Summer Coolers – Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken enter 2026-27 facing serious questions about the direction of the franchise. Seattle finished with just 79 points and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season—and for the fourth time in five years since entering the NHL. Neil Smith and Vic Morren believe the early success of the Vegas Golden Knights created expectations Seattle has never been able to match. Even more concerning, high-end players appear unwilling to choose Seattle, while the Kraken have done little to pivot when those pursuits fail.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] Seattle finishes sixth with 79 points and misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season.

[00:00:25] The Kraken have reached the postseason only once in five seasons, advancing to Game 7 of the second round in 2023.

[00:00:45] Vic believes Vegas’ immediate expansion success created an unrealistic comparison for Seattle and raised expectations the Kraken have never approached.

[00:01:00] Neil is surprised Seattle has struggled to attract free agents because he views the city as a tremendous hockey destination with an outstanding arena.

[00:01:30] Despite those advantages, Neil says he does not like what he sees from Seattle heading into this season.

[00:01:50] Vic compares Seattle’s inactivity to Calgary’s previous offseason, when the Flames did almost nothing despite needing improvement.

[00:02:00] Seattle’s lone trade addition is Mackie Samoskevich from Florida for a 2026 first-round pick and conditional 2027 second.

[00:02:25] Goaltender Viktor Östman re-signs, while captain Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann also remain with the Kraken.

[00:02:45] Curtis Douglas arrives from Vancouver as a bottom-six forward, representing Seattle’s only notable outside UFA addition.

[00:03:00] Two original Kraken players depart: Jaden Schwartz signs with Colorado and Jamie Oleksiak heads to Vancouver.

[00:03:15] Neil says Seattle’s problem goes beyond inactivity—the Kraken are being turned down by star players.

[00:03:25] Artemi Panarin reportedly had an opportunity to go to Seattle before joining Los Angeles but chose the Kings despite Seattle being able to offer more money.

[00:03:45] Jason Robertson also reportedly rejects an opportunity to move to Seattle before ultimately signing a one-year deal to remain with Dallas.

[00:04:00] Neil distinguishes Seattle from a market like Calgary. Seattle can pursue high-end players financially, but when those players say no, the Kraken seemingly have no Plan B.

[00:04:20] Neil also questions the organizational direction following Ron Francis’ departure and Jason Botterill taking over as GM.

[00:04:40] Lane Lambert begins his second season behind the Seattle bench, but Neil remains highly skeptical about the roster surrounding him.

[00:05:00] Offense is the biggest concern after Seattle finished 28th in scoring last season.

[00:05:15] Jordan Eberle led the Kraken with only 55 points, one of the lowest team-leading scoring totals anywhere in the NHL.

[00:05:30] That places even more attention on Matty Beniers, the second overall selection in 2021 and former Calder Trophy winner.

[00:05:45] Vic believes Seattle needs considerably more than approximately 20 goals and 50 points from a player drafted to become one of the franchise’s cornerstones.

[00:06:00] Neil agrees. Beniers had an excellent rookie season but has not developed into the impact player Seattle expected.

The Kraken need more than incremental improvement. They need stars, offense and a clearer organizational direction. Neil and Vic’s biggest concern is that Seattle is pursuing elite talent, getting rejected, and then failing to find meaningful alternatives. Unless Beniers takes a major step and the existing roster produces far more offense, another difficult season could be ahead.