Seattle Kraken Face Uncertain Future After Missing Playoffs for Fifth Time in Six Seasons

The Seattle Kraken will watch the Stanley Cup playoffs from home for the fifth time in six seasons. The elimination became official Saturday when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers, ending any mathematical hope for Seattle's postseason berth.

The timing feels familiar. Just as the Kraken were formally knocked out, news broke that president of hockey operations Ron Francis will step down at season's end. Francis was the franchise's first general manager, hired in 2019 to build what was supposed to be a sustainable winner. Five years later, the foundation remains very much in question.

The numbers explain the disappointment. From the Olympics break through last week's loss to Calgary, Seattle went an abysmal 7-14-2, a stretch that buried any realistic playoff hopes. The Kraken currently rank tied for 26th in scoring at 2.78 goals per game, 23rd defensively allowing 3.11 goals against, and their penalty kill sits dead last in the league at 71.6 percent.

Perhaps most troubling: there is no clear direction from within the organization. When asked to identify a single cornerstone player on the current roster or in the pipeline, the list comes up empty. Matty Beniers has not developed into that player. Shane Wright has not developed into that player. No one in the system has announced themselves as a foundational piece worth building around.

General manager Jason Botterill finds himself in an interesting position this summer. The Kraken will have $28.3 million in salary cap space to spend, but spending money is not the same as spending wisely. The franchise has already burned through three head coaches in five seasons, most recently replacing Dan Bylsma after just one year. If the new president of hockey operations wants a different GM, the coaching staff could be next to change.

Seattle does hold its first-round draft pick this summer. Currently sitting with the sixth-worst record in the NHL, the Kraken will add a talented prospect to a system that desperately needs one.

The franchise remains committed to building something lasting in the Pacific Northwest. But as the organization faces its latest reckoning, it is becoming harder to argue the turnaround is close.