The Seattle Kraken have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have made the playoffs only once in their five-year history, and things are not trending up. They dealt two of their key forwards, Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline. Despite that, they are not committing to a firesale. Kraken CEO Tod Leiwecke says they will not rebuild, putting his faith in GM Ron Francis. Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times has more.

“In a recent radio interview, Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke offered up that he thinks the ownership has faith in general manager Ron Francis and the bones of the team. “I don’t think this is a rebuild,” he said,” Shefte wrote.

Shefte wrote the obituary of this Kraken season, which included quotes from first-year coach Dan Bylsma. “Since the deadline, we’ve been focused on playing our best hockey, and proven to each other, proven to the fans, what kind of team we are,” was among those quotes.

The Kraken are 6-5-2 since the trade deadline and could end the season on a high note. But that does not mean they should not commit to a rebuild. Their trade deadline path is the one Ron Francis should follow.

The Kraken should be rebuilding

Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers (10) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Rogers Arena.
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The Kraken tried to recreate the Vegas Golden Knights' immediate success in the expansion draft. They took some solid players who did help them get to the playoffs in Year 2. But their lack of elite talent has cost them, and they need to take as many shots in the draft as possible. They got two first-rounders from the Lightning, which should be the first of many moves.

If the Kraken can get off of Phillip Grubauer's contract, they have to take that opportunity. He is due $5.9 million through the 2026-27 season and played in only 25 games this season. They extended Joey Daccord before this season and should let him be the goalie of the future. Trading Grubauer should be the Kraken's first move of the rebuild.

Jamie Oleksiak and Jayden Schwartz are both entering contract years and can be key pieces to Cup-contending teams. This Kraken squad has proven time and time again that they are not Cup contenders. They need a new swath of veterans to support a young core built on the draft picks they get from these trades.

How would you handle this Kraken offseason?