The Seattle Kraken have struggled through the season’s first half, posting a 15-27-4 record through 46 games. They sit last in the NHL’s Pacific Division and second-last in the Western Conference with 34 points. Seattle is scoring just 2.61 goals per game while allowing 3.43 goals per game, both bottom-10 marks league-wide. Individually, only four Kraken regulars have a plus/minus above zero, while only five skaters have eclipsed the 20 point mark through half the season. With struggles up and down the lineup, here’s how the NHL’s newest franchise has performed through the first half of its inaugural season.
Goalies (Min. 5 GP) – D+
Chris Driedger – C-
3-7-0, 3.18 GAA, .895 SV%
Driedger had lower expectations than Grubauer but has had similar struggles through the first half of the season. He had a breakout campaign last season with the Florida Panthers, but hasn’t had the same success with his new club.
Philipp Grubauer – D
12-17-4; 3.09 GAA, .887 SV%, 1 SO
Grubauer was brought in to be Seattle’s starting goaltender and has largely underperformed. After a 2020-21 campaign that earned him Vezina Trophy consideration, Grubauer has fallen back to Earth playing behind a young Kraken defense core.
Defensemen (min. 13 GP) – C+
Mark Giordano – B+
4 G – 14 A – 18 P , -10
Seattle’s captain has led by example this season in all categories. At age 38, Giordano is second on the team in ice time per game and leads Kraken defensemen in assists (14) and powerplay points (7).
Carson Soucy – B+
6 G – 7 A – 13 P, +7
Soucy has been a pleasant surprise for Seattle, despite only playing 33 games and 17:02 per game. His six goals lead Kraken defensemen, and his plus-7 rating is a team-high.
Vince Dunn – B
5 G – 13 A – 18 P, -16
Dunn has provided consistent offense, particularly on the powerplay, but has struggled defensively. His minus-16 rating is tied for worst on the team, but he is on pace to break his career-high in points over a full season.
Jamie Oleksiak – B-
1 G – 10 A – 11 P , +1
Oleksiak has provided above-average offense for a player known primarily for his defense. On a Kraken team that has allowed far more goals than it has scored, Oleksiak’s plus-1 rating puts him in the team’s top-five.
Adam Larsson – B-
4 G – 11 A – 15 P , -13
Larsson’s offense has been slightly better than expected, particularly at even strength, but his defense has struggled at times. his primary role is as a shutdown defenseman, something he hasn’t been during parts of this season.
Haydn Fleury – C-
2 G – 1 A – 3 P, -3
Fleury entered training camp in a battle for one of the final two blueline spots, but ended up being the team’s seventh defenseman. He has only appeared in 25 games this season, but has contributed modestly in his playing time.
Will Borgen – C-
1 G – 1 A – 2 P, -5
Borgen has played more games this season than he did in his entire career prior to joining Seattle. He recorded the first goal and first two points of his NHL career in his 15 games so far this season.
Jeremy Lauzon – D+
1 G – 4 A – 5 P, -9
Lauzon has carved himself out a consistent role, appearing in 37 games, but has struggled to produce consistently. He earns just 17:21 of ice time per game and has logged a team-high 56 penalty minutes.
Forwards (Min 13 GP) – C+
Jared McCann – A-
19 G – 11 A – 30 P, -10
McCann has easily been the team’s best player when healthy and leads them in goals, points, powerplay goals and powerplay points. He only averages 16:04 per game but has been extremely effective when deployed.
Jordan Eberle – B+
12 G – 14 A – 26 P, -16
Eberle ranks second on the team in goals, assists, and points and was the franchise’s first-ever all-star. He is tied for last on the team with a minus-16 rating, but has made up for it with consistent offensive production.
Jaden Schwartz – B+
6 G – 14 A – 20 P, -12
Schwartz has been limited to just 29 games this season, but has been one of Seattle’s best players on a per-game basis. When he’s on the ice, he gives the Kraken two solid forward lines.
Brandon Tanev – B+
9 G – 6 A – 15 P, +4
Tanev was in the midst of a career year when he suffered a torn ACL. In just 30 games, he fell just 5 goals and 14 points shy of tying his career best marks. The speedy winger will continue to be a focal point of the Kraken offense going forward.
Yanni Gourde – B
10 G – 13 A – 23 P, -10
The two-time Stanley Cup Champion missed the start of the season but has become one of Seattle’s most consistent offensive contributors. Gourde ranks third on the team in even-strength goals (8) and even-strength points (18).
Alex Wennberg – B-
4 G – 17 A – 21 P, -12
Wennberg had the opportunity to earn a first-line center role, but has struggled at times. He’s contributed just four goals, and his minus-12 rating leaves more to be desired. He’s also been held without a powerplay goal and has just four points with the man advantage.
Calle Jarnkrok – B-
7 G – 8 A – 15 P, -7
The defensive forward has played a responsible game, taking just one penalty, and winning over 49 percent of his faceoffs. Jarnkrok would be on pace for a career-high in points if he played the full season.
Marcus Johansson – B-
5 G – 10 A – 15 P, -13
Johansson has done most of his damage this season on the power-play, ranking second on the team in points with the man advantage. His minus-13 leaves more to be desired, but he’s helped a special teams unit that’s needed it.
Colin Blackwell – C+
4 G – 5 A – 9 P, -4
Blackwell has been limited to just half of the team’s games to this point, and hasn’t had as large of a role as some predicted. In just over 11 minutes per game, he has managed to take just one penalty.
Ryan Donato – C+
9 G – 7 A – 16 P, -10
The franchise’s first goal-scorer has been fairly consistent, producing the fourth-most goals on the team. He only has one point on the power-play, but his play at even-strength has been admirable.
Mason Appleton – C
5 G – 7 A – 12 P, -4
Appleton had potential to carve out a larger role, but has been a well-rounded contributor through the season’s first half. All his points have come at even-strength, but the 26-year-old can still grow into a more sizeable role with the Kraken.
Joonas Donskoi – C
1 G – 14 A – 15 P, -4
Donskoi has just one goal through half a season, but has been extremely serviceable as a playmaker and penalty-killer. Despite having a negative rating, Donskoi’s plus/minus is third-best among regular Kraken forwards.
Morgan Geekie – D+
3 G – 8 A – 11 P, -9
Geekie had an opportunity to break out as one of Seattle’s youngest forwards, but hasn’t broken out just yet. He has appeared in a career-high 40 games so far this season, but is only on pace for 6 goals in a full season. The 23-year-old still has plenty of time to blossom in Seattle.
Riley Sheahan – D+
1 G – 5 A – 6 P, +4
Sheahan is limited to just over 11 minutes of ice time per game, but hasn’t been tremendously productive in the roles he’s expected to assume. He has won just 47 percent of his faceoffs, but has a plus-4 rating and hasn’t taken a penalty all season.