People still metaphorically dancing over the demise of departing Seattle Kraken executive Ron Francis might not want to hear this.
Ready? The Kraken president of hockey operations, and before that, general manager, wasn’t all blunders in five seasons. (Gasp.) Yes, that’s the unexpected – also unintended – conclusion from a regular-season NHL review (paywall) by The Athletic.
The site’s NHL writers were tasked with naming an MVP and “most disappointing” player for each team.
The “most disappointing” nominee for four teams, not including Seattle, were ex-Kraken. It easily could have been five. Admittedly, what Francis did right in these cases was clean up some of his own mistakes; but he did clean them up, and got value in return.
Here’s the list, the explanation – and what Francis received for the diminishing asset.
Chicago Blackhawks: André Burakovsky
Scott Powers wrote in part, “From playing with (Connor) Bedard to power-play usage to overall ice time, he was set up to succeed. Despite all that, he’s likely to finish with fewer points this season than he had with Seattle in a smaller role last season.”
Technically traded to Chicago, the Kraken were spared the final two years of Burakovsky’s $5.5 million AAV contract.
Utah Mammoth: Brandon Tanev
“The Mammoth were expecting a stronger bottom-six impact from Tanev,” Harman Dayal wrote, “when they signed him to a two-year, $2.5 million AAV contract. Tanev has scored zero goals and just three assists in 52 games. Utah has been badly outshot, outchanced and outscored with Tanev on the ice at five-on-five.”
The Kraken received a 2nd round draft pick from the Winnipeg Jets at the 2025 trade deadline. Tanev signed as a free agent with Utah that summer.
Detroit Red Wings: Mason Appleton
“He hasn’t delivered the kind of bottom-six impact Detroit needed when it signed him,” Max Bultman said, “with an expected goals share of just 43 percent, and just 3 points since Jan. 1.”
Appleton played 49 games for the Kraken during their expansion season of 2021-22. He was traded to the Jets for a 2023 4th round draft pick. That pick was packaged with a 2023 3rd rounder to Columbus for Oliver Bjorkstrand. Speaking of which…
Tampa Bay Lightning: Oliver Bjorkstrand
Full disclosure: Bjorkstrand wasn’t named as Tampa Bay’s most disappointing player — Nick Paul earned the label — which leaves us wondering, why not? On a powerful Lightning squad, Bjorkstrand has just 11 goals and is a -15.
He scored a goal in each of Tampa’s final three games before the Olympics break. Since then, one goal and two assists in his last 23 games, no goals in his last 17.
At the 2025 trade deadline, Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde were shipped to Tampa for a haul which featured 1st round draft picks in 2026 and 2027. A 2025 2nd round draft pick (#57 overall) was traded to the Flyers so Seattle could move up two spots and grab defenseman Blake Fiddler.
(Side note: that #57 pick was well-traveled, originally belonging to Toronto, then Utah, Tampa, Seattle, and was finally used by Philadelphia.)
The Lightning also sent Michael Eyssimont to the Kraken, where he played the final 20 games of the season. Seattle chose not to re-sign Eyssimont, making him eligible as the final former Kraken on the “most disappointing” list.
Boston Bruins: Mikey Eyssimont
Fluto Shinzawa wrote, “The Bruins signed Eyssimont to a two-year contract to be a fourth-line fixture, agitator and breakaway specialist. Eyssimont has struggled to be a lineup regular.”
Kraken MVP & Most Disappointing
Although Matty Beniers was tabbed by Thomas Drance as Kraken MVP, it sounds more like damning with faint praise. “Beniers’ two-way results were impressive, but he hasn’t fulfilled the promise he showed as a rookie.”
No praise of any variety is directed toward Shane Wright. “Wright didn’t build on his solid 44-point sophomore campaign. He will finish shy of 30 points and surrounded by reports of dissatisfaction about his role.”
Drance’s conclusion can be added to Ron Francis’ Seattle epitaph. “The Kraken’s inability to find or develop a star-level player is the story of the franchise after its first half-decade.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Energized By ‘Hot Kokko’ In Net
