If you weren’t happy with how the Seattle Kraken played the last two games—losing 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues at home on Wednesday and following that up with an embarrassing 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday—you weren’t alone. It turns out the team’s head coach wasn’t particularly happy about the performances either.
The Kraken were back on the ice Monday for what Lane Lambert called a “spirited, demanding practice.” During a battle drill in one of the end zones, Lambert blew his whistle and yelled a number of things, with one sentence making its way out of the rink and into the ears of onlooking reporters, clear as day.
“F***ing play hard!” he yelled, before blowing his whistle again and restarting the drill.
At the end of the on-ice session, Lambert pulled the whole team into the circle for a quieter conversation.
Seattle is now 2-4-0 since the restart from the Olympic break and is just barely holding the final playoff spot, with the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings both just one point behind.
“We’ve got to look ourselves in mirror,” defenseman Brandon Montour said. “Lane did a good job this morning, kind of just [making us realize] where we’re at as a group and where we should be and what we should be expecting out of each other. Obviously, he’s not happy with how things have been going lately, the energy level, the excitement level, the awareness of just kind of the position we’re in and how much it means and how every game is going to be tough.”
Those were similar sentiments to what Montour shared with the media on Saturday after the Ottawa beatdown, when he referred to the team’s fourth line as its “best line”—both a huge compliment to that trio but also a bit of a shot at the top three lines.
“Last game, obviously, it was a team that is in a similar position with us, fighting to get into the playoffs,” Montour said. “And they wanted it more, and that can’t be the case from here on out.”
“If you’re not excited to be in the games and every game, challenging yourself with teams that are pushing the same way you guys are, with 20 games left this close to the playoffs, then you’ve got another issue. And I think we’ve just got to get back to enjoying and having fun and be excited about the competitive teams that we’re playing and just thrive in those. Cherish that and challenge each other so that we can win those games.”
Lambert’s message has been received by the players. How will they respond Tuesday in a crucial game against the Nashville Predators?
Bobby McMann arrives but is unlikely to play Tuesday
29-year-old forward Bobby McMann, the Kraken’s lone acquisition ahead of Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline, skated with the team for the first time Monday. The Wainwright, Alberta, native looked big and fast, as advertised, but did not take regular line rushes. That indicated he will not play Tuesday while he continues to wait for his P-1A visa to process.
He did mix in a couple of times on the line with Eeli Tolvanen, Chandler Stephenson, and Freddy Gaudreau, with Tolvanen and Gaudreau each skipping a turn or two.
Asked by our buddy Everett Fitzhugh where Lambert sees McMann fitting into the lineup, Lambert said he views McMann as a top-six player for the Kraken, but isn’t sure yet how he will ultimately deploy him. I would guess the plan is for him to replace Gaudreau and skate alongside Stephenson and Tolvanen, but we’ll see how things shape up once McMann is eligible to play.
McMann does sound excited to be in Seattle and had plenty of good things to say about what he’s heard regarding the city, the organization, and the fanbase.
“[Getting traded] was pretty hectic, definitely a long flight,” McMann said. “I just tried to pack all my necessities, get it all in my bags. My girlfriend was a big help with that. And then [I was] just on the plane, got here Saturday night, and then had yesterday to explore, check out the facility here. Great facility, super spacious, all brand-new stuff. It’s pretty sweet to see it, and I’m excited.”
After playing his entire career in the Toronto organization, this represents a massive change for McMann. Still, he wasn’t blindsided by the move, especially after being held out of the Maple Leafs’ lineup for a couple of games for trade-related roster management reasons. The writing was very much on the wall that something was coming.
“It’s not easy, especially with Toronto, I’ve been there my whole career,” McMann said. “And then it was hard coming out of the lineup because I kind of knew something was going to happen, and I was going to switch spots. So then I was just playing the waiting game. It was about 48 hours where I was just kind of waiting, checking my phone every three minutes to see who was calling, if there was any news, and it was down to the last… maybe an extra five minutes on the clock after three o’clock when I got the call, so [the trade] must have went through right at the deadline there.”
McMann to eventually slot in for injured Schwartz
McMann’s arrival has created a big question mark about where he will eventually slot into the Kraken lineup. Remember, general manager Jason Botterill did not offload any players at the deadline, opting instead to add McMann to an already crowded roster in exchange for draft picks.
But a spot has opened up with the unfortunate news that Jaden Schwartz—who suffered a scary injury Saturday when Nick Cousins’ skate made contact with his face—will be out indefinitely. In that sense, McMann’s arrival helps solve that absence once his visa is processed.
But assuming everyone else stays healthy, another player will still have to come out of the lineup to accommodate McMann.
Here’s how the Kraken forwards took line rushes Monday.
Jared McCann / Matty Beniers / Jordan Eberle
Eeli Tolvanen / Chandler Stephenson / Freddy Gaudreau*
Kaapo Kakko / Shane Wright / Berkly Catton
Ryan Winterton / Ben Meyers / Jacob Melanson
*Bobby McMann rotated in for Gaudreau and then Tolvanen
Lambert didn’t provide much of an update on Schwartz beyond reaffirming his “indefinite” status. It was a startling and scary incident, so beyond everything else, we just wish Schwartz a speedy recovery.
Team illness seems to be clearing up
Nobody has used it as an excuse, but there was a bug that swept through the locker room and took Gaudreau and Lindgren out of the lineup Saturday. Both were back on the ice Monday, and Lambert spoke about the illness in the past tense, implying the issue may now be behind the team.
“The illness wasn’t great for us,” Lambert said. “I thought the energy was pretty good today… I thought some of the details that weren’t there Saturday night needed addressing. I thought the guys did a good job of addressing it.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
One other comment Lane made when asked about McMann was something along the line of “We want players who want to be there”. Left me wondering who he was referring to… perhaps the departed Marchment?
Just a completely weird-ass comment, particularly since it seems out-of-context relative to the question. If motivation is the issue, a comment like this isn’t motivational. However, if you sense you’re losing the locker room this is exactly the kind of hard-ass comment you’d expect from and old school coach – which would be totally counterproductive.
I didn’t get take away either of those two meanings from it. It, to me, sounded like a shot at Marchment who definitely seemed like he didn’t care to be here.
It certainly sounded like a dig at Marchment to me as well. John Forslund did a radio interview after Marchment went to Columbus and, though he couched it hypothetically in a very John Forslund way, it implied that Lambert got sick of Marchment’s shit and demanded that Botterill do something.
I don’t think Marchment has any love for Seattle, but I also don’t think it has anything to do with the organization. It has more to do with being forced to play through a grueling seven game series a few seasons ago. Personally, I hate him too. I hated seeing him on the ice and thinking “who is this moron going to injure accidentally on purpose with his constant flailing around?” Good riddance.
…plus, McMann is from the west and seems like could be a great fit. He probably is excited to be here, but only he knows.
Yes it was Marchment. No one else
Well I guess we shall see if Lambert fiery language at practice will motivate the team. The game against Ottawa was a lackluster performance. Last place Canucks played them tough last night. Pretty much shutting them down for the most part.
Tough matchup with Nashville tonight. Season is now practically on the line.
Go Kraken!!!
It’s an interesting problem, when your coach is focusing in slowing the game down and minimizing offensive chances on both ends of the rink it naturally leads to a slower less energy game. It’s difficult for players to flip that switch when needed when they are getting slowly put to sleep.
Then well you get yelled at for not playing with enough energy 😂
I know these guys are pros and should be able to flip that switch during plays when it’s more needed but it’s not that simple. The speed and energy of a game becomes contagious as anyone who plays hockey knows. You want more up tempo hockey than look no further than the coach. It’s just not good enough to encourage that style of hockey then complain about the result. The biggest difference the last two losses was the goaltending not the effort of the players. LL if you don’t like that level of effort then complain about it and do something even when our goaltending saves the day, bottom line it’s you need to play better all the time and it starts with LL.
Kudos to you for not even trying to be taken seriously! If you’re gonna say something dumb, you might as well say the dumbest thing you can think up.
Trolls will troll, yes totally dumb to suggest that the most defensive coach in the NHL might look in the mirror….
So…it’s all Lane Lambert’s fault? I will agree in one sense. When coaches start preaching the “just work harder!” mantra, I also start to get a little nervous, because they aren’t really coaching anymore. What I am seeing is not as much a lack of effort, but more related to poor player execution and individual breakdowns (IE, the usual inconsistencies we see from Larsson, Dunn, Oleksiak…Tolvanen passing a puck OUT of the slot instead of taking a high danger shot). These have nothing to do with working hard, but being stupid, or maybe just forgetting in the moment what they are supposed to do with and without the puck. But this also sometimes looks like players trying to “play harder” and “gripping their sticks too tight” instead of just calmly and confidently executing a system and trusting each other.
Two of those goals last game, as you point out, were definitely on Joey. Apparently also a bug going around, which no one is using as an excuse. I thought we actually looked good for several stretches.
I think both Nino and Seattle G make good comments here (and “TheReckoning” certainly did not). In these last few games (especially the St. Louis one), there seems to be disorganization more than lack of effort. Like they don’t know where their teammates are, making passes to the wrong place and missing coverage. But also, when the coach’s focus is on yelling at players for mistakes and lack of effort on defense, I would imagine that could lead to tentativeness and less energy. But also, a defense-focused approach is most likely to squeeze the most wins out of this roster, so it’s hard to criticize that overall approach, at least for the short term. And so on, back and forth… it’s a quandary. Regardless, really hard for me to root for them to fire yet another coach. It’d be a bad look.
There was definitely a bug going around but we’ve seen a lack of effort all season under LL’s system, it completely makes sense because as I said an extremely defensive system that relies on dumping pucks and safe plays is a system that relies more on positioning than effort and energy.
Mistakes happen regardless of the system you’re playing but they might bite you a little harder if you’re playing flat footed, we certainly don’t have a high energy system in the defensive or offensive system it’s very slow and calculated.
Do I put the entire blame on LL, absolutely not but in the context of what we’re talking about yeah kinda. We’ve seen this all season.
People can complain and find fault all they want, but the team 1) needs a coach and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be Lane Lambert and 2) is actually still in a position to make the playoffs in March. I’m going to enjoy the final stretch no matter what.
In the interview with McMann, in response to the usual questions about what he heard about the Kraken from his friends before coming, I was expecting the usual comment about how it’s a “great organization.” But he only talked about the fans and the city. Nothing about the Kraken organization itself. Maybe — hopefully — it means nothing, but I did notice it…
So…you are implying a guy just traded to Seattle has doubts about the organization.
Well that maybe Carson Soucy, Calle Jarnkrok, whomever else they asked about, might have said non-flattering things about the organization, and he didn’t want to lie and say that they told him the organization was great. So he just focused on the positives they told him about the city and fans. Again, just speculating.
Didn’t see the interview, but Darren wrote: “McMann does sound excited to be in Seattle and had plenty of good things to say about what he’s heard regarding the city, the organization, and the fanbase.” Hope McMann flourishes with Kraken.
I did watch it. I heard the city and fans parts, but not the organization part. Maybe the video didn’t capture the whole thing, or maybe I just missed it. Whatever, I kinda regret even bringing it up.
Kraken are better with McMann addition. Wish he could be on the ice in Tuesday’s game – visa needed for game, but not practice?
Interesting point, maybe it’s considered payment per game played?
You’re probably right. I’m unfamiliar with visas, but I believe NHL players pay state taxes to respective states when on the road proportional to total games played.
I believe players are actually paid by the day and not the game. I would assume it’s something more akin to practicing is not a form of “work”, whereas “performing” (game play) actually is… but I really have no idea.
My guess is that practicing is usually part of the job, and I think teams are allowed to mandate it, but in this instance, he is technically “volunteering” to practice. Hey, free ice time! But no way could they get away with characterizing an actual game that way. Just a guess, I’m not an immigration lawyer.
I asked AI and this is a shortened reply, They do need a taxman to help. Since it’s 2026, the rules have actually shifted slightly with the new labor agreement, but the core “jock tax” remains. Here is the breakdown of how they get paid and how the tax man finds them.1. How They Are Paid: By the DayNHL players don’t actually get paid “per game.” Instead, their salary is divided by the total number of days in the regular season (usually around 185 to 195 days).The Paycheck: They typically get paid twice a month (the 15th and 30th) only during the regular season (October to April).The “Duty Day” Concept: Every day they are “on duty”—which includes game days, practice days, and even travel days—they are technically earning a portion of their salary.The Playoffs: This is the kicker—players do not get a salary for the playoffs. Their regular contract is fully paid off by the last day of the regular season. For the playoffs, they play for a “bonus pool” that the team splits up based on how far they advance.2. The “Jock Tax”: Paying in Every StateYes, they pay taxes in almost every city and state they play in. This is famously known as the Jock Tax.How it’s calculated: If a player spends 10 days of the season playing or practicing in California, they must pay California state income tax on roughly $10/190^{ths}$ of their total salary.Multiple Filings: A star player might have to file 20 or more different tax returns at the end of the year.Tax-Free States: This is why teams in Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Washington (like your Kraken) have a huge advantage in recruiting players. Since these states have no state income tax, players keep 100% of their “daily earnings” for all home games and practices.3. The “Escrow” BiteOn top of taxes, the league takes another chunk called Escrow.The NHL and the players have a deal to split all hockey revenue 50/50.If the players’ total salaries end up being more than 50% of the league’s money, the league keeps a percentage of every paycheck (usually 6% to 10%) to balance the books.Good News in 2026: Because the league is making record profits right now, the escrow rate was actually set to 0% for this current season!Summary Table: A $1,000,000 Salary ExampleDeductionEstimated AmountFederal Taxes~$330,000Jock Taxes (Away States)~$30,000–$50,000Agent Fees (3-5%)~$40,000Escrow (if applicable)$0 to $60,000Take Home Pay~$520,000 – $580,000It’s a lot to manage, which is why every NHL player has a specialized accountant to track those “duty days.”Since you’re looking into this, would you like me to find out which NHL teams currently have the biggest “tax advantage” for the 2026 season? It might be an interesting bit of trivia for your morning coffee.
“i asked ai” who cares
Honestly, that AI rundown didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Every one of these is just an amalgamation of what’s already out on the internet which means it’s just “full composite parroting” rather than any sort of actual insight.
When some says, tell me you didn’t read any of the “reporting” without actually telling me you didn’t read any of the reporting… you tell em’ “I asked AI”. This, of course, relies on the broader media actually knowing what they’re talking about and in the case of the Kraken, that’s highly questionable. Furthermore, I’ll add, I worked in an industry that was frequently reported on in the media and I’ll convey here what I came to understand there. When you actually know what they’re talking about, it’s bracing how little the media actually knows what they’re talking about. I think Jim Mora’s “You Don’t Know” rant was capturing this very same observation with the sports media. AI is just a parrot for folks who like to parrot.