The Seattle Kraken spent the offseason reshaping the people around the roster, making a wide-ranging set of additions that touch nearly every corner of hockey operations ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Some of the upgrades are easy to spot. Others are the kind that only matter inside the organization. Either way, Seattle has clearly loaded up on experience, specialization and extra support as it tries to take another step.
One of the biggest moves came in the front office, where Patrik Allvin joined Jason Botterill as the Kraken’s vice president and assistant general manager. Allvin arrives after several seasons as Vancouver’s general manager and was a finalist for NHL GM of the Year in 2024. He and Botterill already have a long working relationship, having spent a decade together in Pittsburgh while helping build three Stanley Cup-winning teams.
Seattle also made a major change behind the bench. Pascal Vincent replaces Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach after the past two seasons with the Laval Rocket.
Vincent won AHL Coach of the Year in 2025 after guiding Laval to a 48-19-5 record, and he brings seven seasons of NHL assistant-coaching experience with him. Head coach Lane Lambert took his time finding Campbell’s replacement, and Vincent’s background fit what the Kraken were looking for.
The organization’s offseason push went well beyond coaching. Nate Brookreson has been promoted to director of sports performance, Jake Jensen is now head strength and conditioning coach, and Brandon Wickett is back in Seattle as an assistant strength and conditioning coach after spending last season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nutrition is getting more attention, too. Madison Yerigan has been hired as the Kraken’s full-time lead dietitian, giving players dedicated support with nutrition, recovery, hydration and meal planning across the season.
Seattle has also added to the mental side of its operation. Matt Brown steps into a new role as director of mental performance. Brown has spent 30 years working with elite athletes, including Canadian national team athletes, and he’ll work with Kraken players, prospects and the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
There are more additions in the training and development spaces as well. Mike Funyak joins the athletic training staff as a physical therapist, while Dan Cassario and Sabrina Escalona are joining the research and development department. Dolan Gilbert may have the most unusual assignment of the bunch: he’ll work in research and development while also serving as Seattle’s emergency backup goaltender, a newly mandated NHL role that requires him to practice and travel with the team.
The Kraken are also investing in the pipeline. Former defenseman Justin Schultz has been added to the player development staff and will focus primarily on young defensemen, using experience from a 12-year NHL career that included two Stanley Cups. Seattle also brought in amateur scout Brad Ginnell, while the Coachella Valley Firebirds added Scott Ford as an assistant coach and Mike Crocock as a skills coach.
None of these changes guarantees anything once the season starts. But the message from Seattle is clear: the Kraken are trying to give their players more help, more expertise and more depth in every area they can. Now they have to see if all that offseason work turns into results.
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Kraken Fans Have A New Goalie Prospect Decision To Watch
Kim Saarinen is getting another close look as his next step comes into focus, and the Kraken have reason to keep watching. The 6-foot-4 goalie, selected by Seattle with the 88th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is back in Finland with HPK and has already logged one game there this season on loan, while his recent playoff work has helped keep his name in the conversation as a legitimate prospect.
Saarinen is expected to come to Kraken training camp soon, which should give Seattle a better read on where he stands in his development. For now, the real question is whether he keeps building in Finland or moves up the ladder more quickly through Coachella Valley, a decision that could shape how soon the organization gets a clearer answer on its young goalie depth. [Read more 🡒]