The Seattle Kraken took a hit from Bleacher Report for an offseason move that looks a lot better on paper than the grade suggests.
Seattle’s summertime extension for Bobby McMann was slapped with a “C,” even though the deal runs six years and is worth $34.5 million. That’s a solid chunk of money for a player BR itself described this way:
“Bobby McMann does a lot of things well, and can be a very effective player. He’s going to be a menace on the forecheck, bring some speed to the lineup and probably score 20-25 goals.”
That kind of production would be a real lift in Seattle. Only three Kraken skaters topped the 20-goal mark last season: Jordan Eberle with 26, Matty Beniers with 20 and Jared McCann with 20. A forward who can land in the 20-25 goal range and bring speed and pressure sounds like a pretty useful addition, not a middling one.
Bleacher Report’s knock was less about McMann himself and more about where Seattle is as a team.
“There’s a place for that on a good team,” goes BR’s reasoning. “The problem is Seattle might not be a particularly good team, and he is pretty much a representation of what its roster is already full of: Good, but not great players that are not really difference-makers.”
That logic is hard to square. The Kraken don’t need to wait around for a perfect roster before adding a player who can score, skate and work the forecheck. If anything, that’s exactly the kind of piece a team can use while trying to climb.
The strange part is that Bleacher Report was far kinder to a Pacific Division rival for a move that involved a former Kraken player. San Jose earned a generous “B” for signing Mason Marchment away from Seattle.
“Marchment’s deal (five years, $33.75 million) is exactly what the team needed. So much of San Jose’s 2025-26 season was dependent on Macklin Celebrini.
They were dominated during 5-on-5 play when he was not on the ice. They addressed the forward situation with the Marchment signing.
“He’s an outstanding two-way veteran who can defend and chip in legitimate second-line offense. It might not age well by year five, but it will be a big upgrade the next couple of seasons.”
That description feels a little lofty for a player who managed just 4 goals and 13 assists in 29 games for Seattle and seemed more willing to let teammates handle the messy stuff after he stirred things up.
So the contrast is obvious: for roughly the same money, Seattle gets six years of McMann and San Jose gets a shorter commitment to Marchment, who is one year older. That’s not exactly a difficult call.
And if anyone wants a reminder of how expansion teams actually build toward something, Keith Allen had the blueprint long ago:
“First, try to become competitive. It’s important that the home fans have something to cheer about.
In the long run, you have to keep your draft choices. If you trade, be sure and get young players.
I think if you do that, you can move up the ladder rather quickly.”
Allen coached the expansion Philadelphia Flyers for their first two seasons, 1967-69, then took over as general manager and helped guide them to Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975.
In Other News...
Ryan Winterton Gave The Kraken A Bigger Question Going Forward
Ryan Wintertons first full run with the Kraken gave the club a useful glimpse of what he can be as a depth forward. He got into 68 games in the 2025-26 season, finished with 18 points and spent most of his time on the fourth line, where his job was less about flash than about reliability and energy. Along the way, he also worked through some missed time, which made his season a little uneven even as he kept carving out a larger role.
The bigger question now is what comes next for a player who has already shown he can stick at the NHL level while still leaving room to grow. Winterton signed a two-year extension during the season, so Seattle has some control over the situation, but his mix of scoring touch, bottom-six usage and unfinished upside gives the organization something worth weighing as it looks at how to round out its forward group. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Enter A Season That Could Force A Franchise Decision
Seattles place in the leagues middle tier is looking a little more interesting as the 2026-27 conversation starts to take shape, because the Kraken are one of those teams that cant be neatly sorted into contender or rebuild. The new draft-lottery rules have changed how clubs think about the path forward, and for Seattle the question is less about tearing things down than figuring out how to use a roster with enough NHL-calibre talent to stay respectable while still leaving room for a clearer long-term plan.
The Pacific Divisions openness adds another layer to the decision, since a decent run could still push the Kraken into the playoff picture even without a perfect roster. That creates the same tension facing a few other teams in this discussion: stay competitive and hope the group grows into something more, or accept that the future may require a harder choice than the one made today. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Leave One Small Training Camp Battle Quietly Unsettled
Shane Wrights situation remains one of the quieter storylines hanging over Kraken camp as the organization moves forward with a young center who is still drawing attention around the league. For now, there is no fresh movement on his standing, and the latest word from his camp is that he remains part of Seattles plans as the team continues sorting out its center depth and long-term roster picture.
The backdrop matters because speculation around Wright has lingered even as other teams around the league make their own camp decisions, including Philadelphia opting not to bring in professional tryouts at this point. In Vancouver, Jake DeBrusks contract is viewed as movable while he stays with the Canucks through a rebuilding stretch, a reminder that roster uncertainty can follow a player even when the immediate answer is to keep things as they are. [Read more 🡒]