A week ago, the Kraken were all but eliminated. This week didn’t save the season, but it reminded us why we still watch. The Kraken split their four games with two wins and two losses, but the two wins came at home, which matters more. As the saying goes: if you’re going to stink, stink on the road.
The week opened with back‑to‑back losses to the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild. As ugly as the 6–2 and 5–2 results were, there was noticeably more compete than we’d seen in the games leading up to them. That set the stage for a return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas struck first and eventually went up by two early in the second period. To the Kraken’s credit, they rallied from down two and won in a shootout, only their second shootout victory all season. It was the most fun I’ve had at a Kraken game in months, and it snapped the losing streak that had effectively sunk the season.
Seattle followed that up with a 4–1 win over the depleted Calgary Flames on Saturday in Nikke Kokko’s first career NHL start. It was a chaotic week, but it ended with some genuinely happy fans walking out of Climate Pledge Arena.
Importance of winning… even now
I know there’s a subset of fans who want the Kraken to lose for draft‑position purposes, but I’ve never subscribed to the idea that fans should root for losses (even though Darren said we should in Three Takeaways). The fans who showed up Thursday and Saturday certainly weren’t rooting for losses, and I think there’s a bigger reason why these wins still matter.
I attended both games, and in each one I sat near fans who were attending their first Kraken game. I chatted with a few of them; both groups had been looking forward to their games for months. Watching them experience Kraken hockey for the first time was genuinely cool and they left overjoyed with the Kraken win.
Separately, as I was leaving Seattle Center, I saw two kids skipping down the sidewalk chanting, “Let’s go Kraken! Let’s go Kraken!” Those fans don’t care about draft odds. They came to see the Kraken win a hockey game, and some of them walked away with a memory they’ll keep for life. That matters.
To be clear, I don’t care about ticket sales or ad revenue. This is about creating fun, meaningful interactions with the sport I love: hockey. I’m not going to tell anyone how to root for their team, but I know winning was important to those fans, and I am sure they weren’t the only ones.
Thoughts on Ron
I’ve shared plenty of thoughts on the mutual departure of president of hockey operations Ron Francis on the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast. Since then, I’ve had fans, friends, and teammates ask me about the move. My overall feeling is that something needed to change.
There’s no hiding from the fact that the on‑ice results over the first five seasons have been disappointing, with very few highlights since the 2022–23 postseason. The move also made me reflect on the franchise’s first five years.
As someone who cares deeply about the hockey community in the Northwest, I can’t help but feel there were squandered opportunities to grow the fan base and the sport, on and off the ice. Season 1 brought a wave of enthusiasm as new fans discovered hockey. Wins and losses didn’t matter much; the novelty carried the experience.
Season 2 brought a different energy. Out of nowhere, the Kraken became one of the biggest turnaround stories in 20 years. It was magical and entertaining, and it exposed new fans to everything I love about this sport. The playoffs amplified that even further.
Since then, the momentum has slowed. Growing the fan base wasn’t Ron’s job, but it’s undeniably tied to the team’s success. When the team doesn’t win, people stop tuning in.
As for roster construction, the mix of players simply hasn’t worked. There are moves you can criticize, but they’re relatively rare and not solely responsible for the team’s decline. The bigger criticism is about the moves he didn’t make, but we’ll never know what was actually on the table. Regardless, this is the roster that was built, and the results are what they are. Something needed to change, and it did.
Is the change enough? Fair question. I’m taking a wait‑and‑see approach, and I expect more changes before the NHL Draft in June.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Darren’s conversation with John Forslund. John has seen a lot of hockey and offers a level‑headed perspective on the current state of the team.
Quick quiz: Nikke Kokko became the first Kraken goalie to win his first career NHL start. Only one other goalie has made his first career start with the Kraken. Can you name him?
Other Musings
The Kraken still have some intra‑Pacific matchups left, but as of now, they have the highest points percentage against Pacific Division opponents this season.
Seattle is now 3‑0‑0 against the Golden Knights this season, with the final meeting coming Wednesday in Vegas.
Counterpoint: the Kraken have the fourth‑worst record in the league over the last three seasons. Only Anaheim, Chicago, and San Jose are worse. This is part of why change is needed to attract players.
I don’t have the data to prove it, but I’m pretty sure Ryan Winterton, Berkly Catton, and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard formed the youngest line to play an entire game together in Kraken history.
The Kraken have won 10 games this season when allowing the first goal, two of them in their last two games.
As mentioned above, the Kraken got the rare shootout win against Vegas on Thursday. It required five rounds before Berkly Catton buried his opportunity. He is now 1-for-1 in shootout attempts. Matty Beniers is 3-for-12 but 2-for-2 this season.
Congrats to Kraken prospect Clarke Caswell and the Denver Pioneers on winning the NCAA national championship Saturday night. Caswell had a goal and an assist in the 4–3 OT semifinal win over Michigan.
Goals of the Week
These two goals are very similar, and I loved both. The first one was Bobby McMann’s game-tying goal halfway through the third period against the Golden Knights on Thursday night.
The second Goal of the Week was Matty Beniers’ goal with just 4.4 seconds left in the second period to put the Kraken up by two on Saturday.
Performances of the Week
Jake O’Brien (BRA/SEA) – A regular in this section, O’Brien posted two goals and five assists in three games against North Bay in the OHL second round.
Nikke Kokko (SEA) – Won his first career NHL start and showed plenty of personality to go with his calm play.
Julius Miettinen (EVT/SEA) – Two goals and an assist in two second‑round games against Kelowna. Everett leads the series 2–0.
Quiz answer: Ales Stezka made his first career start for the Kraken on Feb. 23 of last year against Tampa Bay. It was the second half of a back‑to‑back while Philipp Grubauer was in Coachella Valley. Stezka made 19 saves on 22 shots in a 4–1 loss. He was 28 years and 48 days old compared to Kokko’s age of 22 years and 28 days on Saturday.
The week ahead
The Kraken finish the season with three games: the Kings on Monday, then a back‑to‑back in Vegas on Wednesday and Colorado on Thursday. If Seattle beats L.A. on Monday, they’ll set a franchise record for highest home points percentage in a season. An overtime or shootout loss would tie the 2022–23 mark.
Winning is important, but winning at home is especially important, and simply more fun. If the Kraken only win one more game, I hope it’s Monday.
I’m also hoping for one more call‑up from Coachella Valley before the season ends. My preference would be Tyson Jugnauth to see how close he is to making the leap. There isn’t an obvious roster spot for him next year unless a defenseman is moved. Jagger Firkus is the other candidate, but he’s injured and unlikely to return in time.
Other storylines to watch:
Playing the spoiler: The Kings are in control of the final playoff spot. Depending on the Nashville–San Jose result, L.A. could clinch with a win in Seattle. I’d prefer not to see that celebration at Climate Pledge.
First goal for OFM: I am sure everyone realizes by now how big of a fan I am of Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, and I would love nothing more than seeing him score his first goal in the National.
Another Kokko start? He looked calm and composed Saturday, though he wasn’t tested much. According to Natural Stat Trick, Calgary generated just 1.68 expected goals in all situations, the second‑lowest total against Seattle this season.
The season might be ending, but the team still gives me reason to watch.
The Kraken might have just saved their season with their performance over the last week. After opening this six‑game road trip (technically, they played five games, came home for two nights, and are heading back out to Edmonton on Monday) with two losses, they were staring down a brutal stretch against Florida, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo.
At this time last week, they’d dropped three straight and sat four points back of Nashville for the final wild card spot, and seven points behind the then–second‑place Vegas Golden Knights. Fast‑forward seven days, and the Kraken are now two points back of Nashville and five behind Vegas, with one and two games in hand, respectively. If there was a week I expected them to lose ground, it was this one. Instead, they clawed out four of a possible six points and shoved themselves right back into the race.
The week began with what should have been their most manageable matchup: a rematch with the Florida Panthers, whom the Kraken had thumped 6–2 in Seattle just 10 days earlier. This one was nothing like that. Seattle trailed 4–1 with under six minutes left before erupting for three goals in a two‑and‑a‑half‑minute span to force overtime and steal a point in a shootout loss. On the surface, that single point against an injury‑depleted team with little to play for seems small, but it may have been the spark that lit the rest of the week.
Even with that comeback, the Kraken’s playoff hopes still felt like they were teetering on extinction heading into Thursday. Tampa Bay and Buffalo have been the two best teams in the league in the 2026 calendar year, and I didn’t expect much from Seattle in either matchup. Both games followed the same script: Kraken score first, build a two‑goal lead, then watch the opponent storm back to force overtime.
The difference was in the finish. Seattle beat Tampa in overtime and fell to Buffalo in a shootout. Getting three of four points out of those two games, given how poorly the team has played since the break, feels like a minor miracle.
Kraken shootout woes
The Kraken are 1‑0‑6 in shootouts but 6‑0‑5 in games decided in overtime. They rank 31st in the NHL in shootout conversion rate, scoring on just 13 percent of attempts. The only reason they aren’t 32nd is because Utah hasn’t played a shootout game this season. They’re also near the bottom in preventing goals, stopping just 54.5 percent of attempts. It’s pretty clear this team is not built for the shootout.
The impeccable timing of Bobby McMann
Seattle’s newest forward has been a revelation. McMann posted three goals and two assists over the last three games, bringing his totals as a Kraken to seven goals and four assists in eight games. The production is great, but the timing of his goals has been even better.
It started in his debut in Vancouver on March 15. With the first period winding down in a 1–1 game, McMann broke the tie with 50 seconds left, a back‑breaker for the Canucks. Seattle would go on to score the next three goals and cruised at a time they really need a win.
This past week, he tied the game in Florida to complete the comeback and force overtime, just 14 seconds after Jordan Eberle scored. He also scored the third goal in Tampa to restore a two‑goal lead. And he buried the second goal in Buffalo minutes after the Sabres nearly tied it on the double‑doinker.
MCMANN CAN! 🚨
SEVEN goals in eight games since being acquired by the #SeaKraken, and what a play here by Bobby McMann.
You have to think part of the Kraken’s motivation in trading for McMann was the chance to re‑sign him before he hits free agency. So far, it’s hard to argue he isn’t a perfect fit, and he’s already finding chemistry with Kaapo Kakko and Chandler Stephenson.
Striking distance
At the start of the season, the hope was simply that the Kraken would be playing meaningful games in March. Instead, they’ll be playing meaningful games in April. Their four points last week—combined with Vegas’ continued slide—have given them two legitimate paths into the playoffs.
This season has been a roller coaster, but none of that matters now. What matters is the opportunity in front of the Kraken. And for the younger players, this playoff‑like pressure is invaluable. They have a real shot at sneaking in, so let’s see if they can finish the job.
Other musings
Among Western Conference playoff contenders, the Kraken have the second‑worst points percentage since the Olympic break. The worst team? The Vegas Golden Knights. Seattle and Vegas meet twice more before the season ends.
The overtime game against Florida was Seattle’s first since Jan. 14. Since that date, they’ve played the fewest OT games in the league, just three, and they all came in the last week.
Despite both games going to overtime, the Kraken never trailed in their matchups with Tampa Bay and Buffalo. That’s the power of scoring first.
Seattle ranks 18th in goal differential when excluding empty‑net goals—better than Nashville and LA, and tied with Anaheim.
This week in “How the West Fared”
Jamie Oleksiak dropped the gloves with Logan Stanley in Buffalo after taking exception to a hit on Shane Wright. It was Oleksiak’s 11th fight as a Kraken, making him the franchise’s all‑time leader, breaking his tie with Yanni Gourde.
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT! 🥊
After Logan Stanley crushed Shane Wright in the 1st period and sent him to the dressing room, Jamie Oleksiak makes him answer.
Berkly Catton had his first NHL fight earlier in the week, squaring off with J.J. Moser in Tampa. At 20 years and 71 days old, he becomes the youngest Kraken player ever to fight, beating Ryan Winterton’s record set in January.
Regular readers know I’ve been high on Oscar Fisker‑Mølgaard since the day he was drafted. He played his fifth NHL game Saturday in Buffalo but has yet to appear at home. I’m excited to finally see him in person outside of preseason or prospect games.
Goal of the week
This seemed like another no brainer.
Matty Magic! 🚨
Impressive individual effort from Beniers, but still down by two, likely too little, too late. #SeaKraken
Clarke Caswell (DEN/SEA) – The 2024 fifth‑round pick tallied three points in two NCAA tournament games as Denver advanced to the Frozen Four. The Pioneers are the favorites to win the national title in a few weeks.
Kim Saarinen (HPK/SEA) – The Finnish goaltender helped 12th‑seeded HPK upset fifth‑seeded Lukko in the Liiga playoffs. Saarinen stopped 89 of 93 shots (.957 save percentage) over two games against Lukko and one against top‑seeded Tappara.
Jakub Fibigr (WSR/SEA) – The Windsor defenseman posted a goal and three assists in the first two games of the OHL playoffs against Guelph. Many prospect analysts liked this seventh‑round pick, and he’s taken meaningful steps this season. He’s committed to Ohio State in the fall.
To say I’m stressed about every game right now would be an understatement. This week looks particularly challenging: Edmonton on Tuesday, Utah in Seattle on Thursday, and then a lighter matchup Saturday when Chicago visits Climate Pledge.
Seattle is 1‑2‑0 against Edmonton this season, with the lone win coming back in October. The Oilers dominated the two post‑Thanksgiving games, outscoring the Kraken 13–4 and torching the penalty kill with six power‑play goals on seven opportunities. Edmonton will be without Leon Draisaitl, who had eight points in three games against Seattle this year, so that gives me a little optimism. Still, those two blowouts are seared into my memory. Prove me wrong, Kraken. Prove me wrong.
Utah, meanwhile, is a fun, high‑flying offensive team with shooters everywhere. They remind me of Anaheim, but with some form of defense. Seattle is 0‑2‑0 against them this season, outscored 11–6, though three of Utah’s goals were empty‑netters. Both games were in Utah; last season, the Kraken went 2‑0‑0 at home against them.
And then there’s Chicago. The Blackhawks are 3‑5‑2 in their last 10 and have the second‑worst record in the league. In the words of General Ackbar: “It’s a trap!” Given how poorly Seattle played from the Olympic break until a couple games ago, they cannot afford a letdown. Chicago has beaten Utah, Minnesota, and the Islanders in the last month. It’s the NHL, anyone can beat anyone.
The Kraken have just three weeks left in the regular season and are inching toward do‑or‑die territory, but they’re not quite there yet. I’d be satisfied with three points this week, discouraged with only two, and devastated with anything less.
It was a devastating week for the Kraken, yet remarkably, they remain in the playoff hunt, albeit hanging on the outside right now. This is uncharted territory for the franchise, which has never truly been in a nip‑and‑tuck race to get into the playoffs. In three of their four seasons, the Kraken were obvious sellers at the deadline and well out of the picture by March. The only exception was Season 2, when they maintained an eight‑point cushion and never really flirted with falling out.
That’s what makes this stretch so frustrating. The opportunity has been sitting right there, practically begging to be taken, because every other wild‑card hopeful has been stumbling too. Seattle, San Jose, and Los Angeles went a combined 1‑7‑2 last week. And the Pacific ineptitude doesn’t stop there: the teams holding the conference playoff spots went 4‑5‑1. It’s been a mess across the board, which only makes the Kraken’s skid feel that much worse. If Seattle had simply split their four games against Nashville and St. Louis, they’d be in a wild-card spot, two points behind Edmonton for third place in the division, and three points behind Vegas for second place with two games in hand on both those teams.
The Kraken aren’t playing poorly, but they’re also not elevating their game at a time when most of the league finds a way to do exactly that. Yes, two of their last three losses came against high‑caliber teams in Tampa Bay and the red‑hot Columbus Blue Jackets, but with a 4‑9‑0 record in 13 games since the Olympic break, that explanation doesn’t hold much weight anymore.
Ice‑cold scoring
The Kraken have averaged just 2.6 goals per game since the break, and even that number feels a bit inflated thanks to three games where they scored five or more goals. That’s good enough for 25th in the league since the break. They’ve scored more than two goals in only four of 13 games since returning. Their shooting percentage sits in the lower half of the league, and their shots on goal per game rank 26th. Shot quality hasn’t been terrible, their high‑danger and medium‑danger chances are only slightly below average, but the finishing simply isn’t there.
The OG: Adam Larsson
The Big Cat is set to play in his 1,000th NHL game on Tuesday as the Kraken take on the Florida Panthers. I’ll always have a soft spot for the players who chose to be here in that inaugural season. Larsson was technically an expansion pick from Edmonton, but he signed with Seattle during the exclusive expansion‑draft signing window, a subtle but meaningful distinction.
He’s been a perfect fit from Day 1: steady, reliable, and quietly one of the emotional anchors of the room. He’s not the guy in front of the camera, but he’s often the one facing the media after some of the toughest losses in franchise history. He also chose to sign an extension after the disappointing 2023–24 season, when it would’ve been easy to look elsewhere.
Larsson holds the franchise records for time on ice and games played, and he’s missed only one game in Kraken history — to be there for the birth of his first child. Stick taps for the Big Cat.
The fourth line had a rough night in Columbus. One of the primary jobs of a fourth line is simply not to get scored on, and they were on the ice for all three of Columbus’s first‑period goals. Plus/minus isn’t everything, but Jani Nyman is a minus‑five in just over 14 minutes of NHL ice time since being called up.
One bright spot since the Olympic break: the penalty kill. The Kraken have killed 86 percent of their penalties, third‑best in the league over that span.
It’s not saying much, but the Kraken are the best team in the Pacific when playing other Pacific teams. They have five divisional games left.
I know it won’t be feasible for everyone, but seeing the Kraken play in Finland sounds like an incredible experience. Based on all the texts I’ve received since the announcement, I am not the only one who thinks so.
Injuries are part of the game, but it really stings not having some of Seattle’s top forwards available. With so many close games, it’s not hard to imagine guys like Jaden Schwartz and (more recently) Jared McCann could have made a difference.
Congratulations to the Wisconsin Badgers on winning the Women’s National Championship. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on women’s hockey, but I’ve casually watched for over a decade, and the skill level this weekend was unlike anything I’ve seen from the college game. The talent pool is deep and trending upward.
On the NCAA men’s side, the Kraken will have three prospects in the 16‑team NCAA tournament: Clarke Caswell (Denver), Zaccharya Wisdom (Western Michigan), and Ollie Josephson (North Dakota). The tournament kicks off Thursday.
I mentioned this on the most recent Sound Of Hockey Podcast, but the Seattle Torrent now average the highest attendance across the league. If you haven’t been to a game yet, check them out. Those games are a ton of fun.
Player performances
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (CVF/SEA) – OFM posted two goals and three assists over two games for Coachella Valley, including the overtime winner.
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) March 22, 2026
Jake O’Brien (BFD/SEA) – O’Brien had eight points over the Brantford Bulldogs’ final two regular‑season games. He finished the year leading the OHL in assists and placed third in points. The Bulldogs open their playoffs Friday against the Sudbury Wolves.
Semyon Vyazovoi (SLA/SEA) – The Russian goaltending prospect closed out his KHL season with a 39‑save shutout. He finished fifth in the league in save percentage. The KHL playoffs begin this week.
The week ahead
I don’t say this lightly: this could be the nail‑in‑the‑coffin week for the Seattle Kraken. They have one of the toughest stretches on their schedule at the worst possible time. After having already lost at Nashville and Columbus, they’ll face Florida on Tuesday, Tampa Bay on Thursday, and then a Saturday matinee against world-beating Buffalo Sabres. Even Florida, who will be looking for payback after their embarrassing loss in Seattle last week, will be a tough out. There’s a chance Tampa Bay and Buffalo ease off the gas as they prepare for the playoffs, but I wouldn’t count on it.
The Kraken put themselves in this position by squandering opportunities over the last few weeks. Anything less than three points, which is a big ask, will likely push them out of realistic playoff contention.
What started as an excellent week with a 2–1 signature win over the Carolina Hurricanes ended with an absolute thud in a humiliating 7–4 loss to the Ottawa Senators in front of a packed house on Saturday night. Sandwiched between those two games was another disappointing regulation loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The Kraken began the week in the second wild‑card spot and, somehow, finished it in the same place despite collecting just two of six possible points. On the surface, it’s nice that the brutal week didn’t kill them in the standings, but it was still a squandered chance to create a little breathing room over the Sharks, Kings, and Predators.
Here’s how the Pacific fared this week:
I might have been able to stomach the St. Louis game, since the Blues suddenly look like world‑beaters with four straight wins over the Wild, Kraken, Sharks, and Ducks, but the Kraken looked completely uninspired against Ottawa. Every team has the occasional stinker, and maybe there really was something to the illness going around the room that day, but this one felt especially flat.
Quick thoughts on the Trade Deadline and Bobby McMann
For those who missed it, the NHL Trade Deadline came and went on Friday, and the Kraken added speedy depth winger Bobby McMann, who can finish and bring some flat-out speed. The cost, a second‑ and fourth‑round pick, was reasonable for a player who’s only signed through the end of the season. It’s not exactly what I expected, but it’s pretty darn close. They’re on the bubble with a legitimate shot at the playoffs, so a sell‑off didn’t make sense, and neither did pushing all the chips in for something splashy.
McMann also gives them one more winger to consider re‑signing before free agency. As of now, the Kraken have three forwards on expiring contracts, and they likely need to extend at least one of them before July 1, or they’ll be staring at some significant holes next season.
Where McMann fits in the lineup
Darren already gave his two cents on where McMann might slot in. He started the year on Toronto’s fourth line but worked his way up to playing alongside Auston Matthews. He can fit anywhere. With Lane Lambert’s familiarity with him from Toronto, he probably already has a strong sense of how he wants to use him, but deciding who comes out will be difficult.
Depending on Jaden Schwartz’s status, two of the following four players will need to sit when McMann enters the lineup: Ben Meyers, Ryan Winterton, Jacob Melanson, and Berkly Catton.
Meyers kills penalties, drives play, and has been excellent since returning from injury. Before Saturday, I would have said Melanson was the odd man out, but he was one of the few Kraken players who actually showed up and even scored the opening goal. It’s hard to pull him now.
That leaves Catton and Winterton.
If Schwartz can’t go Tuesday (and/or Thursday), I think you have to keep the Meyers–Winterton–Melanson fourth line intact and scratch Catton. It sucks to say it, but he’s not helping this team win right now. He missed at least two assignments that directly led to goals on Saturday night, and he continues to make careless passes that hurt the team. I love his offensive flashes, but defensively he’s been a liability.
Other musings
Of all the players moved at the deadline, I’m not sure there was a single one that made me wish the Kraken had jumped in. The only player I was genuinely intrigued by was Robert Thomas, and he didn’t end up getting moved.
The Kraken scored first in all three games this week. Normally that’s a good omen since they’ve earned a .703 points percentage when scoring first this season, but they managed just two of six points (.333) this week.
It would be nice if the Kraken could mix in an overtime game or two. They haven’t played one since Jan. 14. Meanwhile, the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks have each played at least four overtime games in that span.
The Kraken are 17‑10‑3 since trading Mason Marchment on Dec. 19, the best record in the Pacific Division over that span.
I was surprised to hear some fans were disappointed in the deadline, expecting either a bigger splash or a significant sell‑off. As I said last week, this team is in a playoff spot but not a Cup contender, so a measured move made sense.
The Kraken are tracking at the exact same pace as the 2023–24 team. Fortunately for them, the Western Conference is significantly weaker this season.
For the heck of it, I refreshed an old visual comparing Kraken draft‑pick performance to the rest of the league. It’s far too early to make any sweeping declarations, but the Kraken are punching well above the league average so far.
Season‑ticket holders received renewal notices last week, and most ticket prices are going down next season.
Goal of the week
Sometimes you really need a greasy one and situationally, that can be pretty.
B-B-B-BEN MMMMEYERS! 🚨
It starts with a physical, hard-nosed play in the defensive zone by Melanson. Gaudreau feeds Meyers, who sticks with it and gets a good bounce.
Congrats to Ben Meyers for signing a two-year extension last week. He has been a pleasant surprise contributor to the lineup this season.
Player performances
Ollie Josephson (ND/SEA) – The 19‑year‑old center, drafted by the Kraken in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, had one goal and four assists in North Dakota’s two games over the weekend. He now has 20 points in his first NCAA season. Logan Morrison (CV/SEA) – “LoMo” posted two goals and two assists in Coachella Valley’s two‑game series in Calgary. He leads the Firebirds in points and is on pace for 34 goals this season — not bad for an undrafted player. Kim Saarinen (HPK/SEA) – A third‑round pick by the Kraken in 2024, the Finnish goaltender stopped 57 of 62 shots in back‑to‑back wins for HPK in the Finnish Liiga.
The week ahead
Every week from here on out is critical, and this one is no exception. Tuesday brings a big game against Nashville, who is still in the hunt but starting to fade. On Thursday, the league‑leading Colorado Avalanche come to town. As of Monday morning, they’ve won five straight and are 8‑2‑0 in their last 10.
Saturday looks significantly easier with a trip to Vancouver to face the Canucks, but do we really expect any game to be easy down the stretch? I sure don’t.
The standings remain tight, and eventually the Kraken need a week where they take more than 50 percent of the available points. This is a good week to do it. They can survive with less, but four of six points, including a regulation win on Tuesday could all but eliminate Nashville. That would go a long way.
The Kraken just played their best four games of the season. They’re sitting third in the Pacific Division and only three points back of the division‑leading Vegas Golden Knights.
I mentioned last week that they should target three out of a possible six points to stay in the mix. Well, they got all six, and the last game served as a bit of an exclamation point with a 3–2 regulation win over Vegas. Head coach Lane Lambert often talks about “playing the right way,” and they did it in spades this week. It was the most consistent stretch of full 60‑minute efforts we’ve seen in any three‑game span this season. They started strong and had complete buy‑in up and down the lineup.
The games against the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and Thursday were stress‑free wins. They held two‑goal leads for long stretches, and neither opponent could muster much offense. The Kraken caught both teams at particularly vulnerable times, as they’ve been sliding down the standings, but it was still nice to see Seattle take care of business, something that hasn’t always been guaranteed in the past.
The 2025–26 Kraken have put together a longer winning streak this season, but these last four games are the best they’ve looked. They’re scoring at a respectable rate while also playing their suffocating defensive structure, paired with the steady goaltending they’ve had all year. You can chalk the Capitals and Maple Leafs games up to weakened opponents (both teams looked bad), but you can’t deny how good the Kraken looked against Vegas.
The Kraken are scoring. What?!?
After the first two months of the season, I expected the only way this team would win was by grinding out low‑event hockey games. We knew Lambert was defensive‑minded, and if that was the path to winning, I could live with it. On top of that, the Kraken dealt with several injuries in the first half, including multiple IR stints for Jared McCann, their leading scorer in three of the last four seasons.
McCann’s return was the shot in the arm they needed. He has 11 goals in 19 games since coming off IR in late December, tied for sixth in the league over that span. Matty Beniers is also on a heater with 10 goals in January, a number McCann matched one game later. Beyond those two, Berkly Catton chipped in five goals, and Jordan Eberle added five of his own during the month.
The ageless wonder of Jordan Eberle
Speaking of scoring, you could make a case that Jordan Eberle has been the team’s most valuable player this season. He’s been a steady contributor while others have missed time, and he’s on pace for one of his best goal‑producing seasons since 2015–16. That’s not bad for a 35‑year‑old winger coming off a brutal injury last season.
It will be interesting to see if the Kraken try to sign him to an extension before the trade deadline or take their chances on him re-signing before free agency. From everything I gather, he and his family enjoy Seattle, but you have to imagine he wants a real shot at a Stanley Cup before he retires.
Strength of schedule remaining
Several people sent me The Athletic’s “strength of schedule remaining,” which shows the Kraken with the hardest schedule in the league. I understand how the calculation works, but it feels a little flawed and not very translatable in layman’s terms. The metric hinges on a “Projected Net Rating” based on a bottom‑up model of individual player contributions.
I’m not saying the model is bad or that the Kraken don’t have a tough road ahead, but I will point out that Dom’s current model projects the Kraken to finish with 80.8 points — which would require a .354 points percentage the rest of the way. Models are inherently wrong; the question is simply how wrong they end up being.
As an alternative, I offer my own “Strength of Remaining Opponents,” which simply averages each opponent’s points percentage. Averages can be weak when outliers skew the numbers, so I added categories to illustrate the distribution of the strength of the opponents:
Top: > .600
High‑mid: .600–.550
Mid‑low: .550–.500
Low: < .500
By this measure, the Kraken have a relatively manageable schedule remaining, but compared to their Pacific Division counterparts, theirs is still tougher. It’s not a perfect method, and I’m not sure one exists, but we’ll revisit it as the season progresses.
Other musings
Regardless of what happens in the final two games before the break, Kraken fans should be thrilled with where the team sits. Last season, on Feb. 2, 2025, they were 10 points back of the last wild‑card spot.
Among Pacific Division teams, the Kraken have the second‑best record within the division and have wins against every divisional opponent.
Jared McCann scored his 200th career NHL goal on Saturday against Vegas. Given how good he’s been since joining Seattle, 200 feels low, but that’s because he’s essentially doubled his career goal total in roughly the same number of games he played elsewhere.
If there’s one area of concern right now, it’s the penalty kill. The Kraken have allowed at least one power‑play goal in seven straight games. Their PK sits at 73.1 percent over that stretch, which is near the bottom of the league.
Tuesday’s win over Toronto was the Kraken’s first ever against the Leafs at Climate Pledge Arena.
Across the entire 2025–26 season, the Kraken have led by two or more goals for 310 minutes. 76 of those minutes came in the last three games; the other 234 came in the previous 51.
The Kraken are second in points percentage in games against Pacific Division opponents and have two more divisional games before the break.
The Seattle Torrent’s Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter have been named captain and alternate captain, respectively, for the USA Olympic team.
Goal of the week
I love this goal so much…
Player performance
Joey Daccord (SEA) – Posted a .933 save percentage in two of the Kraken wins this week. Jared McCann (SEA) – Four goals and three assists in three games and named the NHL’s First Star of the Week. Semyon Vyazovoi (YUL/SEA) – The Kraken’s sixth-round selection from the 2021 NHL Draft had three wins and a .943 save percentage for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL.
The week ahead
Only two games remain before the Olympic break, and both are massive. On Tuesday, the Kraken face the Anaheim Ducks, who are tied with them in points. On Wednesday, they play the Los Angeles Kings, who sit one point back. These aren’t must‑win games, but getting at least two points would be ideal — three (or four) would be huge and would lock Seattle solidly into a playoff spot heading into the break.
It wasn’t long ago that the Kraken were embarrassed by the Ducks for two periods in Seattle. I’m eager to see what kind of response we get, especially considering how well they’ve started games lately and how much more control they’ve shown. The Ducks have won eight of their last 10 and have figured out how to defend.
Meanwhile, the Kings return home after a 4‑1‑1 road trip. Hopefully they’re already mentally on break, but that might be wishful thinking.
And finally…
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: fans should be happy with where the Kraken are right now. The early‑season winning might have been a bit of smoke and mirrors while they dealt with injuries, but the play in January might be who this team really is — and that should be enough to get them into the playoffs. Regardless of what happens before the break, I’m feeling pretty good about this group. Of course, two wins would make the next three weeks a whole lot more enjoyable.
This week’s Monday Musings is a bit abbreviated thanks to the holiday weekend and an early Monday matinee. Keep an eye out for another edition of 10 for 10 later this week, and expect a full strength Monday Musings to return next week.
The Kraken’s week started in a good place and slowly unraveled, ending with a pretty ugly loss to the Utah Mammoth. Last week, I said they needed at least four of the possible eight points, including an overtime point against Utah, to keep pace in the standings. That didn’t happen. They came away with only three points and lost to the Mammoth in regulation. Seattle is still sitting third in the division, but they’re tied with three other teams and only holding their spot because of tiebreakers. They’re still in the playoff picture, but a flat week like this tightens the margin for error.
Things actually opened on a positive note with a 4–2 win over the Rangers, though even that game came with a red flag: the Kraken fell behind 2–0 in the first period before rattling off four straight. It worked that night, but spotting teams early leads is not a sustainable strategy.
Ironically, their best performance of the week came in a game they also trailed 2–0, in the matchup in Boston. Seattle generated 62 shot attempts to Boston’s 48 and pushed the pace for long stretches, even though they ultimately lost in regulation. It felt like a promising setup heading into the final and most important game of the road trip against Utah… which makes the way that one ended all the more frustrating.
Rebound goals
One of Lane Lambert’s early-season messages was that the Kraken needed to shoot more. He always paired it with the reminder that a huge chunk of NHL goals come off rebounds, which stuck with me. I’ve been watching for those second chance opportunities all year and even flagged it in one of my early Kraken 10-for-10 posts and lately, the Kraken have been cashing in.
They’ve been scoring rebound goals in bunches, and this road trip has been the clearest example yet. By my definition, any goal scored within three seconds of a shot attempt. Seattle has four of them on this trip alone.
Exhibit 1:
The Kraken are still one of the top teams in rebound goals (off attempts):
Power play
One of the biggest surprises of the season has been the Kraken’s suddenly potent power play. They’re sitting ninth in the NHL at 23.1%, a massive jump from last year’s 23rd ranked unit that converted at just 18.9%. The difference has been obvious, too. Their puck movement with the extra skater looked sharp throughout the last homestand and should, in theory, only improve with the return of Brandon Montour and Jaden Schwartz from injured reserve.
Seattle is humming along at 34.8% in January and ranks second in the league over its last 20 games. The only real drawback is that they don’t get many chances to show it off, but when they do, they’ve been making them count.
It is worth pointing out that the Kraken allowed two shorthanded goals against on this road trip, but I would like to think that is just a fluky coincidence.
Other musings
With Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Montour back, the Kraken are finally healthy. I’m really curious to see how the group settles in once those two get a few games under their belts. Both will slot onto the power‑play units, which means Berkly Catton and Ryker Evans are the likely players to lose some PP time.
Catton, for his part, is playing with real confidence. He’s developed a shoot‑first mentality, putting up six shot attempts in each of his last two games, both season highs.
Down in the desert, the Coachella Valley Firebirds have won five straight.
With Nikke Kokko out week‑to‑week with a lower‑body injury, it was encouraging to see the new tandem of Jack LaFontaine and Victor Ostman deliver back‑to‑back shutouts over the weekend.
Big congrats to Firebirds standouts Jagger Firkus and Tyson Jugnauth on being named to the AHL All‑Star Game. There are plenty of variables in play, but it’ll be interesting to see if either gets a look with the Kraken at some point.
Goal of the week
Freddy’s touch here is so nice that I had to include it in here somehow.
Player Performances
Jani Nyman (CVF/SEA) – Lil’ Jani is on a heater. He scored six goals in four games and was named AHL Player of the Week.
In other action, Jani Nyman continues to score for the @Firebirds. This is Nyman’s fifth goal in his last three games and this game still has two periods remaining. pic.twitter.com/N108bD8HkW
Jared McCann (SEA) – It’s great having McCann back in the lineup. The Kraken’s all‑time leading scorer chipped in two goals and two assists this week, immediately reminding everyone what this team looks like with him healthy.
Nela Lopusanova (SLO) – The 17‑year‑old Slovakian phenom first made waves at age 14 when she pulled off a Michigan goal at the U18 Women’s Worlds. Three years later, she just wrapped up her fourth U18 tournament and tied Kendall Coyne Schofield for the most career points in event history. Lopusanova now sits at 22 goals and 11 assists in just 14 games.
This is the famed Michigan goal:
14-year old Nela Lopušanová pulled off the Michigan at the #U18WomensWorlds 🤯😱🔥
The Kraken open the week with a Monday afternoon matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. I’m not usually one to throw around the term “must win,” but it sure would be nice to start this six game homestand on the right foot and put an end to the current two-game skid. From there, it’s an every other day rhythm: the Islanders on Wednesday, a big Pacific Division test against the Ducks on Friday, and an early one against the Devils on Sunday. None of these teams are world beaters, but all of them have something to play for, so there won’t be any freebies.
Seattle is still in a playoff spot, and at this stage the goal is simply to hang around and give themselves a real shot down the stretch. The minimum target this week is four of eight points, with at least one coming in that Ducks game. The ideal version? Six points and a regulation win at Anaheim’s expense.
