Written By: Cameron Schoffro
Edited By: Jovan Popovic
In 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights took the league by storm and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. They set sky-high expectations for the Seattle Kraken to match, but will they be able to?
Unlikely. Seattle lacks the elite talent Vegas was able to acquire. General Manager, Ron Francis, filled the roster with quality NHLers, but at a glance, it appears they lack the star power to take a team over the top.
The forward group is the weakest area of the Kraken's roster construction; their success depends on previously mediocre players taking a step with an expanded role and change of scenery. Chief of these is the first-line centre, Yanni Gourde. He was crucial in Tampa Bay's back-to-back Stanley Cup wins but was relegated to the third line. Unfortunately, he'll be sidelined for the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason. Without Gourde, the centre depth is concerning. McCann isn't a pure centre, as he spent most of his time in Pittsburgh as a winger. Schwartz and Eberle will offer some offensive firepower while being mainstays on the powerplay; but outside of the first line, the Kraken may struggle to score.
The rest of the roster is filled with career bottom-six players. The Kraken will need some heroic performances from unlikely sources if they expect to see any offensive success. Although, Vegas should give them hope, as many of their core pieces blossomed into the player they are today once they joined the Golden Knights. In the NHL, increased opportunity can make stars out of nothing, and Seattle's season rests upon these hopes.
Seattle selected several "sandpaper" style players. Francis must believe these players are necessary to have success, but talent should come first. A gritty third line is useless if your top-six isn't controlling play. This philosophy was evident when Seattle declined to select Max Domi in favour of a defenceman, Gavin Bayreuther, who immediately signed back with the Blue Jackets. Passing on players who have exhibited star-level talent is poor asset management, plain and simple.
When creating an organization from scratch, somebody needs to set the culture, like Marc-Andre Fleury was to the Golden Knights, Mark Giordano will be to the Kraken. He's a seasoned veteran, a former Norris winner and still has enough gas left in the tank to be a useful player this year. Adam Larsson will be a responsible shutdown defenceman to complement the relatively young defensive core.
Vince Dunn will have an opportunity St. Louis never offered him, he'll immediately see top-four minutes and powerplay time. With this usage, Dunn may prove himself as an elite talent. He's a fluid puck-mover and despite his tendency to make head-scratching mistakes, he suppresses scoring chances extremely well. Out of the Kraken's blueline, Dunn seems to be the most likely option to be the franchise cornerstone for years to come.
Lauzon, Fleury, and Soucy, who will be an extra on the roster, have all shown untapped potential; Dave Hakstol will shelter them with 3rd pair minutes. Eventually, they may develop into excellent players for years to come. Ron Francis found value in defencemen that have been effective in their limited time in the NHL, but couldn't crack their rosters permanently.
Seattle's goalies appear to be a bright spot on the roster. Grubauer was a Vezina candidate last year with the Avalanche, but they weren't confident enough in him to match Seattle's contract offer. His previous success may be a product of playing behind the best defensive core in the NHL. If so, he won't sustain Vezina quality statistics this year. Chris Driedger was Florida's best goalie last year, posting a .927 save%. Due to Sergei Bobrovsky's monster contract, the Panthers are tied to him for the foreseeable future and, therefore, had to let Driedger walk. Seattle's tandem should be one of the best in the league, Grubauer and Driedger could keep the team's playoff hopes alive by themselves.
Vegas had unprecedented success in their first season by exploiting other teams and their cap problems. Their General Manager, George McPhee, fleeced several GMs who needed to shed some salary; he stockpiled draft picks while taking on teams' bad contracts, or teams wanted extra protection slots and pay in draft capital or top-tier prospects to keep their roster intact. Unfortunately for Seattle, these teams witnessed the consequences of their mistakes only a few years ago and weren't eager to make the same mistake twice. The rest of the NHL learned from their past selves and therefore limited Seattle's ability to form a roster of the same quality as their predecessor, Vegas.
The main takeaway from Seattle's roster is they project to be good, but not great. If the Kraken are well-coached and their goalies perform to their past expectations, they could easily sneak into a playoff spot in the weak Pacific division.
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