On Tuesday, March 12, the Seattle Kraken aim to get their hunt for a postseason berth back on track when they host the Vegas Golden Knights. With effort and a bit of luck, the Kraken could make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. And yet, nearly three years into the franchise’s existence, the Kraken could glance at the Golden Knights and ponder “What if?…”
There are several reasons why comparing these two organizations is a noteworthy exercise. First and foremost, they are the two youngest NHL franchises. Lest we forget that Vegas has hosted an NHL team only since the 2017-18 season. Seattle came shortly after that, readying itself for the 2021-22 campaign.
A side-by-side between the Kraken’s nearly three years and the Golden Knights’ nearly seven would lack balance. But even by restricting the sample size to the Nevada-based organization’s first three, there is enough evidence suggesting that the Golden Knights have done more things correctly than the Kraken. It must have been tempting for hockey fans in Seattle to fantasize about a brilliant start to their new team’s existence akin to what Vegas accomplished. The reality has been very different.
Golden Knights Hit the Jackpot, the Kraken Sink Early
“Jackpot” might be a stretch. That would have entailed winning the Stanley Cup, which is what Vegas eventually did in its sixth season. However, they nearly pulled it off in 2018. That Stanley Cup Final will be remembered for two things. First, it was when the perennially sad Washington Capitals finally won a championship.
Second, the Caps did so by downing the Golden Knights in five games. Yes, the Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final in their first-ever year of existence. A wild first chapter to their history when one looks back at how truly awful former expansion clubs were, like the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. On the flip side, the NHL’s new expansion draft rules meant that the Golden Knights would be the first new club to have as many good options as they did.
At the other end of the spectrum were the Kraken. The 2021-22 season was by no means a disaster – that ’93 Senators side was epically bad. But comparing them to the 2017-18 Golden Knights would make Seattle’s maiden campaign look like a blunder – last in the Pacific Division with a 27-49-6 record. Moreover, they were the third-worst team in the league.
The Golden Knights would not reach the Stanley Cup Final for another five years – the year they won it all – but were postseason participants in 2018-19 (lost in the first round), and 2019-20 (reached the Western Conference Final in the bubble playoffs).
Things looked much brighter for the Kraken in year two, as they made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Along the way, they ousted the defending champs, the Colorado Avalanche. However, the club has failed to capitalize on that relative success. The Kraken are not as poor as two years ago, but certainly not as convincing as last year. As of this writing, if the playoffs started today, they would be watching from the couch.
Golden Knights and Kraken’s Pick of the Litter
Regarding that new expansion draft system, the Golden Knights made selections that immediately set the franchise on a course to success. William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, two hugely important players on the current roster, were part of that summer’s acquisitions. In net was veteran and former champion Marc-André Fleury (now in Minnesota). Big names like Alex Tuch (in Buffalo) and David Perron (in Detroit) were also part of that roster.
Leading this merry group was head coach Gerard Gallant, who had previously known success as coach of the Florida Panthers, guiding that team to a rare playoff appearance in 2015-16. His work in Florida that year was so impressive he coached in the All-Star Game.
The Kraken made the best choices they could for the looming 2021-22 season, but perhaps the options were not as savory as in 2017. Unsurprisingly, many of the names that graced that original roster are still around since it was only two years ago.
Some have already left for greener pastures. Current Toronto Maple Leafs players Calle Jarnkrok and Mark Giordano were part of the team. Alex Wennberg was traded last week to the New York Rangers and Ryan Donato is doing what he can to help the Chicago Blackhawks reform.
Related: What the Eberle Deal Means for the Kraken’s Scoring Woes
Still around is goalie Philipp Grubauer, who came from Colorado and, ironically, was in goal last spring when the Kraken eliminated the Avalanche. Vince Dunn was already a champion with the St. Louis Blues. Oliver Bjorkstrand got out of Columbus just as things turned sour. Jordan Eberle was a former first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers. Jared McCann bounced around the league during his first seven years, playing for three teams and the same two twice (Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers).
Behind the bench in Seattle was and still is Dave Hakstol. He had one good year with the Philadelphia Flyers (2017-18) but was axed early in the next campaign and hired by the Maple Leafs as an assistant.
Valiant Knights and a Docile Kraken
To state the painfully obvious, no one can predict the future. On paper, it looks as though the Kraken have tried to emulate the Golden Knights’ strategy of finding a group of fine players who together make a great team. A sum that is greater than its parts, in other words.
It’s certainly a risky prospect, but to Vegas’ credit, it’s worked out marvellously for them. Take a guess how many Golden Knights players were in the top 50 in scoring last season when the team went on the win the Stanley Cup. Answer: zero. Vegas was also the best team in the Western Conference when the postseason commenced. What’s more, in 2018 when they made it to the Final, they weren’t loaded with scoring talent either.
That Seattle – most notably general manager (GM) Ron Francis and coach Hakstol – think it can pull the same trick is understandable. The NFL doesn’t have a monopoly on being a copycat league. The NHL can play that game too, although it doesn’t guarantee success. With risk can come rewards, but usually, it’s just a lot of risk. The Kraken are a curiously average home team. They’re only 14-12-5 so far this season at Climate Pledge Arena and were only 20-17-4 last year. We’ve written in abundance about how they can’t score. They lost 3-0 to a backup goalie on Friday night…at home. Consistency also eludes them.
Unlike the Golden Knights, the Kraken have not found a magic formula for instant success even though it looks as though they’ve modelled themselves after the competition. As the old saying goes, lightning does not strike twice. In a wildly competitive league like the NHL, it’s sink or swim. The Kraken would do well to course correct and not become an aquatic beast adrift at sea. That would be a downer for a myth.
