If we’re talking New Year’s resolutions, here are two players on the Seattle Kraken who need to step up in 2026, if the Kraken want to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Lacking Offense: Kaapo Kakko
Last season, the Kraken traded defenseman Will Borgen, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 Draft to the New York Rangers for forward Kaapo Kakko. Kakko made an immediate impact when he joined the team, recording 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games to close out the 2024-25 season.
This season, Kakko had a slow start after he broke his hand during a preseason game and was expected to be out for six weeks. He only missed five weeks and played his first game of the 2025-26 season on Nov. 1. It took him seven games before he scored his first goal, his first recorded point. However, in that same game, he sustained another injury.
Kakko missed another two weeks with a lower-body injury. He returned on Nov. 29, but he has only played 21 of the team’s 37 games this season, recording eight points via two goals and six assists.
Many were expecting Kakko to pick up where he left off last season. Now healthy, the hope is that he will return to form and provide a boost to the top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, who have already stepped up this season.
During the 2025 offseason, the Kraken re-signed Kakkp to a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $4.525 million. Hopefully, he will shake off the rust and can kick himself into gear for the second half.
Defensive Struggles: Ryan Lindgren
During the 2025 offseason, the Kraken signed free-agent Ryan Lindgren to a four-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million in the hopes of beefing up their defense. So far, he has not lived up to his deal.
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Of course, a defenseman’s job is not to score points, but with the Kraken just two points out of a wild-card spot and games in hand, it would help. Lindgren is a plus-4 and averaging roughly 19 minutes of ice time, but he only has five points (one goal, four assists) through 37 games. He scored his first goal in Kraken colours on Dec. 20, and recorded his last assist on Dec. 12, going 11 games between his last two.
While Lindgren won’t lead the team in points, he does lead them in something else: penalty minutes. He has 41 minutes this season, sitting in the box for over two full periods. The opposition has scored six power-play goals with Lindgren in the box. He can’t keep costing the Kraken goals.
Kraken Look to Pick Back Up in 2026
While the Kraken had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, their performance took a turn in late November through the middle of December. From Nov. 23 to Dec. 10, they went on a 10-game losing streak. They beat the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 10, 3-2 in overtime, but then went on a four-game losing streak.
They got back in the win column with a four-game winning streak, but fell to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a shootout in their last game of 2025 on Monday. The Kraken will play their first game of 2026 on New Year’s Day, when they host the Nashville Predators. Here’s hoping that Kakko and Lindgren have a solid second half to the campaign and help push the team into a playoff spot.
