The Kraken are off to a great start, but I’m not celebrating anything just yet.

In case you missed it, the Kraken kicked off the season last Thursday with a dominant 6-1 win over the Flames in Calgary, with six different players finding the back of the net. Two days later, they looked destined to earn at least a point in Edmonton against the Oilers before an unfortunate bounce in a tie game with less than three minutes remaining left Leon Draisaitl all alone to put Edmonton ahead for good. One day later, the Kraken dominated the Flames yet again in another 6-1 rout that saw five different goal scorers on the scoresheet and Mackie Samoskevich scoring twice in his first home game.

That was a solid three-game effort to open the 2026-27 campaign, but we still need a larger sample size before making any sweeping judgments about this team. Still, the Kraken don’t make the schedule, so you bank the points when you can, and it’s encouraging to see them take care of business against a mediocre team like Calgary.

Penalty kill optimism?

A few weeks ago, I wrote that the penalty kill had to improve after posting a 72.2 percent success rate last season, good for 31st in the league. Through three games, the Kraken have killed five of six penalties, which is certainly encouraging. The most promising development came in Edmonton, where Seattle successfully killed off three first-period penalties. The Oilers had the league’s best power play last season and converted seven of their 10 opportunities against the Kraken.

The broadcast mentioned that it was a point of emphasis coming into the season, and it looks like there are some early returns. During the preseason games, the coaching staff was trying several different players out on the penalty kill. Freddy Gaudreau and Ryan Winterton seem to be the mainstays from the forward group, but the second unit seems to vary based on who is in the lineup. What stands out to me so far is how much less chaotic the group looks. It’s only three games, but the clears have been cleaner, and they haven’t spent nearly as much time scrambling in their own zone. It is something I will be keeping an eye on going forward.

Return of depth scoring?

It’s also way too early to say that depth scoring has returned to the Seattle Kraken, but 10 different players have scored a goal through three games. The new guys, Mackie Samoskevich and Bobby McMann, each have two goals, while youngsters Berkly Catton and Shane Wright have already logged goals this season.

For some perspective, the Kraken have already scored six goals in two of their first three games. They only reached six goals twice all of last season. As the national media loves to point out, this team does not have any high-end superstars (yet), and when that is the case, you need to rely on scoring throughout the lineup. So far, the early results have been positive. The balance throughout the lineup looks much better, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.

Overall, you have to be happy with both the level of play and the results from the first three games. It’s a great way to start the season and something to build on as the competition gets tougher this week.

Other Musings

• It obviously won’t last, but the Kraken currently have six players averaging a point per game through three contests. (The franchise has never had a player finish a full season at a point-per-game pace.)
• Catton showed flashes of high-end skill last season. This year, those flashes are becoming commonplace, and he’s starting to drive play. His setup for Shane Wright on Sunday night is Exhibit A.

WRIGHT AS RAIN! ☔️

What. A. Goal.

Great drive and pass by Catton, even better finish by Shane Wright.

4-0 #SeaKraken https://t.co/SGXaTFP7zb

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 5, 2026

• I don’t think anyone has been more snake bitten than Ryan Winterton. Regardless of where he’s playing in the lineup, he’s consistently putting himself in good scoring positions. He had two more breakaways against the Flames on Sunday. The points haven’t come yet, but he’s had an excellent start to the season.
• It’s been a rough week for the Chandler Stephenson haters. He finished with a goal and three assists while making plenty of smart plays throughout the week. I especially loved this little poke pass to Jordan Eberle that eventually led to Bobby McMann’s goal against Edmonton.

MCMANN CAN! 🎯 🚨

What a snipe. Seattle’s first power play of the game was looking pretty sad, until a quick strike by Bobby McMann just under the bar.

1-1 #SeaKraken https://t.co/EN8Rag55Q8

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 4, 2026

• Both Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer have looked excellent in the early going. It will be interesting to see how the Kraken deploy the tandem this season. Daccord got the first three starts last year and quickly established himself as the primary option, but his performance, like the team’s, tailed off late in the season. With that in mind, the Kraken may be more intentional about spreading out the workload to soften the impact of an 84-game season.
• If you haven’t done so already, check out Darren’s conversation with John Forsland before the game on Sunday. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, we are lucky to have a play-by-play man like Forsland calling our games. It’s also incredible to hear his real opinions on the team in that interview.

Player Performances

Jordan Eberle (SEA) – There were several worthy candidates this week, but Eberle scored the Kraken’s first goal of the season in Calgary and finished the opening three games with two goals and one assist. He recorded at least one point in every game.
Joey Daccord (SEA) – Two wins and a .966 save percentage in his first two starts. Joey came within minutes of posting two shutouts, with the only goals against arriving during the final five minutes of each game. It’s much easier to play with a lead than chase one, and Daccord made several key early saves against Calgary on Sunday that allowed the team in front of him to settle in and play confidently.
Jani Nyman (CV/SEA) – The Coachella Valley Firebirds opened their season this weekend with a split against the Ontario Reign. Li’l Jani Nyman responded by scoring five goals in the two-game set and was named the AHL Player of the Week.

Goal of the Week

There were plenty of candidates this week, but I’ve got to give the nod to Stephenson’s bunny-hop goal.

STEVIE DOES IT! 🚨

Chandler Stephenson shows nice composure to hurdle a dead body and slip it through Wolf’s five-hole on the breakaway.

4-0 #SeaKraken. https://t.co/WLOna7104G

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) October 2, 2026

The week ahead

If we need a reminder not to overreact to the first week of the season, the Kraken earned five of a possible six points in their first three games last season against teams that eventually made the playoffs. This week will provide a much tougher test, with three formidable opponents on the schedule.

The Kraken welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday. Seattle surprisingly went 3-1-0 against Vegas last season, including two wins at home. On paper, the reigning Western Conference champions got weaker over the offseason, but they remain one of the strongest teams in the Pacific Division. Vegas enters the week at 2-1-0 with wins over Chicago and Vancouver.

Following that game, the Kraken begin one of their more significant road trips of the season with stops in Detroit on Friday and Washington on Sunday.

The Red Wings are dealing with some early-season turbulence, including the ongoing Simon Edvinsson contract situation and all the Dylan Larkin drama, and they’ve started the year with two losses. It doesn’t look great right now, but this was still a 92-point team last season that beat the Kraken in regulation in both meetings. Count them out at your own peril.

Meanwhile, the Capitals are 1-1-0 to begin the season. Seattle split last year’s season series with Washington, but the Capitals improved considerably over the offseason through the additions of Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou.

By next Monday, we should have a much better idea of what these early results actually mean. Conservatively, the objective should be three out of a possible six points. Regardless of the outcomes, there is no reason to overreact one way or the other, but this week’s opponents should provide a much better measuring stick than the opening three games.