Glenn Dreyfuss, DJLR: “Jason, you were quoted as saying that you envisioned the Kraken being in the mix for a playoff spot for the next couple of years. What is the long term blueprint for getting to Stanley Cup contender status, and timeline in your mind about when you might get there?”
Seattle Kraken screengrab
Jason Botterill, Kraken general manager: “We like our our mix of veteran players and younger players. We have a coach that’s won the Stanley Cup. We have six players that won a Stanley Cup. Competing for a playoff spot is something that certainly is our expectation.
“I think a big message is to continue to focus in on player development. And when we talk about player development, people think it’s just the young players. Yes, we’re going to work very closely with (Berkly) Catton and (Jani) Nyman, Shane Wright, to take the next step. But we’re also going to be working to get the best out of our veteran players.
“On day one in practice, it was intense. There was a lot of compete, a lot of battle, but there were also stoppages. (Kraken coach) Lane (Lambert) wants to keep the tempo of practice going.
“But when there’s an opportunity for a learning moment, you’re going to stop and talk about it. That’s going to allow us to move on to our system right away.”
Glenn Dreyfuss, DJLR: “Jason, you mingled with the season ticket holders at KCI. What kind of feedback and what kind of vibe you were getting from them?
Jason Botterill, Kraken GM: “It was a great environment. You see a game at the National Hockey League level, you always see the talent and it’s impressive, but you are always a little further back.
“At KCI, so close to the ice, you realize how quick the game is and how fast these players are moving out there. Shane Wright’s gained an extra step, him utilizing his speed. We were just talking about it. Like, you understand that (6-foot-7 Kraken defenseman) Jamie Oleksiak is a big man, but then you get right up against the glass. It’s amazing how big he is.
“So that was a lot of the feedback, ‘Great being that close, interacting with the players.’ It was supportive.”
Botterill’s Thoughts On Several Camp Veterans
Goalie Joey Daccord: “Joey’s done a great job of developing into a number one goalie in the National Hockey League. It’s great to see a goalie that was playing games for us in the (AHL) Calder Cup Finals, to now be in the mix to possibly make a U.S. Olympic team. We’re ecstatic that Joey got the opportunity to be at the USA orientation camp. He certainly deserved that opportunity.”
Defenseman Brandon Montour: “He’s come in in great shape. It’s disappointing he can’t be out there right away, because he is a driver of our intensity and our pace of practices. (Montour will miss two weeks of camp after undergoing minor surgery.) But we try to get this procedure done now so he doesn’t have to deal with it throughout the season. Our whole mindset is, he’ll be ready to go for game one against Anaheim.”
Goalie Matt Murray, signed this offseason: “He’s obviously had to deal with some surgeries, which has been difficult. But you see a player who is, I think, hungry to win a spot and hungry to get back to the National Hockey League. He feels healthy. He feels ready to go. Years ago, I worked with him when he started out in Pittsburgh. He was so skinny with his upper body. He was, you know, so frail. But he’s worked very hard at his conditioning to add more strength and be ready to go.”
Forward Jared McCann, returning from offseason surgery: “We’re going to be a team that needs to continue to look for goals. He’s a guy that can provide us goals. He can play both special teams for us if needed. So that versatility of being able to play a lot of different spots in our lineup, the speed that he has, the shot, we’re ecstatic to have him back.”
Center Matty Beniers: “We love his two-way play. He’s always going to have that defensive mindset. The more that we can help him grow his offensive game, whether that’s putting him in better shooting positions, get him to the net more, those are the key things.”