Barring the Kraken winning the NHL Draft Lottery in the spring, or even ending up with one of the highly touted top-4 picks, on-ice efforts will look much the same next season as they do now.
Seattle is operating in the murky middle. Other than Matty Beniers being selected 2nd-overall prior to the club’s inaugural season in 2021 and Shane Wright going 4th-overall the following summer, the Kraken haven’t sank far enough in the standings since then to garner a top-5 pick.
It’s exactly what they need and it could happen this next summer.
In the meantime, the build — it’s not a rebuild, since it’s only the 5th year of the club’s existence — continues to plod along. Don’t expect much of an improvement next season. There’s nothing overly inspiring about the veteran line-up. They blueline is actually a strong suit, although not getting any younger, while the key forwards need to decide if they want to stick around for the long haul or run off to try and win a Stanley Cup.
Captain Jordan Eberle’s name jumps to the forefront. The soon-to-be 36-year-old has never won one, and he won’t be winning one in Seattle.
If he’s got a competitive bone in his body, and we know he has lots of them, Eberle would likely want to get a crack at it elsewhere as opposed to simply riding off into the sunset as the leader of a team that’s not an immediate threat.
Jaden Schwartz has lifted the chalice, in St. Louis with the Blues in 2019, but he might want to try adding another. He’s 33.
Both are pending unrestricted free agents and both will have control of the decision making process for the trade market prior to the March 6th deadline. Eberle has a complete no trade clause, he could lift it if he likes a potential destination, while Schwartz can pick 16 of 32 teams where he might want to go.
Yes, the club has some young talent moving along through the development pipeline, but then again the same can be said for most NHL teams, and in many cases it’s sales propaganda. Franchises need to try and keep those faithful ticket buyers believing.
Believe this; especially considering what the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Utah Mammoth have been doing in terms of improvement in the west, and regardless of how lucky they get in the Draft, the Kraken are at least two years away from being a playoff threat.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Dismantling Begins; Marchment Traded
