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Seattle Kraken Winning Despite Lack of Firepower

By Richard Jelinek

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 13: Martin Jones #30 of the Seattle Kraken tends net during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Climate Pledge Arena on November 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 13: Martin Jones #30 of the Seattle Kraken tends net during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Climate Pledge Arena on November 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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In December 2018, the NHL awarded Seattle an NHL franchise to begin to play in October 2021. The organization settled on the name Seattle Kraken and the rest is history. At the same time, fans had fun and acknowledged the team by making fun of the nickname. Today, the Seattle Kraken sit in a playoff spot. Now the Seattle Kraken are the ones laughing.

Who gets credit for the success of the Seattle Kraken?

While the team may still be considered new, the roster is made up of players who are coming together as one. One team who is determined to bring Seattle some playoff success in only their second season. The Kraken has solidified itself as an NHL franchise that competes hard to quiet the critics who have criticized them for not being the Vegas Golden Knights and having the same success early on.

The Kraken does not have a Connor McDavid. Nor do they have an Andrei Vasilivskiy. Instead, they have a group of players who have bonded together as a group and are looking forward to regular playoff appearances. So far, so good as Seattle is making noise in the NHL this season, albeit quietly. The Seattle Kraken is a group of misfits looking to make an impact.

The Kraken is having success both on the ice and in the standings. While they have no player in the top 50 in scoring, the closest being Andre Burakovsky with 26 points in 26 games. The Kraken has a solid group that has scoring spread throughout the lineup. Seattle is tenth in the NHL with 96 goals scored and is 17th with 85 goals given up. The power play is operating at a 23.9% clip, which is 12th in the league and is third in the league giving up just 27.4 shots per game.

One of the keys to Seattle’s success has been goaltender, Martin Jones. Jones has a record of 13-5-2, with a goals-against average of 2.91 and a save percentage of .890. He is fifth in wins with 13 and is 5-1 in his last six starts.

The Seattle Kraken is currently second in the Pacific Division with a record of 16-8-3 for 35 points. That point total is six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights, with whom the Kraken is 1-1 this season.

Where the Seattle Kraken end up this season is anyone’s guess. However, they have shown so far this season that they can be competitive and play meaningful hockey. Maybe general manager Ron Francis trades for another scorer or defenseman to close that gap on Vegas. They have a well-rounded group, from youngsters Matty Beniers and Shane Wright to veterans Jordan Eberle and Jones. This group is playing well and maybe we will see them play this way long enough to secure the first playoff spot in franchise history.

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