Seattle is known as the “Emerald City”, even though it has nothing to do with the “Wizard of Oz”. If we’re talking about recent Seattle sports history perhaps it should be known as the “city of second chances”. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is having a career resurgence as a starter the past few seasons, but there’s even more example on the ice.
The Seattle Kraken are the NHL’s newest franchise. Yes, ask the league and they’ll say the Utah Hockey Club is the “newest expansion franchise” because they want to skate around (pun incredibly intended) the fact they are the relocated Arizona Coyotes franchise. The Kraken are a true franchise built from the ground up which takes us to our next point. Two of the players currently in their top six are castaways from former teams who had high ceilings, and both were acquired after the team hit the ice for the first time and assembled its initial rosters.
Part way through their second season the Kraken claimed Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from the Nashville Predators
Tolvanen was a 2017 first round pick of the Predators but never showed enough to convince the Predators to keep him on a crowded roster. In parts of five seasons with Nashville he never eclipsed 23 points in a year. Tolvanen played 135 total NHL games for Nashville.
At the time Nashville’s decision to seemingly give up on the young prospect was seen as a bad move but the consensus a few seasons later is that it was even worse. Then general manager David Poile even said the move might have been a mistake while Tolvanen almost fit in immediately with his then new team.
Every season, including only 47 games in the 2022-2023 season, has seen Tolvanen pass his career best in points with the Kraken. Last season he set a career high with 41 points during a pretty bad down turn year for the third year franchise. This season he currently sits at 28 points with 18 goals and ten assists and should pass the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career.
Earlier this season the Kraken acquired Kaapo Kakko via trade from the New York Rangers
Kaako came to New York as the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft with sky high expectations he never came close to fulfilling. Unlike Tolvanen, who was given limited opportunity in Nashville, one of the top-six right winger spots was seemingly open for the taking for Kaapo during most of his Rangers tenure. After five seasons and three head coaches the Rangers decided Kaapo’s time in the Big Apple was seemingly finished and he was shipped off for Will Borgen and two draft picks.
Just like Tolvanen did, Kakko took immediately to his change of scenery. Since the trade Kakko has scored 19 points in 28 games compared to the 14 points he had in 30 games with the Rangers earlier this season. Kakko’s career best in points is the 40 he put up in 2022-2023 and he is well on his way to eclipsing that this season, largely in part to his increased role and production with the Kraken.
The only negative note is that Kakko finds himself at a -5 rating. That would be the first time he finds himself with a “minus” rating since his 2019-2020 rookie season. That shouldn’t be a concern since this Seattle team is objectively worse in the goaltending and defense department than any team Kakko ever played on with the Rangers.
Both Finnish wingers find themselves in Seattle’s top six forward group. Kakko is the top line’s right wing with Jaden Schwartz and Matty Berniers. Tolvanen is the second line’s left wing alongside Chandler Stephenson and Oliver Bjorkstrand. When paired with Bjorkstrand and Shane Wright Tolvanen’s line ranks 20th in the league in expected goals percentage.
Kakko’s and Tolvanen’s Seattle success has obviously come without team success, minus a single playoff appearance in Tolvanen’s first year with the team. The Kraken are still a work in progress but should get credit for bringing on high ceiling castaways. Kakko’s a restricted free agent this summer while Tolvanen reaches unrestricted free agency next offseason. Neither has given Seattle any reason to not keep them around.