2026–27 Edmonton Oilers Pacific Division rival preview: Seattle Kraken

Welcome to the Oil Rig’s Pacific Division preview series. Today let’s take a closer look at the Seattle Kraken.

Overview

While there have been some bright spots, the early stages of the Kraken have been decidedly mediocre. The team remains without a true franchise defining talent. Their best player might still be Jared McCann or Vince Dunn, both of whom were expansion draft pickups. Needless to say things did not go as planned throughout the Ron Francis era, now entering the second season with GM Jason Botterill.

There are some young players who might develop into stars, but none have yet to truly assert themselves. The future still holds some promise, but the Kraken will need some of these young talents to emerge. In the meantime the team has shown signs of strong play. There is a growing reputation for strong defensive play that should help some younger players in the lineup.

Forwards

McMann—Beniers—Eberle
McCann—Wright—Catton
Samoskevich—Stephenson—Kakko
Winterton—Gaudreau—Melanson
Extras: Nyman, Douglas, Fisker-Molgaard Morrison, Firkus

The brightest hopes up front lie with Matthew Beniers and Berkley Catton. Shane Wright might have fallen off the pace, and Jake O’Brien might be another year or two away, but the Kraken will need this quartet of top picks to lead the way. The offensive upsides for Catton and O’Brien will be especially important for the long term health of the franchise. Beniers is the furthest along, providing some dimension as a supportive two way centre. Even some steps forward for Wright would help a lot, as a quality middle-six centre would be appreciated.

Bobby McMann scored at a great pace to end last season. The late bloomer might join Jared McCann as a legitimate top-six forward. This sort of lineup definition will pay off as well, giving the youth some more structure to thrive higher in the lineup.

There is some stability down the middle. Chandler Stephenson and Frederic Gaudreau are quality options lower in the lineup. Both players could push up the lineup if need be.

Mackie Samoskevich looks to join Jordan Eberle and Kaapo Kakko as legitimate top-nine options. Depth is not necessarily the issue, though. The Kraken have a good deal of young players who might be able to push for spots outright. Jani Nyman is a big power scorer with a good shot. Curtis Douglas is huge, and might be following a late blooming path. Oscar Fisker-Molgaard and Jagger Firkus provide a bit more puck skills and playmaking. Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton are not as heralded, but are worthy of a look in the NHL.

There is a lot to like, but the Kraken lack a true star scorer. Regular season success will depend on playing cohesively, becoming greater than the sum of their parts. Even with some personal best offensive seasons the Kraken will need to get contributions from all their lines to have a chance.

Defence

Dunn—Larsson
Evans—Montour
Lindgren—Fluery
Extras: Mahura, Jugnauth, Nelson

The themes of depth and lack of star power continue on the back end. There is a lot to like with the group overall. Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson have been a quality pairing for some time now. Brandon Montour and Ryker Evans could be successful in a more offensive usage. Ryan Lindgren and Haydn Fleury are a reasonable shutdown pairing. Josh Mahura is a versatile extra.

There is more on the way, punctuated by the selection of Chase Reid this summer. Tyson Jugnauth and Ty Nelson are closer to NHL action for now. The amount of puck movers makes a stable option like Blake Fiddler important to the system overall.

For now, the best hope will be that Evans and Lindgren can find their strides. With the stability that the trio of Dunn, Larsson, and Montour provide they should be adequately supported in their venture. Again, success requires synergy, as the Kraken are without the top talent to rank amongst the league’s best.

Goalies

Daccord
Grubauer

Given their lack of offence, keeping pucks out of the net is crucial for the Kraken. A weak defensive game, a poor penalty kill, any fundamentals lacking defensively will be devastating. This also increases the pressure on the performance in the net.

Joey Daccord has held up his end of the bargain. He has carved out a solid footing as the starter. Philip Grubauer’s tenure has been more tumultuous, but Coach Lane Lambert’s tight defensive scheme seems to agree with him, if nothing else. While the Grubauer signing has not always paid off, a strong season in a tandem role would be a huge help for playoff hopes.

Prediction for the season

As the team continues to embark down GM Jason Botterill’s path change might remain slow. The Kraken have enough talent and coaching to be respectable, but true improvement requires breakout seasons from multiple young players.

A strong and organized season might see the Kraken in a playoff spot. All the same, a poor season might have the Kraken ready to take a bolder approach to improving. To this point the Kraken have been fairly patient, but that has often left them stuck in no man’s land.