We The Fans: Regular Season Rollercoaster Presents Interesting Dilemmas for Seattle Kraken Roster
By now the Seattle Kraken Players, Staff, and Fans are familiar with what it means and feels like to be a constant underdog in one of the best sports markets in the United States; Professional Sports Teams in Seattle are often overlooked even though they exist in a powerful and constantly evolving sports market. The Mariners were one single inning away from going to the World Series. The Seattle Seahawks are set to play a Super Bowl after being picked to finish at the bottom of the NFC West, and let’s not forget those same pro football “Experts” also picked the Arizona Cardinals to finish at the top of a division that includes the Rams and 49ers. Professional Athletes come to Seattle to experience what it's like to win and play in the big games. The Seattle Kraken are trying to establish their own winning culture in a city that bleeds the colors of their teams proudly. The team has recently explored the idea of trading 3rd line Center Shane Wright with the hopes of obtaining a top six forward, but those aren’t easy to come by in the NHL.
The Kraken have faced their share of struggles this season with one stretch earlier in the season seeing them go 1-9-1 and another seeing them lose 5 out of 8 games at one point in the month of January. The Kraken have beaten the Vegas Golden Knights who are at the top of the Pacific Division (and are now tied with the Edmonton Oilers at 64 points), 2 out of 2 times so far this season. One 3-2 win at home and one on the road, and the Kraken took a four game win streak into the last two games before the Olympic Break and that string of successes have seen the Kraken climb from the final wild card spot in the Western Conference back into 3rd place in the Pacific Division with 61 points. THE TEAM IS FREAKING BUZZING AND THE BOYS ARE PLAYING FOR ONE ANOTHER AND THE FRANCHISE’S FIRST PLAYOFF BIRTH SINCE 2023.
The Kraken Offense has found confidence and chemistry, making it easier for the team to play defense, and the defenseman are looking to move their feet as well as use their skating to drive and help create space in the Offensive Zone. Jacob Melanson has 112 hits through 20 games played, and to put that into perspective, Eli Tolvanen leads the team in hits with 133 hits through 50 games played. These factors combined with the Kraken forwards and goaltenders in Seattle looking as comfortable as ever under the Coaching and Guidance of a locked in and driven coaching staff that isn’t looking to build, they want to win and they want to win now.
The team isn’t just winning, but they are playing super entertaining hockey for the first time since the beginning of the season. It hasn’t been perfect for the Kraken as they have won 26 and lost 28, though in credit 9 of the losses were an important overtime point, and only two or three games this season have truly been bad loses, at home to San Jose 6-1, a horrid loss to Oiler 9-4, and a recent loss to Anaheim 4-2 where the Kraken needed the 2 points to establish themselves amongst the pack as divisional games are 4 point games as they keep 2 points from another team you are competing with for a playoff spot and grant your team 2 points as well.
This four game win streak has seen the Kraken beat the Devils, Capitals, Maple Leafs, and Golden Knights. Jacob Melanson set the franchise record for most hits in a single game at 12, a week after he set the previous record at 10. The Kraken have found a winning formula in their forward group and other teams are feeling the physicality as it was something the Kraken were missing in their lineup. Eli Tolvanen leads the team in hits on the season. Jared McCann set the franchise record for points in a month at 20, and was also named the NHL 1st Star of the Week, with 4 Goals and 3 Assists in 3 games. Matty Beniers also had 10 goals in the month of January. Shane Wright also scored his 9th goal of the season. The Kraken are finding success in their forward group, even with Berkley Catton and Ben Meyers out of the line up at the moment. The teams largest area of focus should be their ability to win face offs as they have suffered because of it this season, giving up shorthanded goals in three straight games because of struggles in the face off dot.
From an analytical perspective, the most interesting dilemma in Seattle with the return of fan favorite, Jacob Melanson, to the lineup is considering should the Kraken make the playoffs who should be their starting goaltender should be as only one of these guys can be in net, either Joey Daccord or Phillip Grubauer? Both of these goaltenders have truly been elite for the Kraken and are a primary reason the team is a perfect 20-0-0 when establishing a two goal lead in games this season. To add context to this stat the only other team that is perfect when leading by 2 goals is the Colorado Avalanche (31-0-0).
Starting with Phillip Grubauer, through 21 games, won 11 of them, has played his best season since joining the Kraken in 2021, and he has been named the German Olympic Team starting goalie. As for the first four years in Seattle, well those were rough statistically for the Kraken Netminder who was signed to a contract that was around 5.9 Million AAV and playing for the NHL’s newest expansion team. Grubauer’s Comeback has been remarkable for the Kraken as around this time last season Grubauer cleared waivers both ways and played 7 games in Coachella Valley for the Firebirds as punishment for poor performance, but made the most of the opportunity finishing with a 5-2-0 record, a .893 Save Percentage, and as well as a 2.87 GAA in that time.
The bond formed with Colin Zulianello between both of the Kraken Goalkeepers is something very special as another Kraken Fan Favorite, Joey Daccord also played under him during his time in Coachella Valley. Grubauer is 34 years old, 6 foot and 1 inch tall, with one year left on his contract, he boasts a .919 save percentage as well as a 2.34 GAA. Shifting to Joey Daccord who is 29 years old, 6 foot and 2 inches tall, with 5 years left on his contract, and a very solid .903 save percentage as well as a 2.83 GAA. Both of these goalies are 9th and 10th in expected goals saved as well. Daccord has been a fan favorite and is considered by many a goaltending prodigy, as he had the luck of having grown up around and being coached by his dad who is a high level ice hockey goalie coach, Brian Daccord. Grubauer and Daccord have both earned their right to be loved by the Kraken faithful, together they rank in the top 5 in the NHL for Goaltending duos and that's with the Kraken penalty-kill ranked 32nd. Should the Kraken crack the Post Season: It will be interesting to everyone who Seattle leans on heaviest between the pipes…
In my personal opinion, Joey Daccord is the goalie you want to lean on when he is hot or having a good stretch of games and maybe deeper in a series. However, Phillip Grubauer is the kind of goalie you’d want in a Round 1 Game 1 for the Kraken otherwise, because you know exactly what to expect from him and he has been reliable for the team this season and looks like a Vezina Finalist, if not the front runner, arguably only trailing Sorokin from the New York Islanders who has 6 shutouts this season. Both Kraken Goaltenders have 0 shutouts this season.
Let’s Go Kraken!
Very Respectfully,
Caleb Nance