As the Seattle Kraken head into their sixth season, we are back with the Strive for 95 series to track their progress toward the playoffs. However, the NHL has expanded the 2026-27 regular season to 84 games, which upped the target for standing points from 95 to 97. With that change I am changing the series name to “Path to the Playoffs,” since very few words rhyme with “97.” I might continue to workshop the name.
As in years past, we will update this series monthly. The Kraken had several player departures and additions during the offseason.
Moved on
- Jaden Schwartz signed a three-year deal with Colorado.
- Jamie Oleksiak joined Vancouver on a two-year contract.
- Eeli Tolvanen found a home with the New York Rangers for one year.
Joining the Kraken
Mackie Samoskevich — Seattle traded a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Panthers for Samoskevich. He skated with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann in the preseason game he appeared in.
Samoskevich looked as billed: fast, with a shoot-first mentality. He finished the game but is now day-to-day with an upper-body injury, so Kraken fans will have to wait a bit to see him in action .
Curtis Douglas — The 6-foot-9 forward signed a two-year deal with Seattle. He appeared in 43 NHL games between Tampa Bay and Vancouver last season, piling up 108 penalty minutes.
Ville Ottavainen — Seattle’s fourth-round pick in 2021 looks to have made the roster out of Training Camp. That puts Seattle at eight defensemen, something the club has done in years past. With Samoskevich on injured reserve, it will be interesting to see who gets sent down when he returns (barring other injuries). Ottavainen would require waivers if Seattle sends him to the AHL.
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 97 points, a team needs a .577 points percentage.
No game in the NHL is a gimme, but tiering teams helps gauge the difficulty of the Kraken’s schedule and level-set 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.
These tiers have to start somewhere, but they will change each month as the season settles in, after teams stress test how offseason changes have impacted their play.
Breakdown of point percentages
The key to separating teams into tiers is understanding how the Kraken need to perform against each group. Here are the point percentages for October.
These will be adjusted each month to show what the Kraken need to do to maintain a 97-point pace.
October targets
The Kraken will have their busiest October yet, as the NHL season begins Oct. 1, one week earlier than any other Kraken season. The month will feature 14 games, with eight on the road and six at home.
The Kraken open in Calgary at the Saddledome, which will host its final Flames season. They will then travel north to Edmonton before returning to Seattle for the Oct. 4 home opener against Calgary, part deux.
Seattle then has a five-game swing through the Eastern Conference spanning eight days. It will be a good chance for the team to bond early in the season.
Playoff Bound teams (target: two points)
Three games qualify for this tier: Vegas, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay. The Kraken went 4-3-1 against those teams last season. With a two-point target and two of the games at home, this could be a category where they bank an extra point or two.
Bubble teams (target: nine points)
With 18 teams in this category, this is the largest tier. The Kraken have seven games here, with five on the road. They will play Edmonton, Detroit, Washington, Philadelphia, Florida, and Utah.
The Kraken will play both of the season games against Detroit in October, so they would only see the Red Wings again if the teams somehow met in the Stanley Cup Final. Seattle did not fare well against these teams last year, compiling a 4-10-1 record. Hopefully, catching them early creates opportunities to steal a point here and there. The Kraken are shooting for a 4-2-1 record.
Tankers tier (target: six points)
Maybe we should rename this the Flames tier for October, as the Kraken will play Calgary three times. Add in the two preseason games against Calgary, and you can understand why the last one got chippy, with the teams trying to set the tone for October.
Two games are in Calgary and one is in Seattle. The Kraken also play Toronto, making four games in the tier.
The Maple Leafs might not be a true Tankers team, but they finished 28th in the NHL last season. Winning the Draft Lottery for Gavin McKenna likely turned things around quickly for Toronto, which also made several other offseason changes: they added Sergei Bobrovsky in net, Darren Raddysh to the blue line, and depth forwards Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons, and Brandon Duhaime. They also made a big trade Monday for Kirill Marchenko. Still, they have to prove it, so the Tankers tier is where they sit.
Let the hockey begin
Although the Kraken did not have any major moves, I am still hopeful they can make the playoffs. Starting the year with a healthy Jared McCann, the Kraken’s all-time leading scorer with 283 points, should help. We will have to wait for Samoskevich, but hopefully not for long. The Kraken also will get newly signed Bobby McMann for a full year. On defense, it is mostly the same group, but Ryker Evans has moved from the third pairing to the second alongside Brandon Montour. We will see whether Ottavainen is on the game-day roster, but it has looked so far like the third pair will be Ryan Lindgren and Cale Fleury initially.
The Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final last season before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes. Vegas won the Pacific Division with only 95 points, and the other teams in the division did not fare much better. Vancouver and Calgary are still projected to be at the bottom of the league, while Anaheim signed Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier but lost a slew of players.
Los Angeles will be without Anze Kopitar after his retirement, while San Jose could be the most improved team in the group after bolstering its defense with Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba and drafting Ivar Stenberg. Edmonton still has goalie issues under a polarizing new head coach, Mike Babcock. After John Tortorella righted the ship in Vegas, the team declined to retain him and hired first-time NHL head coach Ryan Craig.
With three playoff spots guaranteed for Pacific teams, those spots are up for grabs. If the Kraken can buy into tight defensive structure, and if some young players can take a step forward offensively, they have a legitimate path to the playoffs.
With the shortened training camp, the Kraken sent many prospects down early. Sound Of Hockey’s Darren Brown talked with head coach Lane Lambert about the players on the cusp of the NHL.
Lambert said Oscar Fisker Mølgaard is “very, very close” to the NHL, calling the center “a very trustworthy player” and “a great option for us.” He stressed that the Kraken “need depth” and mentioned Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus, and Ty Nelson as prospects who could come up and give Seattle games. Lambert said those names were simply “off the top of my head,” not a complete list. I would add Logan Morrison and Tyson Jugnauth to the list of players who impressed in camp and could be called upon during the season.
Puck drops Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. PT in Calgary. Let’s get this season started.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Skate to 98…
That target should be between 97 and 98 points.
Comes out to 97.3. Though 98 would be a good target as well. I do like the in name.
nino did kinda nail that first try. you should take them with you on an interview as a little treat or something should you use it.
No need, I’m not sure I’d be the best choice for an interview 😝.
Blaiz, thanks for posting this again. It’s a helpful way to see how the Kraken are doing against expectations.
How about, “97 to reach heaven”?
Minor nit: You say the Kraken have seven games in October against bubble teams, but that they’re shooting for a 4-3-1 record.
I thought the same thing…
They play Detroit twice. Seven teams, eight games.
Scratch my last dglasser… I can’t read or count.
Thanks fixed. 4-2-1. cut/paste error.
Hockey is finally here!
I know the tiers are going to shift and it’s too early to know what a lot of these teams really are… but I feel like the first month is a tough schedule. Apart from the three against Calgary (and the 15th game of the season is also Calgary) I’m sure the Kraken will be the underdogs in every game, just like last season.
Speaking of last season… they collected 13 points in their first ten games and if they can just top that in the whole month of October, I’ll be optimistic. I know it’s not 17, but it would at least be .500 and a decent start on a…
Path to the Playoffs!
Go Kraken!!!
Your argument for The Leafs being tankers is very interesting considering Matthews, Nylander, Marchenko, McKenna and possibly still Tavares are ALL considered elite players. Where does that leave our lowly Kraken? In the basement of the basement? We’re all being told that elite players are what makes you a contender. You’re saying Robertson and Panarin might not have done it for us, despite very hefty price tags. You just put yourself on very thin ice with a huge percentage of NHL hockey “experts” who are convinced the know why the Kraken aren’t good. 🙂
the leafs addressed a handful of issues they had last year, on top of losing a 100 point player in marner their D and goaltending werent where they were the year before. tanev returning, raddyshh (sp?) joining, mckenna and bobrovsky may solidify them quite a bit compared to where they were last year. and the thing that separates the kraken isnt that were a terrible team, were a team loaded with depth talent. adding a gamebreaker would likely win us an extra 6+ games a year, which would have a drastic effect on our playoff chances yearly. i mean… you know all this. i guess im talking to talk lol
Ha, well I appreciate your thoughtful comment. But as you know, “The Kraken just need an elite player, but they can’t get one to move to Seattle” is the popular narrative many people love to echo.
Since we’re talking about the Leafs here… is it just me or does it seem like they’ve kinda just gone back to what they were? What all those Leafs fans were wringing their hands over. They got a new “core four” in Matthews, Marchenko, McKenna and Nylander and they’re supporting this “elite” forward group with questionable depth, an iffy backend and suspect goaltending.
In a tough Atlantic even if they do get in are they just gonna be back to “one-and-done”?
As far as tanking goes… the Kraken were getting Chase Reid no matter what… tank or otherwise. If Mahura doesn’t score his lone goal of the season in overtime against the Leafs, and the Kraken go on to lose that game instead, then they switch spots in the final standings and Seattle drafts McKenna at No.1. Otherwise, they’re ending up with Reid. If you think they should have tanked last season for a high pick, they got exactly what you wanted.
I may be in the minority of NHL fans who think losing is never a good strategy, even if you think you are “tanking” because you expect to get a star player or two. Winning teams develop a winning culture from top to bottom. Going from perennial loser to bona fide winner is not an easy switch to flip, no matter what business you are in.
I had the same exact thought about The Leafs, and how they are back in the “Core 4” predicament. I think I’ve mentioned I was born in the GTA and long time Leafs Nation member by virtue of birth. I was incredibly happy to get The Kraken, and relieved when it was clear the team was getting started with a flatter salary model, and where the back-end and bottom-6 are more than an inconvenient afterthought.
Very pumped about Reid, by the way. I’m 100% on the Reid Train. He’s the real deal.
I’m not a fan of losing as part of a strategy under certain circumstances – most circumstances. On the other hand there’s San Jose. The Sharks after a long period of success that ultimately came up short of a Cup were saddled with a collection of horrendous contracts and an empty cupboard. In a circumstance like that, I’m not sure what the alternative is. The Kraken have not been in that circumstance. They’re an expansion team that were not legitimately in a position to go out and just suck. I think the consequences of that approach for building a fanbase and building a culture would be dire in a brand new market.
Now before folks tell me that’s the ONLY way to do it… I get what you’re saying. I think there’s more than one way to build an organization. Simple solutions and simple prescriptions seem to me to be just that… simple.
This is a big season and the approach they have been pursuing needs to show some progress.
After Carlsson’s offer sheet and Makar’s extension, I have to wonder just how much of a team’s cap stars are actually worth. Are they worth having an AHL bottom six and and AHL bottom four and a journeyman goaltender coming off a terrible season somewhere else? If they don’t give a team sweetheart deals like Crosby, Malkin, McDavid, or Dreiseitl did and instead aim to get paid everything they can, are they even a net positive?
Love the moniker! That’s how I feel at least 1-2 days per week. To your point, it seems clear the bottom-6 is at least as important as the top-6 if you want to build a championship contending hockey team. It requires some “star” players, who may or may not be a little older, like a Matt Duchene, for example, willing to play on a team that rolls four lines. Personally, I like flatter salary models where everyone feels like they have a role. I mean, imagine playing for the Leafs or Oilers where are few guys are making 5-6x your salary, and they are looking at you saying “pull your weight!” I think my attitude might be “dude, you are making all the money. Go and do your thing. I will play my 9 minutes and do the best I can to hold down the fort on the loser line.”
By the way, this is a good time to say players like Crosby are a unicorn, where they could command so much more money (they probably deserve it, because they are why fans keep showing up) but he understands he can’t be on a hockey team making 10x what another guy also grinding 84 games…risking injury…away from family…is making.
It is crazy how different Sid the Kid turned out to be from how people were saying he was when he first entered the league. Folks were calling him a selfish crybaby for years, but all he has done since is be a good teammate. I think it is good to remember that none of the athletes we see on TV are the people sports media tells us they are.
Is there any neutral, non-Seattle-based media outlet or writer that has the Kraken as anything better than a bottom 5 team in the league? I mean, we can still root for a miracle without being delusional. They are just not a “bubble” team. I guess they are not actively “tanking”, at least for now… but neither are the Rangers or Leafs. In fact, the Leafs are probably at least decent this year, so that’s a weird one. The Rangers are flawed but they have maybe the best goalie on the planet.
Also, Florida is a “bubble” team? What are you smoking? They are literally the odds-on Cup FAVORITE. The Caps and Oilers are also locks for the playoffs, even if you might not put them at the top of a cup contender list. Could things go wrong for them? Yeah, but at this point you gotta have them as “playoff teams” given their divisions.
I’m not sure if anyone has them better than bottom three…
On further consideration, since the purpose of this exercise is to categorize the Kraken’s *opponents*, maybe the Kraken themselves don’t really need to be listed at all…
Remember that one time, oh-so-long ago when the national sports media was all picking the Seahawks to finish last in the stacked NFC West and miss the playoffs? I am just saying that the national sports media is really, really bad, doubly so when talking about West Coast teams. National media does not analyze teams; they analyze perceptions, mostly the perceptions they themselves hold after looking at a box of stats. The only national media guy I know of who is any good at all is The Hockey Guy, and that is because he actually watches the hockey teams he talks about.
The thing is.. the national media has been dead on regarding the Kraken so far. Yes it’s possible they are wrong this year but I don’t feel they will be that far off unless one of our goalies becomes a brick wall, it’s possible but odds are they are correct just like they have been.
Like some say you usually know by American Thanksgiving what kind of chance a NHL team has of making the playoffs. I am willing to be patient enough to wait till then.
Go Kraken!!!
I agree with the sentiment Bean, but…
The Kraken have been in a playoff spot on Thanksgiving three out of their five seasons.
In 2022 they were second in the Pacific.
In 2023 they were WC2 in the West.
In 2025 they were second in the Pacific.
Yes! I certainly do understand what you are saying. I guess my point is some people have such a negative expectation on the team before the first puck of the season is even dropped.
I want to be more optimistic than pessimistic to start the season.
I completely agree!
We mentioned The Leafs earlier. I know this is a little delayed and they are 1.33 games in, but they look pretty good. Marchenko, Cowan and McKenna (and I would throw some of their bottom-6 guys in there) appear to have significantly improved the team. Unfortunately, they couldn’t trade Rielly, who for the last several years has seemed like a weak link. Thank goodness (fingers crossed) Seattle didn’t do something unfortunate to help the Leafs like take on Rielly. Then I would say we escalated from level 4 tanking to level 5 tanking.
Please explain, number 1, how a team universally picked by outsiders as a bottom 4 or 5 is a “bubble team”; and
number 2, why anyone with a lick of sense (talking to Jason Botterill) wants the team to sneak into a playoff, resulting in nothing but a poor draft position?
I’m a fan, but I’m not delusional or short-sighted. The Canucks are soon to vault over us as they’ve recognized the reality of needing a rebuild. What I’m hoping for Seattle is to see McCann, Wright, Larsson, Guadreau and Lindgren traded sooner than later. Accept our lumps to rebuild a sinking ship of a team.