Seattle Kraken at midseason – Part 1 Surprises, Redemption, and the GM

Ed Stein   |  

Jan 25, 2022

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Is there anything the Kraken can do to redeem their inaugural season, even just a little bit?

RJ Eskanos

Absolutely. Halfway into the season, the Kraken have struggled to find consistency in their game but have shown frequent flashes of brilliance. If they can put all the pieces of their game together consistently and keep a .500 or better pace over the final 41 games, all the early season losing will be forgiven.

While that kind of turnaround won’t result in a playoff berth, the most important effect will be to show that the organization has the right people in place and that the long-term plan, while it had its early obstacles, is one the fans and players can believe in.

Perhaps more important than the team’s on-ice play is their work to reach out to local fans and grow their fanbase in the community. In the long-term, that will be the real measure of this season’s success.

The Kraken have done a lot, but there’s much more work to do in the season’s final three months. One silver lining of losing is that ticket prices are falling, which may allow some people to go to games; who would have otherwise not had the chance.

Ed Stein

It depends on what needs to be redeemed. From an entertainment standpoint, the Seattle Kraken put on a good show for an arena full of die-hard fans. They have also done a great job in the community.

Moving to the on-ice product, Seattle is a dozen points behind seventh-place Vancouver in the Pacific Division. I’ve gotten so used to them losing that at this point, they should go with it and get the top pick in next year’s draft. However, it might be tough because Arizona is awful, and they’ll get worse after the deadline.

Admit that the team is bad; if that ticks off some of the current players, they can look in the mirror for answers. Then they have to get some good prospects and picks at the deadline to show the fans that this organization is building a solid young core in addition to Matty Beniers.

Jonathan West

Yes. Simmer down on the digital focus and ramp up on the human experience and true local connections. Adding elements such as the team dog, the local organist from the movie Slapshot, and a KUBE 93 broadcaster has been a good start to improving the arena atmosphere.

Keep it going with hiring more local talent and expanding on foot beyond Climate Pledge Arena and Northgate. And announce the mascot before the All-Star break.

On the ice? We need better defensive play. Like it or not, the focus is on them with a lack of star power up front. That means better defensive zone decision-making on the puck and less time in the box. Yes, I’m looking directly at Jeremy Lauzon, who has a nightly reserved seat in the sin bin.

Ciara Durant

Bouncing off RJ and JW, the Kraken could definitely continue improving upon the human experience and their community impact. While I no longer live in the Seattle area, I remember how it felt when I was involved in the Seattle hockey community growing up. There was always a huge sense of community, which is a big part of why I fell in love with the game. Continuing to take those steps is really important in not only growing the fan base but growing the game as well.

As far as things on the ice go, I don’t think there’s a way for the Kraken to redeem their season. However, if the team continues to focus on making small improvements over the season, that will speak volumes of their dedication to their fans and each other. They showed that they could compete against some of the best teams in the league, so they have both the drive and the manpower to do it.

Their roster may be missing a bit of star power, but if they can at least show they have the will to compete and don’t get too complacent with losing, that is a redeeming quality in itself. I’ve learned over the years that in the midst of struggle, if they can find a way to keep things fun and somewhat competitive on the ice, it will keep fans happy while they, hopefully, come up with a plan to improve the roster over the summer.

Next: Page 3 – Second Guessing Part 1

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