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[Seattle Kraken]

Digging into the 2025-26 Seattle Kraken schedule

The Seattle Kraken’s offseason is in full swing, and while attention has (rightfully) been on the draft, trades, and free agency, I always look forward to the release of the NHL regular-season schedule. And as I do every year, I also like to dig into the numbers behind the calendar to see how the Kraken’s path through the season stacks up against the rest of the league.

Let’s dive into a few key metrics.

Travel distance by NHL team​

As expected, teams based out west tend to rack up more airline miles over the course of the season. The Kraken have consistently been among the top 10 teams in this category, and the 2025-26 season is no exception.

In total, the Kraken will travel 43,361 miles this season—that’s down just over 5,000 miles from last year. That’s still a hefty chunk of sky time, but it’s hardly unexpected.

Here’s a breakdown by division:

As usual, the Pacific Division continues to dominate the “Most Frequent Flyer Miles” standings.

Number of road trips​

One benefit of being geographically isolated from the eastern clusters: fewer, but longer, road trips. The Kraken are set to take just 14 road trips this season, one more than last year.

Longer trips usually mean tougher stretches, but fewer turnarounds and less overall bouncing around. It’s a tradeoff, but one the Kraken are used to navigating by now.

The Olympic break effect​

This year’s schedule has a unique wrinkle, a February break for the Winter Olympics, with no NHL games from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24. That gap creates a compressed schedule, especially in January.

The Kraken will play 17 games in January, which will be the most the team has ever played in a single month.

Excluding February, here is the average days between games by month for all teams.

Back-to-back games​

Seattle will play 13 back-to-backs this season, up one from last year and right around the league average of 13.4.

I hate to bring it up, but the Kraken were 0-12-0 on the second night of back-to-backs last season. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse… mathematically, it actually could. They were the only team in the league to fail to earn even a single standings point in those games. Let’s hope that improves dramatically this year.

Odds and ends of the 2025-26 Kraken schedule​

• For only the second time in franchise history, the Kraken will open the season at home—against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, Oct. 9.
• The opening stretch is going to be tough. After just three games, the team heads out on a six-game road trip. Eight of Seattle’s first 10 games are against playoff teams from last season. Oof.
• Thankfully, November looks a bit softer, with two games each against the rebuilding Blackhawks and Sharks. But let’s not forget what happened last season…
• The Kraken have 10 Saturday home games this year, the most common day of the week for home games. Thursdays are next. They have just one Friday night home game, Jan. 23 vs. Anaheim.
• Mark your calendars: Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde return to Climate Pledge Arena with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 17. It will be their first game back since they were moved at the NHL Trade Deadline this past season.
• Looking for a road trip? That Montreal–Ottawa–Toronto swing in the second week of the season could be a great one: three arenas, and weather shouldn’t be an issue yet.
• You could also knock off both Southern California teams with two separate back-to-back sets in December and February—Anaheim and L.A. in one go.
• And if you’re staying local for Thanksgiving, you’re in luck; Seattle will host the Stars the night before Turkey Day and then face the Oilers in a Saturday matinee.
• Bonus scheduling fun: There appears to be just one Sunday when both the Seahawks and Kraken are at home. On Dec. 14, the Seahawks host the Colts at 1:25 p.m., and the Kraken drop the puck against the Sabres at 5 p.m. Three of Seattle’s four Sunday home games will be 5 p.m. starts.
• Along with the Kraken, Thunderbirds, and Silvertips, the Pacific Northwest hockey calendar will be even more packed this season with the arrival of PWHL Seattle. If the PWHL follows a similar cadence as past years, their regular season will start in late November and run through early May—plus, they’ll have the Olympic break to navigate, too.

Final thoughts​

The Kraken schedule always comes with its share of challenges, and 2025-26 is no exception. With Olympic-induced calendar compression and those ever-brutal long-haul trips, the team will need to manage its energy and depth carefully throughout the season and somehow get up for those second games of a back-to-back.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Are there any home games you’re already targeting? Have your eye on a specific road trip? Let me know in the comments.

The post Digging into the 2025-26 Seattle Kraken schedule appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/07/17/digging-into-the-2025-26-seattle-kraken-schedule/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Are the Seattle Kraken a playoff contender in 2025-26?

Now officially in the Kraken general manager’s chair, Jason Botterill has spent the first half of the non-playing months tinkering with Seattle’s roster—but not overhauling it completely. He acquired forwards Mason Marchment and Freddy Gaudreau, worked some cap voodoo to get Andre Burakovsky’s $27.5 million off the books for only the cost of buying out Joe Veleno at a $796K bargain, and signed veteran defensive defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year, $18 million contract at the opening of free agency.

One thing we heard at Botterill’s “introductory” press conference back in May (I say “introductory” in quotes because Botterill has been with the team since its inaugural season and because that presser doubled as the annual end-of-season “what went wrong?” panel) was that team co-owner and co-chair Samantha Holloway said the organization wants to quickly evolve into a “perennial” playoff contender.

“Everyone at this table is committed to winning,” Holloway said. “Our hockey folks and our staff have worked hard and deserve winning. Our partners and our fans who support us every night deserve winning.”

How does that timeline look? Do the Kraken realistically expect to be back in the postseason in 2025-26? Or are we looking at two or three years down the line?

I also asked Botterill, when we interviewed him for the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, what his goals are for next season.

“To me, it’s just building a culture,” Botterill said. “It’s building a team that our fans know every day what’s going to happen from the production and just the style of play. I think we’re in an industry that focuses on end results. Right now, where we’re at, we can’t focus on end results. [New head coach Lane Lambert has] talked about getting better every day, and that’s what we have to do. I think we have a team right now that’s ready to compete for a playoff spot at the end of the year, but we have some steps that we certainly have to take.”

When I asked former GM Ron Francis that same question at the end-of-year presser following the team’s second season—when the Kraken came up a game short of the Western Conference Final—he was more specific and stated that he wanted the team to make the playoffs again in 2023-24. But the Kraken came up well short of that goal, and now—two head coaches and a front-office shuffle later—the franchise is still trying to recapture the lightning it bottled during the 2022-23 season.

So have the Kraken done enough this offseason to get back into the playoffs? I’m considering that question thanks to some data pulled by John Barr (who will also chime in on this article; we’ll make it clear when it’s him talking and not me).

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The changes so far​

Darren: On the whole, I like the moves Botterill has made to this point. I do believe improved structure under Lambert will be a better fit than the free-wheeling approach of Dan Bylsma, which calls for more star power than the Kraken had last season.

I also think the three acquired players all bring elements that will make the team better in the specific areas the front office wants to improve—being generally harder to play against—and in varying ways, they fit the mold of players who can help Seattle both get to the slot area in the offensive zone and protect the slot in the defensive zone. Those are good things.

Marchment and Gaudreau also bring some scoring ability, with Marchment notching 22 goals and 25 assists in an injury-shortened 2024-25 season (62 games), while Gaudreau had 18 goals and 19 assists playing up and down the lineup in Minnesota.

Are those adds, plus the shutdown talents of Lindgren, enough to get Seattle back in playoff contention? My gut says no.

John: I’ve shared some analysis before that suggests teams should aim for a positive goal differential if they want a solid shot at making the playoffs. I use a metric I call adjusted goal differential, which I define as: goals for minus empty-net goals for minus goals against minus empty-net goals against. More simply, it’s goal differential but without empty-netters.

Historically, teams that finish a season with an adjusted goal differential between plus-one and plus-five make the playoffs about 50 percent of the time. Not surprisingly, the odds improve as that number gets higher. For example, teams with an adjusted goal differential between plus-11 and plus-20 make the playoffs roughly 94 percent of the time.

Last season, the Kraken finished with a minus-11 adjusted goal differential, which historically gives a team just about a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs. To even be in the conversation for a playoff spot, they’ll need to find a way to improve that differential by around 12 goals.

Forecasting goals against is tricky, so for the sake of this exercise, we’re going to focus on the “goals for” side of the equation and assume the defense performs similarly to last season (I know, there is hope the team will improve in its own end next season). Let’s take a look at how this offseason’s roster changes might help close that gap.

This is obviously a simplified look at how the major roster changes could impact goal scoring, but on paper, the team has lost two goals from last season. We could also factor in the potential boost from a full season of Kaapo Kakko or the possibility of Jani Nyman and Berkly Catton cracking the lineup this fall. But to keep things conservative, let’s assume the offseason moves didn’t significantly move the needle on goal production.

Darren: That doesn’t look all that encouraging. I do think Shane Wright could be a big producer this season, and Matty Beniers was better in the second half with Kakko on his wing, so there’s a chance the team gets an uptick in scoring from those two as well. But I agree—no offseason acquisition has pushed the team over the hump of playoff contention.

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Can the Kraken still improve this offseason?​

Darren: At this stage, I’m still wondering if the Kraken are done for the offseason. My heart says they’re not done, and I’m still holding out hope they’ll swing a big move before training camp, but my brain says they’re going to get into the season and see what they have. I hate what my brain is telling me on that front, because after seeing John’s breakdown above, I remain convinced they need a top-tier scoring winger to give themselves a sniff of the postseason.

There have been rumors that players like Jordan Kyrou and Jason Robertson could be had (although the Kyrou conversations have likely fizzled now that Kyrou’s full no-movement clause has kicked in), and either of those guys could bring enough improvement to the top six to make the Kraken competitive.

John: As much as I’d love for the Kraken to add a 30-plus goal scorer, just about every team in the league would jump at the chance to get a guy like Kyrou or Robertson. So, in my opinion, it’s not realistic to expect a move like that, simply because there would be a ton of competition to land one of those players. Plus, bringing in someone at that level would likely cost you one of your better NHL players, so the net impact might not be as big as it seems. I think it’s much more likely the team adds a depth winger as insurance in case Jani Nyman or Berkly Catton aren’t quite ready to make the jump.

Darren: Yeah, this is back to the heart-versus-brain argument. Again, my heart tells me they should do something like that, but my brain knows better.

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What say you, folks? Are they done and willing to (likely) miss the playoffs again—perhaps to give themselves a chance to win the draft lottery and generational talent Gavin McKenna? Or is there a big swing on the horizon?

The post Are the Seattle Kraken a playoff contender in 2025-26? appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/07/21/kraken-playoff-contention/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken sign Kaapo Kakko, avoid arbitration

The Seattle Kraken have signed restricted free agent Kaapo Kakko to a three-year, $13.575 million contract, avoiding arbitration just days before his scheduled July 25 hearing. The $4.525 million average annual value will carry Kakko into his prime, setting him up to hit the open market at age 27.

The signing comes as a relief for fans who were growing antsy about the arbitration process, which I previously discussed in a Sound Of Hockey article on July 9.

Kakko contributions​

Kakko was acquired from the New York Rangers during the 2024-25 season after falling out of favor in their top-six forward group. Drafted second overall in 2019, the Finnish winger arrived in Seattle seeking a fresh start and more ice time. He found flashes of both. While his production wasn’t eye-popping, signs of renewed confidence emerged.

Since joining the Kraken, Kakko’s numbers have climbed with the increased opportunity he received. He boosted his full-season scoring pace from 38 points with New York to 50 points in Seattle and tripled his power-play production.

Just as encouraging was his impact on linemates. Consistently skating with Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz, Kakko helped drive up both players’ offensive production.

Beniers’ even-strength goals per game jumped from 0.121 to 0.224 after Kakko’s arrival. He also found new life on the power play, scoring five goals in the final 49 games after netting none in the first 33. While Beniers and Kakko typically skated on separate power-play units, the increased confidence appeared to ripple across situations.

Schwartz saw a similar bump, improving his even-strength goals per game from 0.181 to 0.285 goals per game. Of Kakko’s 20 assists, 14 came on goals by Schwartz (nine goals) or Beniers (five).

This deal signals the Kraken’s belief in Kakko’s continued growth and value as a top-six contributor. He logged heavy minutes after joining the team and appears poised for continued progresssion. The Schwartz–Beniers–Kakko line was the team’s most consistent foward line, logging 459 minutes together—more than double any other forward combination, per moneypuck.com. That’s especially impressive considering Kakko played just 49 games with the Kraken. The Oliver Bjorkstrand–Shane Wright–Eeli Tolvanen trio was next at 189.9 minutes.

Still, player development isn’t always a straight line. At just 24, Kakko still carries untapped upside. His improved numbers—and the boost he gave teammates—suggest Seattle might have landed a player on the rise.

The $4.525 million cap hit represents 4.74 percent of this season’s cap. But with the ceiling projected to rise to $113.5 million by 2027–28, that figure drops to 4.0 percent. In other words, this deal seems like a bargain.

The Kraken are banking on Kakko to continue thriving as a top-six forward, especially after his step forward last season in both production and play-driving. This signing reflects Seattle’s commitment to building around youth and structure.

How does Kakko’s contract compare​

For comparison, here’s what similar restricted free agents (RFAs) with 45–55 points signed for on contracts beginning in the 2025–26 season:

• Juraj Slafkovský – Eight years at $7.6 million
• Alexis Lafrenière – Seven years at $7.45 million
• Matt Coronato – Seven years at $6.5 million
• Simon Holmstrom – Two years at $3.625 million

Locking in Kakko at $4.525 million looks like a discount relative to Slafkovský, Lafrenière, and Coronato. Holmstrom’s deal came in lower but covers fewer years and will expire with RFA status. Kakko is nestled between Coronato and Holmstrom, and it is good to have him under contract for three years.

With Kakko under contract, general manager Jason Botterill can now focus on re-signing defenseman RFA Ryker Evans and exploring trade options to potentially add offense. The Kraken have roughly $7 million in cap space, offering room for additional moves before training camp.

Comment below with your thoughts on the signing and what you think the Kraken’s next move should be.

Blaiz Grubic​

Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Kraken sign Kaapo Kakko, avoid arbitration appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/07/22/kraken-sign-kaapo-kakko-avoid-arbitration/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Projecting the Seattle Kraken defensive systems under Lane Lambert

As a hockey fan tracks the puck ricocheting around the ice between whistles, one might reasonably conclude that the sport is nothing more than improvised chaos (with sword shoes!). If you cast a broader gaze, though, the coordination of a ballet and the tactics of a chess match are revealed. Each foray is met with a coordinated response that is both instinctual and strategic.

Today, we’ll look at the defensive schemes new Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert and his staff may deploy to meet opposing attacks, and how these may differ (or not) from what we’ve seen from the Kraken in the past. We’ll do that by examining the approaches Lambert utilized last season while helming the defense as the Associate Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

We focused on Lambert’s time in Toronto and not his other coaching stops for two reasons. First, as Lambert told Sound Of Hockey, his strategies have evolved as he has seen changes in the game. Tactics he may have deployed in earlier coaching stops may be outdated given the way the game is now played.

Second, and more practically, there is still video available for review from last season (until ESPN+ purges its 2024-25 archive in August, at least). To that end, if you’d rather learn by watching Lambert’s defenses, we’re here for you: You can check Toronto’s defensive work from Apr. 15, 2025, vs. Buffalo, Mar. 19, 2025, vs. Colorado (part one and part two), and Feb. 6, 2025 vs. Seattle.

Decisions about Seattle’s defensive approach and strategies have likely already happened. “You make those decisions [about schemes] before you get to training camp,” Lambert told Sound Of Hockey in a June 12 interview. “Through the summer here, that’s where the work comes in, and you get prepared for training camp. It’s a little bit personnel-based, for sure, but you also [set schemes] conducive to the style of play you want.” So, there is no better time to dive in.

Let’s make this about the Leafs for a moment​

Before looking at how Lambert’s Toronto defenses played, let’s briefly look at the quality of Leafs’ defensive work last season. The Maple Leafs were eighth in goals against overall—third in goals against at 5-on-5, and 24th on the penalty kill. According to Evolving Hockey, Toronto was about average (17th overall) in total shot quality against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, and in the bottom third of of the league (24th overall) in expected goals against on the penalty kill. Evolving Hockey suggests that Toronto received strong goaltending behind Lambert’s defenses, with Leafs goalies saving approximately 42 goals above expected last season.

Looking to shot maps produced by HockeyViz, generally speaking, we see that Toronto opponents tended to shoot more than league average from the outside (shown in red in the 5-on-5 chart and yellow/brown in the penalty kill chart) and created fewer shots than average closer to the goal (shown in blue and purple, respectively, in the charts).

Charts from HockeyViz

Without further ado, let’s start with the neutral-zone forecheck, then turn to coverage in the defensive zone, and strategies in shorthanded situations.

The neutral zone: 1-2-2 forecheck​

Whenever you raise the topic of defense with hockey coaches, they’ll tell you that it begins in the offensive zone. Lambert is no exception. “[Defense] starts in the offensive zone, and it starts with your gaps and your back pressure and taking away time and space,” Lambert told Sound Of Hockey.

Defensive play starts with a key read in the offensive zone: Pressure the puck deep in the offensive zone or assume a neutral-zone defense structure to disrupt a rush and, ideally, force a turnover farther up ice. “[T]he worst thing a defenseman can do is on the offensive blue line when the other team gets the puck, they start to back up,” Lambert explained.

The judgment call is “about spacing, it’s about gaps,” Lambert continued. “If the [opposing] defensemen are going back [to retrieve or control the puck] and you can see numbers on [their back], you can go with two [forechecking forwards], you can pressure them. And then the third [forward] will, you know, read off of that. t’s all about playing on your toes and putting pressure and being aggressive.”

On the other hand, if the opponent is “what we say, ‘eyes up’ and they’re looking at you and they’ve got complete control of the puck, then you’re more into your [neutral-zone forecheck] structure,” Lambert said.

In the neutral-zone forecheck “you’ve got gap control, you’ve got space control, and eventually, the idea is to force something before or very near the red line,” Lambert said. “f you do force that and turn the puck over, then. . . [y]ou can turn it into a half-ice game and just transition right back onto offense. And you don’t have to come 200 feet, you only have to come 100 feet.”

Lambert’s neutral-zone forecheck is a 1-2-2 system. This is similar to what the Kraken ran under both Dave Hakstol and Dan Bylsma and the most common neutral-zone system utilized in the NHL.

Toronto defenders (in blue) defend the neutral zone in a 1-2-2 formation

The forward farthest up ice and closest to the puck (F1) assumes a position at the top of the formation and presses the opponent to commit to an attack or allow his teammates to change. F1 will also look for turnovers opportunistically. The next level (F2 and F3) looks to deny the red line, which would cause the opponent to ice the puck if they simply fire it into the offensive zone. Secondarily, this layer is looking to either funnel the attacker into a small area that the defensemen can then rotate over and cut off or force a lengthy dump-in from just across the red line.

Neutral zone 1-2-2

The last layer (D1 and D2) looks to deny controlled entries into the zone (meaning zone entries where the opposition can carry the puck over the blue line, rather than dumping it). But the defensemen are reading the play in front of them and will retreat toward their defensive-zone positioning if the opponent rush has broken down Seattle’s structure.

As mentioned by Lambert, the third forward’s read is often important, particularly if two forechecking forwards are caught up ice and are racing back to catch the play. The F3 may attempt to funnel the play to the side on his own or retreat further, conceding the neutral zone, in an effort to disrupt a controlled offensive-zone entry.

Example of neutral-zone defense with forecheckers caught deep

According to manually tracked data from All Three Zones, Toronto’s neutral-zone forecheck conceded a near-league-average number of controlled offensive-zone entries, but ranked sixth in the league at suppressing opponent controlled entries leading directly to a scoring chance. This is one area that distinguished Toronto from Seattle defensively last season.

Chart from All Three Zones

The defensive zone: zone coverage (2-3 coverage)​

Once the opponent gets the puck into the offensive zone, the coverage evolves into a different zone structure.

Defensive-zone coverage

If the opponent has possession high in the zone, two high forwards (typically the wingers) each patrol the halves of the ice above the dots, keeping position between themselves and the potential shooters. The high forwards (W1 and W2 in the image below) can interchange and carry an opponent who is skating the puck side-to-side high in the zone. The defensemen (D1 and D2) patrol halves of the ice from the dots down, working to keep themselves between the post and offensive players in their zone. Finally, the third forward (typically the center) defends the slot and carries attacking forwards through that area and lower.

Defensive zone: high possession coverage

If the puck moves below the dots along the half wall or into the corner, the coverage shifts. The defenseman to that side of the ice typically moves to contain and pressure the puck carrier. The center follows in to provide support in the corner and join in a puck battle if necessary. The remaining defenseman moves to cover the net front.

Defensive zone: low/corner coverage

The strong-side high forward, typically a winger (W1 in the image above) moves in support toward the half wall to limit the low-to-high passing lanes while the weak-side high forward, typically the other winger (W2), moves down to the slot area. His role is to monitor for a defenseman crashing down for a shot and any players who could sneak toward the net for a “backdoor” play.

Defensive zone: low/corner coverage (one second later)

Similar rules apply if the puck moves up the wall closer to the dots, though in those scenarios, the strong-side winger may activate to create pressure while the center provides support coverage low.

Defensive zone: half wall coverage

All of these principles are similar to the strategies Dan Bylsma’s staff deployed, but the difference is in the finer coaching details. Toronto displayed better connectivity and discipline working inside-out. Last year we often saw Kraken players attempting to create turnovers in the corner or at the half wall through individual effort, but this often pulled the team’s structure out of sync, creating gaps. Lambert’s approach creates strong-side pressure with its structure, subtly shifting all players a little more toward the strong side to take away space and passing lanes, while protecting the middle over all else.

Defensive zone: coordinated strong-side coverage

The result was Lambert’s Leafs had fewer defensive breakdowns and conceded fewer high-danger slot chances, at least in the games I viewed. If Seattle’s in-zone defense improves in 2025-26 it is likely because this inside-out, connected approach takes hold, particularly with defenders like Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson, and Ryan Lindgren.

The penalty kill: triangle and one​

One area where Lambert’s approach has evolved over the years is on the penalty kill. “You’re always adjusting. n New York, we were a little bit more of a diamond [formation penalty kill],” Lambert told Sound Of Hockey. The “diamond” formation is the system Seattle has utilized in recent years. Lambert moved away from that in Toronto, utilizing a “triangle and one” (or “wedge and one”) PK.

“There’s a lot of thought and detail that has to go into the penalty kill. And it is based a little bit on personnel and personnel who we have and what the plan is in terms of who’s killing penalties.”

That said, “when I came into the league 14 years ago, and I ran the penalty kill in Nashville… it used to be 19 or 20 percent [conversion rate] was a really good power play. And now 20 percent is the standard,” Lambert explained. “[T]he players are getting more skilled.” So, “last year with Toronto, we needed to have some pressure.” This led Lambert to adopt the triangle and one.

Shorthanded: triangle and one

The two defensemen default to positions just above the outer edges of the crease (forming the base of the triangle), and a forward is positioned in the mid-to-high slot (completing the triangle). These defenders form the core of the defense and will look to thwart cross-seam passes and scoring opportunities with active stick checks.

Shorthanded: triangle-and-one setup

The second forward (the “one” penalty killer) activates in a straight line from the goal toward the opposing player in possession of the puck. The player’s goal is to be in a position to block a shot and then either force the opposing player to concede possession or angle him to a lower-danger portion of the ice.

Shorthanded: top forward pressures puck carrier to give up the puck

Since the offense can move the puck via pass more quickly than the “one” skater can reposition to renew his pressure, the forwards are taught to interchange, with the forward at the top of the triangle activating to become the “one” defender if he is closer to the puck while the previous “one” defender backfills the vacated point of the triangle.

Shorthanded: forwards exchange the pressure role

Will Lambert utilize the triangle and one in Seattle? It’s an issue to watch when training camp arrives. As Lambert mentioned, penalty kill schemes are selected with an eye toward roster ability. In Toronto, he believed he had forwards better suited to be aggressive at the top of the triangle and one. In Seattle we know that Dave Hakstol’s staff made the opposite decision to move away from the triangle and one scheme in favor of the diamond scheme during the 2022-23 season. Matty Beniers’ defensive skill could be a reason to favor the relatively active triangle and one, but we’ll have wait and see where Lambert’s staff comes down.

Coaching hockey is equal parts art and science​

Fans may discount it when a coach talks postgame about “toughness,” “discipline,” or “buy-in” as contributing factors to a loss. One might reasonably suspect that there are deeper reasons for a defeat—owing to scheme breakdowns or personnel disadvantages—that are left unsaid. This may be true, in part, but every coach goes into a game with confidence that success will follow the proper implementation of an attack plan. Failure is not always a question of the “science” of gameplay; the “art” matters too.

Today, we discussed some “science”—the defensive schemes Lambert and his staff may deploy. It must be underscored, though, that the “art” of coaching matters with equal measure. The job of the coach is not only to impart fundamentals and scheme, he must mold off-ice approach and on-ice temperament. The best coaches balance these crafts in a volatile alchemy that elevates individual players as a cohesive whole.

Though there were positives, with hindsight we know the 2024-25 Seattle Kraken did not achieve at a level greater than the sum of its parts. To the contrary, despite adding multiple high-priced free agents and enjoying progress from multiple young core pieces, the team remained mired in mediocrity. The vision of the team was never realized.

If Lambert and his staff are going to re-write the story this season, it will be as much about mentality and character as it is about gap control in the neutral-zone forecheck. The schemes discussed in this piece are all widely utilized in the NHL. None will surprise opponents or win games on their own. Success will hinge on how players work within the schemes.

“You set a standard and you don’t deflect from that standard, you don’t deviate from that standard,” Lambert said at his introductory press conference. “It’s an everyday thing. You do the same things every day, repetition, and if something isn’t right, you take care of it. You have to nip it. That is the key to the accountability. You can’t turn a blind eye and let something slide.”

The Kraken are betting structure and accountability will elevate the team this season.

Curtis Isacke

Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.

Read more from Curtis

The post Projecting the Seattle Kraken defensive systems under Lane Lambert appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/07/2...-kraken-defensive-systems-under-lane-lambert/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Data Dump: Seattle Kraken goal scoring over 2024-25

As we approach the dog days of the NHL offseason, I wanted to take a deep dive into the Seattle Kraken’s scoring to identify some areas of opportunity for improvement. Specifically, I want to look at the key drivers of scoring — things like volume, quality, and special teams — to see how the Kraken compare across the league.

Establishing a baseline​

The Kraken ranked 16th in average goals scored per game last season with 2.99. They also had the fourth-highest improvement in goal scoring from the previous year, adding +0.38 goals per game compared to 2023–24. While there’s still room to improve, the situation might not be as grim as you would have expected for a team that finished 27th in the league in standings points.

Goals by situation​

Let’s take a look at how the Kraken scored across different scenarios over the last four seasons.

The data shows substantial season-over-season improvement in even-strength goals, with a smaller uptick specifically at 5-on-5, though there was a decline in power-play goals per game. But how do these categories stack up across the league?

The charts show that the Kraken were middle of the pack at even strength, ranking 15th in the league for even-strength goals per game and 13th at 5-on-5. An optimist could point to a healthy season from Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle, plus steps forward from Matty Beniers and Shane Wright, as reasons to expect even-strength scoring to improve. That might happen, but for the sake of caution, let’s assume those numbers stay flat. That leaves the power play as a clear area of opportunity.

Kraken power play performance​

The Kraken averaged 0.52 power-play goals per game during the 2024–25 season. That number depends on two things: how often the team gets on the power play (opportunities), and how well they execute once they get the manpower advantage (power play percentage).

Seattle averaged 2.76 power-play opportunities per game, ranking 14th in the league. On the execution side, their 18.9 percent power-play conversion rate was 23rd, well below league average.

Last season’s 18.9 percent power-play rate was on the lower end, but it’s worth noting that Jordan Eberle missed half the season and Vince Dunn missed 20 games. Kraken fans may reasonably expect some bounce-back in 2025-26 if the power-play units stay relatively healthy. There’s also speculation that newly acquired Mason Marchment could slot into a power-play unit and provide a complementary skillset.

All-situations shot volume​

Zooming back out to broader scoring trends, let’s look at shot volume across all situations.

As the chart indicates, the Kraken ranked 25th in the league in all-situations shots on goal per game. Notably, two playoff teams, the St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens, had even fewer shots per game. But to really assess the impact of volume, we need to dig into shot quality.

Using data from NaturalStatTrick.com, the Kraken ranked second-lowest in high-danger shots on goal per game. Only the San Jose Sharks, the worst team in the league, had fewer.

Generating more chances from the “inside” — the high-danger areas — has been a recurring message for a few seasons now. It came up during Jason Botterill’s introductory press conference and was echoed by Lane Lambert in recent interviews.

It’s easy to say, “The team needs more high-danger shots,” and yes, a coaching staff can implement systems to create more of those looks. But personnel still matters. Enter Mason Marchment.

The Kraken acquired Marchment early in the offseason to help create that inside threat and bring a little edge in front of the net. While he wasn’t acquired as a direct replacement for Oliver Bjorkstrand, he could effectively fill that role from a production standpoint — both have scored around 20 goals in each of the last two seasons. Marchment’s net-front presence stands out in shot density charts when compared to Bjorkstrand.

Will Marchment’s gritty, crease-crashing style from Dallas translate to Seattle? We’ll see. But if the Kraken are trying to better establish themselves around the net, adding someone comfortable in that space is a smart move.

Outlook for 2025–26​

Saying the Kraken need to score more goals is an obvious diagnosis. Could they use more scoring? Absolutely — but so could 20 other teams.

On paper, the team didn’t do enough to guarantee a big scoring boost, but they likely did enough to maintain what they had. Without the addition of a high-end scorer, expecting a massive jump in power-play efficiency might be unrealistic. However, natural growth from younger players could result in subtle but important improvements.

As we get closer to opening night, I’ll publish my annual per-player goal forecast. From a personnel standpoint, just staying healthy could be one of the biggest boosts for the team next season. If Jani Nyman and/or Berkly Catton make the opening night roster, they could contribute more than those they replace. A bounce-back year from Jared McCann, plus the impact of a new coaching staff, could also move the needle.

Right now, it looks like the Kraken will aim to re-create the four-line scoring magic from their 2022–23 playoff season. Improving in some of the areas mentioned could help them get closer to that level, but a lot of things will have to go right.

The post Data Dump: Seattle Kraken goal scoring over 2024-25 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/07/28/data-dump-seattle-kraken-goal-scoring-over-2024-25/