The Seattle Kraken were one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League in 2021-22, which made complete sense considering it was the club's first season as an NHL franchise. A year later, it was a completely different story; the Kraken won 46 games and made noise in the Pacific Division after reaching the century mark in points.
But they weren't done there. The 2022-23 iteration of the NHL's newest franchise upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in Round 1, before coming within one win of another monumental upset in a tight Game 7 loss to the Dallas Stars in Round 2. Still, it was a phenomenal campaign, with many talking heads expecting this team to return to the postseason again in 2023-24.
But early on, the season has been a disappointment. The Kraken are well below .500 with a 6-8-4 record through 18 games, and currently sit outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference and fifth place in the Pacific Division. There's a lot of blame to go around, but one player who is experiencing a sophomore slump at an inopportune time is Matty Beniers.
Matty Beniers needs to get going
Beniers was electric in his debut season, scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 80 games en route to winning the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. He was a force at both ends of the rink for this Kraken team, and was also productive over 14 playoff contests, adding another three goals and seven points.
But it's been a completely different story for the 21-year-old this year. Like basically every forward not named Jaden Schwartz and Oliver Bjorkstrand, Beniers has struggled mightily offensively. Although he's been a little better as of late, the former University of Michigan Wolverine has recorded just two goals and eight points over 18 games, despite averaging nearly 19 minutes of time on ice per game.
Still, he remains on the top line, centering Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. He's also a fixture with the top powerplay group along with Schwartz, Vince Dunn, Eeli Tolvanen and Kailer Yamamoto. That unit has been getting better and better, and this team needs those five to produce. There's certainly ample opportunity for Beniers to turn things around, but he's been a serious disappointment in 2023-24.
On the other hand, two veterans are turning back the clock to keep this team competitive this season: Schwartz and Bjorkstrand.
Jaden Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand carrying the offensive load
Whereas last year it was Beniers and McCann leading the way offensively, both Schwartz and Bjorkstrand have stepped up big-time this year. That's especially true for Schwartz, who is in his third year in Seattle after spending most of his career in St. Louis and winning the Stanley Cup in Missouri in 2019.
The 31-year-old has been nothing short of fantastic; he's leading the forward core with eight goals and 15 points in 18 games. He's averaging over 17 minutes of time on ice per game, and is legitimately looking like the team's best forward so far. Although defenseman Vince Dunn has been phenomenal, leading the team with 16 points, he broke out last year and his early-season success has not been as pleasantly surprising as Schwartz's impact.
Almost equally surprising has been Bjorkstrand's excellence in the early going. He's just a point behind Schwartz with 14 in 18 games, and he's getting less minutes while skating on the third line with Tolvanen and Yanni Gourde, along with the second powerplay unit. The 28-year-old had a bit of a down year in 2022-23, recording just 45 points in his first season with the Kraken, but it looks like he is returning to the form he showed as a longtime Columbus Blue Jacket from 2013-22.
Bjorkstrand's career-high in points is 57, which he set with the Jackets the year before last. The way things are going, he looks poised to shatter those numbers in 2023-24. That will be especially true if he can get some more ice time, and potentially a look on PP1. As it stands, he's part of a potent second unit that features Eberle, McCann, Justin Schultz and Alexander Wennberg.
Overall, the Kraken are having a tough time dealing with the expectations placed on them after a truly fantastic season in 2022-23. They're scoring just 2.56 goals per game, which is good enough for 29th in the league. That is a far cry from the club that boasted offensive depth throughout the lineup last year. Things aren't any better defensively; Seattle has allowed the 25th most goals, averaging 3.5 allowed per contest.
It's already shaping up to be a long season in the State of Washington, and the 2023-24 Seattle Kraken will be hard-pressed to replicate last season's smashing success after a discouraging start to the campaign.
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