The Seattle Kraken managed two out of four possible points in a light week on the schedule. If you had told me that the Seattle Kraken would come away with two points from games against the red-hot Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, I would have been happy. Still, something about these two games left me a little concerned.
Generating offense
We knew this team would look different this season, with a greater focus on structure and a more defensive mindset. Naturally, that means some offensive output would have to take a hit. Gone are the risky offensive-zone pinches or dicey forechecks that might lead to an odd-man advantage the other way.
So far, it’s working. This Kraken team continues to enjoy the best start in franchise history, and as of Monday morning, they’re sitting in a Wild Card spot with a 5-2-4 record.
That said, they’ve struggled to generate much offense. Seattle is averaging 2.73 goals per game, down 0.26 from last season, which ranks 24th in the NHL. It’s hard to call that an “issue,” given their record, but it’s at least an area for improvement.
A big driver behind the lower scoring rate appears to be a lack of shot volume. The Kraken are averaging the fewest shots on goal per game in team history and currently sit dead last in the league in that category.
In a vacuum, that trend is concerning, but given their record, it may just be the cost of winning with this system. It’s also worth noting that Jared McCann has now missed six straight games, and his return could certainly help spark the offense.
Other musings
- One thing I worried about early this season was whether this team could come back from multi-goal deficits with such a defense-first approach. While it didn’t end in victory, the Kraken erased a three-goal deficit in the third period against Montreal, proof that they can still come back. I was pleasantly surprised.
- Saturday’s 13 shots on goal against the Rangers marked the lowest total in a game in franchise history.
- The Rangers’ top line of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and J.T. Miller dominated on Saturday. They didn’t get on the scoresheet, but they combined for 11 of New York’s 25 shots in regulation and seemed to play all their shifts in the offensive zone.
- One area that still needs work for Seattle is the penalty kill. The good news: the Kraken killed all three of their penalties on Saturday. The bad news: they gave up a season-high nine shots against while doing it.
- Saturday also marked the sixth overtime game of the season. The Kraken only had 13 all of last year. They’re now 2-0-4 in games that reach overtime.
- The San Jose Sharks have also played six overtime games this season, and they will visit Seattle on Wednesday.
- It was great to see Kaapo Kakko back in the lineup on Saturday, though it’ll take some time for him to look like the Kakko we saw late last season. He played most of the game alongside Shane Wright and Mason Marchment, but about halfway through the third, he ended up playing a few shifts with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle.
- One thing that could help Seattle’s scoring woes: getting Eeli Tolvanen going. He has yet to score this season. At this same point last year, he had four goals.
- Joey Daccord started his ninth game of the season. I’ve been a little concerned about him being overworked, but there are actually 14 goalies league-wide with nine or more starts, and the schedule has allowed him time to recuperate between games, so maybe I shouldn’t worry (yet).
- Berkly Catton had just two shifts and 1:17 of ice time in the third period on Saturday. I think he’s shown he can play in the NHL, but once the roster is fully healthy, I’m not sure he gives them the best chance to win every night.
- In case you missed it, Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien was named the OHL Player of the Month for October after posting seven goals and 19 assists in 12 games for the Brantford Bulldogs. He’s already added six more points in two games to start November.
Jake O’Brien was unstoppable this weekend!
The @SeattleKraken prospect tallied 8 points this weekend, earning him the @cogeco #OHLPOTW honours.
DETAILS 🗞️: https://t.co/4A1oSkD2Y3@BulldogsOHL | @Flohockey pic.twitter.com/KiFDfNIRrA
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 13, 2025
Goal of the week
Nice goal by former Kraken Andre Burakovsky
ANDRE BURAKOVSKY GOES THROUGH HIS LEGS *AND* THE DEFENDER’S FOR THIS GOAL 🤯🚨
WHAT. A. GOAL. pic.twitter.com/fLdUOjWY49
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 31, 2025
Player performances
Brandon Montour (SEA) – Monty had three goals and one assist in two games this week. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Kraken might have come away empty-handed without him.
Julius Miettinen (EVT/SEA) – The big Finnish prospect is off to a strong start with the Everett Silvertips, posting two goals and three assists over the weekend.
Connor Bedard (CHI) – The 2023 first-overall pick had three goals and four assists in his last three games. He enters Monday’s matchup against Seattle riding a four-game point streak.
The week ahead
The Kraken play four games this week, Monday vs. Chicago, Wednesday vs. San Jose, then a dreaded back-to-back road set on Saturday and Sunday against St. Louis and Dallas, respectively.
The Blackhawks and Sharks won’t be easy matchups; both have been playing well lately. Chicago (5-4-3) has been hovering around the wild card bubble, and Monday marks Burakovsky’s first game back in Seattle since being traded to the Blackhawks this summer. Burky is off to his best start since his first season with the Kraken in 2022–23.
I’m especially curious to see how Seattle matches up against San Jose. The Sharks are full of young talent but have struggled defensively, allowing four goals per game, second most in the NHL. Can the Kraken take advantage of that?
It’s still a bit early to throw around “must-win” talk, but this week presents a real opportunity to bank some points. Five out of eight would be solid; six would be outstanding.
And finally…
It’s still early, but the Kraken are above .500 and in a wild card position, and that’s something to be happy about. That said, I’d be lying if I said the lack of offensive production over the last two games doesn’t concern me a little. Based on this week’s matchups, we should get a much clearer picture of whether that concern is warranted.
Are you worried about the offense, or do you think this is just how winning hockey looks with the current roster under Lambert?