5 Realistic Expectations for the Kraken This Season

The Seattle Kraken have reached a point where simply showing signs of improvement is no longer enough. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three consecutive seasons, the Kraken are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that should be ready to take the next step. Seattle has continued to build around the young core while adding pieces intended to make the team more competitive, but the results have to follow.

This doesn’t mean the Kraken are suddenly going to be viewed as Stanley Cup favorites. However, there are several realistic expectations for Seattle heading into the new season.

Make the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Of course, the most obvious expectation is making the playoffs. After having not qualified since the 2022-23 season, another year without playoff hockey would make it increasingly difficult to argue that the current rebuild, or build, is moving in the right direction.

Seattle doesn’t necessarily need to win a series to consider the season a success; just getting back into the mix would be a significant step after those three straight years on the outside. At this point, being in the playoff conversation late in the season should be closer to the floor, not the ceiling.

Push the Offense Toward League Average

Seattle’s offense has been one of its biggest problems, and that has to change. The Kraken scored just 224 goals last season, ranking 28th in the NHL. A team can overcome an occasional offensive drought, but consistently struggling to score makes it extremely difficult to compete for a playoff spot.

Seattle doesn’t need to suddenly become one of the league’s highest-scoring teams; just getting closer to the middle of the league would show meaningful progress. If the Kraken can push their goal total into the 240s or higher while getting more consistent production throughout the whole lineup, their chances of making the playoffs should improve significantly.

Matty Beniers Becomes a True No. 1 Center

Matty Beniers has already established himself as an important part of Seattle’s future; now the expectation should be for him to take the next step in earning his place as the No. 1 center. He recorded 50 points throughout the 2025-26 season, including 20 goals. While those are respectable numbers, Seattle needs more from its top players to become a true playoff team.

A 60-point season would be a reasonable ask for Beniers this season. More importantly, he needs to consistently drive plays and provide reliable offense against the league’s best competition. The Kraken drafted Beniers second overall because they believed he could become a centerpiece of the franchise. Entering his fifth full NHL season, it is time to start seeing that potential translate into production.

At Least One Young Player Breaks Out

Seattle has invested heavily in its younger talent, and 2026-27 should be the season when at least one of those players takes a major step forward. Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, Jani Nyman and Ryker Evans are among the young players who should make an impact this season. However, Seattle doesn’t need all of them to turn into stars immediately. It would be enough for one of them to establish themselves as a legitimate difference maker, especially Wright or Evans, who are entering their second and third seasons, respectively.

A breakout from one of the Kraken’s young players would not only improve the current roster, but would also give Seattle another building block to work with moving forward. The team’s future should be becoming clearer by this point, and another young player emerging would go a long way toward accomplishing that.

Become a Legitimate Threat in the Pacific Division

While making the playoffs is important, the road the Kraken take to get there is important as well. Seattle needs to become a team that the Pacific Division’s top clubs genuinely have to worry about. The Kraken can’t afford to consistently struggle against the teams they’d been competing with for postseason positioning.

That means playing better against the division’s strongest teams and establishing a more consistent identity throughout the season. While they don’t need to win the Pacific Division, nor should they be expected to, they need to look like a team that truly belongs in the playoffs.

The Kraken do not need to become a Stanley Cup contender overnight, but in 2026-27, they need to prove that they are finally moving in that direction.