Hitting the Kraken's Reset Button

“Kraken Miss Playoffs for 3rd Time in 4 Seasons.” “Seattle Coach Dan Bylsma Sacked.” “Kraken Finish Rock-Bottom Again.” These are just a few headlines highlighting the Kraken’s chaotic and terrible season. Now you may be thinking, “What is this guy moaning about? What are the Kraken?” Let me explain.

The Seattle Kraken are a member of the NHL, or National Hockey League. They are the newest addition to the league (not counting the Utah team that is a reboot of the former Arizona Coyotes)  and have been playing for four years. The Kraken are based in downtown Seattle and play in Climate Pledge Arena, which they share with our WNBA team, the Seattle Storm. They are owned by Seattle Sports Group and are one of the most popular Seattle sports teams. 

However, this has not been the Kraken’s ideal season. They finished 7th out of 8 in their division, 13th out of 16 in their conference, and 27th out of 32 in the league. This was the Kraken’s worst season since their inaugural. They fired head coach Dan Bylsma after his first season with the team.

Still, the team had some highs, like newcomer Brandon Montour scoring the fastest overtime goal in NHL history and speedy forward Jared McCann becoming the first Kraken player to reach 100 goals. The Kraken also made some key trades, adding Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko and youngster Mikey Eysimmont. They also brought in some future draft picks, including a 7th- and 2nd-round pick. However, they also lost valuable veterans Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Brandon Tanev as well as up-and-coming stars like Will Borgen. However, the new arrivals made an impact; in fact, Kakko and Esyimmont both had double the points with the Kraken than they did with their former teams. They have been key players for the Kraken.

In conclusion, the Seattle Kraken had a depressing campaign this season, with highlights including new players, sorrowful farewells, and the sacking of their coach, but will look to have a better season and more success next year.