Hakstol focused on 'continued growth' of Kraken after signing contract

Dave Hakstol received a new two-year contract after taking the Seattle Kraken from 30th in the NHL to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their first two seasons as an expansion team.

But this is about the future. The coach's contract now runs through 2025-26.

"It's the next step for us," Hakstol said Thursday, the day after the contract was announced. "Obviously, we want to try to work to build a foundation, and we did that a little bit in Year One. We made progress in Year Two. So, for myself, our staff, I think we take pride in the opportunity to continue working towards building and continue in the right direction."

Hakstol faces a new challenge from this point forward.

When the Kraken arrived for their inaugural training camp two seasons ago, no one knew what to expect. Hakstol had to take a group of players who had never played together before and mold them into a team. They finished 30th in the NHL in 2021-22 for a variety of reasons, from injuries to goaltending to COVID-19.

When they arrived for camp last season, expectations were low. But they had upgraded the roster by adding goalie Martin Jones, defenseman Justin Schultz and forwards Matty Beniers, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky, and then they added forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Daniel Sprong during the season. Hakstol stuck with it, playing to their strengths -- speed and depth.

"I was impressed Dave and the staff continued to stay solid in their approach and what they were trying to teach and the system they were trying to implement," general manager Ron Francis said in May. "I think [the 2022-23 season was] a little bit different."

The Kraken (46-28-8) improved by 19 wins and 40 points (from 60 to 100), earning the first wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. They upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the Western Conference First Round and took the Dallas Stars to Game 7 in the second round.

Hakstol said he got away from hockey for probably 10 days afterward, then dove back in. He had to resist the temptation to bombard his players with preparations for this season.

"It's hard to step back and kind of stop the communication," Hakstol said. "You want to get going. You want to jump right back to it. But that break, that breather, is really important."

Hakstol said he has started communicating with players via text and phone this month. When they arrive for camp in September this time, they will have mixed emotions about last season and higher expectations for this season internally and externally.

"I really want our guys to have a sense of pride in what they were able to accomplish last year and what we were able to build, and I sense that," Hakstol said. "I feel that in the conversations with our players. But the other piece that I feel, and the part that is really important, is our guys are very disappointed in losing Game 7 in Round Two.

"So, that combination, my hope is that it brings us into camp with our feet on the ground, with a highly motivated group and a group that understands each other a little bit better than we did at this time last year. We understand our formula a little bit better, and that's our platform to work off of and show advancement this year."

The roster will have some changes. Jones and Sprong are gone, along with defenseman Carson Soucy and forwards Morgan Geekie and Ryan Donato. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forwards Pierre Edouard-Bellemare and Kailer Yamamoto each signed in free agency.

Young players should push for jobs, most notably forwards Tye Kartye and Shane Wright.

"I expect the competitiveness of camp to be excellent," Hakstol said. "I think everybody saw a noticeable difference in the level of camp last year from Year One. I expect that level to rise again a little bit this year. One of the things that I'm excited to see is some of the competition from youth within the organization, and we saw a little bit of that last year. You're going to see a continuation of that.

"Veterans [are] coming back knowing their role, their place within the team, but continuing to compete for that role, and then the continued growth of ability and young players within our organization is going to be something that I believe will be very exciting for everybody to watch, just to see where everybody is at and how much pressure they can put to become full-time members here."

Hakstol was asked if he had received any memorable congratulations after the announcement of his extension. His answer was revealing. He talked about how the Kraken had fans across North America and how that showed the growth in the Seattle market and beyond.

"It's nice to hear from people that are excited about the future," Hakstol said. "That's where our eyes and focus are on -- continue to grow and build."