Spring Cleaning – Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken entered the 2025-26 season with modest expectations and once again fell short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite an encouraging start and stretches of strong play, extended losing streaks, inconsistent offense, and limited development from several young forwards kept Seattle stuck in the middle of the Western Conference. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine the front-office transition from Ron Francis to Jason Botterill, the organization’s revolving door behind the bench, and why the Kraken may still be several years away from becoming a true contender.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] The Kraken are eliminated from playoff contention on April 11 after missing the postseason for the fourth time in their first five NHL seasons. Seattle’s only playoff appearance remains its surprising second-year run to Game 7 of the second round.

[00:00:25] Lane Lambert completes his first season behind the Seattle bench after replacing Dan Bylsma. The Kraken entered the year hoping offseason additions could provide more stability and help the club move closer to a Wild Card position.

[00:00:45] Mason Marchment, Ryan Lindgren, and Frederik Gaudreau were among the veterans added to strengthen the roster, although Marchment was later traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

[00:01:00] Seattle begins the season with an encouraging 11-5-5 record. The goaltending tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord also performs better than expected and gives the team a chance to compete early.

[00:01:20] The positive start quickly disappears during a damaging 1-9-1 stretch between mid-November and mid-December. Although Seattle responds with an 8-0-2 run, the club never finds lasting consistency.

[00:01:40] The Kraken suffer at least three consecutive regulation losses on six separate occasions. Those repeated slides prevent the team from building momentum or remaining firmly involved in the playoff race.

[00:02:00] Scoring remains one of Seattle’s biggest weaknesses. The Kraken finish among the NHL’s lowest-scoring teams and fail to receive the expected growth from several important forwards.

[00:02:20] Jared McCann has not replicated the 40-goal season he produced in 2022-23. Matty Beniers appears to have settled into the range of a 50-point player rather than developing into a dominant first-line center.

[00:02:40] Shane Wright also continues to fall short of expectations attached to his high draft position. His limited progress becomes another major concern for an organization that needs its young players to drive the next stage of growth.

[00:03:00] The conversation turns to Seattle’s leadership transition. Ron Francis, the franchise’s original general manager, is departing after previously moving into the role of team president.

[00:03:20] Jason Botterill now assumes complete control of hockey operations. Neil questions the organization’s direction and notes that Botterill’s previous tenure as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres produced mixed results.

[00:03:45] Seattle’s constant coaching changes also come under scrutiny. The franchise has moved from Dave Hakstol to Dan Bylsma and now Lane Lambert, yet no coach has been able to create sustained success.

[00:04:10] The Kraken’s lone breakthrough came during their second season, when they defeated the defending champion Colorado Avalanche before pushing the Dallas Stars to seven games in the second round.

[00:04:30] Botterill enters the 2026 NHL Draft with eight selections, including two first-round picks. Seattle owns its original selection and the pick acquired from Tampa Bay in the Oliver Bjorkstrand trade.

[00:04:50] The Kraken also hold multiple selections in the fourth and seventh rounds, giving the organization additional opportunities to strengthen a prospect system that must produce more impact players.

[00:05:10] Seattle projects to have approximately $4.3 million in cap space. That provides some flexibility, but likely not enough to completely reshape the roster through free agency.

[00:05:30] Unrestricted free agents include Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, trade-deadline acquisition Bobby McMann, and original Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

[00:05:55] Vic does not expect Seattle to be significantly better next season. The Kraken may not be a bottom-tier team, but the roster currently appears trapped between rebuilding and legitimate playoff contention.

[00:06:20] Neil believes Seattle will remain around the Wild Card conversation, but major offseason work is required to move the organization higher in the standings.

[00:06:40] The episode concludes with uncertainty surrounding the Kraken’s immediate future. With a new decision-maker, another head coach, limited scoring, and several unresolved roster questions, Seattle must establish a clear organizational direction before it can become a consistent playoff team.