The Kraken wrapped up their October slate with a thrilling win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday and an uninspiring loss against the Calgary Flames on Friday night. The Kraken finished the first month of action with an 8-5-1 record and currently sit in third place in the Pacific Division. They are one of the biggest surprises in the NHL, yet no one is really talking about them (as is tradition), and that’s ok.
There is no denying the Kraken are in a good spot right now, and Kraken fans would be ecstatic about the results had they been told at the beginning of the season that the team would have a .607 points percentage through October. There are things that are going well for this team, but there might also be some signals that they are punching above their weight.
Let’s check in on what is working and what is not for the Kraken right now.
The good
I have consistently referenced it in this column and called it out at the beginning of the season: the success of this team needs to be driven by its depth. Without an elite player, the Kraken need contributions throughout the lineup, and that is exactly what has played out over the first month of action. Through Sunday, the Kraken are tied for first with the most players having scored two or more goals this season.
And with that depth, they’ve been able to deliver a lot more scoring.
The bad
This might not be “bad,” but it is a trend I don’t like seeing, so it is something to keep an eye on: the shot volume the Kraken have been generating. Over the last five games, the Kraken are averaging just 23 shots on net per game. That ranks 31st in the league over that span.
I talked about the effect having the lead can have on shot volume, and that appears to be part of the root cause. The Kraken have led 51 percent of the time over those last five games. Regardless, even in scenarios where they are leading, that shot volume seems dangerously low.
The ugly
I think most Kraken fans know where I am going next. The penalty kill is abysmal… again.
The Kraken are killing penalties at a 41.2 percent rate over the last six games, by far the worst mark in the league over that span. I wish I had a more technical eye to diagnose the issue because it can’t continue to be this bad if this team wants to compete for a playoff spot.
Quick thoughts on the Shane Wright trade
Overall, I like the Shane Wright trade for Matthew Wood, both for the team and for the player. He really needed the classic “change of scenery” to provide a bit of a refresh for his career. Shane’s camp shared that he wanted a trade this offseason, so his heart probably wasn’t in it to remain here.
I liked how Shane started the season, and he seemed ready to turn the corner after a disappointing second NHL season. But he hasn’t been able to showcase that he was ready to take a consistent step forward this year. With the acquisition of Matthew Wood, the Kraken get a player who is a year younger and might have more offensive upside than Wright.
If you ignore the anchor bias people have toward a top-five draft pick, this trade looks fair. Over the last two seasons, Wood and Wright have had nearly identical production. Wood has 18 goals and 15 assists in 85 games, while Wright has 15 goals and 16 assists in 88 games. Wood has 10 power-play points, while Wright has six, despite Wright receiving about 10 percent more power-play time over that span.
Other Musings:
- After the 6-2 loss to the Calgary Flames, the Kraken dropped to a negative non-empty-net goal differential.
- Seems like forever ago, but Josh Mahura scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Wednesday. “Muzz” scored just one goal all of last season. Against whom, you might ask? The Toronto Maple Leafs. If you go back even further, his previous goal came way back in January 2023… against the Maple Leafs.
- We got our anchor. If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the Kraken Hometown Remix jerseys, which became available today and will be worn against Calgary on Wednesday night.
- Call it an inability to hold a lead or call it resiliency, but the Kraken held a two-goal lead in their game against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, only to see Toronto tie it up. The Kraken, of course, recaptured the lead and went on to win the game. They are one of six teams to squander a two-plus-goal lead four times this season, but they are the only team to win all four of those games.
- Brandon Montour’s game-winning goal against the Leafs was the Kraken’s fifth face-off goal of the season. That’s good enough to be tied for seventh in the league this season. Carolina leads the league with 11 face-off goals.
Performances of the Week
Mackie Samoskevich (SEA) – One goal and three assists in the Kraken’s two games last week. Mackie has been a big part of the team’s success this season.
Kim Saarinen (HPK/SEA) – The Kraken goalie prospect posted his first shutout of the season for HPK in Finland’s Liiga. Saarinen is 4-2-6 this season with a .909 save percentage.
Chase Reid (MSU/SEA) – The Kraken’s first-round draft pick recorded two assists in Michigan State’s win over North Dakota last week. Michigan State improved to 5-1-0 with the victory and are now ranked third by USCHO.com.
Goal of the Week
This goal got quite the pop in the arena.
SEATTLE SCORES LATE TO BREAK THE TIE AND WIN THE GAME 🤯 https://t.co/DpcMfkDHjJ
— NHL (@NHL) October 29, 2026
The week ahead
It’s another light week for the Kraken, with only two home games before they head to Finland for the Global Series against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. It’s important to bank some points when you can, with two winnable games against the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.
First up are the Flames on Wednesday night. There is no doubt the Kraken will want a little redemption after their embarrassing loss on Friday. In my opinion, that was the worst loss of the season, not because it was against the Flames, but because they were thoroughly outplayed over the second and third periods. Hopefully, that was enough of a wake-up call for the team to come out ready to play.
The Rangers have slipped in the standings since their surprisingly hot start, dropping four games in a row, but they still have two games between now and Saturday’s matinee against the Kraken.
Four points are possible, but three points should be the target.
Where on the ugly graph did Lindgren get hurt? Seems to lineup well if my mental math is right
Lindgren was injured partway through game #4
Doesn’t align as well as I thought. He only played the first 4 games. I still think the power play misses him.
(Side note: I thought you were calling my graph ugly.)
It is kind of funny that we are talking about Lindgren like he is the cavalry all set to ride to the rescue after all the flak folks gave him last season. Seriously, though, he would be a colossal help right now, on the PK and at 5-on-5. Josh Mahura has been good in his absence, but if we could get back that shut-down, hard-hitting Ryan Lindgren from the first few games this year life would be sweet.
For me, the Shane Wright trade was a stupid move. This is on Lfambert who cannot coach young players and never could. Management seemed like they are lost and are fastly become to take over the the worst trading team in the league right behind the Canucks. This trade is bad because we have no talent to place in the lineup and if you think Jani Nyman will step in and score goals and play D like Shane did, then you are 3 goal short of a win each night. I cannot suppot a management team that does not know how to make a good trade or choose a good coach. Wright was good at the start and then LL change his pairing and now has 4 line of almost nothings instead 2 lines of no goods and and 1 line of almost good and a 4th line of who cares.
You didn’t like the Catton-Wright-Kakko line?
And yet Catton, Kakko, Evans, Winterton, Samoskevich, and Beniers all seem fine under Lambert.
Also if you think this trade is bad, you should watch this video
and tell me Wright has any attribute at all that stands out like Wood’s shot, or even his ability to see a passing lane in traffic if he decides he doesn’t have a good shot option. The kid had an NHL hat trick on his resume early in his age 20 season.
It’s just a good hockey trade. They needed a center, we had a surplus and needed a wing that can shoot. Everyone got what they wanted. Shane had dropped to fifth at best on the center depth chart, leapfrogged by a younger guy. And we still have good center prospects. It’s fine.
I don’t like the way Seattle handled Wright’s first season post draft, I think his development might have gone more smoothly had they just immediately sent him back to the OHL to keep him playing consistently. Beyond that, I don’t know why people are so insistent that its all on the coaching staff for him not developing. He had good stats under Bylsma, but the Kraken played un-structured hockey that wasn’t conducive to winning under Bylsma. Berkly Catton has only ever played under Lambert, and has excelled despite being smaller, 2 years younger, and starting off with more to prove as a true rookie. Winterton and Melanson have both made the leap and earned the coaching staff’s trust. I wanted Shane to work out here like everyone did. But even at his best, he never showed as much promise as Catton has this year, and he never lived up to the pedigree of his draft slot. Maybe he’s been in his own head too much since the draft process and a change of scenery gives him some kind of reset that he needs, but it just wasn’t clicking for him here and he bears responsibility for that as well.
Well said.
I think it’s hard for people to accept that sometimes top picks just don’t work out so they search for answers. The team doesn’t know how to develop thing is a time old tradition but certain other local media does stoke those fires quite a bit despite all the evidence to the contrary (literally every single other prospect). Even his first year was a tough one. He wasn’t ready for the pros and the league and CHL put him in a shitty situation. Is he really better dumpstering kids for another season? Does he actually learn he can’t get away with the plays he did at junior anymore? Luckily no other kid is ever going to have to go through that and they now have agency.
I would add Evans also looks good. Not sure why people think young players have a right to things. They need to take every opportunity to earn it. I appreciate having a coach who values actual play and not fantasies.
I thought you quit the team and what not?
The leave us telling you you’re wrong here. The fact this is the best trade return out there for Shane should tell you he’s not as good as you think he is. Watching the games would also tell you that. Bedard on a god awful Blackhawks team with a line of broken toys has always managed to look good. Can you really say that about Shane and he’s playing again weaker opposing lines.
Lots of bluster from you, not much substance
Love the Monday Musings, John. Thanks for putting them together for us.
Speaking of ugly…
Don’t look now, but the Pacific…