As the 2024-25 NHL season draws to a close, a young hockey fan’s fancy naturally turns to the wildest rumors, predictions, and even random conspiracy theories they can find. As with all speculation, these Seattle Kraken thoughts are presented without guarantee and may turn out not to be worth the pixels used to write them.
Conspiracy Theory: Kraken Want Campbell As HC
Anthony Trudeau of Daily Faceoff hated the hiring of new Kraken coach Lane Lambert. “Picking the franchise’s third bench boss would be an early indication of whether (Seattle) wanted to win now or commit to building through the draft.
“Somehow, it did neither. Lane Lambert was a longtime Barry Trotz assistant who quickly undid most of his mentor’s good work in just over a year-and-a-half in charge of the New York Islanders. Lambert wasn’t ready for the big chair, and the team’s vaunted defensive structure crumbled under his leadership.”
Unduly harsh, no? The Islanders were 5th in the NHL in goals-against per game during Lambert’s one full season behind the bench. Their GAPG actually dropped slightly compared to Trotz’s last season. But there was one more bomb to drop. “Put on your tin foil hat, and this hire feels a lot like a cheap placeholder by an organization that’s very clearly grooming assistant Jessica Campbell for a historic promotion.”
Glenn Probability Index: <1%. Even tin foil can’t protect this absurdity from the barest scrutiny. So the Kraken front office is rooting for their new coaching hire to fail? Not bloody likely.
As to Campbell, she’s acquitted herself well as Dan Bylsma’s assistant, both at the AHL and NHL levels. But she’s not nearly ready to be an NHL head coach – yet. Being female is immaterial. Being nine days shy of her 33rd birthday is material. Campbell hasn’t had time to gain the seasoning needed to accept a bench boss assignment. It would be patently unfair to ask her to try, without even one minor league head coaching gig on her resume.
Here’s hoping “NHL Head Coach Jessica Campbell” is a sentence we’ll get to write some day, in Seattle or elsewhere – and by that time, that other women have followed in her footsteps.
Prediction One: Naming Daccord’s New Backup In Goal
At Dobber Hockey, Alex MacLean foresees a change in the Seattle net. “I expect (Philipp) Grubauer to be bought out or traded by the Kraken. They could give an opportunity to Victor Ostman. (Ostman split time between AHL Coachella Valley and ECHL Kansas City last season, appearing in one game for the Kraken.)
“The more likely option sees them bring in someone like (Alexandar) Georgiev to spell Daccord for 25 games, or maybe even more if a more goalie-friendly environment helps Georgiev regain some of his form from a few years ago.”
@Jennthulhu_Photos
Glenn Probability Index: 25%. The first half of the parlay is more likely. Grubauer apologists worry about the salary cap implications of a buyout, and still hold out hope he can recover his pre-Kraken form. But doing the same thing for a fifth consecutive season and expecting a different result is the definition of, well, you know.
Replacing one fading former Avalanche goalie with another is far less certain. Georgiev, who finished last season with San Jose, is a pending free agent. Whoever the Kraken hire as their new goalie coach may play a role on the direction they go for a backup.
Prediction Two: Kraken Prepared To Wield Offer Sheets
A brokerage firm many years ago ran ads claiming, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” We didn’t know at the time that the E.F. stood for Elliotte Friedman. These days, when the premiere hockey insider talks, everyone in the NHL listens.
Discussing the use of offer sheets, here’s what Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think Seattle is really eager to take a step this year. They have a lot of cap room, a lot of draft picks. Seattle has the flexibility to go down that route.”
Glenn Probability Index: 50%. Far be it from me to pooh-pooh anything suggested by E.F. The Kraken have a new general manager in Jason Botterill; he knows both ownership and fans want bold moves to improve the club right away, and offer sheets are one weapon in his arsenal.
Three reasons why Botterill might not go that route. First, teams have seven days to match any offer, so there’s no guarantee a restricted free agent who signs will be an RFA you get. Second, signing players via offer sheets isn’t viewed by league GMs as playing nice. That matters, because Botterill has to deal on a regular basis with his 31 counterparts. Third, the sliding scale of compensation for acquiring a player via offer sheet can run as dear as four 1st round draft picks.
As of June 13, 82 NHL players are eligible to be signed to offer sheets starting July 1. These include Kraken RFAs Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye. (View the entire list here.)
At this point, don’t get too attached to any names on that list. Speculation that this or that player would be a “perfect fit” for the Kraken is clickbait. Many of those 82, including the Seattle trio, in the next three weeks will accept new contracts from their current teams, removing them from offer sheet eligibility.
A Personal Note About Story Topics
I appreciate those of you who read my stories, and those who take the time to comment.
Recently, different opinions were expressed about the balance between my Kraken columns and those covering the expansion PWHL Seattle franchise. That ‘s a fair topic, so here’s a story breakdown. What you’re reading now is my 48th published story since the end of the Kraken’s 2024-25 season. .
- Kraken stories: 38 (a couple of those covered the AHL Firebirds)
- PWHL Seattle stories: 7
- Updates on Kraken at 2025 IIHF World Championship: 30
- Seattle Pride Classic: 2
38 Kraken stories in two months with long stretches of little news, and zero games – and without resorting to clickbait – is pretty good! In writing about Seattle’s new women’s professional team, I haven’t slighted my Kraken coverage in any way, at any time.
I feel strongly that coverage drives interest just as much as interest should dictate coverage. Women’s pro hockey, in its infancy here, richly deserves its share of hockey media oxygen – just as we all want the sport we love to have more of a presence in the greater sports media universe.
If you have ideas for topics you’d like me to cover, let me know in the comments, and I’ll do my best to accommodate you. Thanks.