The Kraken are headed into free agency with a list that’s hard to ignore, even if the joke answer is “everything.” Seattle already made its call for Mackie Samoskevich, and now the focus turns to the bigger-picture work that still needs doing.
On defense, the need is pretty straightforward: the Kraken want younger, more mobile help. Their biggest issue on that side of the puck has been that they’re old, slow, and have trouble adjusting in net-front work. Brandon Montour helped with that last season, and Chase Reid will absolutely help too, but the roster still needs more work if Seattle wants to keep pace with a Pacific Division that has leaned hard into offensive skill across the board.
The other major item is a high-end goalscoring forward. It’s been a constant problem, and the team still needs someone willing to drive the net and shoot there. Re-signing Bobby McMann helps with the going-to-the-net part, but Seattle still needs at least one more skilled forward who can take over a shift or two and run a power play.
There are also a few areas where an upgrade would simply make sense. Left wing depth is one of them.
According to EliteProspects.com, the Kraken have only four natural left wings in the entire system, including the NHL roster. Converting a couple of undersized centers to wing full-time is one option, but adding another natural left wing would obviously help.
Center is another spot worth a hard look, strictly at the NHL level. No specific player is being singled out, but if the Kraken want to improve for next season, they should think carefully about the terms of their center depth and consider whether a change there could help by subtraction or by opening the door for others.
And then there’s the goaltending pipeline in Coachella Valley. The big-league situation seems fine for now, if not perfect, but the AHL picture needs clarity.
Nikke Kokko is on the final year of his RFA contract, Victor Ostman is looking for his first contract out of RFA, and Kim Saarinen is waiting in the wings. Given how often Seattle’s luck has sent Coachella Valley netminders up for a couple of NHL games, it makes sense for the organization to sort out where those development paths are headed.
In Other News...
Former Blue Jacket Mason Marchment Just Landed A Massive Long Term Deal
Mason Marchments path through last season was one of the more unusual storylines to follow from a Kraken perspective. He split the year between Seattle and Columbus after a December trade, giving both clubs a chance to see the same hard-driving winger up close, and now he has turned that stop-and-start stretch into a major payday based on what he has built since entering the league in 2019-20.
The latest move also comes with a built-in layer of personal history. Marchments late father, Bryan, had a connection to the Sharks as both a player and later in the organization, which gives this next chapter a different kind of weight beyond the contract itself. For Seattle, it is another reminder of how quickly roster business can shift for a player who was only here for part of a season before landing on a much bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Just Doubled Down On A Costly Scoring Bet
Seattle has kept leaning into the idea that a swing for offense can be worth the price, and the latest move fits that pattern. General manager Jason Botterill announced the Kraken have signed forward Mackie Samoskevich to a three-year contract, adding another young piece to a roster that has been searching for more finishing power.
Samoskevich now becomes part of the conversation in Seattle not just as a new name, but as a player the organization believes can help tilt the balance toward more goals. Botterill has framed him as a proven winner who brings speed and scoring ability, and the deal gives the Kraken a clearer commitment to that bet as they keep building around a forward group with room to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Prospects Are Starting To Put The Rest Of Hockey On Notice
The Krakens prospect pipeline is getting a notable mid-summer spotlight, with five young players headed to the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase. The group includes Chase Reid, Casey Mutryn and Blake Fiddler for Team USA, along with Ola Palme and Loke Krantz for Team Sweden, a sign that Seattles drafting and development work is starting to spread across more than one national program.
The Showcase runs from July 26 to Aug. 1 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, and it offers one of the better early gauges of where those players stand in the bigger picture. Reids path is especially worth watching given his Michigan State commitment, and hell be working under Team USA coach Adam Nightingale, which adds another layer of familiarity to a week that could tell us plenty about how far this Kraken prospect class has come. [Read more 🡒]