With five Seattle Kraken games remaining in the 2024-25 season, Seattle could realistically finish anywhere between 24th and 29th in the composite league standings.
Final point totals (and tiebreakers, if needed) will determine the order for both the May Draft Lottery and June’s Entry Draft. San Jose, Chicago and Nashville will have the fewest points. Then it’s a bunching of the Flyers, Bruins, Kraken, Sabres, Penguins and Ducks, all between 71-74 points after last weekend’s games. Winning the Lottery could push any of these teams into the 1st or 2nd overall picks in the first round.
For Kraken fans on “Team Tank,” Seattle has a significantly tougher remaining schedule than any of the squads below them in the standings. Don’t let any of this hurt your brain, because it’ll sort itself out between now and the end of the regular season Apr. 17. In the meantime, here’s today’s snapshot of the draft order.
Why We’re Not Talking About Kraken Playoff Race
Experts – and those who think they’re experts – aren’t waiting for the season to end to do an autopsy on the Kraken.
Derek Van Diest, NHL.com: “Only the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, two rebuilding teams, (and now Anaheim) have conceded more goals than Seattle in the Western Conference. The Kraken are allowing 3.16 goals per game, putting a lot of pressure on their offense to overcome defensive deficiencies.
“Seattle’s power play has not been much of a threat, converting at 19.2 percent through 74 games and ranking 23rd in the NHL. Eberle has one power-play goal in 34 games this season. The penalty kill has also struggled, ranking 22nd in the League with a success rate of 76.5 percent.”
Carter Hutton, DailyFaceoff.com: “If you don’t have a superstar in the regular season, it’s really tough to get in the playoffs. You have to play a certain way to get into the playoffs. You have to be able to run and gun, you have to be able to outscore teams, but then you have to be able to grind teams out come playoff time, and I just feel like they’re kind of caught in between.
“I know you can’t grow superstars on trees. They have to be homegrown. It’s very tricky to find them in free agency. The bar was set very early with that playoff run they had, and now expectations are higher in Seattle.”
Justin Gianpietro, TheHockeyWriters.com: “Let’s begin with Seattle’s approach to free agency, starting with Philipp Grubauer. The Kraken gave him a six-year contract worth $5.9 million annually. Very quickly, Grubauer became virtually unplayable. Among netminders with 500 unblocked shot attempts faced since 2021-22, he ranks dead last in goals saved above average, goals saved above expected, and in the bottom 20 for save percentage.
“There’s a reason why the Golden Knights chose to move off of Chandler Stephenson and went from the eighth seed in the Western Conference to the best in the Pacific (as it stands). That’s because Stephenson wasn’t essential to their success.”
Kraken Reportedly Organizing New Rookie Tournament
The Kraken reportedly won’t be sending prospects back to the same Rookie Faceoff as they did last season.
Seattle sent a team to Southern California for the first time last September – because 2024 was the first time the young franchise had a stable of prospects large enough to participate.
Other teams involved were the Kings, Ducks, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Sharks and Utah HC. Kraken draftees, minus college players, met similar squads representing Colorado and Vegas at the Kings’ practice facility.
According to MayorsManor.com, “We were hearing Seattle would not participate this year (and likely not moving forward). They are said to be joining Vancouver for a similar rookie tournament in the Pacific Northwest.”