The Seattle Kraken created one of the most successful stories a second-year expansion team could hope to accomplish during the 2022-23 season. While they could not match what the Vegas Golden Knights did in their first NHL season when they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Kraken became a playoff team and they did quite well once the postseason started.
The Kraken finished the season having earned 100 points and delivering a 46-28-8 record. Head coach Dave Hakstol put together a team that was not afraid to play physical hockey and played with a relentlessness in the offensive zone. They were especially tough on the road (26-11-4), and that allowed the Kraken to become a playoff team.
Seattle was not expected to go past the first round, but the Kraken beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in 7 games, winning the finale on the road by a 2-1 margin. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored both goals for the Kraken, and goalie Philipp Grubauer held the Avalanche offense in check.
The Kraken continued to play solid hockey in the second round, but this time dropped a 7-game series to the Stars.
The Kraken received excellent production from left wing Jared McCann, who scored 40 goals and added 30 assists for a team-leading 70 points. Five other players, including Rookie of the Year Matty Beniers, broke the 20-goal mark for the Kraken.
While the Kraken and their fans have to be encouraged by the team's showing last season, the team will not look the same in 2023-24. There have been a number of free-agent signings and losses that will impact the team that hits the ice in October.
Free agent signings
The Kraken has added defenseman Brian Dumoulin, center Kailer Yamamoto and left wing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in an effort to reinforce the team
Dumoulin may be the best of those signings, as he comes over from the Pittsburgh Penguins after 10 seasons in the Steel City. He is a stay at home defenseman who has the size at 6-4 and 207 pounds to win the battle and make sure the puck leaves the defensive zone.
Dumoulin is not much of a scorer and he has never had more than 5 goals in a season. He recorded a plus-24 rating two seasons ago, but that number fell to minus-4 last year. His most effective season came in 2018-19 when he was plus-31
Yamamoto has plenty of speed and quickness, and a change of environment could be the best thing for his career. Yamamoto played 6 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers after he was drafted with a first-round pick in 2017. His best season came in 2021-22 when he scored 20 goals and 21 assists.
Bellemare is a solidly built left winger who has played 9 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, Golden Knights, Avalanche and Lightning. He has never scored more than 9 goals in a season, but he is capable of winning corner battles.
Free agent losses
The Kraken suffered a number of free agent losses during the offseason. They include defenseman Carson Soucy (Vancouver Canucks), center Morgan Geekie (Boston Bruins), Ryan Donato (Chicago Blackhawks and Daniel Sprong (Detroit Red Wings).
Soucy played a key role for the Kraken last season as a solid defensive defenseman. While he was not the type to impact the Kraken's offense very often, he was capable of breaking up opponents' offensive possessions.
Soucy had 3 goals and 13 assists along with 68 penalty minutes. He was also plus-18 while averaging 16:18 minutes of ice time per game.
Geekie is an improving player who may move into a key role with the Bruins, especially if veterans Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire. Geekie, soon to be 25, scored 19 goals and 28 assists last season and scored 3 game-winning gaols.
Donato score 30 goals and 57 points during his 2 seasons with the Kraken, and he showed the ability to accelerate as he went to the net. He also was quite competent when asked to score in regular-season shootouts.
Overall assessment
The Kraken have the momentum of an excellent second season, but they have suffered some free-agent losses. While the signing of Dumoulin offsets the loss of Soucy, the loss of Geekie could be a painful one.
Yamamoto never lived up to his billing with the Oilers, but the change of employers could work out to his benefit.
Give the Kraken a grade of C-plus for their work in free agency.
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