The Seattle Kraken surprised most of the NHL by hanging near the top of the Pacific Division, making the playoffs and knocking out defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado in the opening round last season.
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STRENGTHS: While Seattle may lack a superstar, its top nine forwards and top two defensive pairings give the Kraken depth the rest of the league envies. Seattle’s scoring depth was a big component to the success of last season. McCann had a breakout season and Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers should take another step in his development especially playing on a line with McCann and Jordan Eberle for a full season.
WEAKNESSES: While depth is an important factor in how Seattle plays, the lack of a star who can take over a game showed at times late last season and in the playoffs. Seattle’s primary fourth-line last year scored 51 goals in the regular season, but lost Daniel Sprong and Ryan Donato in free agency. There is also uncertainty about Grubauer, who has had shaky regular seasons his first two seasons with Seattle but was spectacular in the playoffs.
WHAT TO EXPECT: There is a lot of familiarity and experience playing together as a unit. The unexpected playoff run last season was exactly what the franchise needed to gain a foothold in the city’s sports landscape and playing a pair of Game 7s helped bring new fans into the fold. But Seattle was rather quiet in free agency and there are some areas where the Kraken excelled last season – shooting 11.6% as a team for example – that seem ripe for a regression.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Goaltenders are always under a microscope, but Grubauer’s two seasons with the Kraken have left him a little bit of an enigma. The metrics say his regular season performances have left him toward the bottom of the league among goalies. But he did enough last season to get Seattle into the playoffs and then was spectacular in the opening round upset of Colorado. Seattle needs that version of Grubauer more often to justify the investment it made in him.
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