Several times now I have complained about the scheduling for the Kraken. I think people really underestimated how difficult it was going to be for a brand new team, where every player is new and not yet fully comfortable with their teammates to start the year on a five game road trip. Since coming home and having their fans behind them, Seattle has looked like a much better team.
While Seattle lost their home opener, much of that was due to some spectacular goaltending by Thatcher Demko who was the MVP for the Canucks in that game. At home the Kraken have been a much stronger team and have not been getting caught out like they were on the road. Seattle now has strung together there first two game winning streak in franchise history and find themselves right in the middle of the Pacific Division. This is where I expect this team to be for the rest of the season, fighting tooth and nail to be in the middle of the pack.
Here are some highlights from the past couple of games.
Since the Expansion Draft, I felt like the strongest part of this Seattle team was their blueline. In the first few games that was not the case and the blueline outright cost Seattle some games but since returning home the blueline has been contributing. Mark Giordano has 2 goals and 5 points in his first 8 games, Vince Dunn scored the first goal at home, and now Haydn Fleury has burst onto the scene, with a 2 goal performance against the Wild. Fleury's first goal was just an absolute bomb from the point but his second goal was an aggressive move for the young defender. Fleury skated right up to the net, took a shot, collected his own rebound before coming around the net for the wrap-around goal.
I thought Seattle's defense would overall commit to a stay at home game but instead Hakstol has encouraged all his D-men to jump into the play. Even the most shutdown options like Larsson and Oleksiak have looked far more aggressive than they did with their previous teams.
Don't discount how much the return of Yanni Gourde has impacted this team. Not only does the former Cup winner have four points (1-3-4) in his first four games but he is a skilled veteran who has helped to calm down his line in a way that the young Jared McCann just can't do yet. Gourde has helped to improve the team in the middle too, giving the Kraken another 50%+ faceoff man.
I know the beginning of his season was disrupted due to COVID but I don't get why Hakstol likes Jarnkrok in the top six so much. While his defensive game is good the play seems to die on his stick in the offensive zone and he has yet to register a point. I would rather see McCann on the left side in the top six and Donskoi in Jarnkrok's spot. Keep Jarnkrok in the bottom six until he gets fully up to speed.
Geekie is in an odd spot right now. I think it's the right move to move him to the wing instead of having to worry about the burdens of being a centre but on the fourth line next to Sheahan I don't think you are letting him be the player that he should be. I would rather see Geekie on a third line with the likes of a McCann centring him or at least with a guy like Tanev who has been red hot.
Speaking of Tanev, how can you not be excited for this guy? Eight games into the season and the 29 year old has 6 goals and is looking like he will blow his previous career high of 14 goals out of the water by December. Currently Tanev is rocking a 33SH% which is completely unsustainable but what's promising is Tanev is still averaging over 2 shots a game. Even when his production takes a step back, as long as he is shooting good volume he will be a useful player.
After some rough outings, Grubauer has looked far better in his last two starts, posting a 0.958SV% against the Canadiens and a 0.968SV% against the Wild. As the group around him starts to perform stronger and understand the system, Grubauer should be back to his old ways.
Mason Appleton needs to find a way to get more engaged in the play. Through seven games, Appleton only has nine shots on net and only six hits. He has not registered any takeaways or giveaways either, in fact I had to kind of wrack my brain to think of any specific plays where he has had the puck for an extended period of time. Appleton has never been an overly physical player and his 12 goals in 56 games last season might be an outlier but he needs to work with his coaching staff and figure out the role he can adapt to help out his team.
Seattle will enjoy a couple of days off before taking on the New York Rangers at home on Sunday.
What have been your thoughts on the Kraken during this homestand?