As the Seattle Kraken’s fifth season gets underway, the Strive for 95 series returns. Most teams that reach 95 points qualify for the playoffs, making it a strong benchmark to track Seattle’s progress.

Like last season, the Kraken begin with a new coaching staff, but this year’s focus is on regaining their defensive identity. Last year, Seattle ranked 16th in goals scored (247). Among teams that made the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils actually scored fewer goals than the Kraken. Defense was the issue—the Kraken ranked 24th with 265 goals against. Head coach Lane Lambert was brought in during the offseason and is focused on tightening the team’s defensive structure.

Team tiers

For those new to this series, we at Sound Of Hockey split NHL teams into three categories: Playoff Bound, Bubble, and Tankers. To reach 95 points, a team needs a .579 points percentage. No game in the NHL is a gimme, but tiering teams helps gauge the difficulty of the Kraken’s schedule and level-sets expectations.

• Playoff Bound – Teams expected to comfortably make the playoffs, generally among the league’s top performers last season.
• Bubble – Teams fighting for a playoff spot, most likely battling for wild-card positions.
• Tankers – Teams likely to miss the playoffs, making them Seattle’s most favorable matchups.

The biggest category is the Bubble teams, which includes 17 clubs. With a new season underway, many are still finding their footing as offseason moves settle in. I expect a few Bubble teams to slip into the Tankers category as the season progresses, and perhaps a couple will rise to the Playoff Bound tier.

These tiers are fluid and will update as the season progresses. In the NHL, only 16 teams make the playoffs—eight from each conference. Currently, 10 teams fall into the Playoff Bound category, leaving six playoff spots up for grabs: three in the East and three in the West.

Breakdown of point percentages

The NHL schedule consists of 82 games. When aligned with the team tiers, the Kraken play 27 games against Playoff Bound teams, 41 against Bubble teams, and 13 against Tankers. While no matchup is an automatic win, victories against Tankers should be more attainable than those against elite teams. Therefore, we can expect higher point percentages against Tankers, moderate against Bubble teams, and lower against Playoff Bound opponents.

These projections will adjust throughout the season based on Seattle’s pace. For now, the projected breakdown looks as follows:

October targets

After two home wins to start the year, Seattle is off to its best start in franchise history. The vibes are high, but perspective matters—it’s only two games. The Kraken now embark on a six-game road trip that will give them an early-season test. The trip includes their first of 13 back-to-back games this season, meaning a backup goalie will see action. Seattle went 0-12 in second legs of back-to-backs last year, a glaring area for improvement. This trip ties for their longest of the season, with another six-game swing coming in March.

Seattle plays 10 games in October: five against Playoff Bound teams, four against Bubble teams, and one against a Tanker. With two wins already under their belt and eight games remaining, Seattle has set the stage for a potentially bountiful October.

• Playoff Bound teams (four-point target) – Seattle has already defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in an overtime thriller on Oct. 11. Remaining opponents in this group include Toronto (Oct. 18), Washington (Oct. 21), Winnipeg (Oct. 23), and Edmonton (Oct. 25). The Capitals game will be an early measuring-stick game, as it’s the second leg of a back-to-back against a strong opponent. Target: four points. With two already secured, the Kraken have a chance to build momentum.
• Bubble teams (five-point target) – Seattle opened with a win over Anaheim despite getting heavily outshot in the first period. The target here is five points. The Kraken face Montreal twice this month (Oct. 14 and Oct. 28) and Ottawa once (Oct. 16). Ottawa has struggled early, allowing an average of 4.67 goals against through three games.
• Tanker teams (two-point target) – Seattle’s lone game in this group is Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, the first leg of a back-to-back. This could be a good spot to start one of the backup goalies.

Overall, the bar to stay on pace is 11 points, and with four already secured, October is shaping up as an opportunity to get ahead of schedule.

Monthly updates

Each month, I’ll update this series to track Seattle’s progress toward the 95-point goal. After an offseason with no flashy additions, the Kraken have quickly reignited optimism with only two games played. This road trip comes at a perfect time—it’s long enough for the team to jell and provides a chance to evaluate the backup goaltending situation. Plus, Seattle’s 2024 first-round pick, Berkly Catton, remains with the team and could make his debut this month (perhaps on the road trip?).

The Kraken’s best October to date was 11 points last season, though that came in 11 games. With 10 this year, matching or surpassing that total would put them ahead of pace as they strive for 95.

Comment below with your thoughts on the Kraken’s start and your expectations for October and the season ahead.