To CEO Tod Leiweke, the Seattle Kraken aren’t entering the off-season after Thursday’s finale against the Colorado Avalanche. In Leiweke’s words, they’re entering the “on” season.
Leiweke laid out details of why general manager Jason Botterill is the right person to lead this next phase. On the Kraken This Morning podcast, Leiweke said it’s connected to president of hockey ops Ron Francis exiting the organization.
“We end up going back to the model that we originally had,” a GM without a president above him. “It was about giving Jason more space and more room. He’s a super smart, capable guy. He was a first round draft pick. He played in the World Juniors and won three gold medals. I think he’s the first hockey player to ever have done that. His family is hockey royalty, so is he.
“Before he came here, he was in Buffalo (GM of the Sabres from 2017-20). He learned a lot there. Before that was a big run in Pittsburgh, and before that, he got his master’s degree and then served at the league office.
“So he’s very very well prepared, and he has a clear vision of what we need to do. We’re going to do a bit of a stand back and look at the organization (the audit). Time is of the essence, because the off-season is not ‘off,’ it’s actually the ‘on’ season and we’re ready to get on it.”
Another Botterill Endorsement
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski on KIRO-AM talked about covering Botterill since his GM days with the Sabres.
“He’s always struck me as a guy with a vision. I’ve been eager to see what he could do with better resources and better ownership support, which he didn’t have in Buffalo.
“He cut his teeth under Ron Francis and knows the organization. He’s put in the time. He’s one of these guys that has worked under some really successful executives. I have more faith in him to successfully take some big swings with the organization than I would with some other candidates.”
Kraken Headed Into The Tank?
Wyshynski revealed he’s taken heat from Kraken fans for his recommendation that Seattle tank their way to success through high draft picks. In that sentiment, he’s not alone. Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff wonders, “Will the Seattle Kraken ever get the memo?
“They held their UFAs and went into buyer mode at the trade deadline. It seems everyone except their own front office understands this team is stuck in pure Mid mode, nowhere near bad enough to bottom out and collect foundational-tier prospects nor good enough to compete for playoff spots. The Kraken would be better off moving a bunch of their veterans and starting over.”
The Kraken may not “get” the memo, but they’re preparing one in the form of a franchise-wide audit to be released next month. It may answer Larkin’s question, and ours, and yours.
Golden Knights, Tarnished Kraken
Fox 13’s Aaron Levine went there, comparing the Kraken to the Vegas Golden Knights – but not because they’re the NHL’s two most recent expansion teams.
“The Kraken have the 28th best record (now 27th!) in a 32-team league – in the fifth season of a “Five Year Plan” that we were promised when the team began play in its inaugural year. That time is up.
“And while many hate the comparisons to the Vegas Golden Knights, consider this: Vegas fired their head coach (Bruce Cassidy), who won the Stanley Cup in his first year, averaged 106 points in the standings in his first three seasons that all resulted in playoff appearances, and the Golden Knights were still on the path to a fourth straight postseason appearance this year with him as head coach.
“Now THAT is an incredibly high standard. Some would say impossible. But Vegas didn’t care.”
While it’s debatable whether the Kraken have held themselves to the same on-ice standard as Vegas, nobody can accuse them of hanging on to coaches too long.
Earlier Kraken:
— Oilers Might Fight Kraken For McMann
Glenn has apparently moved his publication home site again.
One thing about Glenn’s writing is it is obvious he makes a living off this team. So he never wants to rock the boat. I used to enjoy his writing but he refuses to call a spade a spade. Botterill has been part of the organization since the beginning. So the poor state of the roster talent is as much on him as it is on Francis. Is there any chance he can fix the poor image and construction of this franchise that he was part of building? Fat chance. Wake up Glenn, Botterill needs to go.
Paul — Your Botterill point(s) are valid. He has been around since the beginning and didn’t have much success running the Sabres prior to that. This tenure will be a true test of his abilities. Everyone deserves a second chance, I reckon. Meanwhile, Glenn isn’t an administrator on this site and can’t respond directly, but I can guarantee you he’s not afraid to criticize the team for poor performances. And he often uses sarcastic wit to do so.
I have actually been the one to post the truly critical stories of management and such, and that’s just fine for now. One can only beat a dead horse so much. The club has plenty of work to do and has missed the boat on a lot of things in terms of marketing, broadcasting, and hockey op’s. Work in progress.