Kraken pre-season predictions

[majormajor]

don't bet on the media changing its narrative on seattle to be a more positive one. I kinda figure they'll find something to continue their narrative against seattle.

Everything I saw last year was super positive. Not sure what you're referring to.

We're still getting the expansion kid gloves treatment.

 

[Quackenator]

Think we are still a bubble team as well but I'm leaning more positive than some others. I really didnt like Jones and Daccord is an upgrade to me in net. Hoping Gru is more settled now and will have a slightly better year. I also didnt care for Sprong and having a full year with Tolvanen should be a plus. Defense is just about the same in my eyes. Honestly just getting rid of Jones and Sprong was a positive for me. Our prospect pool is brewing pretty good too i think.

 

[Kevinsane]

Everything I saw last year was super positive. Not sure what you're referring to.

We're still getting the expansion kid gloves treatment.

With that, though, comes the “Bettman gifted them a playoff team!” whining from fans of teams the Kraken finish higher than or beat in the playoffs.
The same fans, generally, who laughed in 2021 and stated “fRaNcIs EFFeD tHe eXpAnSiOn dRaFt!”

 

[The Marquis]

With that, though, comes the “Bettman gifted them a playoff team!” whining from fans of teams the Kraken finish higher than or beat in the playoffs.
The same fans, generally, who laughed in 2021 and stated “fRaNcIs EFFeD tHe eXpAnSiOn dRaFt!”

Yep. For sure. The narrative always changes.

 

[GrungeHockey]

With that, though, comes the “Bettman gifted them a playoff team!” whining from fans of teams the Kraken finish higher than or beat in the playoffs.
The same fans, generally, who laughed in 2021 and stated “fRaNcIs EFFeD tHe eXpAnSiOn dRaFt!”

Well whiners gonna whine and even in the case of Vegas, after they had their draft and all their side deals, nobody was whining until they kept slowly winning games and then it started and still goes on. Were the Kraken gifted anything? Really don't see that. If you look at that expansion draft roster we turned it over pretty fast and there aren't many people left from it. In 2 short years no less. GM been busy.
I was talking to some old Sabres fans I know and they were whining to me that the Kraken had an unfair advantage over them and so I asked them. Would you have traded the entire expansion roster for the entire Sabres roster and they all said no way. Point being, our GM has done a great job, and whiners, well they just gonna whine.

 

[Hocktopus]

Plus, we have to remember that many people laughed at Seattle's expansion selections. As well, the Kraken were at a disadvantage for the expansion draft compared to Vegas.

For Vegas expansion draft, the other teams were falling all over themselves and made a ton of side deals to protect their rosters. Remember Columbus giving up a 1st rounder for Vegas to pick Carlsson? Or Florida giving up both Riley Smith AND Marchessaoult? Well, NHL GMs learned from their mistakes and were nowhere near as generous when it was Seattle's turn. For the Kraken's expansion draft, teams were leaving high priced, aging vets available, daring Seattle to select them and there were no sweetheart deals like Vegas had.

Despite the disadvantage that we had compared to Vegas, Ron Francis has done a great job acquiring depth on the cheap (such as Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen) and has built a good team in a short time period

 

[majormajor]

With that, though, comes the “Bettman gifted them a playoff team!” whining from fans of teams the Kraken finish higher than or beat in the playoffs.
The same fans, generally, who laughed in 2021 and stated “fRaNcIs EFFeD tHe eXpAnSiOn dRaFt!”

Plus, we have to remember that many people laughed at Seattle's expansion selections. As well, the Kraken were at a disadvantage for the expansion draft compared to Vegas.

For Vegas expansion draft, the other teams were falling all over themselves and made a ton of side deals to protect their rosters. Remember Columbus giving up a 1st rounder for Vegas to pick Carlsson? Or Florida giving up both Riley Smith AND Marchessaoult? Well, NHL GMs learned from their mistakes and were nowhere near as generous when it was Seattle's turn. For the Kraken's expansion draft, teams were leaving high priced, aging vets available, daring Seattle to select them and there were no sweetheart deals like Vegas had.

Despite the disadvantage that we had compared to Vegas, Ron Francis has done a great job acquiring depth on the cheap (such as Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen) and has built a good team in a short time period

To be fair, many of us Kraken fans are still interpreting and re-interpreting Francis' moves trying to figure out what his master plan is / was. I don't think he screwed up but I'm not sure what he was trying to do in the first place.

 

[Hocktopus]

To be fair, many of us Kraken fans are still interpreting and re-interpreting Francis' moves trying to figure out what his master plan is / was. I don't think he screwed up but I'm not sure what he was trying to do in the first place.

I can understand that, I mean I still scratch my head on some of the picks like Carsen Twarynski (and this is coming from a die-hard Kelowna Rockets fan) but Francis has been shrewd in some of his moves like I mentioned earlier (Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen) and he has made some good FA signings without going overboard and giving out bad contracts!

 

[Kevinsane]

I can understand that, I mean I still scratch my head on some of the picks like Carsen Twarynski (and this is coming from a die-hard Kelowna Rockets fan) but Francis has been shrewd in some of his moves like I mentioned earlier (Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen) and he has made some good FA signings without going overboard and giving out bad contracts!

Rockets fan here, too!
I lived in Summerland during the Kelly Guard years.

 

[Toomany7pins]

The kraken don’t give up many shots, but they give up good shots when they do, which is a problem they need to solve this year.

If playoff Gru shows up, and stays healthy good things will happen.

Need Matty to take the next step and Wright needs to make the team and be a solid contributor.

As always the core of the team needs to stay healthy.