The Seattle Kraken wrapped up their preseason schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Winning and losing doesn’t matter much in preseason, but it’s still nice to finish with a winning record at 3-2-1. This game also marked the end of training camp. The team will have the next two days off for team-building activities before returning to practice Saturday in preparation for the regular-season opener at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 9.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-2 Kraken win over the Oilers.
Takeaway #1: Special teams
The Kraken special teams got plenty of work in this one. In the first period alone, there were eight penalties, four for each team. The period ended 3-1 in Seattle’s favor, and all three Kraken goals came on special teams. Josh Mahura and Eeli Tolvanen scored power-play goals with blasts from the point, while Ryan Winterton added a shorthanded tally after intercepting a poor pass by Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard below the goal line and wrapping it into an open net. Tolvanen’s goal came during a 5-on-3. Jaden Schwartz provided the screen on both of the power-play goals by Mahura and Tolvanen.
Seattle’s penalty kill technically gave up just one power-play goal on five Edmonton attempts, including some 5-on-3 time. However, the Oilers’ second goal came seven seconds after a penalty expired, showing there’s still work to do in cleaning up those situations. Last season, Seattle occasionally allowed goals just after a kill or power play, an area that could still use improvement.
Berkly Catton had a rough night, spending time in the box for three stick penalties. Coach Lane Lambert said, “He’s not the only one who took stick penalties and hooking and this and that. We just have to clean that up overall, as a group.”
Takeaway #2: Slow start in the second
Seattle jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and almost looked like they expected Edmonton to fold. After the Oilers scored late in the first and started the second on the power play, momentum shifted. The Kraken struggled to clear the zone, and Edmonton cut the deficit to one. Joey Daccord held strong as Seattle adopted a bend-don’t-break approach for about 10 minutes before regaining some offensive push.
On one hand, it was good to see Seattle weather the storm, but this is not a formula for consistent success. Coach Lambert noticed the lack of spark and shuffled the right wingers, moving Tolvanen, Winterton, and Jani Nyman around. The change worked, and Seattle began generating chances again, finishing the period ahead 3-2.
Takeaway #3: Winterton’s big night
For a guy battling for one of the final roster spots, Winterton definitely left a solid final impression in the minds of the front office and coaches on Wednesday. The 22-year-old winger had two goals, including a shorthanded tally, despite getting just 10:07 of ice time. His second came early in the third to restore a two-goal cushion. Off a slick feed from Freddy Gaudreau, Winterton corralled the pass on his backhand, shifted to his forehand, and lifted it over Pickard’s glove. These were the first goals of the preseason for the 22-year-old forward.
Winterton started the night with Schwartz and Shane Wright, but with so many early penalties, he rarely played with them. He later settled in alongside Tye Kartye and Gaudreau, and the trio clicked well. Asked if he got what he wanted from shuffling the right wings, Lambert replied, “I did out of Winterton.”
Winterton earned first-star honors and yeeted the fish after the game.
Looking ahead to the regular season
There are still roster decisions to come, but preseason is in the books. Now, the focus shifts to the regular season and hopefully getting a couple key players back from injury in time for the meaningful games. Despite dealing with injuries, Seattle finished with a winning record (3-2-1), and all three goaltenders turned in solid performances. Adding Matt Murray provides extra competition in the crease, which should help push everyone.
Nyman didn’t score Thursday but saw time with Wright and Schwartz, where he looked comfortable and got some scoring chances. He consistently gets into scoring positions, but he seems to need a playmaker to set him up.
How do you think this preseason went for the Kraken? Are you more or less optimistic about the upcoming season? Comment 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.
Interesting comment regarding the 4th line from Lambert… “I did out of Winterton.” Kartye and Gaudreau looked very good in my opinion especially Gaudreau. I wonder what Lambert didn’t like from Kartye and Gaudreau?
Catton has looked decent in some games but he looked out of place last night, to me he’s not ready for the NHL yet. Difficult position that we’re in, we basically have no choice but to play a kid that isn’t ready only because of a stupid rule.
We have a choice which is to do exactly what we did with Shane who was also not ready.
When I sorted through the schedule I found Catton could play in nine of the first nineteen and then spend a week in the press box before being sent to Coachella for five games. Between that and the five preseason games he’s played in that would be nineteen games before World Juniors. For all the folks that think that’s not enough, it’s more than Cayden Lindstrom (taken four spots ahead of him) will be getting at Michigan State and more than “bubble” NHL prospect James Hagens will get at BC. I’d like to see the Shane Wright approach, but with Kakko out I’m curious if he doesn’t get leaned into more than they’d prefer.
No, Catton can’t go to the AHL this year because he’s 19 and played in the WHL last year.
Due to the CHL-NHL transfer agreement (WHL is part of CHL), an under-20 player not selected for the NHL roster must be loaned back to his CHL club.
In Catton’s case, if not selected for the Kraken roster this year, he will go back to the Spokane Chiefs and due to this rule cannot play for Coachella this year. Next season he will be eligible to play in the AHL (and the CBA going into effect in 26-27 has eliminated this transfer rule, as well).
Actually… even under the terms of the NHL/CHL agreement, if a player is scratched for five games they can be be reassigned to the AHL for a five game conditioning stint. This is pretty much exactly what the Kraken did in Shane Wright’s first season.
IMO Catton seems more seasoned and ready than Wright did at the same point.
The Lambert comment was for how well Winterton responded to the right wings being shuffled. No implied shade was thrown Gaudreau and Kartye’s way. He also mentioned he like how Kartye, Gaudreau and Winterton played together in the presser.
“That stupid rule”……
The fucking CHL…
The 19 YO exemption (apparently) goes into effect next season but is limited to just one single player – which is complete bullshit. This was agreed upon in the new CBA between the league and NHLPA, I assume the CHL formally agreed to this (but I haven’t found confirmation anywhere).
Regardless, the entire transfer agreement is patently illegal. Trying to think of another business/industry where a former “employer” (CHL) can limit the employment opportunities of a FORMER employee (NHL prospect) now under contract with a NEW employer (NHL team). Of course, the NHL’s complicity is the sole reason this exploitative system can exist.
The NHL could do the right thing and tell the CHL to FO – we’re not agreeing to any restrictions that hinder player development. But that would require the sissified Gary Bettman to go against his nature and take a principled stand. Good luck there.
The exodus of players from CHL => NCAA is a direct result of the bullshit described above. Initially, I thought that the NCCA granting college eligibility for CHL players would benefit older players (who didn’t have the option to play in AHL). In reality, its impacting players of all ages. Promising young Canadian hockey players (at any age) don’t want limitations on paths for their future development. The now and future Gavin McKennas will keep leaving the CHL before their 18 YO draft seasons when the league’s indentured servitude model kicks in.
We live in a day and age of player freedom – and rightfully so. The NCAA granted college eligibility to CHL players not as an act of benevolence – it was simply pragmatic. The Supreme Court absolutely eviscerated the NCCA (9-0 vote) regarding their restrictions on college player transfers and compensation. Thus, they had no choice but to grant CHL players college eligibility once Braxton Whitehead signed with Arizona State.
If in desperation the CHL tries to maintain its archaic system, the league will lose. Players will continue to seek their best path forward; players will ultimately prevail against any attempt to obstruct their movement in any way. If the CHL is unwilling to yield on this, it should lead to the league’s demise.
There actually is no exception agreed upon with the CHL. The NHL changed their rules hoping to affect change but both parties have not agreed yet.
I personally don’t think it’s that big if a deal if they just keep him all year, measure his usage, and burn a year of his ELC. I don’t think that’s necessarily a horrible alternative to going to Coachella.
Koist – Thanks for this – that’s what I was afraid of.
Last night looked way too much like last season. Tons of dump-ins, horrible puck management and struggling to control play in the offensive zone. They got the win (thanks Joey) but they were outplayed by an inferior team and, to me, it was a rough way to finish preseason play.
A few thoughts I wrote down after the game:
1. Good for Winterton, the guy has certainly put in the work over the years.
2. The Kraken NHL roster is outshot 2-1 by an Oilers B team without M & D. Hopefully not an omen.
3. As the Athletic said, without Daccord the Kraken are among the bottom teams in the league.
4. Learning night for Catton. Glenn Dreyfuss thought his feet were not moving enough on the penalties.
5. Make Schwartz the permanent net front powerplay presence this season. Seems fearless there.
6. Wright being used on both the powerplay and penalty kill is good, as he needs maximum ice time this season.
7. Anyone have an opinion on the play of Fleury and Ottavainen?
Beyond that, and to Blaiz’s invitation, I have to agree with Daryl, that had last season written all over it. Yes, the team is missing half of its top Fs and Ds now, so this could get ugly for awhile, or longer. I was not optimistic for this season, unless two things happened, Wright and Beniers broke out big, and Lambert somehow transformed the team’s approach. Being one of the least talented team in the NHL, both of those were critical for any success. I think Wright will elevate himself this year but without more people doing the same, where does one look for sustained optimism?
I feel like you’re watching a different team than I am. This preseason team which has yet to have a full set of real lines looks way better structured and more dynamic than last year. All but Kakko and Ryker will be out. They hurt a little bit but we have plenty of NHL ready depth to backfill those two. We also have a lot more goalie depth than we had last year in case that goes sideways in some way. Even there Gru looked great in his full game. If you can’t find optimism, I think that’s more a you problem than a problem with the team. We have plenty of talent to get into the playoffs and the team is already looking better than it did going into last year.
I’m with you Koist, I’m plenty optimistic, I just think last night was a tough look. On the Athletic’s take on Joey… this isn’t Dustin Wolf and Calgary. He drug one of the weakest offenses in the league within a whisper of the playoffs. Everything Joey did was almost completely undermined by Grubauer. You could just as easily say if not for Gru this team finishes with a -2 goal differential and is playing meaningful games down the stretch.
It seems to me – and I don’t know much – but the knock on this team is they don’t have a “superstar”, but then when you look at what ailed them last year, to me, the worst of it was the backup goaltending and the defensive zone time/defense. I think those two things are addressable without having to sign Mitch Marner. Rather than outscoring their problems, maybe they can fix them. When I look at what they did over the offseason and I think about the growth from the younger guys… I’m optimistic.
Last night had plenty of “learning opportunities” lol. I hesitate to put any blame on Gru at all for last season. Byslma’s goalie management was absolutely wretched. Joey was way overworked, Gru didn’t get enough starts and when he did it was often on the second night of a back to back. Nevermind the fact that Joey went down around the same time as Dunn and the team as a whole played like ass that whole time window. The more time I have away from last season the more pissed I get with Bylsma.
Stop right now with the “not enough starts” BS. He started the season in the net on opening night and had plenty of opportunities early on… and yet he went one-for-nine. He’s not bad because he’s not getting starts, he’s not getting starts because he’s bad. This isn’t some new thing. As Drance pointed out on his review today… over the past four seasons he is 145th out of 145 goalies with -56.5 GSAx. The excuses were easy push until Joey replaced Gru on December 10th 2023. Since then one has saved 18 goals above expected, the other has surrendered 18 goals more than expected. The one who gave up 36 more did it in half as many games.
Are folks seriously trying to argue that the solution to the worst goalie in the league is to give him more games???
Agree very much, although my optimism took a hit after getting caved in by the Oilers AHL affiliate last night. But yeah if we can play super disciplined in our own zone and Joey keeps form, we should be able to cut down on goals against. Last year we scored just fine at 5 on 5. Last year’s problems seem fixable with good coaching and execution.
This site doesn’t allow for replying that deep in a thread so I’ll reply here. There is no BS. He factually was benched for weeks on end. His early starts were also against the harder competition early. I understand Drance loves looking at tables of data without watching games or zooming out. You can’t expect much from someone who doesn’t actually track the team but has it as a side gig. Factually, you can’t ice a goalie for two weeks and put him in on a second game of a back-to-back and expect success. I guarantee one of the reasons he was let go was his piss poor management of the goalies on top of his piss poor defensive scheme. It’s also no coincidence they replaced the goalie coach. As even the SoH guys have said, both goaltenders will benefit from a better defensive structure. I’ll turn a question back to you…. you don’t want to start Gru, Murray is equivalent if not worse (older). How do you expect to finish a season that has this many back-to-backs and long road trips without starting one of the two goaltenders that you’d rather not start? You have to and you better set them up for success and benching them for 10 days between starts is not going to cut it.
So in addition to needing to start more he also shouldn’t be expected to win against good teams? That’s why he only won one of nine? If you can’t win unless you get regular starts – which he’s shown in the past does not guarantee success – you cannot be an NHL goalie.
The question you raise is, I believe, THE question of the season… the backup goaltending. I hope having options and a competition for the job will be enough, but if it comes down to relying on Grubauer… I don’t have much faith. I saw it already in his first appearance this preseason. First game, first period. Upright, tight to the crease, tracking the puck, looks good… and then at the end of the period there’s lateral play down low and he’s out of position and sprawled out face-down on the ice – saved by the horn.
It’s not like he had a rough month, or even season… it’s been four years. At some point it’s got to be on him.
I thought they looked good in the 1st and 3rd. IMO they have looked faster than last year, maybe not especially in last night’s game but so far in these pre-season. I’m gonna go unpopular here, I do not see Matty doing, really, anything. I thought maybe he’d shine a little being the senior guy (experience wise) in these young guns. He does seem to be a little more physical but I sense he’s struggling to find his niche. It could just be my untrained eyes.
The graphic indicated DTD for a few of the hobbled, I hope that’s the truth. This first month of games is going to be really interesting. I still haven’t seen Murray play!
Speaking of the Athletic…
I just listened to their Pacific Division preview podcast and they had Thomas Drance do the Seattle breakdown. For my money he’s the most informed voice on the Kraken outside of Seattle. Nice to hear and actual considered take on the team.
Thanks for the heads up!! Was going to skip it but will definitely listen knowing it’s Drance.
Marchment looked like he hadn’t touched a puck all summer. Mahura had possession issues. Larsson misjudged a few plays. The D had a tough time exiting the zone cleanly. So many passes missed their mark. Board battles seemed okay. Hopefully everyone was trying some new tricks in the faceoff circle, because they were not working. Overall it sure looked like the preseason!
What is with all the “?oist” handles on this site? Do Foist and Boist have that many cousins or is it that there really are only five people consistently posting here under different handles ending in “oist”?
Regarding the confirmation bias some like to search for in disavowing any national news opinions about the Kraken, I say keep an open mind and read their articles in detail. I just read the Athletics’ Kraken season preview and a few things really stood out.
1. It is soooo depressing to see the Kraken in the bottom four while sitting on top of the projections is that other expansion team.
2. They seem to be right in line with what I have said about the season depending on breakouts from Beniers and Wright. Time will tell.
3. “A serious lack of high-end talent. Vegas knew it immediately after Year 1, changing everything about an identity that got the Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final that year. They were ruthless in their pursuit of it, ultimately leading to consistent playoff success and a Stanley Cup. The Kraken are seemingly clinging to the faint hope that a 2022-23 second-round exit wasn’t a fluke with regard to their depth approach despite three other seasons of proof to the contrary.”
4. Evans, Lindgren, and Oleksiak “all three look like No. 6s.”
Given that and similar observations from a number of other national publications, and what seems like a sense of exhaustion from the Times’ writers and a number of the other local experienced writers, including at least one on this site, I am wondering where Koist and Daryl are finding their feeling of optimism for this season?. Be specific, player by player or coach by coach, why you think this team will outperform these expectations?
Ok Chuck…
Why not…
First of all, my frustration with so much of the “national media” is it’s an echo chamber of “I don’t understand what they’re doing”. I get why national folks wouldn’t actually follow the team and so I get why they just repeat what they’ve heard from one another. The Athletic trio of Luszczyszyn, Goldman and Gentille doing the write-ups for the Athletic are pretty much toeing-the-line of Dom’s model. When I look at the scoring (for and against) of this team last season and the changes they’ve made I think they have a legitimate opportunity to improve. Dom’s model is heavily influenced by xG%. By his own admission it is built to project based on xG rather than past performance and the public xG numbers are well known to be problematic. As a “retail” analytics voice, Dom is obviously limited by his resources. I question the conclusion that a team who was closer to the middle of the league (21st) in goals for/against and matched with a team that made the playoffs (Montreal) but added goals over the offseason is slated to finish 29th. I think a reasonable conclusion would be to question the model… but apparently not.
Why I’m optimistic…
No.1… I don’t give a shit about the narratives. I really don’t care about all the pithy takes from folks who know zero about the team. This is what I found so refreshing about Drance’s take today. He questions the direction of – and broadsides – the organization (there are parts you’ll love Chuckles) and he’s measured about the performance of players like Beniers and Wright… but it’s clear he knows the team as well. He also said, “They’re one of those teams, if they end up challenging the Kings for third in the division we won’t be absolutely flabbergasted by that development.” I’m pretty sure everyone he works with would be “absolutely flabbergasted” by that because they haven’t done anything more than parrot each other which is parroting Dom’s model.
No.2… I think they’ve done some work to improve the team, and this was a team that was two points out of a playoff spot in December and played .500 after the deadline. They finished with numbers that were better than their place in the standings and the players they’re counting on to take a step (Beniers and Wright) showed that down the stretch last season. Kakko was another plus and Nyman and Catton look to me like real opportunities. We’re all familiar with the off-season moves.
No.3… The biggest question of all, however, is Grubauer. This is another bit Drance goes into at length. I really wish they would have bought him out, but I think bringing in Matt Murray – while no guarantee – makes it clear they won’t just keep sending him out there to sink this team again like they did last season.
I think there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic… but it’s partly because I choose to be. I get why folks who don’t pay attention to the team would be pessimistic, but I think if you’re like me and you Chuck – and you do pay attention to the team – and you’re pessimistic… well I think that’s a choice too. They may end up 29th in the league, but I honestly believe they’re much better than that.
Go Kraken!!!
Fuck Dom’s model and fuck “expected” goals. Throw enough variables into a model and slice it down to a small enough sample size and just about anything is possible. And that’s assuming you have decent data…try using naturalstattrick right now to analyze Freddy Gaudreau’s preseason performance. It’s like he wasn’t even on the ice!
And how exactly do you know they “don’t follow the team?” This sounds like just a flippant, parochial, local yokel slant dismissive of opinions you don’t agree with. While they’re certainly not perfect each of the writers is way more knowledgable than I, hence their perspectives and opinions help inform my expectations for the team.
Criticism of the “I don’t get what they’re doing narrative” is lazy as it has and been explained/articulated in detail by every writer that uses it. My summary: “Ron Francis has a team with middling talent and mediocre results, the teams around the Kraken are improving their rosters and yet RF is sitting on his hands.” A fair criticism IMHO.
Regarding Kraken expectations:
Best case scenario: 90 points – 5th in Pacific. MB and SW take the next step. Backup goaltending isn’t a disaster. Eli Tolvanen (X-factor) approaches 30 goals. Lane Lambert eliminates the inexplicable D-zone lapses.
Worst case scenario: 75 points – 7th in Pacific. MB and SW struggle as they don’t have enough talent around them. It becomes apparent that MB is not a 1C, but just a solid 3C (many national analysts are legitimately asking this question). Given his injury (and lack of any offseason training) McCann is just a shadow of his former self. Mason Marchment never shows up (kind of like his preason). No improvement from Kaapo Kakko.
Most likely: low 80s points and 6/7th in Pacific. Ahead of San Jose and possibly Vancouver (my “Most likely to re-ignite the dumpster fire” team).
As much as everyone is absolutely vitriolic about DL’s model, The Athletics prediction is pretty much in line with most the others. With exception of DailyFaceoff (6th in Pacific) the others six websites I reviewed are projecting 7th in the Pacific. But of not a single one of them know anything about the team.
I think for anyone to really “follow a team” they have to be more focused on it than most others and I don’t think it’s a real stretch to assume most folks with a national beat are not zeroing in on the Kraken… and that’s completely understandable. The problem with the “I don’t understand what they’re doing” take is not that I object to the criticism that you lay out – I think that’s an entirely defensible viewpoint – it’s that it’s completely understandable what they’re doing. You can object to it or disagree with it, but to say you don’t understand it… that’s the sort of echo chamber nonsense that really makes it sound like a bunch of folks that just go on what they’re hearing from one another.
I know I’m gonna sound like Drance’s PR guy here, but his take on the Kraken on the Athletic pod was really worth a listen. He takes the organization to task for a lot of the things that folks object to and then some, but he also seems familiar enough with the team to be able to offer more than just scathing criticism. I’m a lot more open to those observations and conclusions than I am to “I don’t understand”.
There are plenty of other good takes out there as well. I got a lot out of Mike Gould’s write-up on Daily Faceoff and there have been others.
I get your point… who am I to second guess the work of a well resourced, professional who has spent years examining their subject? Likewise, do folks in the hockey media really think the way fans do and the Kraken organization is being run by a group of idiots who simply don’t understand what it takes to run a hockey organization?
By the way… good best case/worst case. I would have been higher on the “best case”, but I also recognize I’m probably overly optimistic. My best case would have the team in a playoff spot going into the deadline and them being able to use their resources (picks/prospects) to go out and add a difference maker. As much as I want them in the playoffs, I also want them to add players and that movement typically goes to playoff bound teams.
Less than a week to go…
The players that usually get added to playoff bound teams are aging vets on expiring contracts… that’s not what the Kraken need.
We need to start looking and planning long term. We’ve seen that the “plan” hasn’t worked. We’re a bottom of the barrel team that’s hasn’t gotten any top talent in the draft, we’ve gotten some decent prospects but for as bad as we are now it’s very evident that we should have a little worse for a few years earlier. We’d be in a better position now.
The whole weaponizing the cap etc BS that RF was so proud of just kind of backfired in his face. That is unless his idea of weaponizing the cap ment that he was going to fill our roster with 3rd line players and still be spending to the cap ceiling? Hell of a weapon RF 😂
95 points would equal all of my best case scenario plus McCann becoming a 30+ goal scorer again. Not impossible – let’s hope that happens. Nino makes a good point. We need a new plan. The caliber of current roster and prospect pool probably won’t make this a playoff contending team.
I’ll listen to Drance – sounds like it will be interesting
Just want to say thanks to both sides here for engaging in a lively debate without devolving into namecalling. I find myself agreeing with both sides on certain points, which both tempers and reforges my own optimism for this season.
Replying to myself because there is no “reply” box after Nino… we all know the drill.
Their first two years they drafted No.2 and No.4. I’m not sure there was much room to be “a little worse for a few years earlier”. Making the playoffs and not getting a high pick in a stacked draft was unfortunate, but I don’t think this team is a Fantilli away from being a playoff lock. I do think, however, if they’re going into season five and have sucked EVERY year instead of the last two in a row… that is, to me, a tough look. It kind of sounds like what you’re suggesting is they quit doing what they’ve done so they can start over doing the same thing again.
There are several “high profile” players that have been traded before the deadline in the last few seasons… Meier, Guentzel, Rantanen (twice), Necas, Stankoven, etc. They all went to playoff teams. On top of that, players like Marner and Guentzel (again) got themselves traded to playoff teams ahead of free agency. Players have to want to go there, and players want to go to playoff teams.
Just as an example, considering what has been happening in the defenseman market this week, what is Thomas Harley gonna fetch? The Stars were already talking about moving Jason Robertson, so if he becomes available and the Kraken are in a playoff spot… do you send McCann, OFM and a first for a 26 year old RFA whose scored 40 goals twice and averaged 87 points over his last four seasons?
Now… if Beniers struggles again, Shane is on pace for 20/25 and they’re circling the drain again… burn it down. But for me – best case – they’re adding at the deadline.
Nino, I do get your point. I think it’s a point a lot of folks make, I just disagree with it.
I feel like a lot of this is just rehashing so I’ll just bring up one thing…
The Ducks. I’ve been talking about them a lot lately and I think it’s a great example. You’re holding them up as the model and this is something you and I actually agree on… they are the model.
Seven years of finishing sixth or worse in the Pacific and last season they were 30th in goals scored and dead last in shot attempts against. They shipped out the video game cover boy because he couldn’t play defense but Carlsson, McTavish and Gauthier all have dreadful defensive numbers as well. A team that finished dash 40 traded away a +15 goalie. When you talk about “doing it right” I worry about being the Ducks (which is what you’re calling success)… they’re honestly looking at finishing sixth or worse again for the eighth year in a row. The last time the Ducks were in the playoffs, Seattle had not yet been granted a hockey team and were still three years away from dropping the puck… and the Ducks still suck.
Seriously, to me the Ducks are a cautionary tale and I’m not convinced the guy who was banned from the league is about to get them to turn the corner.
I do feel like 90+ points is possible for one very simplistic and non-scientific reason. The Canadiens surrendered the exact same number of goals as the Kraken and scored two less. The difference between us and them – one could say – was four seconds… the amount of time it took Brandon Montour to blow past Lane Hutson and score in overtime. They finished with 91 points. This is obviously a ridiculous way to look at it, but I do think it’s possible the team is significantly better than it’s place in the standings suggests.
I’m hopeful… but I was hopeful last season too. I’m running out of chances.
Daryl, yes I’d do that Robertson trade but it’s very unlikely.
I think you’re missing my point to an extent, we have been investing too heavily in mid level players that can only help to a certain extent. We’ve seen the results it isn’t pretty. There are a lot of teams that their goal is just to make the playoffs and sell tickets. The kraken are fitting right into that category very nicely.
Yes we got a second round pick as a gift for being an expansion team and we’ve accidentally got the 4th but I can assure you that wasn’t RF’s plan. He stated from the start that he was building a team that would be a playoff caliber squad right out of the gate. He signed an overrated goaltender that was being carried by his former team just to ensure his plan was on track. He passed on a number of players that could have had value at the deadline in favor of building a competitive roster.
We’ve seen the results, it hasn’t worked. We’ve spent to the cap overpaying wasted up vets just to ensure we don’t get players like Celebrini. Why ticket sales….. they are looking very short sited.
Two ways of building a roster, be aggressive as the Knights have been or be patient as the ducks are. We’re floating in the middle with no clear direction. This isn’t a good plan if it even is a plan.
I haven’t liked the direction the RF was going from the expansion draft on and I’m sitting here today feeling very justified for my opinion from the start. This isn’t hindsight I’ve been calling it out from the start.
I feel like the best thing the Cans did was get rid of him when they did. Yes he’s not the GM but he’s definitely still directing the direction of the franchise.
Here’s another nonsensical rationalization for getting the Kraken to 90+ points…
Last season Dom was off by 16 or more points on a quarter of his projections. Since I think his 76.6 is low for Seattle… I’m just gonna pencil them in for 92.6 points right now.
Go Kraken!!!
I’m not Boist, Foist, or Koist, but I’ll take a shot. Maybe less “why we exceed expectations” but more “why we’re way better than last year actual”. Here goes.
Last year Shane really responded well to his late November scratch. Give me a whole year of his second half and we’re already talking.
Last year we got Kakko mid year. Sucks that he’s hurt but we should have him for more games than last year. Hold his production steady.
Speaking of Kakko give me full year of Matty with Kakko.
Give me a full year of 75% of what lil Yani did in his debut last year. I’ll give you that his small sample was ridiculous. Fair. Just give me 3/4 of that over 75 games.
Give me 55 games of Joey at standard Joey level.
Give me league average minus 5% goaltending (i.e. WAY BETTER THAN LAST YEAR) backup goaltending in the other 27 games.
Give me a few more games from Vince Dunn.
Give me a few more games from captain Eberle.
Give me a little net front nastiness from Mush to fill in the gaps for when Schwartz misses time with an injury (granted that’s the one regression certain to happen this year)
Give me a bit of scrappiness from Lindgren as he pushes Rig to the 3rd pairing and ou D could be better.
And last and most importantly give me healthy Jared McCann.
That’s what you want, Chuck??
PW and Daryl, good stuff!
I would certainly like to be optimistic but as I said, seeing that other expansion team at the top of the expected points list and the Kraken near the bottom makes me batty. After waiting decades for an NHL team and then to watch some really smart guys pull off a fantastic bootstrap operation in Nevada while up here we got a dim guy who fumbled things. That is past, so looking at the upcoming season, I am not very optimistic because:
1. Grubuaer is still on the roster. I am still hoping GMJB sends him down to CV and lets MM be the number 2.
2. RF is still in the organization. Regardless of what they say, does anything really think Patrik Allvin has a free hand with Rutherford lurking? Even if GMJB is better this time around, RF’s shadow is still present.
3. Injuries. Not only the current ones but you can be sure Lindgren, Schwartz, and a few others will be off for stretches this season.
4. Lambert is not in the top ten of coaches hired or available in the last few seasons. Everyone gets a second chance but the Athletic pointed out that the defense actually deteriorated when he took over the Isles, contrary to his rep.
5. Catton. People seem to be jumping off the bandwagon. I am not in that camp, I would rather he learns here as the AHL is not an option. He is a smart enough guy, things will come, but this season could be rough.
6. Other teams in the division seem to be moving in the right direction, so even if the Kraken improve, they may still get passed by.
7. It would actually be better for the franchise to unintentionally suck this season and get a top 3 draft pick. So some of my lack of optimism is actually a hope they take one for the future and do poorly enough to get a real top talent. I don’t want them to be in the same position as last season, where they stupidly scored late goals against the Habs to come back and win the game. That led to them losing two places in the draft, where they could have had Porter Martone instead of O’Brien. This would be a good year to suck, because I think they can squeeze a 1R pick out of Oleksiak if he has a decent season, as he is the perfect fit for contenders. Having three 1R picks should set them up nicely, and then the focus can be on a 3-5 year plan for success, starting from the 2026 draft.
I’m not jumping off the Catton bandwagon but I feel he looks nowhere near NHL ready yet. Unfortunately the best plan is to keep him for 9 games similar path a Wright. The unfortunate reality it there are players that look more NHL ready to play on the 3rd or 4th line that won’t make the team because of the Catton situation. I don’t feel personally that that right.
I’m very wary of Lambert, haven’t particularly seen this organized system that other are talking about. I see a coach that looks frustrated every time the camera pan on him and I wonder how that going to work out long term. Do the players get frustrated with his what looks to be negative energy as the season progresses? We’re not a great team obviously yet and I kinda feel that a more positive focused coach would be a better choice. Ownership wants wins but hasn’t picked the right management to make that happen. Now they bring in a coach that they feel can possibly squeak them into the playoffs but in reality we would be much better off with a build plan rather then being so focused on just getting into the playoffs.
Injuries…. I’ve seen in the past as a former Canucks fan during my younger days living in Vancouver, players going down to injuries during preseason because of what media called pushing the players too hard too fast during preseason. I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback regarding how tough Lamberts camp has been and how hard they are getting worked, is it just a coincidence that we are limping into the regular season or is this possibility related to the pressure and intensity of the camp. If this was Vancouver there might be some early fingers being pointed.
I’m positive regarding the season because every year we are getting some very decent prospects becoming more and more NHl ready, decisions could have obviously been better and we could be in a better position at the moment. If we don’t progress RF surely has to be gone soon and we have a lot to build on moving forward. It’s tough watching what you feel are management mistakes then seeing the results you expect from those mistakes happen but it’s just incredible that we even have a team here. I’d rather have crappy team than no team at all.
The question I can’t seem to get past is Catton. I’d never call myself an expert on hockey, but I have been watching the game for 50 years. I just don’t think he’s ready. He seemed lost and wandering far too often. The puck would go into the off corner, or be taken behind the net and he would follow instead of going to the front of the net. And I don’t mean crash the front of the paint, post up, and take your lumps. He needs to watch how Canner slides across presenting an option. I know we all want Catton to be our next “great hope” and I’m not saying he won’t but … on opening night I think I might be more comfortable watching Hayden lunk around the crease.
“ He needs to watch how Canner slides across presenting an option”
This is something Catton actually does very well playing with the Chiefs. So the potential is there, but the question is whether or not it can be adapted, adjusted and refined to work in an NHL game.
That said, I don’t think he’s quite ready to make the jump. I wish the option were available to play somewhere professionally this year, but it’s not, so I think the best option would be to leverage the current system as much as possible via the 9 NHL games, AHL conditioning loan and juniors.
The final loophole that could be considered would depend on the Chiefs and Firebirds playoff chances. If the Firebirds are still playing when the Chiefs season ends, he can go to the Firebirds on a loan. Theoretically, if the Chiefs are playoff contenders, he could be traded before the CHL deadline to a non-contender to increase the chances that his juniors time ends before the playoffs and he can squeeze in some time in CV while the firebirds are still playing.
It was fun to see some of the young guys playing, but very glad that’s over.
To close out this thread with its many good comments, perhaps we can gold plate the following comment.
“Nino on October 3, 2025 at 7:17 pm
Two ways of building a roster, be aggressive as the Knights have been or be patient as the ducks are. We’re floating in the middle with no clear direction. This isn’t a good plan if it even is a plan.
I haven’t liked the direction the RF was going from the expansion draft on and I’m sitting here today feeling very justified for my opinion from the start. This isn’t hindsight I’ve been calling it out from the start.
I feel like the best thing the Cans did was get rid of him when they did. Yes he’s not the GM but he’s definitely still directing the direction of the franchise.”
If you follow (and believe) what’s written in many comments on SoH, you might start thinking what makes a good NHL hockey team is youth, stats, “stars”, low salaries and having an abundance of draft picks. There is no evidence to suggest any of that is true. Oddly, the concept of “team” is rarely if ever mentioned. In stark contradiction, it’s the job of ownership and management to build a successful hockey team. What’s the chemistry of the team? How do the players and staff interact? Are guys willing to lay it on the line? Play through injury? Sacrifice to block a shot or make the play? Show up every day and give 110%? Maybe it’s the Montours, Marchments, Lindgrens, Gaudreaus, Stephensons, Eberles, Daccords, Schwartzes, Larssons and even the Lamberts and the Francises, in the right environment, who collectively become the foundation on which you can build a solid team. A simple question is “do these guys even like being in the same room together?” Less relevant question is probably “how much money are they making and what are the terms of their contracts?” But it’s the second getting pointed out more than the first. Frankly, it’s very strange.
Try to build your team with 21-25 year olds, only pick veterans you can get on low salaries, wait to hire a coach until you can get one who wins Stanley Cups every year, only choose players based on their expected goals for and against, trade away decent players pushing 30 for 3-7 round draft picks and see how all that goes for you.
Well said Seattle G.
I feel like the situation is different for different teams, it’s very dependent on your window as it’s often called in the NHL. You simply aren’t going to get the good players from other teams via trades unless you have a lot of prospects and high picks to trade, top players that are available via FA usually want a contender if they are willing to sign a reasonable contract or are just out for top dollar…
I’d say that our window is firmly shut and RF doesn’t have a clue how to open it. My initial thought was that with drafting and developing properly, use of cap space properly we could be contending for top in the pacific when Grubauers contract was expiring. Now I’m looking at the Kraken and honestly wondering if it’s even possible without a complete rebuild, I feel like we’ve basically wasted 5 years.
Teams have to gel and become a unit definitely but just randomly picking whatever vet is willing to play for us and handing out ridiculously horrible contracts is not going to do anything other than potentially gain you a few spots in the standings temporarily until it comes back and hurts. Maybe you end up looking in the mirror and you realize that your team spends to the cap on mostly third and fourth line players… how is that even possible? I mean seriously how do you spend to the cap with your team filled with mediocre players.
Do you seriously see a plan for long term success? The issue with RF is that he has become well known as a GM that can draft reasonably well and even pulls off the odd trade that is positive but has never shown the ability to build a winning roster. I believe his mistake in Seattle was mostly cap management because he’s been desperate to fill the lineup with vets instead of just letting a few kids play and develop.
Some may argue that we didn’t have players ready but I’d guess most out there would have rather seen Wright get more ice time and maybe players like Kartye not being scratched as much as he was last year. Right there you have Chandler getting paid too much by another team and we’ve got 6.3 mil to go to better use. How about Oleksiak’s 4.6 mil, I’d rather see Fleury or villi filling that spot at a fraction of the cost even if they’re learning and making mistakes.
Seattle is almost at the bottom of the list for players to come here yet we have no state income tax and it’s a safe city with top notch facilities. The guy at the helm is responsible for that. 90% of the hockey experts can’t be wrong.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply, Nino.
Even if you have the picks and prospects, there’s no guarantee you are improving your team with whomever you get in return, no matter how “good” you think those players are.
Yes, you may have to “overpay” in free agency, but if the player seems like a good fit for whatever reason (work ethic, attitude, experience, position, might ignite your team) it may be worth it. Of course, you never know for sure. Lots of good players have been “overpaid” in free agency and helped the team they went to.
Not sure what “window” you are saying is “shut.” Seattle went to the playoffs (whether by accident or not) just three seasons ago. The team is only entering its 5th season, and players we actually drafted are only now scratching the surface of playing. There are many teams who haven’t made a playoff appearance in the last three seasons, despite having “stars” (like when Buffalo had Eichel all those seasons, for example) and more time to figure it out than Seattle.
“Complete rebuild” assumes you have something to tear down. It’s only fair to say Seattle is still “building.”
I would say signing Montour, Stephenson (both players covered by most other teams), Lindgren, and trading for Kakko, Marchment and Gaudreau is random. These are all good players who can help Seattle not only win games now, but also be an example for our young players just becoming ready to play.
I wouldn’t say we have a team with “mediocre players,” but a team pretty deep with good players, where maybe your “4th line” ends up looking a lot like a “3rd line” on other teams. This is what got Seattle into the playoffs just three years ago, and even into the second round, where they went to game 7 against a good Dallas team. Turns out a lot of teams wanted those players.
You don’t know who wants to come here and who doesn’t. You’re implying that Montour, Stephenson, Lindgren and Murray have no friends or prospects, and were forced to accept a job with Seattle. I don’t think this is an accurate assessment. Joey, Eberle, Canner, Larsson, Dunn, Schwartz, Matty, Shane and others all seem to be enjoying themselves and happy to play in the city and for the organization just fine.
I can’t guarantee Seattle will go to the playoffs this season (or next) but I think they will be improved, and I’m excited for the young players having the opportunity to play with some legit and respected pros.
Your completely right there is no guarantee, what can guarantee is that the kraken are not going to be contending with the current management in place. I don’t know how the majority of the fan base feels but I personally would kinda like a good long term plan for success…. Not just a short term plan to sell row 13 section 201.
I just don’t feel like they have any interest in doing more than trying to sell tickets, having said that I’m still buying.
We can agree to disagree then. If you think smart people are going to spend $600m+ just for the franchise and another $1.2bil updating an arena plus whatever other expenses and not have a plan, l’m putting my money on the people owning and running the franchise. Yes, they have to make money, but they also know the point is to win.
Correction..would Not say signing Monty, Stevie, etc is random.
Go M’s!
Since writing this, I’ve tried to think of players unhappy to be here. The only one I can think of is maybe Burakovsky. But I think that was mostly due to injury and his inability to fit with the team. I don’t think it had anything to do with the organization, city, fans, facilities, etc. All that said, I don’t think he was actually “unhappy.” I just don’t think he was a good fit.