The Kraken head into their final preseason stop at 3-0, and the early read is pretty simple: this group looks locked in with one another. That kind of chemistry is not something you can fake, and while Seattle has already had to do some serious course correction after its last outing, the results so far have been encouraging. Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer have both given the team strong goaltending, while Jared McCann and Bobby McMann look ready to roll.
For Seattle, the bigger picture is less about the record and more about the feel around the team. The vibe, as it stands, is strong.
Vancouver, on the other hand, comes into this one trying to stop a slide that has gone in the wrong direction fast. The Canucks have dropped three straight, including losses to Seattle, Calgary, and Edmonton. In the Edmonton game, the only stretch where they controlled things came when they were pushing desperately to tie it, and that effort still came up short.
Whatever the outside view of Vancouver might be, the source of this preview makes one thing clear: it may be worse than that.
Still, Seattle cannot afford to treat this like a formality. The Kraken already flirted with trouble against Calgary, when they eventually woke up but nearly gave away a game they should have handled more cleanly. Even with an off night, this is a matchup Seattle should be expected to take control of, especially given how poorly Vancouver has played.
In Other News...
Shane Wright Still Faces One Big Test With The Kraken
Shane Wrights place in Seattle looked unsettled earlier this offseason, when the former fourth-overall NHL draft pick was on the trade block but ultimately stayed put after no deal came together. Since then, the conversation around Wright has shifted from whether he would be moved to what he still needs to show with the Kraken, and that starts with giving the organization more offense to believe in.
His agent now says Wright is fully committed to the Kraken, which only raises the pressure on the 20-year-old to turn that commitment into production. For a player with his pedigree, the path forward is pretty clear: Seattle wants to see his game translate more consistently on the scoresheet, and his long-term future there may hinge on whether he can make that leap. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Montour Is Already Setting The Tone For The Kraken
The Kraken wrapped up their four-game preseason slate against the Vancouver Canucks, but the attention from their exhibition run had already drifted to Brandon Montour. In a recent game against Calgary, the defenseman flashed the kind of urgency Seattle hoped to add when it brought him in, making a notable stop in front of a scrambling crease and then speaking in the plain, no-frills way that has already started to define his place in the room.
Montours role carries extra weight because he is wearing an assistant captains letter, and the early read is that he is settling into the leadership group quickly. Around the same time, the organization also marked a notable sendoff for Bob Condor, who covered his final game as Kraken editor-in-chief and was honored with a personalized jersey, a reminder that this stretch of preseason has been about more than just line combinations and final roster decisions. For Seattle, the interesting part is how much of the tone-setting is already coming from a player still learning the contours of his new team. [Read more 🡒]
Former Panthers First Round Pick Hits Early Setback In Seattle
Mackie Samoskevichs first days in Seattle have already hit a small snag. The Kraken forward, who arrived from Florida and has been settling in after a recent move, is dealing with an upper-body injury and will not suit up for Saturdays preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It is an early interruption for a player Seattle brought in with more than just camp depth in mind, especially after handing him a three-year contract to join a group that expects him to be part of the mix. Samoskevichs path has already taken him from the University of Michigan to the Panthers and now to the Kraken, and the next question is simply when he can get back on the ice and start building toward his first season in Seattle. [Read more 🡒]