Seattle Kraken's Deep-Seated Organizational Problems

The Seattle Kraken are undergoing management changes this offseason with Ron Francis stepping down as President of Hockey Operations. Francis, the team's inaugural general manager, moved into the presidential role earlier this season when Jason Botterill was promoted to general manager.

Despite Francis's departure, the Kraken organization is examining the root causes of their struggles since their inception in the 2021-22 season. The team is set to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year and has only qualified for the postseason once in their first four seasons. Some argue that their 2023 playoff appearance was a matter of luck.

Since that playoff berth, the management team has been criticized for a series of poor decisions. A notable example is allowing Morgan Geekie to leave without receiving compensation. The team opted not to qualify the then 24-year-old forward after he posted a 9-goal, 19-assist season in 69 games. Geekie has since become a prolific scorer for the Bruins, recording 89 goals over the past three seasons, including 37 this current season. A team seeking offensive firepower would undoubtedly benefit from a player with such scoring prowess.

In response to the team's performance over the last three seasons, CEO Tod Leiweke announced that the organization will conduct an independent audit of its hockey operations, with the current general manager spearheading the review.

“We are going to conduct a full independent audit of hockey operations. Jason (Botterill) will lead it, but we’re going to bring fresh eyes and make sure that there’s no stone unturned,” Leiweke stated.

The question arises: what does this audit truly entail? How can flaws within a hockey operations department be identified and quantified? The investigation may need to trace back to the team's 2021 expansion draft.

It's possible the review will extend even further, back to the hiring of Ron Francis. During his eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes (from 2014 to 2018), in roles ranging from director of hockey operations to general manager and then president of hockey operations, he failed to lead them to the playoffs. While he was involved in drafting talented players like forwards Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas (now with Colorado), and Morgan Geekie (initially drafted by Carolina, now in Boston), as well as defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce, his track record in Seattle followed a similar pattern.

Francis attempted to replicate his strategy with Seattle, this time with the advantage of drafting NHL-ready players rather than needing to develop them. However, the team acquired players like Taylor Hall, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikita Zadorov, Brandon Montour (who signed as a free agent in 2024), and Gabriel Landeskog, among others.

The construction of the team was flawed, prioritizing complementary pieces over genuine difference-makers. While Seattle aimed to emulate the Vegas Golden Knights' successful expansion strategy from 2017, NHL general managers became wiser after Vegas's immediate trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Nevertheless, Seattle had a pool of talent to choose from.

The strategy of building a team based on analytics and data proved unsuccessful, as did the emphasis on drafting. The team was built around its defense, lacking a pure offensive sniper capable of changing the game. This is precisely the type of player the Seattle Kraken attempted to acquire this season. While Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson are solid defensemen, the signing of Chandler Stephenson is increasingly viewed as a misstep.

The ultimate goal is for the Seattle Kraken to become a consistent playoff team capable of contending for a championship. While replicating the Vegas Golden Knights' immediate success may be unrealistic, there are evident issues in how the Kraken operate their team. Seattle is a strong hockey market, but the Kraken are struggling to compete with the success of the Seattle Mariners (who reached the ALCS) and the Seattle Seahawks (who won the Super Bowl).

Leiweke has indicated that a new strategic plan is necessary and that fans will be kept informed of its progress.

“We’re going to develop a multi-faceted, multi-year plan to strengthen our roster. We talk a lot about recruiting free agents. We’ve got to do more to make this a hockey city to keep players, to attract other players. We’re going to set mile markers. Fans are going to know where we are,” Leiweke explained.

The Kraken reportedly pursued Artemi Panarin, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou, among others. However, it was widely understood that Panarin would not sign with Seattle, as he desired to play in a major metropolitan area, despite reports of a lucrative contract offer. The appeal of a no-state income tax quickly diminishes if the team is not competitive. This was a lesson learned by the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators before their respective ascents.

Winning is a crucial factor for players. This is why they are drawn to organizations such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth, Golden Knights, and Panthers. Financial compensation often becomes secondary when a team is not winning, and the Kraken have not achieved sufficient success.

Francis was part of the problem and ultimately decided it was in the best interest of the business to step down. The failure to move their remaining three pending unrestricted free agents (Jamie Oleksiak, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jaden Schwartz) after trading Mason Marchment and re-signing Jordan Eberle was a mistake. Acquiring more assets for these players should have been a priority.

While the addition of Bobby McMann is significant, he is also a pending UFA at the end of the season. At the trade deadline, the team held the second wild-card spot and was still in contention within the weak Pacific division. However, if they had no intention of re-signing their UFAs, they should have secured assets in return. Merely scraping into the playoffs and being eliminated in the first round would not have advanced the team's progress. Another opportunity was missed.

As Leiweke has repeatedly stated, "We have a hell of a lot of work to do. There is a burning fire to get this fixed." The situation in Seattle is indeed a significant challenge.

While the Kraken are retaining Botterill to oversee both hockey operations and general management during what is yet to be determined as a rebuild or retool, a rebuild focused on acquiring the right young talent is likely necessary. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Lane Lambert will remain as head coach, as Leiweke was non-committal regarding his future.

Losing organizations often find themselves trapped in a cycle of instability. Constant changes in coaching can hinder player development and continuity. Therefore, addressing coaching stability is a critical first step. The endless cycle of hiring and firing coaches must cease. The organization needs to identify the right leadership, commit to a long-term plan, and then find players capable of executing that plan.

If the Seattle Kraken face further setbacks, it may be a common growing pain for expansion franchises. However, had the initial foundation been laid correctly, such extensive reevaluation might not be necessary.