The Seattle Kraken have a clear fix staring them in the face: their penalty kill has to get a lot better, and fast.
That was the ugly truth last season, when Lane Lambert didn’t dance around the issue. “Penalty killing was a problem all year.”
For a team that doesn’t pile up goals, that kind of weakness is hard to hide. If Seattle wants to grind out more tight wins this season, its shorthanded work has to become a strength instead of a liability.
The numbers tell the story in blunt fashion. Seattle’s penalty kill never got above 80%, and last season it sank to 72.2% over the full year. The slide got even worse at the end, when the Kraken killed just 62.5% of power plays over their final 10 games.
One of the clearest examples came on Apr. 6 in Winnipeg. The Jets weren’t exactly lighting the league on fire, but they still scored on all three of their power plays in a 6-2 win. After that game, Lambert pointed to a lack of commitment.
Seattle did at least avoid living in the penalty box. The Kraken were shorthanded only 216 times, which ranked ninth fewest in the league. But being disciplined doesn’t mean much if the kills themselves keep breaking down.
There are reasons for hope, at least on paper. Veterans like Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn have long been trusted defensive players, while Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson have shown they can be reliable in defensive situations. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Freddy Gaudreau were also brought in a year ago partly to help the penalty kill, and Seattle will need more from both of them in that role.
Lambert also made it clear he sees the issue as starting deeper than the skaters in front. “Penalty killing starts with your goaltender.
I think our goalie save percentage was pretty low shorthanded. We’re certainly going to do a deep dive.”
What comes next will wait until training camp in September, when the Kraken finally show how they plan to correct one of last season’s most glaring flaws.
In Other News...
Ryan Lindgren Faces Pressure To Become The Krakens Reliable Anchor
Ryan Lindgren is heading into his second season with the Kraken carrying the kind of expectations that come with a four-year commitment and a $4.5 million annual cap hit. Seattle brought him in to be a steady defensive presence and an important penalty killer, the sort of player coaches lean on when the game gets heavy and details matter most. He has shown he can chip in offensively too, reaching a career-high 22 points in the 2024-25 season, but his value in Seattle has always been tied more to reliability than production.
The question now is whether he can match that role with consistency over a full year, something that has eluded him so far in his career. Lindgren still has to prove he can stay on the ice for a full 82-game season, and his point total dipped after his move to the Kraken, leaving a little more pressure on the rest of his game to justify the trust Seattle has placed in him. For a team that wants to tighten up defensively, his ability to settle in as a dependable anchor may end up being one of the quieter but more important storylines of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Prospects Get Another Shot At Canucks In Rising Rivalry
The Krakens young players are getting another early look at a familiar opponent, with the NHL Prospects Showcase set for Sept. 12 and 13 in Abbotsford, B.C. Seattle and Vancouver split last years series across the two franchises home venues, and the return matchup gives both organizations another chance to measure their latest draft picks and developing talent against one another in a setting that has quickly become a useful preseason checkpoint.
It is only the second year for the event, but the setup already has the feel of a small rivalry inside a much bigger one, especially with notable players from both sides taking part a year ago. For fans who want a first glimpse at the next wave of Kraken talent, tickets for the opening night go on sale Aug. 10, adding another layer of anticipation to a showcase that should again carry more edge than your typical prospect game. [Read more 🡒]
Matty Beniers Turned A Brutal Team USA Setback Into Gold
Matty Beniers came away from the 2025 IIHF World Championships with a gold medal, but the path there included a rough night Team USA wont forget soon. In the round-robin stage, the Americans were shut out 3-0 by Switzerland, a setback that stung in a tournament jointly hosted by Denmark and Sweden and featured several Kraken players on the roster.
Beniers described that loss as a difficult moment to absorb, especially with so much still ahead in the event. The bigger picture, though, flipped in the final, where Team USA met Switzerland again and edged out a 1-0 overtime win to claim gold, turning an early frustration into the kind of finish every national team dreams about. [Read more 🡒]