the Kraken need. Go get ’em, Botterill!
The bad cap management was in the bad contracts themselves. If you get on the wrong bus, the best time to get off is next stop. Buyouts can make fiscal sense, especially with the cap expected to rise dramatically in the next few years. You’d have no shot at a Marner, or an Ehlers, for instance, if you had $11M pointed at Burakovsky and Grubauer combined. Their cap recapture penalty would be much smaller now (when you need it) but for longer term (when you have plenty of cap). I’d also pass on guys in their late 30s. We’ve got plenty of veterans, and the prospects are coming.
I would not want the team to go after Ehlers. Throwing big money at yet another twenty-plus goal-scoring left-handed winger seems like a waste. Marner would fill a position of need, but no way he goes to Seattle for anything short of an absolutely wild over-payment. Then there are the questions about his playoff performances. The most likely form that a contract to lure Mitch Marner would take is that of an enormous albatross.
All the young up-and-comers is a great reason to go for one of the guys pushing thirty-five–they help out in the right now and then get out of the way just in time. But I guess Palmieri got re-signed anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Damn. I know that everyone wants to upgrade the roster, but no real upgrades are available in free agency. There’s Brock Boeser, but he would want a longer contract that would block a young winger and would not move the needle a lot. It looks to me like all we can hope for is a wild swing at an offer sheet or for a trade opportunity to drop into Botterill’s lap.
You’re both wrong in assuming they were bad contracts and that they were bad cap management. No point in addressing the rest since you’re starting from such a shaky foundation knowledge wise
FYI, the Islanders just signed Palmieri to a two-year, $4.75M AAV extension, so he’s no longer a free agent option. I think the Kraken have enough veterans to fill that mentor role anyway and should be prioritizing acquiring younger players this offseason to complement their young core.
I predict Lambert will be the Kraken head coach for at least 90 regular season games.
Do you guys know if there will be a presser introduction?
Middle of next week. Specific time TBD.
Change of plans. Now Monday, June 9. Specific time TBD.
To me, there were two things I thought the Kraken needed out of whoever they hired as their next head coach:
1. To reinstall a solid defensive structure/system, which cratered under Bylsma.
2. To further the development of the Kraken’s young core (Beniers, Wright, Evans, Nyman, etc.) and help each of them take the next step.
If Lambert can accomplish both of those tasks, I think he’ll do fine as Seattle’s head coach. From what I’ve read/heard so far, I feel good about his ability to install a good defensive structure. Whether he’s the right guy to properly develop the young Kraken players is a bit more of an unknown. We’ll see how things play out, though.
Just watched TopShelf’s take on the hire and boy was he confused by what has been going on with the franchise. That makes two of us.
To me, this is just another milquetoast move, for a franchise that has been full of milquetoast moves from the very start. No guts in the executives or coaches they hired or the players they signed or drafted.
The ship really looks adrift. Buffalo no. 2 without the rabid fans and the individually skilled players.
What this hiring signals big time is that (1) the Kraken really screwed this up when there were more top coaches available last summer and they chose Disco Dan and (2) no top coach wants to come here, because the Kraken are Buffalo no. 2.
If one looks around at all the teams that missed the playoffs, you can make a case how they will be a playoff team within 3 years. The gaps are evident but can be closed over a few seasons and they all have at least one potential star player. I honestly cannot say that about the Kraken,
There is not a single potential star anywhere in the organization. Catton is the best shot but he might get toasted playing against the Barkovs and Bennetts of the league. Things should be looking up going into year 5 but this is the least optimistic I have felt. You?
You watching TopShelf and thinking he’s informed explains a lot. Pretty much nothing you said is accurate, which I’d expect from Top Shelf. Not so much an alleged fan of the franchise that reads this site. It’s fascinating to watch someone so sure of a conviction and invent a reality that explains it. Thanks for the case study.
You should look at your own psychology this day and find out why you feel you can try to rain on someone’s comment without making a single substantive point. This invalidates your entire post and shows you have nothing to add, so why bother commenting at all? It is to feed your ego that you think you have some expertise when you are likely just another of these never played the game desk jockeys who make pointless comments about a sport they know nothing about trying to pass themselves off as experts. Learn something before commenting so you do not look like such a fool.
TopShelf is insightful and honest, more than most of the other hockey talking heads. His entire video on the Kraken was spot on. Again, learn something about the sport before commenting.
Aw look at all the ad hominems. That must have hit home: please post your hockeydb profile.
You doubling down on Top Shelf being informed is quite funny. It’s cool you think that the game can be boiled down to a stat sheet (which is all he ever uses to make those videos as he doesn’t watch every teams entire season of games). I’ll give you honest though. He’s never been dishonest, he just doesn’t have a lot of context. Not his fault. No one can be expected to watch every teams entire catalog of games in detail.
Now let’s destroy one of your points. Lane Lambert is the most qualifier available candidate on the market who was a realistic option. He’s got great pedigree and has won a cup behind the bench. Tocchet wanted to be back east and Love has 1/5 the experience.
You’re welcome for the education!. Also please post your hockeydb credentials. It’s funny watching you lash out like a toddler though just for being called out for an uninformed take. Some would take that as an opportunity to learn, others react like this… a wall of text of personal attacks. You do you champ!
Kind of feel like John MacLean is going to be named as an asst coach in the coming weeks.
Lane Lambert’s background suggests he’ll be at least competent, but it’s hard to see him as a coach who’s dynamic and inspiring enough to help lead the Kraken team out its’ current malaise. We’re going into year 5, the honeymoon period is over and all we have is a “win now” (easier said than done) mandate from a desperate, meddlesome ownership group when building from within would provide better results in the long-term. Of course, to build from within a team needs to draft REALLY WELL and the results have been mixed so far….
Currently, the elephant in the room is the Hockey News article stating the team’s insistence on retaining Jessica Campbell hindered their HC search. Did Rick Tocchet (and others) really pass on the Kraken HC vacancy because they couldn’t bring in their own assistants? If that’s true, it’s inexcusable and the last thing ownership should do if their primary interest is the team’s success.
This really isn’t about Jessica Campbell. Questions regarding the “steepness” of her coaching trajectory have been noted, but If she’s able to help younger players improve their skillset and maximize their abilities (a strength of hers) then she’ll deserve credit. Even more so if she can help improve the Kraken’s PP and/or penalty killing. If so, she’ll have a long and successful coaching career – during which she’ll be hired and fired many times.
The real issue, though, is this just another example of meddlesome ownership dictating/making decisions that should be made by the “hockey professionals” in the building. I read an article recently that suggested the Kraken are basically the Buffalo Sabres minus the rabid fan base. Perception matters – how many coveted free agents and/or players with NTAs will take the risk come to Seattle given the franchise’s lack of direction and quality ownership?
The Hockey News article is a quote of a Daily Faceoff article that was thin to the point of being ridiculous. Tocchet was never signing in Seattle… period. That had nothing to do with Campbell or ownership.
What makes you say “mixed results” when it comes to drafting? Obviously, by nature every team is going to have mixed results drafting, but it sounds to me like you’re saying they’ve been less than expected. It seems to me if you’re building through the draft, the Kraken have done exceptionally well considering what their options have been and the amount of time they’ve had.
I’m not sure ownership is making decisions that Ops should be making. Holloway seems – to me – to be saying this team should be better than it’s results. I also think, however, that Ops is probably the ones telling her that. This team should be better than it’s results and the fact that they not just shrugging and saying, “oh well”… I like it.
You seem to be confusing so many things. Tocchet wanted to be back east with his family. A no name writer on Dialy Faceoff SPECULATED that Jess was a blocker for Love but he had no sources for that. In fact all of his “insider” info has been debunked on this pod.
There’s zero indication ownership is meddling with anything on the hockey ops side here. You’ve developed this narrative in your head and you’re trying to make things fit to justify it but none of this is based in actual n reality. Hell your comments about our drafting being mixed are next level not based in reality. Every prospect pool ranking has us in the top 10 (some as high as 6). Shane and Matty are developing well. Nyman has clearly taken a huge step. Kokko looks like a legit goaltending of the future. We also have a few guys like Winterton who can now realiably backfill when we have injuries but are also developing nicely.
It might be time to step back and do some research. I think the emotions of the season are clouding your vision.
When is the scheduled press conference for the official announcement of Lane Lambert as HC of the Kraken? I have heard both Tuesday and Wednesday, the 3rd and 4th. I have seen nothing on the Kraken website or Seattle Times.
Curtis mentioned Monday the 9th yesterday… no time yet.