For those of us who have had the Kraken on our minds since the final horn in Denver last spring, the wait is finally over. A long—occasionally newsy, but relatively uneventful—offseason is in the past. It all begins anew Thursday with the Seattle Kraken in Calgary to take on the Flames.
If you’re just logging back into the Kraken after taking the summer off, welcome back! You will find the Kraken lineup has a familiar look—at least to begin the year.
The team’s big offseason acquisition, Mackie Samoskevich, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play Thursday. New fourth-line winger Curtis Douglas may draw in, but it’s likely that every other player in the Opening Night lineup was a Kraken regular at some point last season. Eeli Tolvanen and original Kraken Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz all departed in free agency for other teams.
Before puck drop, we wanted to convene our Sound Of Hockey crew to discuss the big storylines and what has us excited, optimistic, or nervous as we head into Year 6 of Seattle Kraken hockey.
On the verge of a new season, how do you reflect on the Kraken’s offseason?
Curtis Isacke: For context, the public discourse surrounding the Kraken went from “not kind” going into last season to openly combative this summer. From negative coverage of CEO Ted Lieweke’s pronouncement that the Kraken were poised to have a “prolific offseason” to the criticism that came with the Jason Robertson saga and hand-wringing about Shane Wright’s trade request, the news cycle was a challenging one.
“I don’t know what the right word is, whether it’s frustration, disappointment, I’m not quite sure,” Kraken GM Jason Botterill told Sound Of Hockey in response to a question about how the Kraken were portrayed following the Robertson reports over the summer. “All I know is, we’re going to continue to look to improve this team. We’re going to try to find all avenues.”
Whether from a coverage perspective or otherwise, how do we look back at this offseason? Let’s start with John.
John Barr: Acquiring high-end talent is one of the most difficult things to do in the NHL, so in hindsight, labeling this a potential “prolific offseason” may have set unrealistic expectations. I liked that the Kraken took a legitimate swing at Jason Robertson, and I’m sure they were involved in plenty of other conversations that never became public. They weren’t alone in pursuing top talent, though, and sometimes those opportunities simply don’t materialize. Overall, I’m comfortable with how the offseason unfolded. The roster continues to get a little younger, and, just as importantly, the front office avoided making short-sighted moves that could have kept the team stuck in the NHL’s middle ground for even longer.
Darren Brown: Yeah, that “prolific offseason” bit was a killer for public perception, although it also may not have been the most encouraging press conference if Leiweke had gotten up there and said, “It’s going to be more of the same.” To your point, John, they tried to have a prolific offseason, and it very publicly blew up in their faces. The good news is that with their oodles of cap space, they can bide their time—perhaps surprise some people to start the season—and make Seattle more desirable for the next available big fish.
My favorite thing about the offseason is the way the players pushed back on the national narratives in the lead-up to the season.
Blaiz Grubic: I liked that Botterill was active in trying to bring in talent. The Robertson pursuit did not work out, but I loved seeing the Kraken in that conversation. At the same time, they did not do anything that mortgaged the future. Their salary-cap commitments sit at $87 million, the lowest in the league, which gives them roughly $17 million in flexibility when the right opportunity comes along.
Curtis: I’m pretty comfortable with the team’s approach of scouring the trade market for young, long-term roster upgrades, particularly up front. Even though the team ultimately got only one deal over the line, in my opinion, they calibrated their strategy correctly. OK, enough of that, onto the season!
What’s your biggest reason for optimism heading into this Kraken season?
Blaiz: It is a new season, and while the roster has not changed dramatically, that does not mean the outcome has to be the same. Head coach Lane Lambert has now been here for a full season, so he knows the players, and they know him. The same goes for the system they play, and I think that familiarity should lead to a little tighter play. Bobby McMann is here for a full season, and the arrival of Samoskevich could be a real boost for the Kraken. Both players are fast and have a shoot-first mentality, which fits well in Lambert’s system.
Darren: I think the full season of McMann is a big deal for this team, but they’re also exiting Training Camp a lot healthier than they were last year, save for Samoskevich. Jared McCann seems to be back to full strength, as does Brandon Montour. Both players shared with me that they were hindered all last season, and those are two extremely important players to have performing at peak condition.
I’m also encouraged by what I’ve seen from the young players in Training Camp. The Shane Wright drama seems to be gone, for now, and he has looked awesome. So too have Berkly Catton and Ryan Winterton, among others. The success of this whole franchise seems to be built on those players growing into key contributors, so let’s see if they move more in that direction this season.
Curtis: While the public sphere was eulogizing the Kraken for perceived misses in the offseason, perhaps—as in the fable of the old man who lost his horse—the better response would have been “we’ll see.” Could the “noise” be exactly what was needed to galvanize the players already in the room? Maybe the alchemy of Mackie Samoskevich mixing with the rest of the young core is simply perfect? It’s too soon to say, of course. But, from the outside, the vibes seem strong so far. This is in contrast with years past when the room has not had the same energetic feel. This has me feeling optimistic that we may see a group that is greater than the sum of its parts for the first time in years.
John: My biggest reason for optimism is that this team was in the playoff race for roughly two-thirds of last season, and I think they’re a little better on paper heading into this year. As Darren mentioned, the Kraken should also benefit from continued development from some of their younger players, which could provide a meaningful boost over the course of the season. I’m not predicting a playoff berth, but I do think they have a legitimate chance to get there and, more importantly, appear to be moving in the right direction as an organization. The path might be a bit more manageable, too. Several of last season’s Pacific Division playoff teams don’t look quite as strong, while Calgary and Vancouver are widely viewed as being among the league’s weakest teams entering the season.
What’s your biggest area of concern heading into this Kraken season?
Blaiz: I’ll take the easy one: scoring. Where is it going to come from? The Kraken have had only one 30-goal scorer in franchise history, Jared McCann, when he scored 40 in 2022-23. McCann could get back to the 30 goal mark this season. He was on that kind of pace last year before missing 30 games because of injury. Bobby McMann came close, and Jordan Eberle was in the neighborhood as well. I think you can make a case for just about every Kraken forward taking a step forward offensively. It is unrealistic to expect all of them to do it, but if even a handful add to their totals, that would go a long way toward easing this concern.
Curtis: The penalty kill has been the subject of much discussion since last season. Mostly, we have debated whether there were coaching points or systematic fixes that needed to be made to improve what was one of the worst-performing units in the NHL. I’m now concerned that the team’s personnel usage may exacerbate the issue. During the preseason, the Kraken were starting shorthanded situations with a pair of Chandler Stephenson and Bobby McMann—neither of whom have a proven track record of positive penalty kill impacts. On the backend, the second defense pair of Ryker Evans and either Josh Mahura or Cale Fleury also has me holding my breath a bit.
It may work out fine. And, if not, some of the answers may be on the team already (could we get a look at a Matty Beniers and Jared McCann forward tandem?) or, at least, in the organization (Oscar Fisker Mølgaard and Ty Nelson have been effective in shorthanded situations at every level they’ve reached so far). But I’m concerned.
John: I’ll echo Curtis here: the penalty kill remains my biggest concern. It simply has to improve if the Kraken are going to take a meaningful step forward this season. Ironically, there were signs of progress late last year. While the penalty kill operated at just 71.5 percent before the Olympic break, it improved to 74.1 percent afterward. That’s still not where it needs to be, but it suggests the adjustments the coaching staff made had some effect. Lambert acknowledged that changes were implemented over the course of the season, and the improved results provide at least some reason for optimism that the trend can continue.
Darren: I’m just worried that Li’l Buoy returns.
But seriously, leaning into youth is a good thing for the future of the organization on a macro level. But looking at just the season ahead on a micro level, I worry our optimism may be misguided. At the end of the day, the Kraken have the smallest payroll in the NHL and lots of inexperienced players who will be relied upon in key situations. That could go well, or it could be a downright painful season to watch from start to finish.
Who’s the player you think will surprise people with their performance this season and why?
John: Berkly Catton. My answer is largely influenced by how he’s discussed in national media circles and where he’s often ranked among the Kraken’s under-23 prospects. Frankly, I’m not convinced many of those evaluations are based on extensive viewing, and some seem to overlook the fact that he was only 19 years old last season. What I’ve seen is a player with the skill, creativity, and offensive instincts to make a significant impact. Eventually, those tools are going to show up not just in the underlying numbers, but on the scoresheet and the highlight reels as well. I’ll go a step further and predict Catton scores more than 25 goals this season.
Darren: I’ll go with Ryan Winterton. He flies under the radar, but he proved himself capable in every situation last season. Seeing him fly up the ice with Catton to create that beautiful 2-on-1 goal in Vancouver in preseason raised my eyebrows that—if he ends up playing up the lineup—he could start producing in a meaningful way.
Catton with a dandy from Winterton but kicked off with a great deflection pass from Wright in front of his own net. 3-2 Kraken. pic.twitter.com/0omjyoOxSI— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) September 27, 2026
Blaiz: I have always been a Shane Wright believer. I have lofty goals for him, and I think 60 points is within reach. Last season was a down year, but one season does not make a career, and every other season he has shown positive development. A bounce-back season that quiets some of the doubters is definitely on my bingo card. Wright has looked really sharp during Training Camp, stronger and faster, and he is making plays at both ends of the ice. We will have to wait until Samoskevich is back from injury, but I have also liked Berkly Catton and Kaapo Kakko as Wright’s linemates. I think Wright goes from requesting a trade to becoming too valuable for the Kraken to trade.
Curtis: I agree with much of what you all said, but I’ll take this in a slightly different direction and say Oscar Fisker Mølgaard. I gave most of my reasons in the most recent Down on the Farm column. When he does get called up, sooner or later, I think he will turn some heads not only with how “mature” and trustworthy he is in all three zones but also with solid skill-game elements built around puck movement, protection, and distribution. If the Kraken make a serious playoff push, I’d wager Mølgaard is a significant part of it.
What is your benchmark for a successful Seattle Kraken season?
John: For me, the benchmark for a successful season is simple: I want the Kraken playing meaningful games in March. Actually, scratch March. Make it April. There seems to be a common belief that narrowly missing the playoffs is the worst possible outcome. From a draft-position standpoint, there’s certainly some truth to that, but I think there is real value in a young team spending the final weeks of the season battling for a playoff spot. Those high-pressure games create important developmental opportunities and help establish a higher standard for the group moving forward. Whether the Kraken ultimately make the playoffs or fall just short, being in that fight until the very end would be a sign that the team is trending in the right direction.
Darren: I agree with you, John. Sure, it’d be swell to have Landon DuPont in the fold, but I do believe the organization needs to continue moving forward, not backward, in its on-ice results. Getting DuPont would mean another big step backward before adding another young player who may take years to become a star player.
On the whole, I do believe last season was a step forward in the sense that they were competitive for most of the season before they learned some very hard lessons down the stretch. Hopefully those lessons carry over to this season, and they take another step.
Blaiz: I just want the Kraken to have fun. Expectations outside Seattle are pretty low, but with the Pacific Division riding the struggle bus, I think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. They were in a playoff position until March 18 last season, and I think they can be in the hunt again. I am not going to say making the playoffs is the benchmark, but finishing third or fourth in the division would be a successful season in my book.
Curtis: I believe the season can be counted as a success if we leave it with increased confidence the team has a young core to build around. As short-lived as it has proven to be (so far), seeing Mackie Samoskevich skate with Matty Beniers in camp had me dreaming about what could be if the group of 23-and-under forwards on this roster starts to coalesce from individual talents into a unit. Beniers’ offseason comments defending the team may not count for anything in the standings points column, but his words could be the first step toward a successful season nonetheless.
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What did we miss? What are your hopes, concerns, predictions, and projections for this Kraken season? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Kraken!!!
Here’s what I don’t understand…. We picked up Samoskevich and placed him on the first line. Everyone is very excited about this. Essentially we have taken a third line player from a very bad team last season and elevated him to our first line and the general perception is that we have improved our team, seriously what am I missing here.
I’m sorry I just don’t understand the logic behind the excitement, if you just plug the facts into a computer it’s going to spit out that the kraken have downgraded… I know that is almost impossible and probably not the case because most of our team is just third line players playing above their head just like Samoskevich will be. I’d definitely stop short of saying this is exciting and he’s going to help us make the playoffs.
I mean if we’re honestly saying this is a big thing for the kraken then we have low standards. It’s possible that he turns into a first line player that actually produces like a real first line player but is that happens then we just made one of the biggest steals in NHL history.
It would be amazing if this works out like people seem to think it will but I just don’t understand where this thought process even comes from. It’s it just that the team hyped him up when they picked him up and everyone is like F*** yeah look who the kraken just picked up!!!!! They said he’s really good I think….
A lot of people, including someone who already commented here, seem incapable of evaluating roster moves outside of looking at the players stat line. The Marchenko trade is a perfect example of this. On paper, I think a lot of folks would rather have Knies, but he wasn’t working with Matthews. Marchenko brings a completely different element to that line that it was sorely missing. Samoskevich and McMann are perfect examples of this for the Kraken. They are both speedy players with the skills to drive zone entries, a thing the Kraken have historically been very bad at. This has all kinds of knock-on effects including, but not limited to, letting your player change lines, reducing the number of defensive draws you’re going to have to take (and thus pressure off of Stephenson), and less time in the D zone overall. In addition, the number of kids getting ice time is exactly what you want to see. The prospects took noticeable steps in camp and several looked on the cusp that last year looked like big question marks. We are actually playing the youth now and that bodes well for us turning over the roster a bit more next year and trying to form a cohesive hole.
A lot of the anger can be summed up to people being mad we aren’t winning. This exhibits itself as ill-conceived rants about ice time, complaints about how the Kraken shouldn’t get good players (the weirdest take), and calls to tank without acknowledging that this doesn’t really work. All of that is fixed by winning. The front office is smart enough not to care (as are most) and listen to the core complaint (we aren’t winning). I am happy with the moves they’ve made and attempted to make. Was it enough to move the needle this year? Yes, but only mildly. On paper, the roster is a side grade from the one that started last season. The team being iced is going to be a lot more dynamic and fun to watch. It’s headed in the right direction but is still likely to be a bubble team unless a couple of the kids pop off.
Essentially what you are saying is that we should be excited about Samoskevich coming here to be our first line winger because of tea leaves?🍃 not saying that it potentially could work out I’m just saying what am I missing what the hype around this is.
I feel like any other team’s fans would be questioning why we brought in a third liner to be on the first line? It’s very interesting to me that people are excited about this instead of scratching their head.
If the national media is your thing…
Every team in the Pacific that made the playoffs last season got worse. Do the Kraken get better even if they’re standing still?
Also, curious how having Douglas in the lineup tonight will effect the game.
Douglas in the lineup is an interesting move and suggests to me that Lane is expecting a game very similar to our last home game against Calgary.
I like how you are carrying this over from another thread. Just pointing out that the national media has been more accurate than our local media and fans so far. I would be very hesitant to throw out blanket statements saying that the national media doesn’t have a clue about the Kraken.
They could be wrong this season, seems like every season there is a team or two that surprise the league. It’s possible that it may be us this season but a lot of things have to go not just “Wright” but perfect.
The national media posts pictures of Ryker Evans and labels them as Shane Wright.
Well there’s that….
The roster is largely unchanged from last season. However, I agree with Curtis that adding OFM provides an upgrade down the middle. He brings a reliable, mature game that will positively impact the entire team.
I mean sort of… people keep saying it hasn’t changed but the team that was solidly in the playoffs and at times leading the division had no McMann, and underperforming Tolvanen, Schwartz and Oleksiak. That’s a lot more change than people seem to want to admit.
its incredibly difficult to gauge whats going to happen once the puck drops on the season. matty, mccann and mcmann all have 30+ goal potential this season if healthy, i agree with the roundtable that catton will more than likely have much better numbers on the stat sheet this season. ive thought shane could hit 25+ goals for 2 seasons now and would like to be proven right (wright) because if he has another year like last year, big oof. im really pulling for him to step up, would be cool to see him excel on the wing and possibly get elevated to 1st line with matty. assuming our 5 on 5 defensive structure doesnt crater i expect grubi and joey to maintain where they were last year. its interesting. i think theyre in a better position to start this year than last year and id like to say the division is that much weaker but as much talent as the ducks hemorrhaged the sharks gained. best case scenario to me is we take the 3rd playoff spot from either LA (who i dont see as being much of anything barring a big move) and the sharks who look kinda scary. they have a ton of young firepower and a back end that wants to hand out concussions like door prizes. ive long thought the team was too laid back from an off ice personality standpoint and im happy to see all of them appear to be pissed at the national perception. excited to see where this goes, im either going to be screaming at lottery balls or playoff hockey in may so i guess im good either way.
if we are out of the playoff picture by march though i fully expect to get an absolute HAUL for mccann and/or dunn. hopefully convince one of them to circle back in free agency if thats the case.
Gotta love how everyone notes this team was near playoffs pre Olympics so they’ll just bounce off that. Just ignoring the fact that even with a red hot McMann they were one of the worst teams in the league for the last 20% of the season.
Running it back is going to keep them close to Calgary. Not in a good way unless they seriously move in some of the younger guys. So far it doesn’t look very prolific…
well, being in a playoff position by thanksgiving is a metric the general sports media uses to decide who is a good team and who isnt. kraken were in a playoff position for most of the year and that is worth SOMETHING. how much of something is certainly up for debate. i wondered myself if the reason they had that position is because teams didnt tighten up until after the olympics or if the team cratered. if its the former and teams the majority of the league was taking it easy leading into the olympics then that bodes pretty bad for this season. if its the latter and the team just cratered late and ran out of gas? then that is a lot more promising.
i am very worried its the first point and that the better teams were just coasting until the olympic break. the undervalued aspect of the kraken is that its not that bad to have a consistent skill level across the board thats 2nd/3rd line guys. thats what put them in the playoffs in 2022-23, the running joke was the team ran 4 2nd lines. there is wisdom in a balanced team and you can see it with top heavy talent teams like the leafs/wild etc. they have elite talent but not enough quality depth. maintaining a bunch of mid players looks dumb until it doesnt because there is never any let up in skill or pace through 60 minutes. if they are a 4 line rolling quick strike forechecking nightmare then a fun season is on the way. if theyre the “slow and steady wins the race” team from last year….. very much less so.
My memory may be wrong, but at the break pretty much every metric had their point total looking like they were significantly overperforming their overall quality. Then they add talent and sink like a rock. There’s certainly room to second guess.
I agree with some of the comments on here about Samoskevich and what he can bring and I’m excited about him. I also think there is alot of home team bias in the expectations.
The analytic in me sees a slim chance that we make the playoffs. The fan in me hears ” so you’re telling me there’s a chance.”
You are absolutely correct, the advanced stats showed that we should not be winning as many games as we were, we also had goaltending carrying us many nights. The “national media” basically all had us as getting lucky and predicted the wheels would fall off. They were correct I guess. We never looked like a playoff bound team last season and we weren’t.
Not argueing with you, but going to point out injuries and a rotten pk played the largest role in the team not making the playoffs. If this team was in the 15-17th place range on PK they probably would have won enough games to make the WC. A LOT of 1 goal or 1 goal plus empty net goal losses that may have been erased by successfully killing one more penalty a night.
This is not a response to any post in particular but more to something that has been getting a lot of “buzz” lately… the national view.
Kate Shefte had her now annual article in today’s Seattle Times sharing “preseason picks” from around the hockey media universe. I’ve already seen most of these from the sources and almost without exception they lack anything close to the actual analytical and observational insights provided on Sound Of Hockey. There’s the vapid and oft repeated “aimlessly” and “without any real direction” takes and there’s the “lack of a superstar” which inevitably turns to Jason Robertson. What there is not is any real effort to go into the sort of specifics of construction, play style and player growth that I find on here.
To me, one of the “highlights” of the national media has been Dom Luszczyszyn. As an analytics based member of the media his model spits out a number and then in his annual projection he adds commentary. The model has been hit-and-miss on the Kraken picking them to make the playoffs in season one (they were horrible) and to miss the playoffs in season two (100 points, knocked off defending Stanley Cup champs). Season three expected a pull back to 90 points so the 81 they put up wasn’t too far off. Season four was similar in projecting 87 whereas they finished with 76 but it’s notable the model had them with a middling defense and a bottom of the league offense… this was exactly backwards. Last year rather nailed it projecting 77 with the Kraken ending up at 79. This year it’s down to 75 points and the commentary is all the same narrative… “without any real direction” “star power” and Jason Robertson. To me, his model has been less than persuasive and his commentary lacks any insight. Cool.
This wasn’t a “projection” roundtable and I don’t know where the guys would have the Kraken finishing… but I have a sense it’s not 30th, especially in the Pacific. Regardless, the insights they offer are 10 times more useful than anything else being offered out there.
Thanks John, Darren, Curtis and Blaiz.
Luszczyszyn is hot garbage and it saddens me that so much of The Athletic’s journalism has resorted to shitting out articles based on the model at the expense of actual journalism. His model has been, historically, pretty dreadful and he has no ability to actually detach himself from it. Part of the problem with all models is the lack of data in the public API for things that players do that aren’t explicitly on a stat sheet, but Dom seems unable to admit this or even comment on it.
I also don’t trust The Athletic’s journalists any more when it’s become more and more clear they don’t watch games of teams who don’t have a writer nor do they attempt to spot check themselves. Drance is one of the worst offenders here. Luckily, I don’t pay for it anymore and get it free as part of the NYT, but it’s sad how far they’ve fallen over the last few years.
So on the pod the guys did do projections:
Darren and John both landed on 90 points which would have them 21st on the Athletic list rather than 30th.
Curtis came in at 84 points, good enough for 27th… which is right where they finished last season.
I, personally, think they’re making the playoffs so my number would be higher but I’m an optimist and I’m also a fan and not an analyst.
No bump from a full season of McMann?
No boost from Samoskevich?
No growth from the young guys?
No add from a fully healthy McCann and Montour?
No benefit of year two under the same coach?
No help from an even weaker weak division?
Just the same… 27th?
Go Kraken!!!
Sound Of Hockey crew,
Thanks!! For all the information you pass on to us…
Finally a new season is here!
Go Kraken!!!
The first game of this season reminds me of the first round of golf you play AFTER shooting the worst score of your life. You just want to get it going because you want to erase that other round out of your memory.
Kraken have given us no reason to think they will be any better than last year. No significant changes in management or players. BUT… we will tune in and find out. Go Kraken!
Which team from last year?
The one that played a record 17 games in January, went 10-5-2 with a +12 differential and reasonable .903 goaltending.
OR
The one that played a modest 14 games in March, went 4-8-2 with a -13 goal differential and less flattering .878 goaltending.
Probably both, LL has never had a season where there was consistently as a head coach. His teams seem to bounce between hot and cold streaks.
Plenty of takes here. Bottom line, this team needs to show some consistency in play and an overall growth in the young players. Sure, that’s super basic but this team has been all over the place and in particular with the coaching staff. Another year with LL should show improvement. I expect us to play meaningful games late in the season but we should definitely trade away expiring contacts to acquire prospects and picks with a mindset of building a competitive team around Matty, Catton, and others. Have success with that and we’ll be able to attract gamechangers when the time is right. Show me there’s a plan and I’ll keep being patient.