<p><p>SEATTLE – You can’t blame the players for protecting their teammates.</p></p><p><p>Nobody was going to point to individual shortcomings or areas where the squad needs to beef up.</p></p><p><p>So in their final meeting with the media Wednesday, you’d hear Kraken players speak of “identity” or a lack of confidence, or having “the blueprint” for success based on the last 19 games of the season, during which Seattle went 9-8-2.</p></p><p><p>So I’ll say what they can’t. The team simply didn’t have the talent to compete for a playoff spot this season – which is something perilously close to becoming a recurring theme.</p></p><p><p>The spring of 2023 now seems about as distant as the Space Needle is to South Beach. That, of course, is when the Kraken shocked the league by not only reaching the playoffs in their second year of existence, but by knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in the first round.</p></p><p><p>The city of Seattle – which proved to be an instant hockey hotbed based on initial season ticket-sales – hit a new level of interest in the sport. The Seattle Times’ story rankings indicated as much, with the Kraken dominating the Seahawks and Mariners during their postseason run. That’s rarely the case these days. That outstanding season is beginning to look like an outlier.</p></p><p><p>Since then, the Kraken have been trending south. They accumulated 81 points last season and missed the playoffs by 17 points. This year, they finished with 76 points, tied for the fourth fewest in the NHL. Defense appeared to be the primary culprit, with Seattle finishing 22nd of 32 teams in goals allowed per game, but considering they were just 16th in goals scored, the offense was far from daunting. This is what happens when you lack top-tier star power, as the Kraken have since their inception. Players such as goalie Joey Daccord may say that the team’s shortcomings are “not as big of a fix” as they may seem, but the naked eye knows better. Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke seems to as well.</p></p><p><p>Leiweke was made available Tuesday to discuss the lowering of ticket prices for the majority of season ticket-holders – along with revamped ticket plans and concession discounts. It was a commendable move by the organization, and certainly not something it had to do. But Leiweke is as aware as anybody that, as much as the fan experience can be enhanced beyond the ice, it’s what happens inside those boards that matters most.</p></p><p><p>So in a response to a question about Yanni Gourde, the assistant captain traded away toward the end of last season, Leiweke offered a response fans likely want to hear.</p></p><p><p>“Mark my words, this is going to be one of the most active and busy offseasons in our short history, and we are going to replace the ‘A’ (Gourde) with another worthy player.”</p></p><p><p>Words, of course, are a lot different than actions, but at least the CEO is on record. What will matter more is if general manager Ron Francis – the one actually in charge of player personnel – can deliver.</p></p><p><p>Unlike with the Mariners, you can’t fault the Kraken for not shelling out money. They regularly spend to the salary cap. That spending just hasn’t produced a winning roster.</p></p><p><p>Philipp Grubauer seemed like a reasonable pickup at goalie when he signed a six-year, $35.4 million contract after his Vezina Trophy-nominated season in Colorado, but aside from his postseason brilliance two years ago, he has been subpar. Center Chandler Stephenson, an offseason free-agent acquisition, has been serviceable, but not as productive as he was during his best years in Las Vegas.</p></p><p><p>Former Kraken players such as Morgan Geekie and Ryan Donato, meanwhile, have watched their stats skyrocket since leaving Seattle. Is that because they have better teammates, or did Francis fail to recognize something?</p></p><p><p>I felt like last season was make-or-break for this team, but the next one seems even more so – especially with the Sonics return seeming imminent. Another losing record for the Kraken, and casual fans will have an easy choice when it comes to their winter-sports entertainment.</p></p><p><p>So what should Kraken die-hards hope for?</p></p><p><p>For one, see their young talent develop rapidly. Center Matty Beniers won the Calder Trophy his rookie season, but hasn’t matched that offensive potency in either of the past two years. Fellow center Shane Wright posted 19 goals and 25 assists in his first full season last year, but appears to have talent befitting of more production. It would be a bonanza if either of those two broke out next year, but that’s a big if.</p></p><p><p>What the Kraken really need to do is leverage their draft capital to attain a true scorer or two. Thanks to their trade-deadline offloading, they have five first-round picks and four second-round picks over the next three drafts. I’m not going to play GM, but that seems like ample ammunition to make some moves – and the Kraken need to make them.</p></p><p><p>Building a team from scratch isn’t easy. But this organization can’t be pleased with where it is through Year 4 – at least not on the ice. Winning takes time, yes, but time is running out.</p></p>
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