Don’t look now, but the Seattle Kraken have a five-game point streak to start the season and just grabbed four of six possible points on their swing through eastern Canada. If you’re not on the Lane Train yet, it’s time to hop aboard.
Being competitive
I’ve mentioned it on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast and in our preseason roundtable, but one of the biggest things I wanted to see from this team was simple: be competitive. Anyone can look at the team’s four overtime games and see that the Kraken have been right there in every one, even coming away with victories in two of the four.
It is more than just the end results. I love how this team responds after getting scored on. It’s almost like they refuse to let opponents build momentum off a goal. Several times against the Maple Leafs, I thought Toronto might take over after tying the game, but to the Kraken’s credit, that never really happened. In fact, a few times, it felt like Seattle grabbed control right back.
They’ve never trailed by more than one goal this season and have only allowed two consecutive goals in regulation once. That’s likely another byproduct of Lane Lambert’s defensive structure, and honestly, it’s a pleasure to watch.
Face-off possession
One area that continues to challenge the Kraken is face-offs. And I’m not just talking about the percentages you see in the box score. While there’s no public data tracking “possession after a face-off,” the Kraken are currently allowing the second-most shot attempts against within 10 seconds of a face-off draw, an average of 10.8 per game.
That issue burned them a couple times this week, most notably on Cole Caufield’s overtime winner for the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and John Tavares’s third-period goal against Toronto on Saturday.
It’s something they’ll need to tighten up as the season goes along.
Injuries continue to pile up, Catton making NHL debut
In case you missed it, the team announced that center Freddy Gaudreau has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Gaudreau is much more than just a fourth-line center. He plays a crucial complementary role as a right-shot pivot who kills penalties and thrives in the shootout.
Before his injury, Gaudreau was on the ice for nearly 45 percent of the Kraken’s total penalty-kill minutes. He now joins Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans, who have both missed the entire season to this point and remain a few weeks away from their original return targets.
The Kraken called up John Hayden from Coachella Valley to fill that fourth-line center role. He got some time on the penalty kill, but it looks like Tye Kartye and Chandler Stephenson will take on more of Gaudreau’s PK minutes for now.
On top of that, Ryan Lindgren left the Toronto game late in the third period after being struck in the face by a puck. The team hasn’t shared an update yet, but they did recall Ville Ottavainen on Sunday to join them for the back half of this road trip. With back-to-back games ahead, the Ottavainen call-up might just be a precaution in case anyone else gets dinged up.
As if it could not get any worse, the Kraken announced that Jared McCann is out day-to-day with a lower body injury. That’s another unfortunate development for arguably the Kraken’s best goal scorer.
On the flip side, McCann’s injury creates an opportunity for Berkly Catton to make his NHL debut, which he will do Monday in Philadelphia.
#SeaKraken forward Jared McCann will not play tonight and is out day-to-day with a lower body injury.
We have generally assumed the plan was to keep Catton on the roster as a healthy scratch long enough to send him for a conditioning stint in the AHL, but the long list of injuries has forced Seattle’s hand. Now, the 19-year-old rookie will get a look on a line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle.
It’s probably stating the obvious, but with three wins and two overtime losses in their first five games, the Kraken are off to their best start through five games in franchise history.
Before Saturday night’s matchup, the Kraken were just 1-6-1 against the Maple Leafs all time, and they still haven’t beaten Toronto at Climate Pledge Arena.
With four of their first five games going to overtime, it’s no surprise the Kraken have played more OT games than any other team so far this season. For comparison, it took Seattle until Game 15 last season to reach four overtime appearances.
The Kraken have also scored first in four of five games, which is a trend you love to see.
It’s felt like the Kraken have taken a lot of penalties and spent a lot of time shorthanded this season, but that’s actually not the case. They’re averaging just 2.4 times shorthanded per game, which ranks among the top five in fewest times shorthanded per game in the NHL.
It’s still early, but the Kraken’s power play is clicking at 28.6 percent, currently fifth best in the league.
Seattle also leads the NHL in blocked shots, averaging 20.6 per game, a stat that fits perfectly with the blue-collar identity Lambert is building.
Chandler Stephenson is the only Kraken center with a face-off win percentage above 50 percent this season.
Before I get in trouble, I fully recognize that the “Lane Train” was first coined by the BFOTP, Alison Lukan.
Goal of the week
From everything I’ve heard, Josh Mahura might be the most universally liked guy in the Kraken room. So when he scored that huge first goal as a Kraken, the celebration said it all, everyone was fired up for him.
Shane Wright (SEA) – After a quiet start, Wright flipped the switch this week with two goals and two assists in three games. The confidence is showing, and it feels like he’s just getting started.
Ryan Donato (CHI) – A forever Kraken OG, Donnie’s doing Donnie things again — three goals, two assists, and an overtime winner against the Ducks for good measure. It’s hard not to root for him.
Chandler Stephenson (SEA) – Stephenson continues to be an absolute workhorse. He has four points in three games, leading all Kraken forwards in ice time, and is now taking on even more with Gaudreau out. The man’s everywhere.
The week ahead
With injuries stacking up, the back half of this road trip is about to get tricky. The Kraken will play their first back-to-back of the season, Flyers Monday, Capitals Tuesday, before wrapping it up Thursday in Winnipeg. Three games, six possible points. If they can come away with three or more, that’s seven of 12 for the trip, not bad at all for a team that’s decimated by injuries and is still finding its rhythm.
The second game of that back-to-back will be the one to watch. Washington is 4-2-0 and playing well, and remember: the Kraken went 0-12-0 on the second night of back-to-backs last year. Even a single point Tuesday night would already be progress.
Then there’s the goaltending situation. Joey Daccord has started four out of the five games this season, and he’s been solid. But with games on consecutive nights, we should see one of the backups — Philipp Grubauer or Matt Murray — get a look. The team hasn’t tipped their hand on how they’ll handle the rotation yet, so this week should give us our first real clue about how this might play out with three goaltenders.
And finally…
The Kraken are far from perfect, but through five games, they’ve shown they can hang with anyone. To be clear, I still don’t really know what we have with this group yet, but the early results are undeniably positive. If they keep grinding out points on this trip, we might be looking at a team that’s quietly figuring out how to win the hard way.
The Seattle Kraken rolled into Ottawa on Thursday night for Game 2 of their six-game road trip. The Ottawa Senators were on the second game of a back-to-back, having lost the first leg to the Buffalo Sabres 8-4 the night before. The Kraken got some respect from Ottawa, as the Senators started their No. 1 goaltender, Linus Ullmark, after opting for backup Leevi Meriläinen the previous night. Ottawa was also without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out six-to-eight weeks with a hand injury.
With Shane Wright’s grandparents in attendance, the Kraken got off to a quick start with Wright scoring in the first five minutes. The Senators and Kraken then traded goals before ending regulation tied 3-3.
Seattle dominated puck possession in overtime but couldn’t find the winner, ultimately falling in the shootout. Shane Pinto and Tim Stützle scored for Ottawa to seal the 4-3 victory. Still, the Kraken earned a point and improved to 2-0-2, maintaining a .750 points percentage through their first four games.
Wright and Chandler Stephenson both scored their first goals of the season, with Stephenson lighting the lamp twice. The forward lineup stayed the same, but Ryan Winterton and Eeli Tolvanen swapped spots. Neither recorded a point, but their lines contributed offensively, and we all know scoring from all four lines will be needed for Seattle to have success this season.
Stephenson’s first goal came from an aggressive forecheck and takeaway by Jaden Schwartz and Tolvanen, followed by a laser shot that hit the post, bounced off Ullmark, and in. Both Wright and Stephenson scored on rebounds—a good sign that the Kraken are getting pucks to the net with support to clean up the scraps.
The Chan Chan man can! 💥 Great stick lift and steal from Schwartz, who feeds Stephenson for his first of the year. Shot rings off the bar and bounces in off Ullmark. Game all tied 2-2! #SeaKraken#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/1xPwI4dFjc
After starting the first three games, it was nice to see Joey Daccord get a full day off. This is one benefit of carrying three goalies—a situation I’m not advocating for—but it allowed Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray to share the workload.
Grubauer wasn’t perfect, but only one of the three goals (the tying goal) against felt like one he should have stopped. To the naked eye, it appeared Grubauer just whiffed on it, but Jamie Oleksiak may have screened him on the shot from Dylan Cozens, who fired quickly off the boards before Grubauer could track the puck. Regardless, this one came at a tough time, with the Kraken trying to secure a regulation win deep in the third period.
The first Senators goal came off an unlucky bounce that went right to Pinto, who buried his league-leading sixth of the season just seconds after a power play expired. Ottawa’s second goal came on the man advantage, with Claude Giroux threading a cross-ice pass to David Perron, who fired it home short side.
Grubauer did enough to keep Seattle in the game, earning the team a point. Just a hunch, but we could see Murray in net when the Kraken face the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 20, the first leg of back-to-back games.
Takeway #3: No quit
The season is young, but in both games of this road trip, Seattle has trailed at times and battled back. In both contests, they also held a third-period lead—a positive sign. Unfortunately, they surrendered late goals in each that forced overtime before losing, but they still earned points both nights. The Kraken aren’t folding, and that resilience has them collecting points in all four games this season. If they keep competing like this, the points will keep rolling in.
The Kraken improved as the game went on. After trailing 2-1 in the first period, they outshot the Senators 25-16, including a 5-1 edge in overtime. Although they left with a shootout loss, Seattle outplayed Ottawa and, on most nights, would likely come away with a win.
Beniers with two great looks in overtime. Would’ve liked to see him fire on the first one, but a solid sequence by the #SeaKraken. 🐙 pic.twitter.com/nAwjLfoREo
The Kraken are off to a strong start but will need to dig in as the road trip gets tougher. Next up is the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team Seattle has struggled against, going just 1-7 all time. After that, they face their first back-to-back set of the season.
Freddy Gaudreau left in the second period after going awkwardly into the boards. There was no update on his status, but he did not return. Of course, Berkly Catton is still on the roster and waiting in the wings for his NHL debut.
When we think of elite players in the NHL, we tend to think of individuals who are especially good at obvious things; the types of things that get highlighted in an NHL Skills Competition, like fastest skater, hardest shot, and most accurate shooter. And when you ask what makes a skilled player elite, these are often the first attributes that come to mind.
This makes sense intuitively because the NHL’s elite players usually fall into one or multiple of these categories. McDavid is fast, Ovechkin shoots the puck hard, and Crosby is pinpoint accurate.
This line of thinking makes a player like Matthew Tkachuk a uniquely interesting case study. Tkachuk is one of the preeminent wingers in the NHL. His combination of physicality, verbal sparring, and high-end scoring skill is a rare combination. His NHL Edge stats, hilariously, paint a confounding picture.
These NHL Edge stats suggest that Tkachuk is slow, doesn’t cover much ice, and has below-average velocity on his shot. And yet, he’s elite at driving offensive zone time (92nd percentile) and goal scoring (81st percentile).
Tkachuk is known for his physicality, goal-scoring, and antagonism, but in my opinion, the skillset that works as his proverbial glue is his elite wall play. His smarts and top-notch ability to get the puck off the wall, combined with his other traits, make him a maddeningly effective player, which can extend possession sequences and create scoring chances like few can.
What does any of this have to do with the Seattle Kraken? The last article I wrote for Sound Of Hockey highlighted how simple habits with the mid-lane drive can produce high-quality scoring chances. This article has a similar theme – how the subtle skillset of strong wall play is the foundation of driving play effectively.
Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle – a case study in fundamentals
Jordan Eberle playing in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
The first time I watched either Jordan Eberle or Jaden Schwartz play was the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2009. For many players, the World Juniors are their first foray into the bright lights of national recognition.
Eberle seemed to rise to the occasion for big moments. He scored the game-tying goal and a critical shootout goal for Canada in a semifinal against Russia (more on that later). The next year, he scored twice in the final three minutes of the gold medal game to send Canada to overtime against USA (a game where the Americans eventually prevailed).
Schwartz played for Canada in 2011 and 2012. Those Canadian teams were less successful, and I’ll confess that as a younger hockey fan, I felt a little underwhelmed. I think I expected Schwartz to be a flashy winger, but that type of performance didn’t materialize. Looking back, I think one of the reasons why I felt underwhelmed was that I personally didn’t understand what really good hockey fundamentals looked like.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how both Schwartz and Eberle have evolved from junior hockey stars to highly successful NHLers. In a lot of ways, Schwartz and Eberle share a lot of similarities. They’re both on the slightly smaller side, and they are skilled offensive wingers but high-end speed isn’t their calling card. Their games have also aged gracefully, and I believe one of the reasons why is that they’re both masters of wall play. Show me a player skilled on the wall, and I’ll show you a key play driver on your team.
An underappreciated skill
First, let’s set the stage for what makes wall play so challenging and important. Former NHL coach and player Dallas Eakins once observed that within NHL games, the puck is within three feet of the boards about 80 percent of the game. The boards serve as a natural outlet for many plays when direct tape-to-tape passes are not an option.
Handling pucks off the wall is difficult because rimmed pucks are often moving fast, and the boards can cause the puck to bounce unpredictably. You often need to be able to pull the puck off the wall with the toe of your stick, which is less than ideal for puck control. When you add the element of pressure and the fact that lingering too long on the wall with the puck leads to repeated hits, you can see why wall play is challenging.
At the same time, successful wall play leads to defensive-zone exits and transition play. Successful wall play keeps pucks in the offensive zone, allowing your team to wear down the opposition with extended offensive-zone sequences. Players that can consistently make plays off the wall help tilt the possession battle. You simply cannot be an effective play driver in the NHL without mastering the fundamentals of wall play.
In the offensive zone
Let’s look at some key moments from last season where skill on the wall led to a positive outcome for the Kraken.
Excellent wall play can force unexpected turnovers on the forecheck, leading to prime scoring chances. In this sequence, Schwartz is the first forward (or F1) on the forecheck. After the Kraken dump it in, Montreal defender Arber Xhekaj is first to the puck. Schwartz correctly reads that Xhekaj does not have an option to move it up the strongside boards and moves to cut off the rimmed puck behind the net.
In almost one smooth motion, Schwartz is able to pick up the rimmed puck and move it out front to a wide-open Oliver Bjorkstrand. It’s a great shot by Bjorkstrand, but that play is only there because Schwartz is able to pick up the rimmed puck and move it quickly.
The ability to pick the puck off the wall quickly also allows you to move the puck faster, opening up passing lanes. This next clip illustrates how Eberle is able to retrieve the puck off the wall and find a streaking Jani Nyman before the defense can react.
Eberle enters the zone on the power play and is forced down the wall to the corner before sending it back up high to the blue line. Montour is a right-handed shot, so moving the puck from east to west is risky. He opts to rim the puck back low to Eberle. Eberle is able catch the rim and immediately move it to a wide-open Nyman for his first career NHL goal. It looks like a routine play, but it’s not. If Eberle needs to take an extra second to pick up that puck, that passing lane gets shut down either by the defender Matheson (No. 8) or a well-timed poke check from the Montreal goaltender.
More recently, Eberle displayed his mastery by one-touching a back-hander between his own legs to Matty Beniers, who finished off a beautiful power-play goal against Vegas last week.
The Kraken had a lot of trouble transitioning the puck last year, likely contributing to their less-than-stellar results for offensive- and defensive-zone time. Making successful plays on the wall is a key ingredient to moving the puck out of your zone in an organized fashion. The following two plays show how making a wall play in transition leads to offensive-zone possession and a goal.
Eberle finds himself with the puck in tight against the wall attempting to break it out. His options are somewhat limited. He doesn’t have much speed, and he’s about to take a hit from a back checker. The lateral pass to teammate Chandler Stephenson is unavailable due to a well-positioned stick from Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher (No. 11). However, he remains poised and is able to make a skilled play and find Vince Dunn sprinting up the middle, which opens up more breakout options.
The Kraken ultimately dump the puck in, and the Montreal goaltender, unable to handle the rimmed puck,allows it to go to the other side where Eberle is ready to make a play. He one-touches the rimmed puck to Eeli Tolvanen, who makes no mistake scoring. That last play wasn’t a fortuitous deflection. That was the subtle art of wall play.
This next example features neither Eberle nor Schwartz but is simply too good not to share. Kaapo Kakko takes a breakout pass along the wall. Although he has to receive this pass with his back turned to the middle of the ice, limiting his vision, he pre-scans prior to getting the puck, knowing that Beniers is skating up the middle. He makes a skilled play, simultaneously protecting the puck and finding a clever outlet to Beniers.
Because Kakko is able to move the puck to an already-moving Beniers, the Kraken are able to get the zone entry and create an initial scoring chance. That chance doesn’t go in, but the Oilers fail to recover the puck, and Kakko is able to make yet another skilled wall play, catching a rimmed pass on his backhand and walking out in front of the net to set up Beniers for a backdoor tap-in goal.
Defending
Being great at wall play doesn’t just mean you’re on the ice for key offensive situations; it also means that coaches will put you out when your team is defending a lead. When the trailing team is pressing, making plays off the wall is crucial to clearing pucks and relieving pressure. If you can’t make those plays, the puck can end up in the back of your net very quickly.
In the above, a good play on the wall prevents a clean zone exit, and the Oilers are forced to rim the puck back behind their own net. Jake Walman has the next chance to pull the puck off the wall and clear it, but under pressure, he ends up putting it right on the stick of Schwartz, who scores his second goal of the evening.
In this next clip, the Oilers go from having clear possession to pulling the puck out of the back of their net within a matter of seconds. The culprit? A botched clearing attempt.
Oilers defender Ty Emberson has difficulty handling the puck behind his net and, under pressure, rims it hard to his partner Troy Stecher, who is positioned near the hash marks. Stecher is unable to handle the hard rim, leading to a turnover at the blue line. Ryker Evans sends it the other way, and Andre Burakovsky finishes the scoring chance from the top of the crease.
Strong wall play is critical in the NHL
Let’s revisit Eberle’s famous goal against Russia in the 2009 WJC semifinal. Russia defends pretty well here, keeping the puck on the wall and staying in shooting lanes. The entire sequence prior to the goal is a slog along the wall.
Ultimately, the Canadians win enough small wall battles to find a fortuitous opening, and that makes all the difference in the game that sent them to the final.
In hockey, all these little moments add up to one bigger one. This is winning hockey – the ability to win the hard pucks along the wall in critical moments.
Wall play is a subtle and underappreciated skill. It’s not really sexy, and it’s equal parts hard work and talent. It’s also hard to highlight on TV because the typical broadcast angle doesn’t give a full view of the nearside boards. But players who master it have staying power in the NHL.
The next time you go to a Kraken game or even an open practice, I would encourage you to keep an eye out for players working on their wall skills. They might partner off and work on it individually or you might see it baked into a puck retrieval drill. For some of you, it may be a whole other dimension to the skill game waiting to be discovered.
As the Seattle Kraken’s fifth season gets underway, the Strive for 95 series returns. Most teams that reach 95 points qualify for the playoffs, making it a strong benchmark to track Seattle’s progress.
Like last season, the Kraken begin with a new coaching staff, but this year’s focus is on regaining their defensive identity. Last year, Seattle ranked 16th in goals scored (247). Among teams that made the playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils actually scored fewer goals than the Kraken. Defense was the issue—the Kraken ranked 24th with 265 goals against. Head coach Lane Lambert was brought in during the offseason and is focused on tightening the team’s defensive structure.
Team tiers
For those new to this series, we at Sound Of Hockey split NHL teams into three categories: Playoff Bound, Bubble, and Tankers. To reach 95 points, a team needs a .579 points percentage. No game in the NHL is a gimme, but tiering teams helps gauge the difficulty of the Kraken’s schedule and level-sets expectations.
Playoff Bound – Teams expected to comfortably make the playoffs, generally among the league’s top performers last season.
Bubble – Teams fighting for a playoff spot, most likely battling for wild-card positions.
Tankers – Teams likely to miss the playoffs, making them Seattle’s most favorable matchups.
The biggest category is the Bubble teams, which includes 17 clubs. With a new season underway, many are still finding their footing as offseason moves settle in. I expect a few Bubble teams to slip into the Tankers category as the season progresses, and perhaps a couple will rise to the Playoff Bound tier.
These tiers are fluid and will update as the season progresses. In the NHL, only 16 teams make the playoffs—eight from each conference. Currently, 10 teams fall into the Playoff Bound category, leaving six playoff spots up for grabs: three in the East and three in the West.
Breakdown of point percentages
The NHL schedule consists of 82 games. When aligned with the team tiers, the Kraken play 27 games against Playoff Bound teams, 41 against Bubble teams, and 13 against Tankers. While no matchup is an automatic win, victories against Tankers should be more attainable than those against elite teams. Therefore, we can expect higher point percentages against Tankers, moderate against Bubble teams, and lower against Playoff Bound opponents.
These projections will adjust throughout the season based on Seattle’s pace. For now, the projected breakdown looks as follows:
October targets
After two home wins to start the year, Seattle is off to its best start in franchise history. The vibes are high, but perspective matters—it’s only two games. The Kraken now embark on a six-game road trip that will give them an early-season test. The trip includes their first of 13 back-to-back games this season, meaning a backup goalie will see action. Seattle went 0-12 in second legs of back-to-backs last year, a glaring area for improvement. This trip ties for their longest of the season, with another six-game swing coming in March.
Seattle plays 10 games in October: five against Playoff Bound teams, four against Bubble teams, and one against a Tanker. With two wins already under their belt and eight games remaining, Seattle has set the stage for a potentially bountiful October.
Playoff Bound teams (four-point target) – Seattle has already defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in an overtime thriller on Oct. 11. Remaining opponents in this group include Toronto (Oct. 18), Washington (Oct. 21), Winnipeg (Oct. 23), and Edmonton (Oct. 25). The Capitals game will be an early measuring-stick game, as it’s the second leg of a back-to-back against a strong opponent. Target: four points. With two already secured, the Kraken have a chance to build momentum.
Bubble teams (five-point target) – Seattle opened with a win over Anaheim despite getting heavily outshot in the first period. The target here is five points. The Kraken face Montreal twice this month (Oct. 14 and Oct. 28) and Ottawa once (Oct. 16). Ottawa has struggled early, allowing an average of 4.67 goals against through three games.
Tanker teams (two-point target) – Seattle’s lone game in this group is Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, the first leg of a back-to-back. This could be a good spot to start one of the backup goalies.
Overall, the bar to stay on pace is 11 points, and with four already secured, October is shaping up as an opportunity to get ahead of schedule.
Monthly updates
Each month, I’ll update this series to track Seattle’s progress toward the 95-point goal. After an offseason with no flashy additions, the Kraken have quickly reignited optimism with only two games played. This road trip comes at a perfect time—it’s long enough for the team to jell and provides a chance to evaluate the backup goaltending situation. Plus, Seattle’s 2024 first-round pick, Berkly Catton, remains with the team and could make his debut this month (perhaps on the road trip?).
The Kraken’s best October to date was 11 points last season, though that came in 11 games. With 10 this year, matching or surpassing that total would put them ahead of pace as they strive for 95.
Comment below with your thoughts on the Kraken’s start and your expectations for October and the season ahead.
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.
With two wins in two games, both against Pacific Division opponents, it was a strong opening week for the Seattle Kraken. It wasn’t perfect, but honestly, I don’t think anyone could’ve scripted a better start to the Lane Lambert era.
For the first time in franchise history, the Kraken not only won their season opener but their home opener as well, taking down the up-and-coming Anaheim Ducks 3–1. The first period was rough; Seattle was outshot 17–5, but Joey Daccord was stellar, and the game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes.
To Seattle’s credit, most of Anaheim’s shots came from the outside and were low-danger looks, but that kind of shot differential still jumps off the page. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little worried after that first period, even with the score level.
Things turned around in the second. The Kraken tilted the ice when Brandon Montour stole a puck with some slick stick work, battled to keep possession, and set up Mason Marchment for Seattle’s second goal. At that moment, shots were 20–5 for Anaheim. The rest of the way? 25–16 for Seattle.
A different kind of game against Vegas
The matchup with Vegas had a completely different vibe, more balanced, but still a strong showing. The Golden Knights are loaded up front, so holding them to just one power-play goal (after they scored nine in their first two games) was no small feat.
Heading into overtime, Vegas had a 24–15 edge in shots, but the Kraken dominated the extra frame, controlling play and outshooting the Knights 7–3.
“On the game as a whole, in 5-on-5 play, the Kraken generated 43.8 percent of all shot volume but 57 percent of all shot quality. In regulation, the first period was the team’s strongest in each metric.”
And that doesn’t even include overtime, where the Kraken clearly built on that shot-quality advantage.
Speaking of overtime… let’s relive that winner that was buried with just 3.4 seconds left on the clock.
The Kraken have one power-play goal in five opportunities, not a big sample size, but there’s plenty to like so far. They’re working the puck below the goal line more, setting up options in the slot, and finding cross-ice seams for dangerous looks.
Here’s a look at the power-play time on ice so far:
Chandler Stephenson is logging heavy minutes while Kaapo Kakko remains out of the lineup. One name missing from the mix, though, is Jani Nyman, who was used in the one-timer spot late last season.
Other musings
The Kraken’s win over the Anaheim Ducks marked their 10th all-time victory against Anaheim, the most they’ve recorded against any opponent.
Conversely, heading into the Vegas game, the Kraken were just 3–11–1 all-time against the Golden Knights. But over the past three seasons, Seattle has flipped that script, going 3–0–1 against Vegas, including that memorable first-ever win at the Winter Classic.
The Kraken scored first in both games to open the season. That’s notable, considering they struck first in just 43 percent of their games last year, the third-lowest rate in the league. They also won less than 30 percent of the games in which they gave up the first goal, so playing from ahead is huge.
I’d really like to see Shane Wright get going on this upcoming road trip through eastern Canada. The opportunity is there, and a little momentum early could do wonders for him.
The ice has felt tilted in Seattle’s favor whenever the Jared McCann-Matty Beniers-Jordan Eberle line has been on together. That trio looks sharp and seems to be finding its rhythm again.
Ryan Winterton has also really impressed me through two games. He’s been noticeable breaking up plays and playing a strong two-way game. The coaching staff clearly trusts him too, as he didn’t miss a shift in the third period of the Vegas game.
On the flip side, Jani Nyman has averaged just 8:14 of ice time with no power-play minutes over the first two games. It’s not anything to panic about, but it’s quite a contrast from last season, when he averaged 14 minutes a night and played in almost half of Seattle’s power-play opportunities during his 12-game stint.
I’m also glad to see the Kraken organization welcome Joel Quenneville back to the league in the right way.
As much of a slog as that third period was against Vegas, that’s probably the kind of grind-it-out hockey the Kraken will need to play to beat elite, high-skill teams.
Overseas, 2025 seventh-round pick Loke Krantz made his SHL debut for Linköping HC and notched an assist in his first game.
Meanwhile, down in the desert, the Coachella Valley Firebirds got off to a rough start, dropping their home opener 5–0 to the San Diego Gulls. It could be a challenging season ahead for the Firebirds; they’re one of the youngest teams in the AHL.
Goal of the week
There were plenty to choose from with the Kraken this week, but this whole sequence was just too good to pass up.
Matty Beniers (SEA) – Has a goal and two assists on the Kraken’s four goals so far this season.
Joey Daccord (SEA) – Sporting a .968 save percentage through the Kraken’s first two games and came up big in key moments of both. According to MoneyPuck.com, he ranks fifth in the league in Goals Saved Above Expected.
Jake O’Brien (BFD/SEA) – The Kraken’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft exploded for four goals and four assists in two games over the weekend.
The week ahead
The Kraken hit the road for a six-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Montreal for the Canadiens’ home opener. When the schedule came out this summer, this stretch jumped out as a tough early-season test, especially with players learning new systems under a new coaching staff.
Getting two wins at home probably helped accelerate the buy-in from the group which should be valuable heading out on the road. This week, Seattle faces Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. It’s still tough to gauge how good any of these teams really are and all three of these opponents already have losses. I’d be fine with three points out of a possible six, though four sure would feel nice.
What I’m watching:
Goaltending: Joey Daccord has started the first two games, but it’s hard to imagine the team wants him playing all three this week while Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray gather dust.
Berkly Catton: I’m guessing Catton gets into a game after being a healthy scratch for the first two at home. I don’t mind the scratches, but you’d think he gets a look soon. Not sure if it means anything, but Beniers, Wright, and Winterton all made their NHL debuts on the road.
This trip should be another solid test for the Kraken. As I mentioned during the Kraken Roundtable, I just want to see them compete and be in every game.
Final thoughts
It’s early, but the vibes around the Kraken feel good — structure, effort, and a couple of new faces already making an impact. There’s still plenty to clean up, but two wins out of the gate and some promising trends under Lane Lambert? You’ll take that every time.
The preseason is officially in the books, and Opening Night is practically here. It’s the best time of year—hope is high, the standings are clean, and nobody’s been mathematically eliminated yet. The Seattle Kraken come into this season looking to bounce back, clean up their defensive play, and maybe (just maybe) surprise a few of those national pundits who’ve already written them off. But as always with this team, there are plenty of storylines to watch.
Here are 10 questions we’re asking as the Kraken dive into the 2025-26 campaign.
How many games does Berkly Catton get this season?
Berkly’s made the roster—for now—which was almost expected after his strong camp and preseason. The real question is whether he sticks around past the nine-game mark that would burn a year of his entry-level contract. Does he earn a full-time NHL spot at 19 or head back to Spokane for more seasoning? Either way, it will be fascinating to see how long he stays with the big-league team. He’s been practicing as an extra the last few days, so we’re guessing his NHL debut will have to wait beyond Thursday’s game against Anaheim.
How does Lane Lambert’s system impact the goals against?
The 2024-25 Kraken were not exactly defensive stalwarts, allowing 3.2 goals per game—24th in the NHL. Compare that to 2.83 in 2023-24 (eighth-best), and you see how much they regressed. Enter Lane Lambert, known for his structure and defensive discipline. If the team buys in, the Kraken could tighten things up significantly, which is essential if they want to hang around the playoff race.
How do they manage the goalies?
The Kraken are rolling with three goaltenders to start the season, which is… unconventional. With a jam-packed October, it makes some sense, but come November, things lighten up. Joey Daccord was probably overworked last season, so finding a better rotation will be key. How Lambert and company juggle this trio, while keeping everyone sharp, will be one of the early season intriguing storylines.
The Seattle Kraken are one of six teams currently carrying three goalies to start the season.
Matty hasn’t quite matched his rookie production since that stellar debut season. He scored 20 goals last year, respectable but a step back from the 24 he netted as a rookie. With Kaapo Kakko sidelined early, Beniers will need to drive more offense on his own. He’s still young and plenty talented, but this could be the year that defines what kind of player he’s going to be long-term. He’s been skating on a familiar line with Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle lately.
What changes are going to be made to the pregame show?
Alright, this one’s for the in-arena diehards. After more than 150 games at Climate Pledge Arena, I still make it a point to catch the full pregame show—and every season it gets a refresh. The Kraken’s production crew always finds new ways to top themselves. What surprises are they cooking up this time?
Who re-signs and who moves on?
The answer to this question probably depends on whether the Kraken are still in the playoff hunt come late February. Four key forwards—Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, and newcomer Mason Marchment—are all on expiring deals. That group combined for 80 goals last year. Expect at least one or two to be re-signed, but the rest could be valuable trade chips if the postseason looks out of reach.
Does Jared McCann bounce back?
McCann’s 22 goals last year weren’t bad, but they were his fewest as a Kraken in any single season. He played through an injury that required offseason surgery, which likely explains some of the dip and may have been related to him missing a good chunk of training camp. Don’t expect another 40-goal explosion like 2022–23, but a healthy McCann hitting 30 again feels realistic, and it would go a long way toward stabilizing the Kraken’s scoring.
How do the Kraken control zone entries against?
One of last season’s biggest frustrations was how easily opponents gained the Kraken’s defensive zone. Too many clean entries led to too much time defending—and too many goals against. This issue was glaring on the penalty kill, where Seattle often looked a step slow. Lambert’s emphasis on structure should help here, but it’s going to take commitment from all five skaters.
Who plays in the Olympics from the Kraken?
Philipp Grubauer (Germany) and prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (Denmark) are the only real locks for February’s Olympic tournament. Kaapo Kakko has a solid shot at making Finland’s roster (though his broken hand doesn’t help those chances), while Eeli Tolvanen could sneak in with other injuries to Finland’s roster. Brandon Montour (Canada) and Joey Daccord (USA) are in the extended pools, but both would need blistering starts to the season to make the final cut.
Will we get a return of Seattle Kraken depth scoring?
In 2022-23, the Kraken could roll four lines that could all hurt you. That team had 13 players with double-digit goals and one of the most balanced attacks in hockey. Over the last two seasons, that spark faded. This season, with new additions Frederick Gaudreau and Mason Marchment plus rookies Jani Nyman and Berkly Catton, Seattle is hoping to bring back that “anyone can score” identity. Can they rediscover that magic? We’ll find out soon enough.
Wrapping it up
Every season brings its fair share of questions, but this one feels especially juicy. Between a new coach, a hungry young core, and a few “prove-it” veterans, the Kraken are a fascinating team heading into 2025-26. Whether they surprise people or struggle again, it’s bound to be an entertaining ride.
What about you? Any burning questions you have about this 2025-26 Seattle Kraken team?
