If the Seattle Kraken continue their trend since entering the league, the 2024-25 season could be one without any roster concerns. Seattle struggled through its first season, which was a welcomed sight for the rest of the league. Fans of other teams didn't enjoy the Vegas Golden Knights' immediate success in their expansion season, and the Kraken's early struggles helped soften the blow.
The Kraken bounced back in 2022-23, advancing to their first postseason. It looked like it'd be an early exit at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. However, the Kraken miraculously upset the Avs in seven games. They also nearly upset the Dallas Stars in the second round but fell 2-1 in Game 7.
The future looked bright in Seattle, as Matty Beniers emerged as a top young player in 2022-23. He had a sophomore slump in 2023-24, recording 20 fewer points and straying from the game that made him successful in his rookie season. Seattle hopes he will rebound this season and join the list of prospects ready to return the Kraken to the postseason picture.
The 2024-25 season may not show drastic improvement. The positive is that the future is bright in Seattle, depending on the development of some of their young players.
Can Shane Wright finally make the jump?
Shane Wright's story with the Seattle Kraken is well-documented. When the Montreal Canadiens landed the first-overall draft selection in 2022, it seemed like the stars were aligning for him to go to his country's most historic franchise.
However, the hype started building around Slovakian Juraj Slafkovsky before the draft began. It seemed impossible that the Canadiens would pass on Wright to take a little-known European, but it came true when Kent Hughes took the stage and made his first selection as Canadiens' general manager.
Canadiens fans believed they had just gifted the New Jersey Devils a can't-miss prospect, but they passed on him in favor of another Slovakian, Simon Nemec. The Arizona Coyotes also passed for American center Logan Cooley, which made plenty question Wright's problem. The Kraken finally drafted Wright with the fourth overall selection, which many viewed as an epic steal.
Wright began the following season in Seattle but played a maximum of eight games before he'd burn a year on his entry-level deal. The Kraken returned him to the Ontario Hockey League where he would play 20 games with the Windsor Spitfires and captain Team Canada to World Junior gold. After getting upset in the first round of the playoffs, Wright came to the American Hockey League to advance to the Calder Cup Finals.
He stayed in Coachella Valley for the 2023-24 season, tallying 47 points in 59 games. He made promising steps in the NHL, appearing in eight games and scoring four goals, but the Kraken felt he wasn't ready for full-time minutes.
It's difficult to see Shane Wright wasting another year in the AHL, so it's time for the Kraken to know if he's ready for a full-time spot in Seattle.
Kraken fail to address biggest need
The Kraken's decision to sign Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year, $43.75 million contract was a head-scratcher. Seattle's deficiency last season was scoring, as the team sat 29th in the NHL with 2.61 goals per game. Stephenson was a big part of the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup victory in 2023, but it wasn't because of his scoring touch. Stephenson is a complimentary offensive piece with players like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, and Reilly Smith around him. However, he won't be the focal point of anyone's offense.
The Kraken had some salary cap room this offseason to address their goal-scoring need. The move to use it on Stephenson and Brandon Montour could be costly if their young prospects don't work out as they hope. We may have answered the question by mentioning the young prospects, as the Kraken do have some promising prospects.
Seattle's American Hockey League team was runner-up in two consecutive seasons, thanks to players like Wright, Tye Kartye, Logan Morrison, and Ryan Winterton. They also have Berkly Catton, Carson Rehkopf, Jagger Firkus, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard in the pipeline. The Kraken have plenty of help coming in the future, but that won't help them get over the hump this season.
It could be another season of scratching and clawing for any offense they can find. The Kraken are likely banking on Wright's development to shine through this season and a bounce back from Beniers. However, it could get worse before it gets better for the Kraken in 2024-25.
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