3 Things That Could Make Seattle Kraken a Playoff Team

Entering the NHL as an expansion team was not exactly a flawless process for the Seattle Kraken.

Fans had high hopes after watching the Vegas Golden Knights surprise everyone with a run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. Unfortunately, things did not go as well for the Kraken.

Seattle finished its first season with a 27-49-6 record, 16 points behind the other seven teams in the Pacific Division. Only the Arizona Coyotes (31st) and Montreal Canadiens (32nd) finished lower than the Kraken in the league standings.

Only one player, forward Jared McCann, was able to reach the 50-point mark, while veteran defenseman Mark Giordano, Seattle’s first captain, was dealt at the trade deadline. It wasn’t an abysmal season, but there were more than a few bumps in the road

These three things could make the Kraken a playoff team.

With all of that said, it sometimes only takes one offseason to change the course of a franchise, and for Seattle, this offseason has been a busy one.

Playing in the Pacific Division, playoff spots are wide open for a team like the Kraken. Their division, which appears as though it will again be the weakest division in the NHL this year, has plenty of good teams, but not a lot of great teams.

For that reason, the Kraken could reasonably enter the 2022-2023 campaign with postseason aspirations. By no means am I suggesting that Seattle is a favorite to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but when most of the teams in the Pacific feel catchable, I wouldn’t totally rule it out.

Of course, for the second-year franchise to make its playoff debut, it will need more than just uninspiring play from its division rivals. The Kraken must be prepared to take steps forward themselves.

Here are three things that could make Seattle a playoff team in 2023.