This Thanksgiving, we can reflect and be grateful for what we have. The Seattle Kraken have an impressive 11-6-6 record through 23 games this season, but with 59 games to go, they can already be thankful for two things.
Kraken Have Had Their Strongest Season Start So Far
Now in their fifth season in the NHL, the Kraken are still the newest expansion team in the league, and they are starting to show their progress and promise, with their strongest start to a campaign to date.
In their home opener against the Anaheim Ducks, they made history. The Kraken won. Their previous four home openers all resulted in losses, including their first two when they hosted the league’s second youngest team, the Vegas Golden Knights (not including the relocated Utah Mammoth).
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They faced the Golden Knights in their second game – the team the Kraken have notoriously performed poorly against, with an all-time win record of 3-11-1. This game went into overtime, but the Kraken managed a win. In fact, 45% of the Kraken’s games this season have gone into overtime, although they have lost six. The Kraken still rank 3rd in the Pacific Division with 11 wins.
As we enter Thanksgiving weekend, Seattle is in a playoff position, tied with the Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings with 28 points, a good indicator that they will make the postseason. Of course, there is still plenty of time left, but at this point, the Kraken look like they’re headed for their second playoff appearance in franchise history.
Kraken Have a Strong, Young Group of Prospects
With injuries hitting the roster, the Kraken have called up a few players from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Coachella Valley Firebirds, who have impressed. When Frederick Gaudreau was placed on injured reserve (IR), Ben Meyers was called up to center the fourth line. He played nine games and recorded three assists, playing alongside Tye Kartye and Ryan Winterton or Jani Nyman – three younger players who don’t have much NHL experience. While Meyers doesn’t either, at 27, he was a strong veteran presence and helped stabilize the fourth line.
John Hayden played a couple of impressive games in Seattle this season. At 30, he has also been in the NHL system for a while. In three games with the Kraken, he added another veteran presence to mentor the young forwards in the bottom six.
Oscar Fisker Molgaard, the youngest forward of the bunch, received his first call-up. The 20-year-old made his NHL debut on Nov. 20 and recorded his first assist as well. He played in one more game on Nov. 22 but was a healthy scratch on Nov. 23. With Jared McCann now off IR, Molgaard was sent back to the Firebirds. However, he should not be disappointed. Given his performance with the big club, it would not be a surprise to see him called up again this season.
With a mix of veteran and young players in reserve, the Kraken’s future looks bright.
Kraken Still Have Many Games to Play This Season
There is plenty of hockey left to play, but the team’s strong start and solid organisational depth are two things the Kraken should be grateful for this Thanksgiving weekend. Their next game is a weekend matinee when they host the Edmonton Oilers in the first of a home-and-home series on Saturday at 1 pm PST. The second game is on Thursday evening in Edmonton.
