(Seattle) When Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis takes turns in his team’s locker room or hits the road with them these days, he can see something that was rare in the inaugural season. that is, smiles that come from the successes of the season.
The All-Star Game break has arrived and the Kraken are first in the Pacific Division, heading for a possible playoff berth.
“An 82-game schedule is not an easy task, as we witnessed last year,” said Francis. To see the players smile a little more, have fun and enjoy the atmosphere of practices, on the plane and on the bus, is probably what has been the most rewarding for me lately. »
After a disappointing first season, the Kraken find themselves in the playoff race this year with their record of 29-15-5 (63 points). The team had eight- and seven-game winning streaks and had more success on the road than at home, something that could prove crucial in the playoffs.
It’s good to see those successes, especially for those who endured an inaugural season where the team won just 27 games and had only 60 points.
“Everything is a little more familiar to us this season,” forward Jordan Eberle said. I hope we gain popularity with the fans and our performance wins us more. »
The Kraken are on track to become the team with the biggest year-over-year point improvement of any expansion team in the league since 1991.
Only once has a team won 29 of its first 49 games and failed to make the playoffs: In 2010-11, the Dallas Stars were 29-15-5, but finished 42-29-11 and missed the series by two points.
Despite his 23e ranking on the power play, the Kraken are fifth in the NHL in goals per game with an average of 3.61.
This season, the Kraken have 14 players with at least 20 points and 12 with at least eight goals.
Some of the big names on the team didn’t score as much as expected, but others contributed more offensively than expected.
Daniel Sprong didn’t have a contract when he attended Kraken camp this summer. He finally earned himself a roster spot and proved to Francis he made the right call, setting personal highs in goals (15) and points (28) with just over half the season played.
Waiverd by the Predators, Eeli Tolvanen was claimed by the Kraken and found a role on the third line. The latter scored eight goals in 15 games.
The challenge for the Kraken will be to maintain the momentum for the remaining 33 games of the season.
Injuries are starting to creep in, with Justin Schultz, Jaden Schwartz and star rookie Matty Beniers out.
Beniers will not be at the NHL All-Star Game and will be replaced by Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson.
The injuries to those players raise questions about the Kraken’s approach to the March 3 trade deadline.