The Seattle Kraken have been off to an incredible start this season. November was the first full month of the 2025-26 season, and although the Kraken could have had a stronger performance, they held their own for the majority of the month.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Kraken’s 4-0 Shutout Loss to the Oilers
Their record from November sits at 6-5-3. They were dealt some hard losses but also battled back for several games to ensure their victory. They picked up 15 points, which puts their total for the season at 24. At Thanksgiving, they were primed in a playoff position. They are still in a good spot now; they are just in a wild card spot. The race is very tight, and it is truly anyone’s game.
In Seattle’s strong November, several players contributed to their overall performance. Let’s look at who the Kraken’s three stars of the month are.
Third Star: Ryan Winterton
Ryan Winterton is a name that Kraken fans should be semi-familiar with. He played in nine games in the 2023-24 season and 12 in the 2024-25 season. This season is his first full one in the NHL after splitting the majority of his time in the past two with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
On Nov. 5, the Kraken lost 6-1 to the San Jose Sharks. Despite this, there was a major personal victory for Winterton: he scored his first NHL goal. He picked up the puck in the neutral zone and outskated the two Sharks players who tried to defend him. He got right up to the net and put the puck in to tie the game. Although he tried to give the Kraken a chance, the Sharks scored five unanswered goals after this.
However, he was not done there. Just three games later, Winterton scored his second goal when the Kraken hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. He received a beautiful pass from Ben Meyers to bury the puck in the net. Once again, when Winterton scored, he was the only Kraken player to do so.
Any player scoring their first NHL goal is a major accomplishment, and Winterton should be proud of himself that he managed to do it twice within three games as a younger player in his first full season. He’ll be one to watch as the calendar flips to December.
Second Star: Philipp Grubauer
The Kraken have relied on Joey Daccord a lot to start the season, which is something they did last season as well. To try and combat this, the Kraken started carrying three goaltenders on their roster. However, Daccord was injured earlier in the month, and right after he returned, Matt Murray was placed on injured reserve (IR). Although he only played four games in November, Philipp Grubauer had an impressive performance.
November was an interesting month for Grubauer, as he recorded his lowest save percentage (SV%) and his highest of the season. Despite recording his lowest, .842, against the St. Louis Blues, the Kraken still won this game. In fact, all four games Grubauer played in resulted in a victory. He also recorded his first shutout of the season against the Sharks on Nov. 15.
Kraken fans will remember Grubauer’s poor performance in the 2024-25 season. It was so bad that the Kraken sent him down to Coachella Valley for a conditioning stint. His goaltending in the past month has proven that they do not need to worry about this any longer; he is a different player now, and the Kraken can rely on him. Now, if only the coaching staff could see this, so they don’t wear out Daccord anymore.
First Star: Eeli Tolvanen
The Kraken have taken a beating with injuries this season. Luckily, the first star of the month has not had to worry about that yet. Eeli Tolvanen has switched between the top six and the bottom six, but he continues to add offensive depth no matter where he goes.
Tolvanen has 11 points to his name so far this season, nine of which were recorded in November. He had two multipoint games, including Nov. 8, where he recorded a goal and two assists. Although in his last five games he has recorded zero points, he was only on the ice for one other goal, recording a minus-1 in all five games. He may not have had many scoring chances in these games, but he didn’t allow any goals either.
The Kraken just lost Jaden Schwartz for six weeks due to a lower-body injury. They will need Tolvanen to step up even more in the top six now, and he has proven he can do so throughout the month of November.
Kraken Kick Off December in Edmonton
The Kraken have had a bit of a reprieve, but they will play their first game of December in Canada. They just lost to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, Nov. 29. Now, Seattle will get the chance to right the ship in Edmonton on Thursday, Dec. 4.
