When training camp opens next month, the Seattle Kraken will almost certainly remind people they sat in third place - above the playoff line - at last February’s Olympics break.
That’s true, but it comes with a catch. Seattle was 27-20-9 when play resumed Feb. 25, and the team had padded that standing with nine points from overtime and shootout losses despite being outscored 165-162. That kind of resume looks a lot less sturdy when you look under the hood.
The bigger reason the Kraken were hanging around was the Pacific Division itself. Connor McDavid’s “pillow fight” jab fit the scene: Seattle wasn’t necessarily surging so much as the rest of the division was sliding back to meet them.
Here’s how the Kraken stacked up before the break against the rest of the league:
- Pacific: 12-6-1
- Central: 6-7-1
- Atlantic: 3-3-2
- Metro: 6-4-5
Seattle also went 7-1-2 against the five teams that would finish below them in the final standings. That included 2-0-0 records against both the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs, 1-0-1 against the Canucks and Rangers, and 1-1-0 against the Flames.
So yes, there was some smoke there. But there was also plenty of room for a more realistic read on where this team sits.
Simmer’s “Early Kraken, Canucks, Pacific Division Predictions” covered everybody except Seattle, with the explanation that, “We talk about and break down the Kraken on a daily basis.” Fair enough. Picking up from there, one view is that the Kraken could finish as high as fourth, even though Simmer had them slotted sixth.
That kind of jump would depend on a few things breaking right.
First, Joey Daccord has to get back to form while Philipp Grubauer keeps the level he found last season. Daccord’s underwhelming ’25-’26 campaign at least created an opening for Grubauer to post his best season in five Kraken years.
Seattle still hasn’t had both goalies peaking at the same time. That would be a welcome development.
Second, new forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Bobby McMann would need to deliver real punch. The idea here is 25 goals apiece, and the case is simple: both players bring speed, a hard shot, and motivation. Samoskevich has something to prove after being Florida’s first-round pick in 2021, while McMann is trying to show that the 10 goals he scored after arriving from Toronto in March were no one-off.
Third, the special teams need a real upgrade. Last season, Seattle’s penalty kill ranked 31st at 72.7 percent, and the power play checked in 20th at 19.5 percent.
Coach Lane Lambert and his staff have had the offseason to sort that out, especially on the penalty kill. The Kraken also need more from shorthanded specialists like Ryan Lindgren and Freddy Gaudreau.
And finally, the black alternate jerseys need to disappear. They may look sharp, but Seattle was only 2-8-2 in games played in the 3rds. There’s also the practical issue that John Forslund has trouble reading the names and numbers, which is reason enough to retire them.
The rest of the Pacific, meanwhile, has its own flaws.
Edmonton still has questions after Mike Babcock’s last coaching stop in Columbus lasted exactly zero games, and there’s the matter of whether he can still keep his prying eyes hidden.
Vegas has already gone through three coaches since late March, and the Golden Knights are still $8 million over the cap. Pavel Dorofeyev has taken his 37 goals to the Rangers, and Seattle beat Vegas last season.
Los Angeles is loaded with age. The Kings have nine players who are 34 or older: Erik Gustafsson and Anton Forsberg at 34; Artemi Panarin, Brian Dumoulin and Erik Haula at 35; Darcy Kuemper at 36; Drew Doughty at 37; Mats Zuccarello, who turns 39 on Sept. 1; and Corey Perry at 41.
Anaheim’s path has been stranger still. The Ducks made the playoffs and upset the Oilers in the first round, but their offseason has been a mess. Matching the Leo Carlsson offer sheet may have left 41-goal scorer Cutter Gauthier un-signable.
In Other News...
Kraken Pipeline Just Got More Interesting Down In Coachella
The Krakens development pipeline in the desert is starting to take clearer shape, and Coachella Valley is making it easier for fans to keep tabs on it. Single-game tickets for the Firebirds are now on sale starting at $22, giving Seattle followers another reason to circle visits to the AHL affiliate as the roster continues to come together for another season.
Logan Terness is the newest name worth watching after turning a professional tryout into a contract with the Firebirds, while Charlie Wright is back on a one-year deal after another season in the organization. Both players spent time between Coachella Valley and the Kansas City Mavericks last year, which makes the next step in their development worth tracking as the Firebirds keep building depth for the Kraken system. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Wright Enters Kraken Camp With His Future Suddenly In Doubt
The Kraken are about to get back to work, with rookie camp opening Sept. 11, training camp following on Sept. 17 and a four-game preseason slate beginning Sept. 19. For Shane Wright, the timing matters more than most. The 22-year-old center is still in Seattle after a reported offseason move never came together, leaving him in camp with plenty to prove and a roster spot that feels less secure than it once did.
Wright heads into the fall needing a sharper showing after a disappointing season, and the next few weeks will give the Kraken a close look at whether he can reset his trajectory. Training camp and the preseason are now his chance to show the kind of progress that can quiet the uncertainty around his future, or at least give Seattle a reason to keep him in the picture a little longer. [Read more 🡒]