The Seattle Kraken struggled early in their season but overcame those struggles with a nine-game winning streak in December. However, in January, the Kraken sputtered, losing four in a row and falling out of the playoff picture just as quickly as they had jumped into it. Losses to the Penguins, Rangers, Oilers, and Maple Leafs saw the Kraken be outscored 15-5, and look dreadful offensively.
Since then, they’ve gone 2-2, gained five points in the standings, and are now within just two points of the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators for the final wild-card spot. How are they doing it? It’s been the story of a team that works together and does not quit.
Coming off his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023, Matty Beniers was expected to be the leader of the team in 2024. Instead, he has had a particularly quiet season. His 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) are tied for the ninth most on the team, after finishing second on the team in goals last season. Jordan Eberle, a veteran skater who was third on the Kraken last season in points, has also severely lacked in productivity this season, with nine goals and nineteen assists ranking a distant fifth place on the team, well behind his pace from last season.
However, despite two of their best players struggling, the Kraken have found ways to replace the production. For starters, there’s Oliver Bjorkstrand. The 28-year-old from Denmark is in the midst of a career season, leading the team with 40 points. His career high in points is 57, which he is on pace to break by March. He will also soon set a new career high in assists, needing just three to surpass his current career-best mark of 29. Bjorkstrand’s late breakout has been a revelation for a Kraken team that had badly needed it. He pairs with Vince Dunn and Jared McCann to form a dynamic offensive trio.
McCann continues to be the best goal scorer on the Kraken for the third year in a row. He led the team in goals in 2021–22, and again in 2022–23. This year, he is likely going to be their leading scorer again, as his 20 goals are significantly better than the next-highest total of 13 for Bjorkstrand.
Vince Dunn, meanwhile, continues to be the Kraken’s assist leader. Similar to McCann, he’s been with the team since its inception in 2021, and he has led the team in assists in each of their first two seasons as a franchise. He is currently leading in assists once again, with 29, after managing 50 assists last year. Dunn and McCann have been incredibly consistent throughout their three years with the Kraken, and with Bjorkstrand joining them as a dangerous scorer, the Kraken have formed a solid offensive attack.
The other story of the Kraken’s season has been their goalkeeping. Phillip Grubauer, the squad’s long-term goalie, went down with an injury early in the season, but his replacement Joey Daccord has been one of the best goalies in the NHL since taking over. Daccord’s .920 save % ranks fourth in the NHL, and his 2.36 goals-against average ranks third in the league.
“I think like any goalie will tell you that they just want a chance to prove themselves,” (Yahoo, Jan 4th) Daccord told reporters. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol had high praise of Daccord as well, saying
“He’s worked for it….you look at all the steps he’s gone through, he didn’t just land here out of nowhere.” (Yahoo, Jan. 4th)
Daccord has made the most of his opportunity and then some. Before this season, the 27-year-old had played just 19 games in the league, most of those coming with the Ottawa Senators in 2020 and the Kraken in 2021-22. Grubauer is healthy now but has yet to make a start in the net since his return last week, a testament to Daccord’s talent.
The Kraken still have a ways to go in the season, but they have battled back from a rough start, going 11-5 in their past 16 games, and putting themselves within striking distance of the playoffs, only two points out. Winnable games next week against the Flyers, Devils, and Islanders will be particularly important because, after that, the Kraken face the first-place Boston Bruins twice in the latter half of the month. The Kraken are on the upswing, and they have the pieces to keep climbing. It’s an exciting time to be a Kraken fan.
