Many years ago, a pair of Washington Post sports columnists had a standing golf course bet. The loser would be forced to write the next hockey column, on the rare occasion one would be deemed necessary. That’s the level of disdain they had for the sport, with one once writing, “If they played the Stanley Cup in my backyard, I’d close the shades.”
That too-common media state of mind makes me especially appreciate that Seattle Times columnists regularly devote pixels and ink to the Seattle Kraken. Part of the chicken-or-the-egg question for hockey is always, “Does media coverage boost the game’s popularity, or should the sport’s relative unpopularity drive (away) media coverage?”
This is prelude to Matt Calkin’s Mar. 9 Times column regarding the Kraken’s “relevancy.” I’ll explain why I don’t fully agree with many of his points. But that doesn’t diminish my appreciation for his efforts in covering the team (or the fact that sometimes I don’t know what I’m talking about).
With that said, let’s dive into what Calkin wrote.
“The fact that Seattle seems so far away from a Stanley Cup run may turn off some prospective players.”
This applies only to free agents, and sure, some will only want to sign with a serious contender. But that didn’t concern Philipp Grubauer, Andre Burakovsky, Chandler Stephenson or Brandon Montour.
Regardless of how you evaluate those signings, four free agents so far found that dollars and term erased any doubts about the team’s chances. Others will follow suit. Plus, the facilities are first rate, there’s no state income tax, and Puget Sound’s a pretty attractive region to move to, don’t you think?
“If they are to fight for fans with the potential return of the Sonics, the team’s current situation feels particularly daunting.”
Whether the Kraken are contenders or bottom-dwellers will only make an incremental difference if and when the NBA returns. The Sonics will be enormously popular, and NBA basketball is exponentially more popular than NHL hockey in these parts.
That’s no slight against hockey, a superior sport in my opinion. But in most of the U.S., including here, it’s a niche sport. There’s nothing wrong with that. The Kraken, who may be owned by the same people who will own the Sonics, should concentrate on building a winner, not attempting to fight a losing battle with Sonics 2.0.
“That run in 2023 may have fooled some fans into thinking they were matching the pace the Golden Knights established a few years earlier.”
Agreed. Tremendous fun in the short term, fools’ gold in the long term. It’s not the fans’ impatience I’m worried about, though; it’s ownership’s. In the face of sagging attendance, ownership must refrain from seeking quick fixes that don’t really fix anything.
“Will there ever be a star? Because you need a couple of those to win in the NHL.”
The answer to that question is “Yes.” Between now and when the Sun goes supernova, leaving Earth a smoldering husk, the Kraken will have their own McDavid or Crosby or Ovechkin or MacKinnon or Bedard or Matthews or… Who knows? That player may already be a Kraken draftee.
Even if he’s not, remember that superstars in hockey play less than half of each game, sometimes less than a third. Partly for that reason, partly because helmets and the speed of the game make players hard to follow, NHL superstars don’t put butts in seats or change TV remotes like their NFL, MLB or NBA counterparts. A collection of high-end talent, sure, that’s a necessity. But not a “generational talent.”
“What they don’t have is any track record of luring top-tier talent.”
Earlier, Matt, you said the team’s poor performance might turn off free agents. Only in 2023 did Seattle avoid that roadblock. In any case, the sample size, 3+ seasons, is too small to sustain this claim. If GM Ron Francis manages his salary cap moving forward, top-tier talent will come. And if Montour doesn’t fit that description, he’s darn close.
“The man who’s not looking too shabby right now is former Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. It doesn’t seem like the issue was coaching.”
Amen. Amen. And may I say in conclusion, Amen. Hakstol was a fall guy, as so many NHL coaches are.
“Matty Beniers just hasn’t developed.”
If you mean that Beniers hasn’t blossomed into a 30-goal, 80-point producer (yet), okay. His game has improved in so many areas, and he continues to be responsible beyond his years in all three zones. He’s part of an exciting young core with Shane Wright and Kaapo Kakko. Put better players around him, where opponents can’t target him, and his offense will continue to improve.
“This will be a crucial offseason for Francis, who has yet to make that signature acquisition that wows the fan base and frightens opponents.”
Unfortunately, I agree. Being an expansion GM is in many ways a thankless task. He deserves to see his draft picks reach Seattle, but he might not get that chance.
“It wouldn’t be a grand surprise if they used these draft picks to build a mainstay atop the standings two or three years down the road.”
That’s how a sustainable contender is built. In the salary cap era, it’s practically the ONLY way a sustainable contender is built. Trades and free agents are part of the equation, but they cost too much to acquire too many of them.
Patience, a quality often in short supply among both fan bases and media, is essential. Four seasons may seem a long time, but it’s not. Ask the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Vancouver Canucks, or Buffalo Sabres, or…