The Seattle Kraken dropped their second game in as many nights, falling 5-1 to the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis came out firing. The Blues put eight shots on net, rang two shot off the posts and got a goal from Dylan Holloway before Seattle even registered a shot. Holloway later added a second-period goal and an empty-netter to complete the hat trick.
After the opening goal, Seattle pushed back. Kaapo Kakko scored the equalizer to make it 1-1. The Kraken then outshot the Blues 10-3 over the next stretch.
That momentum did not carry into the second period, however. St. Louis scored twice in the first 95 seconds and never looked back. Philipp Grubauer made several strong saves to keep the game close, but the offense never followed.
Although the Blues have 3 goals, Philipp Grubauer has made some big saves to keep this from getting out of hand.
Jared McCann, Matty Beniers and captain Jordan Eberle form Seattle’s top line. You would not have known it in this one.
The trio recorded zero shots at five-on-five despite leading the team in ice time. McCann has 22 points since the calendar turned to 2026. Beniers has 14, and Eberle has 13. Still, the line went scoreless for the second straight game.
Pointless nights happen. But generating no memorable chances against a team ranked 31st in the league is more concerning.
Per MoneyPuck, the line produced just 0.131 expected goals, the lowest of Seattle’s four lines. Shane Wright’s line led the way at 0.750. Chandler Stephenson’s group posted 0.488, followed by Ben Meyers’ line at 0.430.
Before the Olympic break, Seattle averaged 3.53 goals per game in 2026. One goal in each of the last two games will not win consistently. The offense needs to get rolling again.
Takeaway 2: Starting slow
For the second straight game, Seattle looked slow out of the gate. The intensity was not there early.
On offense, the Kraken forced passes instead of putting pucks on net. With the Kraken trailing, the situation called for a sustained push and a focus on getting pucks to the net front, but that push never materialized. Instead, Seattle committed 18 turnovers and stalled its own momentum.
The Blues controlled the first eight minutes and scored first. Seattle responded to tie the game, but the second period opened with two quick goals against. St. Louis struck again in the opening minute of the third. Those early goals in each period halted any comeback before it could begin.
After going 0-4 on the power play against Dallas, Seattle finished 0-3 against St. Louis. The unit is now 0-7 since the break.
The Kraken generated five shots and just 0.08 expected goals across six minutes of power-play time. Quality chances were nearly nonexistent.
Seattle still converts at 22.4 percent on the season, which ranks 11th in the NHL. This is a two-game sample, but the Kraken powerplay looked slightly out of sync, which made it difficult to connect on one-timers and get pucks on net.
On to the next
St. Louis entered the night ranked 31st in the league, but the Blues gave the Kraken more than they could handle and clearly looked like the better team.
On Saturday, Seattle faces Vancouver, which sits 32nd in the NHL. If there is a lesson from this loss, it is simple. Rankings do not matter if the team is not ready at puck drop.
The Kraken return home looking to reset. Two losses to start the post-Olympic stretch are not ideal, but the Kraken still hold the final wild card spot. The response now matters more than the stumble, especially with a home crowd ready to push them and help fuel that home-ice advantage.
Leave any comments or questions below.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Well, that wasn’t the post-Olympic start the Kraken wanted, but it also wasn’t terribly surprising.
Facing an outstanding Dallas Stars team that has had their number, the Kraken just didn’t generate much offensively and didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. And although their defensive structure looked decent for much of the night, pucks still found their way into the back of Seattle’s net, while the team struggled to solve Casey DeSmith—who continues to be a massive thorn in the Kraken’s side this season.
“We failed to execute on a lot of different situations,” coach Lane Lambert said. “For whatever reason, apparently we had a pass-first mentality instead of a shoot-first mentality. That just doesn’t work with our hockey team. There’s no excuse for it, there’s no reason for it. We’ve got to be better.”
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-1 Kraken loss to the Stars.
Takeaway 1: Ice tilted, but also some bad bounces
The Kraken shouldn’t get too big of a pass for how that game played out. Dallas was undoubtedly the better team, and Seattle mustered just three shots in the first period and six in the second.
“We had opportunities to shoot the puck, and we didn’t, that’s just the bottom line. We need to get more pucks to the net,” Lambert said. “It certainly wasn’t our game, and certainly not the way we want to play and not the way we had been playing before the break.”
But…
I didn’t think the effort was that bad. While the offensive side left plenty to be desired, the team—and its goaltender—defended better than the four goals against by the 6:14 mark of the second period might suggest.
Joey Daccord and the Kraken simply got some bad bounces. Three of the four goals against—both of Wyatt Johnston’s tallies and Matt Duchene’s—came off redirections of shots that would have missed the net. That’s not to say they weren’t legitimate goals; Dallas did exactly what good teams do by getting traffic to the front and getting sticks on pucks. But it wasn’t as if the Kraken were throwing pizza pies into the slot or repeatedly blowing assignments.
Despite the four goals against and a .875 save percentage, Daccord looked sharp and came up with a few spectacular stops to keep things from getting more out of hand.
Enormous save by Joey Daccord on Jason Robertson in the last minute of the 1st period to keep the #SeaKraken deficit at 1-0.
Seattle had two power-play opportunities in the frame but came up empty. Got outshot 11-3, though the period didn't *feel* that lopsided. pic.twitter.com/A1XJJ03Mko
The result wasn’t there. The execution wasn’t there. But it wasn’t a total structural collapse, either.
Takeaway 2: Tye Kartye is the odd man out
Lambert alluded last week to the fact that Seattle was going to have a roster decision to make upon returning to action.
The last time the team faced a numbers crunch while nearly fully healthy, the front office elected to send Jacob Melanson to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, since he was one of just three players—along with Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton—who could be sent to the AHL without requiring waivers.
With Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers both returning from injured reserve Wednesday, making the Kraken fully “healthy” (except for Matt Murray, who remains on IR), it was somewhat surprising to see Tye Kartye no longer listed on the Kraken’s official roster.
His removal suggests he will likely appear on waivers Thursday when the NHL processes its transactions. Once placed on waivers, teams around the league will have 24 hours to claim him. If no one does, he can report to Coachella Valley.
It’s something I’ve wondered about for a while this season. Melanson has shown he brings an edge and seems to be a better fit for the fourth-line grinder role that Kartye has occupied for much of his NHL career to date.
Here’s hoping nobody claims Kartye.
Takeaway 3: Ryan Lindgren injured
Former Kraken forward Colin Blackwell had a rough start to the night, getting dropped like a bad habit while trying to lay a check on the much bigger Jamie Oleksiak in the opening minutes.
On his next shift, Ryan Lindgren caught him with a thunderous hit that sent both players crashing hard to the ice.
Goodness, gracious. Tough start to this game for Colin Blackwell.
In the end, though, it was Lindgren who got the worst of the collision.
Blackwell briefly went down the tunnel but returned and finished the game. Lindgren stayed on the bench momentarily before heading to the locker room and did not return.
Replay showed Lindgren’s knee smashing hard into the ice, and the medical staff was working on his leg on the bench before he exited. If I had to guess, that’s likely the injury area.
Lindgren’s exit put things into flux for the Kraken, who had to roll five defensemen for almost the entire game after the injury occurred on Lindgren’s second shift of the game.
He is a tough customer, so it takes a lot to knock him out of a game. That suggests he could miss some time, which would open the door for Cale Fleury or Josh Mahura to re-enter the lineup.
It would be unfortunate if the Kraken were to lose Kartye via waiver claim and then have to place Lindgren on IR—an injury that, had it happened 24 hours earlier, might have eliminated the need to expose Kartye in the first place.
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The Kraken wrap up the second leg of their back-to-back Thursday in St. Louis. That might be a good opportunity to flush this one quickly.
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.
The Seattle Kraken emerge from the Olympic break in a welcome position, sitting third in the Pacific Division and very much in the playoff picture. The roster is essentially healthy, with Ben Meyers and Berkly Catton expected to come off injured reserve and give this team the full depth chart it envisioned back in October.
But with the trade deadline looming, four key players are pending unrestricted free agents, and general manager Jason Botterill will soon have to decide whether to extend them, trade them, or keep them for the stretch run with no guarantee any will re-sign. With the final playoff push about to take hold, we asked our writers to take stock of where the Kraken stand and where they might be headed next.
What do you think is the single biggest reason the Kraken are in a playoff spot right now?
John: It’s hard to pinpoint one specific thing the team is doing right because it’s been different things at different parts of the season. But if I have to pick one, it’s the defensive structure. The structure Lane Lambert has brought to this team was critical in accumulating points early in the season and built the foundation for everything that’s followed. The Kraken were 24th in the league last season in goals against per game, and they’re currently sitting ninth, allowing 2.88 goals per game.
Curtis: I agree with goal suppression being the biggest single reason, John, but will take it in a slightly different direction and highlight the goaltending. According to Evolving Hockey, the Kraken saved 7.6 goals above expected last season, which equates to about .1 goals per game. This year the total is 45.8 goals above expected in 56 games, equating to about .8 goals per game. Other sources are directionally similar. The Kraken are in the fight most nights because their goalies are usually saving a tally against more than they “should” and did last year.
Blaiz: The biggest reason the Kraken are in a playoff spot right now is their performance in the second leg of back-to-back games. Seattle is 4-3-2 in those games this season. Before their win Dec. 23, you’d have to go back to Feb. 13, 2024, for their previous back-to-back victory. Last season, they went 0-12-0 in the second leg and earned zero points.
Those nine games have produced 10 points. Without them, the Kraken would sit at 53 points and be seven points out of a playoff spot. Joey Daccord has been a major part of that turnaround, earning all 10 points while starting seven of the nine “second-leg” games. Matt Murray made the other two starts, and Philipp Grubauer has not started in the second of a back-to-back.
Darren: I got to read what all of you wrote for this one before making my own decision, and I think you’re all winners. All these pieces have certainly been big contributors to the team’s success.
If I can just add two quick pieces, Grubauer’s turnaround this season has been something I did not see coming and has made it so that the team has a chance to win regardless of who is in net, who they’re playing, and what the wacky schedule has brought. Also, there seems to be a real buy-in from the team on what Lambert is selling. He often says that if they play to their systems, they’ll have a chance every night, and it does seem the players believe that.
What’s the biggest surprise of the season — good or bad?
Curtis: I’ll build off my previous answer and also highlight the play of Grubauer in particular. Joey Daccord has been a relatively consistent positive across the last two seasons (.36 goals above expected per game last season according to Evolving Hockey; .50 goals above expected per game this year). But it is Grubauer who flipped from a large net negative in 2024-25 (-.49 goals above expected per game) to a dominant positive in 2025-26 (1.07 goals above expected per game).
Similarly, Hockeyviz had Grubauer at -.73 goals above expected per game in 2024-25 and has him .5 goals save above expected per game this season. His raw save percentage numbers jumped up from his career-low .875 rate to a .916 mark–which more closely resembles the numbers he was posting before joining the Kraken.
Grubauer’s rebound from contract liability (he cleared waivers last season and went to the Coachella Valley Firebirds) to arguably the team MVP so far is my biggest surprise.
Darren: Bingo, Curtis.
Blaiz: I agree with Curtis’ answer on Grubauer, so I will go with the biggest surprise on the bad side: letting Morgan Geekie walk almost three seasons ago has come back to bite Seattle in a huge way.
Since then, Geekie has scored 82 goals for Boston. Of course, he is skating on a top line with Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, two elite offensive talents, but even so, Geekie continues to produce. He has 32 goals this season and leads the entire NHL in goals per 60 (G/60) at 1.967. For context, Jared McCann is the closest Kraken skater over that same span with 67 goals and a 1.225 G/60 rate. The Kraken will continue to search for scoring, but they had Geekie in the system and let him go for nothing.
John: I think Grubauer surprised us all, but I’ll take a different path on this one. I don’t know if I was overly optimistic about the acquisition, but I was surprised by how bad the Mason Marchment fit was with the Kraken. I expected a goal-scoring Yanni Gourde type, but it just flat-out didn’t work. It wasn’t really consequential, but it was still shocking to see. Credit to the Kraken for cutting bait and shipping him off to Columbus.
Darren: How about the rise of some of the youngsters in the Kraken system? I guess we shouldn’t be that surprised, but seeing homegrown talent begin to make up a significant portion of the NHL roster is encouraging. Joining the likes of roster mainstays Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Ryker Evans have been a few new faces emerging as “regulars.” Ryan Winterton has played a huge role and just signed a new two-year contract, Jacob Melanson has fit in beautifully on the fourth line and helped turn the team around when it was struggling, and Berkly Catton has proven himself NHL ready as a true rookie who we thought could be returned to the WHL this season.
That’s exciting stuff for a team that is very much in the playoff hunt now.
Who is your Kraken MVP at the break, and why?
Blaiz: Captain Jordan Eberle is my MVP at the break. Eberle is the only Kraken player to reach 20 goals so far this season. He leads the team in both goals (20) and points (38), all after returning from a pelvis injury that ended his 2024-25 season. At 35 years of age, he is on pace for 30 goals, a mark he has never reached in his career. His previous career high was 28 goals in his rookie season. With him set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, if he chose to chase a Cup elsewhere, I would understand. But his leadership and production still make a strong case to bring the captain back for another season or two.
John: I’m going to go with Matty Beniers here. He’s been playing such a strong two-way game all season, which has really contributed to the team’s success defensively, and in January he really started to chip in offensively.
Darren: I’m with you, John. I still want Beniers to contribute more offensively–he’s on pace for about 20 goals again this season–but at 23 years old, he looks like a proper NHL veteran.
Curtis: I tipped my hand on my team MVP in my previous answer. It’s Grubauer for me.
Which area of the roster still concerns you the most heading into the stretch run?
Darren: The biggest problem with the roster is the same issue that has dragged it down since Day 1: a lack of elite offensive talent. Catton could become this one day, but as of now, there’s still no gamebreaker in Seattle. It would be great to see the Kraken add another player who can score at Jared McCann levels of frequency now, then let some of the youngsters mature into (hopefully) star players in a couple years.
John: The penalty kill. It started the season unlucky, then turned flat-out awful, only to eventually rebound a bit before slipping again right before the Olympic break. I feel like having an average penalty kill over the remaining games would do wonders in helping Seattle lock in that playoff position.
Curtis: I agree with Darren to some degree; it’s the goal scoring, particularly at even strength. For much of the season, the team has not created enough shot quality to sustain success, only to be buoyed by puck luck, power-play goals, and strong goaltending. If this playoff run dies out over the last 26 games, it will likely be because the offense can’t get them over the line.
Blaiz: The three-headed goalie situation does not necessarily concern me, but it is the area I think about most because it takes up a roster spot.
Matt Murray has been practicing with the team for a while but has not been activated off injured reserve. When he is activated, someone will need to be sent down to Coachella Valley to make room. That creates a short-term squeeze, and with five games before the March 6 trade deadline, the Kraken need every point they can get. After the deadline, the roster limit is lifted, which will remove this concern.
If you were Jason Botterill, how would you approach the trade deadline?
John: This team isn’t a serious Cup contender, but they absolutely want to make the playoffs, so their approach to the trade deadline is going to be tricky. I’d be listening to offers that make the Kraken better over the next few years, not necessarily just better this season. There’s a scenario where I’d trade one of the middle-six forwards on an expiring contract and backfill that spot with Jacob Melanson and/or Logan Morrison.
Curtis: I’d endeavor to use the deadline as leverage to extend a couple veteran forwards, preferably Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle on two-year deals. I’d keep the phone lines open on big game (Robert Thomas? Jordan Kyrou? Jason Robertson? Filip Forsberg?) in case a team gets motivated to deal. I’d move any unsigned, pending UFA forwards (Schwartz, Eberle, or Eeli Tolvanen) or defenseman Jamie Oleksiak if a first-round pick (or comparable value) is offered. I suspect this approach would generate an Oleksiak deal, but nothing else. I’d live with the downgrade defensively for the stretch run.
Blaiz: The Kraken should take a swing at a scoring forward if a true point-per-game caliber player becomes available, like the players Curtis mentioned. Jason Botterill should listen to every offer. But he should avoid rentals that only help this season. If a near point-per-game player is available and can either be extended or is already under contract for two or three more years, that is the type of move I would make. It all comes down to the price. The deal Los Angeles just got for Artemi Panarin is the type I would make in a heartbeat.
Darren: I think you’re all very smart. The only thing I’m not particularly keen on from the above answers is Curtis’s willingness to move a player for a first-round pick. I’d like to take a break from trading useful players for draft capital for a while. I would keep the veteran UFA’s for a playoff push, even if it means letting them walk this summer.
Now talking out of the other side of my mouth, Oleksiak for a first isn’t a terrible deal, though.
Wait, no, I’m keeping Oleksiak for the playoff run. There. That’s my answer. No trades for draft picks.
What’s one bold prediction for the Kraken in the final third of the season?
Curtis: The scoring will start to come for Berkly Catton. I’ll say seven goals and 11 assists for him in the team’s last 26 games despite relatively modest ice time and no significant power-play usage.
Blaiz: Shane Wright will break the 20-goal mark. He started the season slow, but in the final week before the break he scored four goals to push his total to 11. He needs nine more over the final 26 games. If he stays confident and continues to get opportunities, I would not be surprised to see him reach that milestone.
Darren: The Kraken will finally swing a relatively big trade for a scoring winger. I think the reporting out there that they were aggressively pursuing Panarin tells us this is the kind of player they’re seeking and are willing to pay to make it happen.
John: You want bold? How about the Kraken finishing second in the Pacific. They’re playing their best hockey of the season, and they’re finally healthy. Change my mind.
Is this a playoff team?
Blaiz: 100% Yes. Will they be a Stanley Cup favorite? No. But I do not think teams will enjoy matching up with them in the first round. The Kraken are comfortable playing tight, low-scoring games. As I mentioned in the March update of Strive for 95, they have played their best hockey against the top of the league, posting a .611 points percentage. I believe they have what it takes to return to the postseason, and I will go a step further and say they will put any first-round opponent on upset alert.
John: Yes. I think their biggest threat to taking their playoff spot is the Los Angeles Kings and even though they traded for Artemi Panarin right before the Olympic break, they lost Kevin Fiala due to a broken leg sustained in the Olympics.
Curtis: I don’t love the chances of several of Seattle’s competitors, as you point out, but in isolation this still doesn’t feel like a playoff-caliber team to me. There’s enough of the season left for water to find its level, so I’ll say “no,” but it’s very close. Matty Beniers’ continued ability to drive an effective scoring line may be the x-factor. They were hot before the break. Will they come back the same way? Regardless, it should be an intriguing stretch run. And that is what we wanted coming into the season.
Darren: I was supposed to answer this one before Curtis, but I can’t let us end this Roundtable with a “no playoffs” response. I’ve covered this team closely since its inception, and I can tell you the vibes in the dressing room feel a lot more like the playoff vibes we felt in 2022-23 than the “we’re out of it” vibes of the other seasons. The team believes they’re a playoff team, and I believe they’re a playoff team.
The dust has settled on a thrilling Olympic competition, in which both the Women’s and Men’s USA ice hockey teams came away with gold medals after respective 2-1 overtime victories against Canada. The women trailed Canada 1-0 late in the gold medal game when Hilary Knight, captain of both Team USA and the Seattle Torrent, forced overtime with a redirection with 2:04 remaining. Defenseman Megan Keller finished the job in overtime and secured gold for Team USA.
On the men’s side, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head and stole the game for Team USA. After Jack Hughes had a tooth knocked out by a high stick, he scored the winner in overtime on a great play and pass from Zach Werenski.
Additionally, Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen will bring back bronze medals after defeating Slovakia 6-1 in Finland’s final game of the tournament. Congrats to all the Olympic athletes.
Now the focus shifts back to the NHL. Most teams, minus the Olympians, returned to practice Feb. 16 and will resume regular-season play Feb. 25. The Seattle Kraken, who find themselves in third place in the Pacific Division, start with a back-to-back Wednesday in Dallas and Thursday in St. Louis.
January recap
With the Olympic break, February was split. The games on Feb. 3 and 4 are included in the January update. The three games from Feb. 25 through 28 will be counted as part of March.
The Kraken needed to put together a big month in January to get back into the playoff mix, and that is exactly what they did. With a big win in Los Angeles to close out pre-Olympic play on Feb. 4, Seattle opened a three-point buffer over the Kings, who are just outside the playoff cutline.
The Kraken hold an 11-6-2 record in 2026, putting them back on pace for 95 points. The 24 standings points earned are first in the Pacific over that span. Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer split starts as evenly as possible over a 19-game stretch, with Daccord starting nine and Grubauer 10. Each earned 12 standings points in their starts.
Seattle also found a scoring touch, averaging 3.53 goals per game during the month. At that rate, they would rank third in the NHL behind Colorado at 3.84 and Tampa Bay at 3.55. Even with the surge, the Kraken sit 23rd overall at 2.88 goals per game.
With the standings so bunched up, 16 of the 19 games were against the Bubble tier. Seattle played almost every other night, with two instances of two days off and four back-to-back sets. The condensed schedule created a playoff-like pace and rhythm in which the Kraken excelled.
Updated tiers
A gap is starting to open between playoff and non-playoff teams, though several remain within striking distance.
Bolded teams are teams the Kraken play this month. ‘x2’ indicates the Kraken face that team twice. Up and down arrows show teams that moved between tiers.
Notes on tier movement
Playoff Bound tier
The group remains the same, but several teams are knocking on the door. Montreal, Detroit, and Pittsburgh are all pushing, with Pittsburgh posting a surprising 12-3-3 record in 2026. Any of those could move up next month. On the flip side, Colorado still leads the Presidents’ Trophy race, but its 7-7-2 record in 2026 ranks 24th over that stretch. Minnesota is another team to watch. The Wild are winning, but many of those victories came in overtime or shootout. In 2026, they have only four regulation wins.
Bubble tier
The separation is widening. Florida, Philadelphia, Nashville, and San Jose sit just above the Tankers tier. There is a noticeable range within this tier, which is reflected in the spacing.
Tankers tier
Four teams join this tier: New Jersey, the New York Rangers, St. Louis, and Calgary. All posted losing records in 2026 and sit at least 11 points out of a wild-card spot.
March and late-February games
As mentioned earlier, the March breakdown includes the three games on Feb. 25, 26, and 28. After the Kraken jump right back into the thick of it with a back-to-back against the Stars and Blues, they have one other back-to-back in March, traveling to Vancouver on March 14 before returning home to face Florida on March 15.
From Feb. 25 through March 31, Seattle will travel 10,472 miles. With 17 games, that averages 616 miles per game, and the stretch includes the longest road trip of the season at six games. Fortunately, the Kraken get their second six-game homestand, followed by a quick trip to Vancouver and then two more home games. That means eight of nine games from Feb. 28 through March 17 are at Climate Pledge Arena, with the lone road game a short hop north.
The NHL trade deadline is March 6. It remains unclear whether Seattle will buy, sell, or stand pat. General manager Jason Botterill took a swing at Artemi Panarin, though it did not materialize. Botterill has shown he is willing to be aggressive if the right deal emerges. VP and assistant general manager Alexandra Mandrycky was recently asked at a season ticket holders event about the Kraken’s trade deadline strategy. She said the team is always looking to improve, whether through a short-term addition or by adding future assets, and that the Kraken will survey the market and only make a move if it improves the team.
Updated target percentages
With teams moving from the Bubble to Tankers tiers, the required points percentages have shifted slightly. Here are the updated monthly targets.
Tier targets
Playoff Bound tier
This tier presents a challenge with five games in the month. Seattle will face Dallas, Carolina and Colorado once, and Tampa Bay twice. Tampa Bay entered the break at 14-1-1 in 2026, while Carolina sits at 12-3-3. The good news is Seattle owns a .611 points percentage against this tier this season, their best mark against any tier. Target: five points out of 10.
Bubble tier
There are eight games against this tier. Only two of those teams hold playoff spots coming out of the break. Seattle will face Ottawa, Columbus, and Buffalo once, and Florida and Nashville twice. Target: 10 points out of 16.
Tankers tier
With St. Louis joining this tier, Seattle has four games here. They will play St. Louis and Vancouver twice each, including two back-to-backs. The Kraken are 3-4-1 against this tier this season for a .438 points percentage, their worst mark against any tier. These are must-have games, especially given their struggles against this tier. Seattle must be ready at puck drop and set the tone early against these teams. Target: six points out of eight.
Wrapping up
The Kraken opened calendar year 2026 in strong fashion and must keep rolling. They sit one point behind Edmonton with two games in hand. Anaheim and Los Angeles remain close, so Seattle cannot afford a slide.
Dallas is first on Feb. 25. The Stars had seven players at the Olympics, which could create early rust for that team as a whole. They also have Jason Robertson, a notable Team USA snub, who will look to add to his 32 goals.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
It’s been a nice break, but the Seattle Kraken have wrapped up a week of practice and are flying to Dallas on Monday to prepare for their first game since a critical 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4. That victory put Seattle into third place in the Pacific Division heading into the break. Now, with the team marching toward a return to game action at the Stars on Wednesday, our coverage here at Sound Of Hockey is ramping back up as well.
The last week had almost “mini training camp” vibes, as Seattle’s players came back together at Kraken Community Iceplex and worked their way back toward game shape after nearly three weeks off. Those vibes, by the way, are very good, with the team in a playoff position and saying all the right things about being ready to compete for Seattle’s second postseason berth in franchise history.
Meanwhile, overseas, Philipp Grubauer wrapped up his memorable experience representing Team Germany, Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen won bronze with Finland, and Team USA captured gold in one of the greatest hockey games in recent memory with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against Canada early Sunday morning.
In this Kraken Notebook, we get player reactions to the Olympics, what it’s like for them to get back together after the hiatus, and much more.
Enjoy.
Reaction to Team USA gold
On Sunday, former Team USA Olympian Matty Beniers was all smiles, happily rubbing the first American men’s hockey gold medal since 1980 in the faces of his Canadian teammates. Beniers was especially braggadocious toward linemate Jordan Eberle, who had been taunting him the day prior and who “loves Canada more than any guy in here,” according to Beniers.
The 2-1 American win definitely captured the attention of Kraken players who didn’t participate in the tournament, despite its early 5 a.m. local start time.
“I think it’s super, super important, super good for the game of hockey in the US,” Beniers said. “I grew up in a place where hockey is pretty big, right? Obviously, in Boston, it’s pretty well known, but it’s cool being in a spot like Seattle where it’s still growing and kind of young to this city. And I think that— I’m sure a lot of young hockey players are watching that game like I did when I was younger, just thinking about, Maybe that could be me someday. So, it’s huge.”
Coach Lane Lambert, who has dual citizenship between the U.S. and Canada, called it a “great game” and “one of the faster games I’ve seen.”
“Two great teams going at it,” Lambert said. “It ended in overtime, obviously, just to add to the excitement. I’m not a fan of 3-on-3 in a gold medal game, to be honest with you, but it was an awesome hockey game.”
Beniers also said he cashed in on some bets with teammates, but when I asked him what he won, he said, “Pride,” with a big smile on his face.
Goalie Philipp Grubauer, meanwhile, didn’t take the bait when asked who he was rooting for in the gold medal game. “I hope both teams had fun,” he said with a laugh.
Philipp Grubauer returns
Grubauer returned to Kraken practice after proudly representing Team Germany in Milan, where he posted a 2-2-0 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He, too, had a strong reaction to the USA/Canada classic.
“Obviously, two incredible teams going at it, could have gone one way or another,” Grubauer said. “[Connor] Hellebuyck, incredible game. Canada had a couple great chances on wide-open nets they miss. But overall, it was an unbelievable game to watch as a spectator.”
Grubauer clearly had a special experience playing in the Olympics in front of family and friends who made the relatively short trip from Germany to northern Italy.
“Since we were kids, we only got to see the Olympics. We only got to see the best players on TV during the Olympics,” Grubauer said. “We didn’t really have NHL highlights, and we didn’t see NHL games in Germany. So the Olympics—it didn’t matter if it was Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics—was always on 24/7. Watching my idols, Olaf Kolzig, Robert Müller play, and a couple other goalies playing those games… Obviously, now stepping on the ice and representing Germany myself. Like I said, it was a huge honor, and I haven’t really thought or soaked it in too much. I’m sure it’s going to come later down the road.”
One interesting detail: Grubauer wore No. 30 for Team Germany instead of the 31 he sports in the NHL. When he first played for the German national team, somebody else had 31, so he took 30 instead. He’s fuzzy on the details, but he believes he pitched a shutout in a big early game against Russia wearing 30 and decided to stick with the number when representing his country.
“I got it, played well, just superstitious. So I kept it, never changed it, and I think that was it.”
Speaking of superstition, most NHL goalies prefer white pads, believing dark gear highlights holes for shooters. Grubauer has worn black gear with the Kraken’s “Abyss” jerseys and also had a black setup for Germany at the Olympics. On Sunday, he was breaking in a new deep sea blue set, which could become his default going forward.
On closer inspection, these are DEEP SEA BLUE PADS!
“I think the dark—the black set that we have here—look amazing. The pads I made for Team Germany, I think, looked amazing. So it’s nice to have darker gear, switching it up… It’s nice to see, too. Once you have your hands out, you can see your hands and where you stand a little bit better with darker gear.”
A fun break, but Kraken ready to get back at it
Kraken players who weren’t in the Olympics scattered during the hiatus. Beniers joined a couple teammates in Anguilla. Joey Daccord split time between Arizona and Florida. Jaden Schwartz went to Japan (as discussed in his interview on this week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast). Ryan Winterton, Cale Fleury, Jacob Melanson, and Ben Meyers took a group trip to Cabo San Lucas.
“It was a pretty nice getaway,” Winterton said. “Time to relax, do some golfing. We did a couple rounds of golf, which was great, and then we went on the boat a couple days, and then just kind of laid low, got some sun.”
Interestingly, several players admitted the break wasn’t quite as welcome as you might expect. The Kraken were playing good hockey when the schedule paused, so although the fun in the sun was nice, some players would have liked to keep things rolling.
“I felt like I was getting my confidence going and getting the hang of every night, just playing,” Winterton said. “Maybe I would have liked, like, a week off, which I guess we had, but maybe a little less time would be better for me. But at the same time, letting the body heal up and get some sun, get some fresh air, kind of let your body and your mind get loose of hockey was beneficial.
“But I think for a young guy, we can kind of play every night and somewhat feel fine. So if it was up to me, I probably would have loved to keep playing, but obviously watching the Olympics is pretty cool too.”
What’s permeating the room, though, is that this team sounds ready for a playoff push. They took two of three on their final road trip before the break, jumping into third place in the Pacific Division, and they appear relatively healthy, with Meyers and Berkly Catton appearing ready to return from injured reserve.
“I think we’ll be a playoff team this year,” Winterton said. “We’ve just got to keep buying into what the coaches are saying and play every night like we have been and like we need the two points, which we do every night.”
Roster crunch and trade deadline incoming
Throughout the week, the lines at practice have looked like this:
Jared McCann // Matty Beniers // Jordan Eberle Berkly Catton // Chandler Stephenson // Freddy Gaudreau Ryan Winterton // Shane Wright // Jaden Schwartz Tye Kartye // Ben Meyers // Jacob Melanson
Vince Dunn // Adam Larsson Jamie Oleksiak // Brandon Montour Ryan Lindgren // Ryker Evans Josh Mahura // Cale Fleury
Two notable absences: Finnish bronze medalists Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen have yet to rejoin the team. Assuming they didn’t play through injuries in Italy, they’ll return soon, as will Catton and (presumably) Meyers.
Having everyone back (except Matt Murray, who continues to practice, but we’re guessing will remain on IR until the trade deadline) is a good problem to have—but it creates a roster crunch.
The players listed above, plus Tolvanen, Kakko, Grubauer, and Daccord, would put Seattle at 24 players—one over the 23-man limit. The last time this happened, Melanson was sent to Coachella Valley. He, Wright, and Winterton are the only players who can go to the AHL without waivers.
“We’re going to have, potentially, depending on… how the trend goes [with Meyers and Catton] and how ready they are, I would say there’s probably going to be some decisions that have to be made at some point,” Lambert said.
Of course, the NHL Trade Deadline is also fast approaching at 12 p.m. Pacific on Friday, March 6. Seattle has five games between now and then. Could a move clear the logjam?
Sound Of Hockey’s John Barr published an article Monday about where the Kraken likely fit as buyers or sellers. A relatively quiet deadline seems likely—but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Seattle take a swing at a scoring winger, especially considering the widely reported interest in Artemi Panarin before he landed with the LA Kings prior to the break.
The Kraken are taking a travel day Monday and will practice Tuesday in Dallas before a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas and St. Louis.
The stretch run is here!
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.
The Olympic break roster freeze is officially over, and the NHL has snapped back into trade deadline mode. Between now and March 6, every front office will be asking the same question: Who are we, really? And for the Kraken, a team that has spent most of the season hovering around the playoff bubble, the answer isn’t as straightforward as it is for others.
That’s what makes this deadline so compelling. Seattle isn’t locked into any one lane. Depending on the plan, they can justify almost any approach, with some paths more realistic than others. And because the conversation usually collapses into the oversimplified “buy or sell,” it’s worth laying out the full menu of strategies NHL teams actually use this time of year. Here’s what’s on the table, with real examples and a little Kraken-specific seasoning.
The big swing
This is for teams that want to push their chips in and win a Stanley Cup now. This category includes both the classic “full buyer” approach and the rare, seismic deadline blockbuster that shakes the league.
Examples:
Dallas Stars (2025):Acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Hurricanes for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and two third-round picks. Result: Lost in the Conference Finals to the Oilers.
Vegas Golden Knights (2024): Added Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin for two firsts, a third, and depth prospects. Lost in the first round, but both players remain long-term pieces.
Tampa Bay Lightning (2023): Acquired Tanner Jeannot from Nashville for Cal Foote and five draft picks. Result: Lost in the first round to Toronto.
Toronto Maple Leafs (2023): Added Erik Gustafsson, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, Ryan O’Reilly, and Noel Acciari across three trades for Rasmus Sandin and multiple picks. Won a round, then fell to Florida.
Kraken angle: Very unlikely. Seattle hasn’t reached the “push the chips in” phase of the franchise. A blockbuster only makes sense if it involves a player with several years of term beyond 2025–26, and that might be a deal they try to swing over the summer.
Targeted buyer
This is the “we’re good, but let’s not tweak too much” approach. You’re improving the roster without lighting your future on fire. Usually there’s a specific role or depth need, but these moves don’t get the headlines of a big swing.
Examples:
Winnipeg Jets (2025): Added Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn for second-round picks. Won a round, then lost to Dallas.
Florida Panthers (2024): Acquired Vladimir Tarasenko for a third and a fourth. Won the Stanley Cup.
Dallas Stars (2023): Added Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov for a second and Denis Gurianov. Reached the Conference Finals.
Kraken angle: Unlikely. With the team finally healthy, the Kraken have an abundance of depth, which makes this scenario less likely. Their needs lean more toward high-end talent, and that usually requires significant assets.
Stay the course
Sometimes the best move is no move. Sometimes the best move is getting a key player back from injury. Sometimes the best move is solving your depth issues with internal resources. Plenty of teams have taken this path and lived to tell the tale.
Examples:
Montreal Canadiens (2025): Did nothing at the deadline, made the playoffs, then lost to Washington in Round 1.
Boston Bruins (2024): Made two small depth trades, finished second in the Atlantic, beat Toronto, then lost to Florida.
Seattle Kraken (2023): Stood pat, then beat Colorado in seven games before falling to Dallas in seven.
Kraken angle: Likely. It’s not exciting, but it’s probably the most likely scenario. The Kraken are in a playoff spot and playing their best hockey of the season, but it’s hard to argue they’re a true Cup contender. Keeping their expiring contracts may simply be the strategy.
Soft seller
You’re not rebuilding, but you recognize the long odds of contending for the Cup. You have players on expiring contracts who could fetch a nice return, and you’re willing to listen.
Examples:
Washington Capitals (2024): Shed Evgeny Kuznetsov, Joel Edmundson, and Anthony Mantha while seven points out of a playoff spot. Still made the playoffs, then were swept by the Rangers. Playing it conservative enabled them for a busy summer of retooling by acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Logan Thompson, and Jakob Chychrun in four different trades.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2024): Moved Jake Guentzel and little else. Despite calls to tear it down, the core stayed intact. Now, the Penguins are surprisingly back in a playoff spot with that same core.
Kraken angle: Possible. The Kraken have four players on expiring contracts: Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jamie Oleksiak. All have contributed, but the Kraken also have enough depth to backfill if another team makes an offer they can’t refuse. With Ben Meyers and Berkly Catton set to return from injured reserve, a trade could solve a roster crunch while bringing back a meaningful asset. It also seems like current Coachella Valley Firebirds Logan Morrison and Jani Nyman could help backfill any forward departures, while Seattle is carrying two extra defensemen in Cale Fleury and Josh Mahura.
Tear it down
A tear it down approach isn’t really a trade deadline strategy — it’s a multi-year plan for a team with little to no path to competitiveness. Full rebuilds are less common now, since there’s no guarantee they work. But a major deadline offload can signal the start (or continuation) of one.
Example:
Boston Bruins (2025): On the outside of the playoff picture, they moved Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Justin Brazeau, and Trent Frederic. One year later, they’re holding down the last wild card spot with a very different roster.
Kraken angle: Very unlikely. Seattle has a healthy amount of young talent in the NHL and in the pipeline, plus plenty of early-round picks in the coming drafts. A major teardown at the deadline makes little sense.
What should the Kraken do?
With the Kraken in the playoff hunt and several players on expiring contracts, they have multiple paths available. It’s unlikely they’ll be a major player at the deadline, but if an opportunity arises to add an impact player with term, they’ll be in the mix. They also have pieces that could help any playoff team, along with prospects and picks that rebuilding clubs covet.
They have options, but staying relatively quiet might be the most realistic outcome.
So what’s your take? If you were Seattle Kraken general manager Jason Botterill, which lane would you choose, and how bold would you be as the deadline approaches?
