Seattle’s next step may not be subtle. General manager Jason Botterill told NHL.com that “There’s a possibility we could have seven or eight forwards 23-and-under on opening night.”
For Kraken fans, that sounds a lot like the franchise finally leaning all the way into what this season should be: a real youth movement, not just lip service. In the sixth year of an expansion team’s life, that’s the right direction. The previous three non-playoff seasons should be viewed, in that light, as setup work.
There’s a catch, though. It’s not enough for young players to simply make the roster.
They have to play, and they have to be trusted in meaningful spots even when the mistakes show up. That’s the hard part.
That’s also the part that has paid off for other Pacific Division teams that endured long droughts while their prospects grew up together through game action.
Botterill, if he hasn’t already, needs to make that expectation clear to Lane Lambert: the coach won’t be judged on whether he squeezes out a few extra standings points by shielding the kids. The focus has to be on development, not short-term polishing. And Lambert, once he gets that message, can’t default to caution just to protect a few wins that may not matter in the end.
The payoff, at least in theory, is straightforward. If the organization shows fans a coherent plan and sticks to it, another season without the playoffs doesn’t have to be a sellout.
Kraken supporters have been asking for direction, and this would be one. Maybe the young group even moves faster than expected.
Botterill also pointed to a healthier coaching dynamic in the same NHL.com interview. “There’s a better cohesiveness between our coaching staff and our players,” he said, “just from the standpoint of they know what to expect from Lane, what the system is. It’s not like we’re starting from ground zero like we did last season.”
That continuity matters. Seattle has not exactly been building on a steady base from year to year, with Dave Hakstol running camp in 2023, Dan Bylsma in 2024 and Lambert in 2025.
Younger players need stability, maybe even more than veterans do. If Lambert is going to get a longer leash, it should come with a clear mandate: use it to develop the kids.
Two names stand out in that conversation. One is 22-year-old Shane Wright, already on the roster and still waiting for the kind of runway that matches his pedigree.
The old Seahawks rallying cry was “Let Russ Cook,” and the idea here is similar: “Let Shane Cook,” at least until he’s traded. Wright, the 4th overall pick in 2022, should be getting big minutes and big situations.
If it doesn’t work, at least everyone will know where things stand. If it does, the Kraken may have found something they didn’t want to let go.
The other is 21-year-old Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Seattle’s 2023 second-round pick, who appeared in his first 13 NHL games last season. He’s already getting praise for a well-rounded game.
Alexander MacLean of Dobber Hockey called him “an over-ripe all-around forward,” adding that “who could play up or down the lineup for the Kraken. He might have even been ready last season from a well-roundedness perspective.”
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff was just as bullish: “His reliable, two-way game will allow him to stick in the NHL for many years to come. It feels like watching a younger Lars Eller.
“Sure, Fisker Mølgaard might not be a high-end prospect, but he has a clear path to the NHL.”
The path is there. The question is whether Seattle finally removes the training wheels.
In Other News...
Kraken Goaltending Plan Just Got More Interesting In Coachella Valley
The Krakens AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley quietly added another layer to its goaltending picture, bringing in Connor Murphy for the 2026-27 season. Murphy is 28 and has spent the past three years in the Calgary Flames organization, working across both the AHL and ECHL, which gives the Firebirds a familiar kind of organizational depth piece rather than a headline-grabbing splash.
For Seattle, the move matters because Coachella Valley is often part of the pipeline that keeps the larger goaltending plan moving smoothly. The Firebirds did not disclose contract terms, and the expectation is that Murphy will be used primarily in a depth role, but even that kind of signing can shape how flexible the club is when injuries, call-ups or workload management come into play. [Read more 🡒]
Jamie Oleksiak's Final Kraken Season Looks Different Now
Jamie Oleksiak gave the Kraken a steady season on the blue line in 2025-26, handling a regular role on the bottom pairing while still finding ways to chip in at the other end. He appeared in 78 games, logged 15 points, and finished with a plus-9 rating, a solid return for a defenseman who spent most nights taking on a sheltered workload and averaging 16:56 of ice time.
What makes that year stand out now is how it ended. Oleksiak reached unrestricted free agency after the season, and Seattle has already seen him move on to Vancouver on a two-year deal, closing the book on a stretch that looked pretty different while he was still wearing a Kraken sweater. For a team that has leaned on its defense to set the tone, his departure leaves another spot to sort out on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Seattles NHL Dream Nearly Started Long Before The Kraken
Long before the Kraken ever took the ice, Seattle had already spent years trying to join the NHL conversation. Archival reports from the Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer show that the city was making a serious push in the mid-1970s, with local investors and city officials working to bring either an expansion club or a relocated franchise to town. There was enough optimism to produce meetings with league officials and real momentum around the idea.
The effort was shaped by attorney Vince Abbey, who helped drive the campaign, but the road was never simple. Lease restrictions at the Coliseum and pressure from the World Hockey Association complicated the pitch, and shifting personnel only added to the uncertainty. Seattles hockey dream was alive then, but it was never able to clear the final hurdles that might have put an NHL team here decades earlier. [Read more 🡒]