Three things that should be on Kraken GM Ron Francis’ to-do list

There was no one moment that scarred the hearts of the Kraken faithful this season. The letdown came in piecemeal form, underscored by an eight-game losing streak in March that all but ended their playoff hopes. 

Since then, coach Dave Hakstol has been fired, but anyone expecting that to serve as a panacea for this hockey team is mistaken. 

No doubt that there was a regression across most of the Kraken roster in the 2023-24 season. There are few examples of players who improved, and a number of examples in which they declined. That, to a large extent, is on the coach. 

But it’s on the organization as well. It’s on Kraken general manager Ron Francis, who needs to establish a sustainable model of success to match the expectations of a rabid fan base. 

Nobody around here wants the buzz from the 2023 postseason to evaporate. It has waned significantly, though. So how do the Kraken revive themselves as a contender? After Francis hires a coach, here are a few thoughts on what else he needs to do. 

1. Acquire a scorer

A real scorer. Seattle’s 11.6 shooting percentage in the 2022-23 season allowed them to score more goals than all but four teams. But this was an ensemble effort, as just one Kraken player, Jared McCann, was among the top 80 goal scorers in the league (he finished with 40, tied for 14th.) This season McCann finished 48th and was the only player on the team in the NHL’s top 120 in goal scoring. This is an issue, and the main reason the Kraken dropped off so dramatically this season. 

It’s time for the team to go after a true star, whether it be through a trade or free agency. The trade for Oliver Bjorkstrand two seasons earlier did not meet this standard. Bjorkstrand may have led Columbus in goals for two consecutive years before coming to Seattle, but this was like being the world’s prettiest platypus. The Blue Jackets didn’t win. They haven’t won for a while.

Andre Burakovsky, meanwhile, never provided the Kraken with the scoring punch that he did with Colorado before coming to Seattle in 2022. It’s easy to say “be bold” and sign a standout. It’s hard to actually do it. But if Francis wants this franchise to stay relevant, he needs to. 

2. Develop Matty Beniers and Shane Wright

The biggest individual disappointment this season for the Kraken was Beniers’ sophomore slump. After winning the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s top rookie last season — when he logged 24 goals and 33 assists — the center tallied just 15 goals and 22 assists this season. This was reflective of a team-wide decline, but given how Beniers was seen as the future of the franchise, his drop-off was most notable. Wright, meanwhile, might be the most naturally gifted entry draft pick the Kraken have made, even if he was selected fourth overall a year after Matty went second. The 20-year-old Wright managed to score four goals in eight games this season, but a breakout year would help solve at least some of the Kraken’s scoring issues. 

This is a solid defensive team that allowed just 2.83 goals per game this season — ninth-fewest in the NHL. There just isn’t any offense. Where else can Francis help with that? 

3. Revamp the fourth line

The scoring combo of Daniel Sprong (21 goals), Ryan Donato (14) and Morgan Geekie (nine) — all of whom played on the fourth line at some point last season — was unlikely to be replicated. But it had to be hard for fans to watch all three sign with other teams in the offseason, then have as good a year or better in 2023-24. This is especially true when additions such as Kailer Yamamoto and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare did almost nothing to offset the aforementioned trio’s absence. Perhaps relying on your fourth line for scoring is never an ideal situation, but it would be nice for Seattle to at least have that threat. 

Bellemare is an unrestricted free agent. Yamamoto is a restricted free agent. Perhaps cleaning house in that area is the best way to provide a clean slate. 

It was hard to imagine that the Kraken wouldn’t face some challenges this season. Anytime you make an unexpected playoff run — particularly in your second year as a franchise — satisfying your fan base will be difficult the next go-round.

But that’s the burden — and it’s a good burden to have — that the Kraken have created. We all saw the regression. Now it’s time for the repair.