Kraken GM Ron Francis sheds light on injuries, offseason priorities

The biggest question facing Kraken general manager Ron Francis went unanswered — no decision was announced during exit interviews regarding potential coaching changes. But in his closing comments of the 2023-24 season, which ended Thursday well short of the playoffs, Francis shared a few additional details and assessments.

Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn missed 12 games following a hit from behind March 4 that resulted in a neck injury, Francis confirmed. Dunn returned for the first two games of April, then was rattled by another hit and “didn’t feel comfortable,” Francis said. He was shut down for the last seven games.

Dunn is expected to be fully ready for training camp.

Jordan Eberle was one of many Seattle forwards who saw a significant point drop from the season before — 19, and he wasn’t a 20-goal scorer for the first time since joining the Kraken. He secretly played six weeks with a broken hand, sustained in the Kraken’s fourth game of the season against the Colorado Avalanche.

Francis mentioned a fight against Colorado agitator Logan O’Connor. The Avalanche wanted Eberle — who, unlike O’Connor, very rarely fights — to answer for a hit from behind the previous postseason that broke the neck of Andrew Cogliano.

World championship attendees

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, one of two natives of France who played an entire NHL season this year, is set to represent his homeland weeks after his 700th game. That fell on the Kraken’s season finale. He’s one of seven Seattle players set to compete in the IIHF World Championship hosted by Czechia in May.

Winger Tomas Tatar is poised to play for Slovakia and goaltender Philipp Grubauer for Germany. Jared McCann, Brandon Tanev and Jamie Oleksiak decided they have some hockey left in them and are due to suit up for Team Canada.

Andre Burakovsky, who has suffered multiple long-term injuries since signing with the Kraken as a free agent in 2022, will play for Sweden. He was Seattle’s leading scorer when the trouble started in February of 2023, on his first shift following the All-Star break.

This season he appeared in eight of 37 games before the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, suffering two more unrelated injuries.

“As a result, he’s not confident in who he is and what he can do,” Francis said.

All told, Burakovsky made it into 49 contests this season, contributing seven goals and nine assists. The second half of the season was kinder to him.

“I think that’s good for him, to continue to play hockey and get some more games under his belt” in Europe, Francis said. “Hopefully that helps him get his timing and his skill set back.”

Contract negotiations

The two big sets of negotiations looming, Francis briefly confirmed, were with pending restricted free agents Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen, whom the Kraken plucked off waivers, is arbitration eligible per CapFriendly, while Beniers is not. The team and agents will open talks soon, Francis said.

Defending NHL rookie of the year Beniers’ sophomore season was a letdown offensively. He dropped nine goals and 20 points. Francis theorized that starting a contract year on a 13-game goalless streak didn’t help the 21-year-old’s confidence.

Still, he voiced support for Beniers’ future in Seattle.

“I have no concerns about Matty’s game long-term. He’ll be a big part of this organization for a lot of years moving forward,” he said.

Pending UFAs

Kailer Yamamoto is also arbitration eligible, something they’ll be wary of before deciding to extend him an offer. Though Spokane native Yamamoto came through in big moments and was the Kraken’s shootout hero multiple times, he played sparingly during long stretches of the season, frequently a healthy scratch.

When the Kraken were nearing full health, pending unrestricted free agents Bellemare and Tatar were also among the first ones benched to make room. That’s a soft indication they won’t return.

The Kraken held onto veteran defenseman Justin Schultz, a daily player for them, at the trade deadline even though his contract is set to expire this year. The Kraken were still barely in the playoff picture then. Schultz was scratched at times down the stretch, with young blueliner Ryker Evans gaining more NHL experience in his stead.

Francis said he had conversations with the pending UFAs in exit meetings and tried to offer insights.

Future Kraken

Francis had positive critiques for Evans and Shane Wright, both of whom started the season with top affiliate Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League but enjoyed a successful NHL stint toward the end.

Wright, 20, scored four times in five games in April. He played just eight games this season with the Kraken, so the number of years on his contract were automatically extended one year.

Because of his age, the hyped 2022 fourth-overall pick should have still been playing junior hockey, but received an exemption to join the Firebirds and was a 20-goal scorer off the bat.

“He’s come a long way in the last year in his development. He’s much more confident,” Francis said. “I think he’s having fun again playing the game.

“I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t make our team coming out of camp.”

Francis had a stronger assessment of 22-year-old Evans, who had a goal and eight assists through 36 games with the Kraken. Evans averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time.

“No doubt in my mind he’s in our lineup coming out of camp next year. He’s been that good,” Francis said.