Seattle Kraken’s 3 Stars for March

They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but for the Seattle Kraken, it was a ferocious battle the entire time. The Kraken played 14 games in March and earned a record of 4-8-2. They kicked off the month with the second game of a six-game homestand, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Seattle went on to drop the last four games of the homestand and then won their one game on the road against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Seattle returned home for two more games, where they beat the Florida Panthers but then lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Kraken hit the road for their last six games, where they dropped three more straight, including a shootout loss to the Panthers. They beat the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena in overtime, but then their last two games resulted in a shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres and a shutout loss to the Edmonton Oilers. 

This was a tough blow for the Kraken, as they were primed to take the second wild card spot, but after their performance in March, it seems like this is far in their rearview mirror. 

Despite the Kraken’s poor performance, there were still some bright spots throughout the month. Let’s look at the 3 Stars of the Month for March.

Honorable Mention – Ryan Winterton 

Heading into March, Ryan Winterton was on a roll. He recorded an assist in his first game of the month, March 7. In his next game on March 10, he recorded his lowest ice time since Jan. 25, only playing 9:28. In his next two games, he was back to recording double-digit minutes, but still hadn’t recorded any points. On March 15, he scored a goal and recorded an assist for the first time in his NHL career; he had a multi-point game earlier in the season, but it was due to two assists, not a goal and an assist. March 17 was the last game he played in the month, recording 14:26, one of his highest of the season. 

He missed the Kraken’s next two games, and then on March 23, the Kraken announced he would be stepping away from the team to tend to a family matter. Unfortunately, the news broke that his brother, Jacob Winterton, passed away at the age of 25 after his battle with cancer. 

It is unimaginable the pain and stress Ryan Winterton is under. Thoughts and prayers are with the entire Winterton family as they handle the heartbreaking loss. Wishing him the best and hoping he takes all the time he needs. 

Third Star – Brandon Montour 

Despite being an incredible defenseman, Brandon Montour played the role of a two-way defenseman this month, picking up several points. He scored three goals, including two on March 26. He scored the first goal in this game, as well as the overtime game winner. On top of this, he picked up five assists for eight points in March. 

Montour played over 20 minutes in all but one game in March. He spent 28:18 on the ice on March 7, which was his highest of the season so far. He has proven himself, not only on the blue line this season, but he has also added to the offensive depth. 

Second Star – Kaapo Kakko

In March, Kaapo Kakko had seven games where he didn’t record a single point. However, you wouldn’t have known that was the case since he had 12 points in 14 games. He had four games in which he recorded multiple points, including a goal and two assists on March 15. 

This is Kakko’s first full season with the Kraken, after he was traded to Seattle on Dec. 18, 2024, from the New York Rangers. In exchange, they received Will Borgen and a third- and sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

With the help of his 12 points in March, Kakko currently has 36 for the season. His current career-high point total is 40, recorded in 2022-23. With nine games left and four points to tie his career high, there’s a good chance Kakko can achieve this goal. 

First Star – Bobby McMann

At the NHL trade deadline on March 6, the Kraken traded a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Bobby McMann.