When Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke held his end-of-season press conference in April, he raised eyebrows by indicating that the organization would bring in a third party to audit every facet of the team’s hockey operations procedures. It wasn’t intended to draw a ton of attention, but it ended up doing just that. While this type of review isn’t unusual in professional sports, it was (perhaps incorrectly) interpreted by some as a sign that sweeping changes were coming.
Now, the company selected to run the audit—the Sportsology Group, led by former Chelsea Football Club executive Mike Forde—has completed the first phase of its process after spending roughly 80 hours with team leadership and interviewing staff across 14 departments.
“We didn’t want an echo chamber,” Leiweke said in an interview with Kraken Hockey Network’s Ian Furness. “We directed [Sportsology] to turn every stone to ask the hard questions.”
The audit was designed to give the organization a clear, unbiased assessment of what it has done well in its first five years and where it can improve. While some fans may have expected immediate restructuring or a dramatic overhaul, that was never the intent.
At the same time, the Kraken are being careful about how much they reveal. Understandably, they don’t want to tip their hand to other teams around the NHL, but they also recognize the importance of transparency with a fanbase that has grown restless over the lack of on-ice success.
To that end, Leiweke sat down with Furness to share a high-level overview of the findings and also sent a letter to season ticket members on Tuesday.
“We brought in the Sportsology Group, an independent consulting firm that advises professional sports organizations around the world, and asked them to bring fresh eyes to our hockey operations,” Leiweke said in the letter. “They confirmed our strengths and identified areas where we can improve and evolve, including building brain trust, capabilities, and alignment across talent evaluation and player development.”
New hires reflect findings
One thing we have not heard is that jobs are being cut as a result of this process. Sportsology did not come in and recommend sweeping personnel changes. Instead, they identified opportunities where the Kraken could beef up their staffing, including improvements on how the Kraken develop their players.
There are already strong foundations in place. The Coachella Valley Firebirds provide an excellent environment for prospects, and several young players have worked their way into full-time NHL roles. But the question remains: are those players reaching their full potential?
It’s something we’ve wondered about as well. While players like Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Berkly Catton project as capable top-six contributors (Beniers already is that), none has clearly emerged on a trajectory toward stardom. And beyond that group, there are others who have flirted with NHL roles but haven’t taken the next step. Is there a way to accelerate that process?
Seattle is attempting to address that question through recent hires. Assistant coach Pascal Vincent arrives after two seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he was AHL coach of the year in 2024-25, bringing a strong development background. Meanwhile, former Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz returns to the organization in a player development role.
The goal, as Leiweke put it, is not just to be good in this area—but to be the best.
More cohesion needed in hockey ops
Details are limited when it comes to how the front office operates, but one clear takeaway from the audit was the need for greater cohesion across hockey operations.
Exactly what that looks like is still intentionally murky, but it aligns with Leiweke’s mention of improving “capabilities and alignment across talent evaluation.” In simpler terms, it’s about ensuring that all departments—scouting, analytics, management, etc.—are working together as efficiently and effectively as possible.
A move that reflects this is the hiring of former Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin as an assistant GM. Allvin brings extensive NHL experience, including a Pacific Division title in 2023-24 and three Stanley Cups in varying roles from his time in Pittsburgh. He’s not being brought in to run the show, but rather to add another experienced voice and help strengthen the overall decision-making process.
Plenty of questions remain
If you were hoping for a detailed, step-by-step roadmap to contention, you won’t find that here. But to their credit, the Kraken followed through on their promise to take a hard look at themselves and identify areas for improvement. That, in itself, carries value.
And while Seattle has already made some notable moves this offseason—re-signing Bobby McMann and acquiring Mackie Samoskevich—there’s still a long way to go to reach the “prolific” offseason Leiweke also promised. Perhaps this audit is just the beginning of what’s to come.
The Kraken will continue to work with Sportsology moving forward, as they continue to implement the suggested changes.
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Yeah I don’t know why anyone would expect them to go into any sort of detail here. Doing so is basically handing every other team your list of weakness and a way to fix them
Thanks for adding some more details that weren’t in the video
Don’t buy this argument. Teams know what other teams are trying to accomplish and what stage they are in. If anything having a little more detail out there is a calling card for teams to reach out to you if they have a trade that is in your direction.
They could easily be outlining what they did wrong and the direction they want to move forward in without jeopardizing their strategy within the NHL.
Only people in the dark are the fans.
Oh adorably naive Nino… never change.
Back to throwing mud, you never change.
The undisclosed details must have included the criticism that the team has not handed out enough 6 year contracts to middling 30-year-olds. Kidding, kidding …. ok, half kidding.
Also, Darren, I’m confused by the statement that the hiring of Patrick Alvin — who is not running the show but is just another “voice” on pro scouting — “reflects” the recommendation for more “cohesion.” How does hiring more voices on the same issues, without eliminating anyone, create “cohesion”? If anything, it would seem to risk creating a cacophony.
I think you could read it as the background/relationship between Botterill and Allvin from their time together in Pittsburgh is what provides the cohesion. They’ve worked in Hockey Ops together before, and I would imagine that there is an established trust Botterill has for Allvin in the pro-scouting role that is in alignment with shared opinions/values. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily good or bad when you evaluate Allvin’s tenure with the Canucks, but he must have done some things well as an Assistant GM for Pittsburgh to get the Canucks job in the first place, maybe he just couldn’t handle running the ship as GM.
(General comment). To summarize the interview. The Kraken lacks an identity as a hockey team and hockey operation.
This has been evident to us fans for a long time (that’s why I’ve called it a Franken-build) and not only to Kraken fans to be sure. The org hired more people to help with “the cohesion” i.e. the unified vision of what the Kraken aim to be. Now it’s up to GM Botterill to define that identity and build towards it. Unfortunately his track record is spotty (going back to Buffalo) with many random and frankly weird decisions – one such example is hiring coach Lambert last summer; is Lambert’s rather extreme Trotzian vision of defense first hockey truly the identity the Kraken strive for? Is the Vincent hire an attempt at course correction without firing/overriding the head coach? Would it kill Leiweke or Botterill to speak to the fans about these things openly? Calling them “trade secrets” is a bit sketchy isn’t it.
So far this summer the action have been more of the same old (signing a vet UFA), and new, trading for a kid. But the kid is not the finished product and the vet is not good enough to create a winner. So the next question is unanswered: Even with an identity and cohesion, what is the approach going to be? Same old half- baked team with limited vets taking the heavy assignments and the kids not really trusted (and thus stymied in their growth)? This approach has led nowhere and isn’t going to. Go for top talented kids in the draft and build long-term according to the vision? Clearly this option is not an option for whatever reason (…yet, the way things are going it will be once they’ve failed enough). They don’t have the trade ammo or pull to bring in the top stars for a third approach either.
It will be more of the same old then. Unless Botterill, with the help of Allvin, suddenly start to show hitherto unguessed brilliance and break the Kraken’s stale habits that have not served the org well. This summer is a good time for that, no?
So this is what they’re doing wrong. Apart from “playing the kids more”, what should they have done different last season?
I get “not hire Lambert”, but who? Keep Bylsma?
Would you feel a lot better about this team if was picking 3rd (or 4th) instead of 7th?
Personally, I see a lot of teams making changes and I’m not sure I’m impressed with any of them. Pittsburgh, they’re doing things right. They just hired Ron Francis.
So the idea that bylsma was a worse coach than LL is a big stretch. Under a weaker pacific division we were basically the same. At least he was developing our kids a little more. We had terrible stretches playing boring hockey, very little effort or results from the team. I want to see a coach that can at least bring effort, whatever culture LL is pushing is BS.
Who?
I understand the comparison of the records, but the team under Bylsma was just so visibly undisciplined. Never won a single back to back, there were so many nights where the defense was just non-existent, and its difficult to evaluate how to to build a team when they play hot/cold the way they did under Bylsma. I also don’t think the argument that he was developing younger players more is valid, are you just referencing Shane having a better year in his first season than his second? Under LL, we saw Matty improve, Winterton and Melanson make the leap, and OFM get some chances to shine. Shane regressed, but a sophomore slump isn’t uncommon, particularly when a player is adjusting to a new coach and system. There is also a chance that Shane may not pan out to be the player we want him to be regardless of who is coaching.
I understand frustration with the more boring system that LL plays, but at least its a recognizable system you can build and coach around.
CG
LL was definitely more disciplined but to the other extreme and the system was so defensive that they couldn’t score goals. We basically went from one extreme to another. We were also hot and cold under LL with extended losing streaks. I don’t honestly think you can say that LL is or was a better coach.
Development of players… yes we brought up some dime a dozen 4th line players that are disciplined defensively but the players we actually need to develop to become a better team in the league went backwards in development. All we saw was overused vets that dumped pucks…. Fun stuff and we still sucked. LL is not a better coach, I’m not saying Bylsma was a good coach just that he isn’t worse than LL.
It’s not a stretch at all if you actually watched the games and listened to the exit interviews. Byslma was toxic to the team. It’s well documented in several national podcasts too (Marek and Wysch).
The team played way better the majority of the season and structured.
I know you hate the hockey being played but that’s a you issue.
But we didn’t play better. We gave up less goals and scored way less. Played completely passive, can you picture this season without Grubauer finding his game… complete train wreck. I’m not saying that bylsma was the better option I’m saying they both are bad just on different ends of the spectrum.
I appreciate the corporate problem solving but it seems like throwing good money after bad. Hockey is still hockey, it’s physical but also psychological. In order for Beniers, Wright, Catton and the like to be psychologically confident to assert themselves they need to know that someone is going to protect them. We don’t have that guy. We have guys that love hitting, we have a tall guy that happens into hitting, we have some small guys that are as mean as they come but we lack an intimidation factor. The factor that frees those skill players to go to hard places because the opposition knows there is a price to pay for making their lives too difficult. I think we are loaded with very good players, potential to be great, maybe not elite, but they are all looking over their shoulders because they’ve seen Eberle, McCann, Beniers, Dunn, Montour, Schwartz, all have to fight somebody as a toll to pay for playing hard.
They’ve never had a legit NHL player capable of filling the “enforcer” role. Matty Beniers and Vince Dunn miss significant time on egregious, blatantly illegal hits and yet no real response from the Kraken. Meanwhile Tyler Myers and Martin Pospisil sleep well at night. Team captain Jordan Eberle describes the locker room as quiet. Gets back to the whole culture/we need an identity problem. Kraken need one or two “type A” players capable of taking a leadership role.
I’m tired of the talk and BS. I’ll wait for the action.
What I take from this summary is psretty much what fans already know: the Kraken have to find a way to develop more skills out of their younger recruits. Either that, or simply be able to better tell ahead of time which prospects have the most potential, which by the way, is no mean feat. Regardless, improving upon lunging for Shane Wright and producting a middle of the road talent in three years is evidently a need with which few fans would disagree, in my opinion.
Lunging?
That might be the first Koist post I hit the Like for 😅
Came back to say that despite the lack of clarity this organization provides on the direction their heading (or trying to head), man I’m glad I’m not a Blackhawks fan right now. They did the hard part and drafted a generational talent, and somehow have absolutely no idea of how to build around him despite being bad and having high lottery picks. I had a low opinion of their front office already, but trading 4 and 45 for Bowen Byram with 1 year left on his deal is really something.
I guess the Hawks have a backroom handshake with Byram in place to extend? Once San Jose acquired the 9OA from Ottawa, implying they are taking Stenberg 2OA and a D with the 9OA, the Hawks traded for Byram. Clearly Stenberg was the Hawks #1 target in this draft and they went to a backup plan when the target disappeared.
In any case, good work by Jarmo.
I’m sure they’ll extend Byram considering what they paid for him. However, I don’t track the logic at all. The Sharks are apparently listening to trades for #2 still, so there is no telling who will pick there and if that’s where Stenberg goes. But lets say they do know they aren’t getting a top tier-ish wing like Stenberg, why is the pivot to turn #4 into a good-not-great defenseman in Byrum when they could use #4 to draft Chase Reid or what ever defenseman they had at the top of their board?
Like I said, Byrum is good and still has some runway left to his peak, but at this point I think its fair to say he doesn’t have the same top end potential that you might get picking at #4.
Right, Black hawks suck. You’d think they would be back in playoff contention by now with having Bedard and other high draft picks, but I guess not. I saw something that some hawks fans are starting to get frustrated with their GM for continuing to be in the basement. Yet some here think we should commit to a full rebuild. Since they concluded our player development needs to improve, I think if we went down that route we would end up being like the Black Hawks then the Sharks. Can’t really make a rebuild work if you suck at developing your prospects. I think the hawks could be an example of a failed rebuild.
I am a huge fan of the undertaking and an even bigger fan of the actions taken so far.
Having more experienced and hockey smart voices in the building should be a good thing.
Each of these guys will also have a tree of connections, hopefully this can result in some positive networking that benefits the Kraken for trades, hiring, etc.
A result that says put more effort into player development seems needed as well.
What does that mean Brian, I thought that was already our focus, they just said absolutely nothing.
i am so excited Tuch is off the board.
I agree… at the same time, it’s getting pretty thin out there. I will say, what I’m gathering from the prices, it seems like Seattle could definitely be in on a Robertson deal.
J-Rob or Dorfeyev are my hopes but this offseason has been so friggin weird already i dont know whats available and what isnt anymore. people are speculating wright for michkov (dont think thats real but we do need wingers more than middle 6 centers). at this point im just going to ride this week out lol
Same!
Same
Do you trade on Kalshi? Because I’d like to take the other side on that (Robertson to Seattle that is)
No, I don’t “trade” on proposition markets.
What would your view be on a Robertson package?… or are you completely convinced that anything for Robertson is a waste and the only way forward is to suck and draft for however long it takes?
My question would be is he worth 14 million to the kraken right now. One player isn’t going to right the ship. I feel he’s a very good player and his age fits with what should be our target but I’m not sure he’s worth 14 million plus the huge package we would have to give to make that happen. I could see them asking for one of our top end vets (totally fine with that) two good prospects and a high pick (not so fine with the latter two.
I thought there was nothing special about our prospects?
I thought our problem was we don’t have elite talent?
The guy is 26 and a proven commodity and you want to “cross your fingers and play the young guys”?
Whatever…
@Nino – id pay 16 just to get him here. Kraken could offer sheet that and dallas could pay without some serious roster management. Thats 4 first round picks gone. But the intangibles of Robinson playing here will do a lot of work and we can always shed other players for firsts at the deadline to make up for it. He would make it so another star would join. While I dont think that puts us in a conference final, I think it would put us in a good spot while the obrians, cattons and draft puck #7 cook a little bit. I dont for a second believe that makes us a cup contender, but itll make for a fun couple of seasons and can establish the franchise as a destination. Thats a ludicrous amount of hope and probably 80% nonsense but every single evaluation of this team is “needs star power”, “needs a star player” “devoid of star players”. It may be short sighted on my part but I dont see why you dont swing for this kid or dorfeyev to a lesser extent or whatever else is out there thats nonsense because this off-season has already been nuts and it isnt even free agency yet. I thought it was going to be boring this year. Now I just need the front office to make a strong move. I cant reiterate enough how much im glad tuch is somewhere else. Hell the jets are falling apart, maybe we can peel kyle connor. Im making that up but up is down right now.
Leiweke referenced Sportsology’s areas for improvement as “…. including building brain trust, capabilities, and alignment across talent evaluation and player development.” For an expansion team, drafting (player evaluation) and development are really the only things that matter; hence it’s a damning indictment of the Kraken organization when those areas are weaknesses.
The key inflection point for the franchise was following the 2023/24 season, a real disappointment given the playoff run the previous season. It should have triggered the FO to make a candid evaluation of the roster and conclude it was very unlikely (with several core players already over 30) for the team to be legit playoff contender going forward.
It would have taken guts/honesty to come to this conclusion but imagine if the FO had traded Vince Dunn and Jared McCann during the 2024 offseason – a puck carrying defenseman and a legit goal-scoring forward. The return for McCann and Dunn would have been excellent; at least 2-3 first relatively high first-round round picks. No guarantee of landing star player but it doesn’t hurt to have a few more bites at the apple. Instead, they committed to the “mushy middle” by signing Montour and Stephenson. The current consequence being that it’s now limiting options for roster building going forward. Too late for a teardown per se; no veterans with sufficient trade value to garner a high first-round draft pick.
Two years later, the Kraken are at ANOTHER inflection point – which requires the FO to make honest appraisal regarding the current team. They should acknowledge there is very little chance of making the playoffs in the next 2-3 years at least. Colorado, Dallas, Vegas, Edmonton and Minnesota have superior rosters. Anaheim, Utah, and San Jose are ascending with a combination of young, talented stars and prospects. The Kraken (even more so now) have an aging roster, and except maybe Berkly Catton, no prospects that that project as high-end players at the NHL level.
So, what now? A semi-tank? The priority should be to create at least one full-time spot (80 games each) at defense and forward. How? Any player 30 or over worth even a late first-round pick is a trade candidate. If that’s not possible, then move on from Freddy Gaudreau and Ryan Lindgren – on this team they’re superfluous. Rotate in some combination of OFM, Melanson, Firkus and Nyman at the forward position, and Jugnauth, Nelson, Fleury or Ottavainen at defense. If any of the above wins a full-time roster spot trade another veteran and keep rotating in prospects.
If the Kraken are terrible as a result? Who cares? If nothing else, it would give the team another “bite at the apple”. Conventional wisdom says it can take at least 7-8 years between committing to a rebuild and reaching the playoffs. All expansion teams should employ a rebuild/tanking/teardown strategy. The Kraken haven’t – the team’s been in existence for five years, and yet it still feels they’re five years away. Maybe the above “strategy” helps shorten the timeframe a little….
Very well said totem
It’s weird to me that you acknowledge it takes 7-8 years to build a team and you’ve given this one only 5. Your comments about an aging roster and roster spots show a lack of awareness to the state of the roster. Roster has been shifting younger and we do already have an open F and D spot.
Intentionally tearing it down would be idiotic. For a reference of what happens when it goes wrong see Chicago. They even won the lottery and have no clear off ramp to sucking.
Koist this is strange, do you really think that bringing up a few 3rd and 4th liners with no top line potential really counts as shifting younger? We have open roster spots now but every season they sign a few vet plugs to fill those spots, do you really think this year will be any different?