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3 Seattle Kraken players that must dominate in 2023-24

By Vincent Parise |
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 09: Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Seattle Kraken looks on during the first period against the Dallas Stars in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on May 09, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 09: Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Seattle Kraken looks on during the first period against the Dallas Stars in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on May 09, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Kraken were one of the best teams in the Western Conference last season. They earned the first playoff berth in franchise history and they made a little bit of a run. Although they came up short of being a Stanley Cup team, they have high hopes for the future.

Of course, they have some absolute studs on the team. Guys like Matty Beniers, Jared McCann, and Jordan Eberle amongst others are going to do their thing which is always expected but the depth is what can be the difference for a team like this.

Seattle had tons of depth in 2022-23 but they might have even more coming into 2023-24 which is very fun to think about. There is a chance that they are just as good this season.

If they are going to play that well as a team, however, they need a few of these depth players to explode as well as the stars. These are the three under-the-radar players that need to dominate this season for Seattle to succeed:

1. Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer is a great goalie that the Seattle Kraken needs badly.

Philipp Grubauer was an outstanding goalie at one point in his career. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been quite as good with the Seattle Kraken so far.

In all of his years with the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, he never had a save percentage below .900 but has in both years with Seattle.

This year, Grubauer needs to dominate if he wants to keep his job as the starter. He also has to dominate so that the Kraken can remain a good team.

They might not get away with suspect goaltending for the second year in a row so he needs to improve again.

If he gets back to his old ways behind this Seattle team, they should absolutely be a playoff team again. With the defense that Seattle will have in front of him, he should be able to play very well. This is his net coming into the season and it would be nice to see him retain it.

(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /

2. Shane Wright

The Seattle Kraken would love to see a great year from Shane Wright.

Shane Wright is hoping to be a difference-maker in the NHL soon. He was supposed to be the number one pick in the 2022 NHL Draft but he fell to the Seattle Kraken at pick number four. He has been inconsistent in his development

It is not a guarantee that he makes the Kraken roster out of camp but they still need him to dominate this season. It doesn’t matter if it is in the NHL or AHL, to be honest. If he dominates in the AHL, they will believe that he can become a good NHL player.

If he doesn’t dominate at either level, the faith that he will be a difference-maker ever is going to dwindle. There is nobody from his draft completely lighting it up yet but they are going to start soon and he can’t be the one that falls behind.

He doesn’t have the pressure of being the number one center on the Kraken right now with Beniers there but they would make a great 1-2 punch if Wright can reach his potential. Beniers can also help him as a former top-five pick himself.

Wright has all of the tools to be a great player. He might even have the tools to be an elite player. He just needs to go above and beyond in terms of work to reach those heights. If he has a great year, the Kraken organization will thrive.

Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Kailer Yamamoto

The Seattle Kraken needs Kailer Yamamoto to be a great player in 2023-24.

The Seattle Kraken have added a few different players over the off-season as they try to continue taking steps as an organization. One of those players is Kailer Yamamoto who is coming over from the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton made him their first-round pick, 22nd overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft. Since then, he has turned into a pretty good NHL player. In 2022-23, he was limited to 58 games and he had 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. That isn’t terrible production but we know he can be even better.

His best season was the year prior when he played in 81 games and scored 20 goals with 21 assists for 41 points. He can clearly be an outstanding depth piece when he is healthy and getting opportunities.

That’s another thing. A guy like Yamamoto isn’t getting top-level ice time on a team like the Edmonton Oilers. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way at center, there were a few other wingers ahead of Yamamoto on the list.

In Seattle, he should see a spike in ice time. If he plays very well, this team can thrive. We know he has the pedigree to be a 20-goal scorer but he can be even better than that. Hopefully, that comes in year one with the Kraken.

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