Kraken Preseason Profile
Jared McCann
29-year-old, left shot forward
6-foot-1, 190 pounds.
Yes PP, Yes PK
Why not start at the top. Jared McCann has led the Kraken in scoring in all four seasons of the franchise’s existence. He’s also versatile, able to play in the middle or on either wing.
Last season, McCann played the full 82-game schedule for the first time in his career. Apparently he sucked it up to get that done, as he faced undisclosed surgery in April that included six-weeks of recovery time. He’s expected to be fully healthy for training camp.
So it’s not surprise that a number of NHL teams were inquiring about the 29-year-old lefty’s availability this past summer. From our first hand reporting, we learned the Kraken told suitors “he’s not being traded”.
Of course, everything has its price, should a team offer a king’s ransom, but at this point Seattle should make every effort to hold on to him. $5-million for another two seasons, starting with 2025-’26, is a freaking bargain.
The Kraken don’t have a true top line. With Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson as their top two pivots, accompanied by an array of veteran wingers, it doesn’t really make sense to put a label on the lines. 1A and 1B works. Given the franchise’s perpetual lack of star power at the top, this is a labelling issue former head coach Dave Hakstol used to stress all of the time. “We don’t number our lines,” he’d say.
Long story short, McCann could end up slotted on what looks like the 2nd line on a depth chart next to Stephenson, but it doesn’t really matter. He’d likely be just as effective centering two other wingers, a task he handled rather well mostly under “Hak”.
He’s led the team with 50 points, 70, 62, and the 61. No, those aren’t incredible numbers, driving home the point about the lack of a superstar, but it also points to McCann’s consistency, ability to play the game the right way, and take advantage of opportunities. Last season he set a career high with 39 assists. In 2022-’23, leading to the club’s lone playoff bid, he ripped home a career high 40 goals.
“I think I was just kind of shooting everything from everywhere, some were going in and some weren’t,” he said this past spring of his 2023 finish. “I think moving forward I need to get back to that a little bit more.”
His shooting percentage that season was a whopping 23%, more than double what it was in 2024-’25.
Not a bad idea; a shoot-first mentality. Volume often leads to success, or as we like to say, “send the puck to the net and good things happen.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Beniers Looks To Take Big Step
