It was another roller‑coaster week for the Seattle Kraken, who traded off losses and wins to finish 2–2–0. Things opened with a 6–3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in which the Kraken started late, battled back, but ultimately came up short. Two days later, they skated to a convincing, though not dominant, 4–1 win over the New York Islanders, and it briefly felt like things were back on track heading into a very important Friday night matchup with the Anaheim Ducks.
I don’t have much desire to relive the Ducks game, but as poorly as the Kraken played for the first two periods, they were within one goal for most of the third. They had their chances, too. Look at the Kraken’s shot attempts by period, excluding blocked shots.
I’m not trying to spin that loss, but even in one of their worst games of the season, they were somehow still in it. Then they rebounded Sunday at got a needed 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils.
As of Monday morning, they sit four points back of Anaheim for third in the Pacific Division and are tied with the Sharks and Kings for the final wild‑card spot. San Jose and Los Angeles hold the advantage because they’ve each played one fewer game than Seattle.
Even with all that swirling around, it’s worth zooming out for a second and taking stock of where this team actually sits in the bigger picture.
Sticking around
I wasn’t feeling great about this team after either the Penguins game or the Ducks game, but despite the poor results, the Kraken remain firmly in the playoff mix. Even I need to remind myself that this is all I asked for at the start of the season, and I probably shouldn’t get too emotional after a loss. They’ve had their share of stinkers, but they can beat anyone, which makes tuning in easy. The team is healthy and, believe it or not, starting to score some goals. If they can lock down the defensive structure that defined their early‑season success, they have a decent chance of making the playoffs.
Sabotage returns
For those who haven’t been to a game lately, Kraken game ops brought back “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys as the player‑intro song. The switch happened for the Islanders game, and based on what I saw online, fans had been clamoring for its return. The Kraken were 10–8–5 with “Cochise” by Audioslave as the intro and are 2–1–0 with “Sabotage” this season. I genuinely wonder what went into the decision to insert “Cochise” in the first place and how “Sabotage” made its way back. My guess is fan feedback drove the return, which is nice to think about.
🎶 Sabotage IS back! 🎶 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/hpZOOaqfie
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 24, 2026
Quick thoughts on Shane Wright
I’ve had no fewer than 20 people ask me what’s going on with the Shane Wright narrative, so I feel obligated to share my perspective. We spent a good chunk of time on it in the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast, and Curtis Isacke brought the heat with some data on Wright’s season to date, so I highly recommend checking that out (the Wright discussion starts around the 31:40 mark).
Are the Kraken “shopping” Shane Wright? No. Are they listening to offers? Yes, just as they should for every player.
You don’t need to be an insider to see that roughly 20 NHL teams are looking for a center, while the Kraken have five or six centers playing in their lineup every night. Center is where Seattle’s depth lies, and to acquire a top‑six, high‑end, goal‑scoring winger, you have to give up something of value.
Theoretically, any center could be available, but only a few would fetch the return Seattle needs, which is where Wright enters the conversation. It really is that simple. I’m not disputing that discussions are happening, but I am not sure Wright will be traded this season.
Other musings
- Sunday’s win was their first against the Devils since January 2023. They have still never won in New Jersey. The only other team they haven’t beaten on the road is Utah.
- For the ninth time in the last 10 games, the Kraken gave up the first goal. It’s a trend that has been all too common after they opened the season so strong in scoring first. They’re 16–6–3 when scoring first and 7–13–6 when allowing the first goal.
- Naturally, after I just posted about how good the Kraken’s special teams have been lately, they went 0‑for‑4 on the power play and allowed two goals on the penalty kill.
- After going 27 games without a goal, Berkly Catton now has five in his last 11. He’s tied with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann for the most goals in that span despite playing significantly fewer minutes.
- One small thing I picked up on Sunday was the “face-off and change” pattern in the third period. Several times, Chandler Stephenson took a defensive‑zone draw with Freddy Gaudreau on the wing. They aren’t on the same line, but more than a couple of times I noticed head coach Lane Lambert sending them out together for the face-off, and once the puck was cleared, one of them would change.
- It’s been 16 years since I started the NHLtoSeattle grassroots movement, and 13 years since the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. I mention them together because I remember feeling emboldened by that run to back‑to‑back Super Bowls and the civic pride that washed over the city. It validated what I was doing and reminded me of the value sports bring to a community. Sports bring people together, and I think we need more of that in the world right now. Go Hawks.
Goal of the week
This was an easy one…
Player performances
Carson Rehkopf (CVF) – Rehkopf is no stranger to this section of Monday Musings, but it has been a while since we mentioned him. He recorded his first professional hat trick on Wednesday night.
🧢 CARSON REHKOPF WITH HIS FIRST PRO HAT TRICK!!!!! 🧢 4-2 FIIIIREEEEBIRDDSSSSS! pic.twitter.com/pIktElzQdC
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) January 22, 2026
Jake O’Brien (BRA/SEA) – The Kraken’s 2025 first‑round pick returned to the Brantford Bulldogs lineup last Sunday and has 10 points in four games.
Logan Morrison (CVF) – Morrison has points in eight of his last 10 games and has quietly put up strong numbers for the Firebirds. He has 20 goals in 39 games this season and is on pace for 37.
The week ahead
I’m sure I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but with six points on the table this week, the Kraken should aim for three. They host the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before hitting the road for a Saturday matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The home games will be a challenge, but they’re catching both the Capitals and Leafs at a good time because neither team is playing its best hockey right now. Vegas has lost three of its last four but still has seven wins in its last 10. If nothing else, this season keeps giving us reasons to stay plugged in and see where the next twist in the ride takes us.