Kraken season preview: Young players must contribute in push for playoff return

Catton, Wright need to boost offense, special teams look to improve

By Derek Van Diest

@DerekVanDiest NHL.com Staff Writer

September 22, 2026

The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins Sept. 29. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Seattle Kraken.

Last season: 34-37-11, sixth in Pacific Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Coach: Lane Lambert (second season)

Biggest challenge

Seattle needs to find a way to generate more offense after it was 28th in goals for in 2025-26 (2.73 per game). The Kraken attempted to address the issue by acquiring forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6; the 30-year-old had 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 18 games after the trade. McMann, who signed a six-year, $34.5 million contract ($5.75 million average annual value) with Seattle on June 21, should help offensively, but younger forwards Shane Wright (22), Matty Beniers (23), Ryan Winterton (23) and Kaapo Kakko (25) each need to take another step in their development. Kraken captain Jordan Eberle led them in scoring last season with 55 points (26 goals, 29 assists) in 80 games. The 36-year-old forward will need to put together another strong season for Seattle to be competitive in the Pacific Division and avoid missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.

How they make playoffs

Without elite offensive talent, the Kraken will need to grind out victories by playing strong defensively and getting solid goaltending from the tandem of Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer. Seattle averaged 3.13 goals against per game last season, which ranked 23rd in the NHL. Veteran defensemen Ryan Lindgren (28), Vince Dunn (29), Brandon Montour (32) and Adam Larsson (33) provide experience and are able to help strengthen things in their own end of the ice. Seattle will also need to improve its special teams; the penalty kill was 31st (72.2 percent) and the power play was 20th (19.5 percent) last season.

DET@SEA: Daccord keeps the puck out, preserving the the tie in the 2nd

Most intriguing addition

Mackie Samoskevich was acquired from the Florida Panthers on June 21 for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Samoskevich won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024-25 and had 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 72 games that season. The 23-year-old then had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games last season and is expected to receive a larger role with Seattle after playing in the bottom six with Florida. Samoskevich signed a three-year, $11.55 million contract ($3.85 million AAV) on July 1 and needs to provide offense to a team that struggled to score last season.

Biggest potential surprise

Expectations were high for Wright from the moment Seattle selected the center with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, but he had 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 74 games last season after having 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 79 games in 2024-25, his first full NHL season. If Wright can find traction, he has the potential to bounce back; he had 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games in his final full season with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League in 2021-22. Seattle has been patient with Wright, returning him to junior three seasons ago and then allowing him time to develop in the American Hockey League. Entering the final season of his three-year, entry-level contract, it’s vital for Wright to step up.

Ready to contribute

Berkly Catton had 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 66 games as a rookie last season, but the 20-year-old forward has the potential to play among the top six. He had 109 points (38 goals, 71 assists) in 57 games in his final season with Spokane of the Western Hockey League in 2024-25 and was selected by Seattle with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. If Catton can earn more ice time, he has the potential to make a significant contribution.

SEA@NYR: Catton cleans up in tight

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Bobby McMann, F: After being acquired before the NHL Trade Deadline last season, McMann was a high-impact fantasy player for the Kraken; he had 14 points, including 10 goals, 58 shots on goal and 30 hits in 18 games following the trade from the Maple Leafs. Although it was a small sample size with a new team, McMann led Seattle in goals per game (0.56), points per game (0.78) and shots on goal per game (3.22). Per NHL EDGE stats, he ranked seventh in the League in max skating speed (24.25 mph) and also was a standout at his position in 20-plus mph speed bursts (267; 98th percentile), high-danger goals (15; 90th percentile) and mid-range goals (nine; 89th percentile). McMann, who scored an NHL career-high 29 goals last season, is a potential fantasy draft bargain (average draft position: 132.2) who could shatter his previous NHL career high in points (46) and emerge as one of the more valuable category coverage players in the League. -- Pete Jensen