The Seattle Kraken failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they lost 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The elimination comes after their first playoff appearance last season, which included a seven-game win against the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round.
A third-year expansion team, Seattle was unable to continue its upward trajectory after improving by 40 points in its second season. It took a step back and was unable to build on the gains made in 2022-23 despite having essentially the same roster.
Here is a look at what happened in the 2023-24 season for the Kraken and why things could be better next season.
The skinny
Potential unrestricted free agents: Tomas Tatar, F; Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, F; Justin Schultz, D; Chris Driedger, G
Potential restricted free agents: Matty Beniers, F; Eeli Tolvanen, F; Kailer Yamamoto, F
Potential 2024 Draft picks: 9
What went wrong
Slow start: Expectations were high following a 100-point season, but the Kraken went 3-5-2 in their first 10 games, seven of them on the road. They did not win more than two consecutive games until returning from the Christmas break, when they won a franchise-high nine straight games from Dec. 20 to Jan. 13. The run got them back in the playoff hunt, but a four-game losing streak, followed by losses in four of their next six games (1-5-1) canceled out all their gains. Seattle has essentially been a .500 team since, and again has been unable to string more than two wins in a row since the winning streak. Forced to play catch-up early, the Kraken could not keep pace with the rest of the top teams in the Pacific Division and were eventually left behind.
Scoring woes: Lack of scoring proved to be a big problem. They scored 289 goals last season, second only to the Edmonton Oilers (an NHL-leading 325) in the Pacific, but have 199 in 75 games, with a combined 81 scored by forwards Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jordan Eberle and Tolvanen. Beniers, the 2023 Calder Trophy winner voted as NHL rookie of the year with 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 80 games, has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 70 games. The drop in production from just about everyone had Seattle go from a plus-33 goal differential last season to minus-19.
Wasted effort: The Kraken were unable to take advantage of a strong season from goalie Joey Daccord. The 27-year-old is having his best NHL season with a 2.42 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and three shutouts but is 18-16-11 with Seattle unable to give him enough goal support. The Kraken have been shut out six times in Daccord's 16 regulation losses and scored just one goal in five others.
Reasons for optimism
Defensive strength: The Kraken have been among the top-10 defensive teams in the League. They've allowed 214 goals and most of their defensemen are likely to return next season. Vince Dunn, their leading scorer at the position (46 points; 11 goals, 35 assists, plus-8), is emerging as one of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL. Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, Brian Dumoulin and Will Borgen are also under contract for next season.
Promising future: Beniers leads a talented group expected to make bigger contributions in upcoming seasons. Forwards Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton, who each was having a good season for Coachella Valley in the American Hockey League before being recalled to the NHL for the stretch run, are part of a strong crop at the position. Defenseman Ryker Evans, Seattle's second-round pick (No. 35) in the 2021 NHL Draft, has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 29 NHL games this season.
Draft capital: The Kraken have a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and two in the second, one acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for forward Alex Wennberg on March 6. They also have an additional third-round pick acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs and a seventh-round pick from the Calgary Flames. If Seattle chooses wisely, it should be well stocked for the future.
