The Kraken finished last in the Pacific Division (27-49-6), 37 points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. But Oleksiak said he also sees no reason why Seattle should not be aiming for the playoffs.
"That's the goal," Oleksiak said. "You always just want to see a little progress each year. I don't think you can set expectations too high but I think if we start off with a good camp and we build off that momentum, I think we can accomplish a lot. Last year, there were a lot of obstacles we were dealing with, injuries and that. I think we've got the pieces; it's just a matter of putting them together. Hopefully second year, we'll be a little more comfortable with each other, have a good camp and go from there."
The Kraken finished tied for 28th in goals per game (2.60). However, they added forward Andre Burakovsky, who had 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 80 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, signing him to a five-year contract ($5.5 million average annual value) as an unrestricted free agent July 13. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018.
"It's another guy who knows how to win," Oleksiak said. "We have a guy like Jaden Schwartz already who's won a Cup (St. Louis Blues, 2019) and now bringing in Burakovsky who has just won one recently, I think it's going to be huge for us. He's going to be a guy who guys are going to look up to and see how he got it done. I'm excited to see him on the ice and play with him."
Tanev added, "He's a very skilled player, two-time Stanley Cup champion and we're grateful to have him in our group. He's going to bring some offensive skill to our group and someone who has proven to be able to win and that's what we are looking for."
When forward Johnny Gaudreau, who was second in the NHL with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) last season with the Pacific Division-winning Calgary Flames, signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tanev admitted his departure could change the complexion of the division but realizes the Kraken need only worry about themselves.
"It does, yeah a little bit," Tanev said. "We're in the Pacific Division, but we're not really too concerned about anyone else. Our job is to get better as a group."
Although the Kraken never experienced much success on the ice in their inaugural season, Oleksiak and Tanev each said they felt an exceptional amount of support from the fan base.
"It's an incredible city," Oleksiak said. "When you play there, you can't help but think what playoffs would be like, you know what I mean? Incredible fans, we felt their support the whole year round. I'm hoping that soon we'll be able to give them playoff hockey and a good product out there."
Tanev said the Kraken are focused on repaying the fans with a strong showing this season.
"The season didn't go the way we wanted to but the fans, the city, they welcomed us with open arms," Tanev said. "Our fans are unbelievable, the rink we have, the city is great. Moving forward, we want to go out there and push to be better, push for playoffs, and push to compete for the Stanley Cup. I think we owe that to the city and the fans, and I think that's what we are all looking forward to do this year."
