The 2022-23 season was a major success for not only the Seattle Kraken franchise but for Jared McCann. He’d been trending in this direction over the past several years, and some could argue that his 27-goal, 50-point campaign in the Kraken’s inaugural season is still considered his breakout season. I could agree with that, and even argue this past season could be viewed as a continuation with more emphasis.
McCann was drafted 24th overall in 2014 and is living proof that there is value in the later Round 1 draft picks. It also shows that the right fit can be extremely necessary in a player’s development. The Kraken are his fourth NHL team since he entered the league during the 2015-16 season, and he also played part of one season in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Kraken’s star goalscorer is now being put to the test, as it’s grading season.
Jared McCann the 40-Goal Man
McCann’s goalscoring has been on the rise, and with it came his shooting percentage (S%). During the Kraken’s inaugural season, he scored 27 goals on 199 shots for a 13.6 S%. He elevated that to a career-high in their sophomore season with 40 goals on 210 shots, leading to a 19 S%. That number was not only the best of his professional career, by almost a four percent margin, but was the best on the team for players having played at least 10 games. He’ll now own the moniker of “40-goal scorer” for the rest of his life.
While McCann has been the team’s elite scorer over the past two seasons, he’s continued to elevate his playmaking game as well. His 23 assists in 2021-22 rose to 30 in 2022-23, culminating in a nice even 70 points in 79 games to go along with his plus-18 rating. He did this while setting career-highs in ice time on both the power play and penalty kill, and tying his career-high of three shorthanded goals. He finished with seven goals and 16 points on the power play.
Given his $5 million cap hit, it’s definitely safe to say that his regular season outperformed the expectations of his contract. Playing alongside Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle for most of the season allowed for a line of veteran experience, between him and Eberle, guiding their star rookie along. It was a strong factor behind Beniers’ success this season. Proof of that? His nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
McCann’s Postseason Hampered by Injury
The postseason was a bit of a different story for McCann, however, it’s not fully his own fault. He tallied an assist in Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche before being knocked out of Game 4 due to a late Cale Makar hit after playing less than four minutes of the game. He came back to finish out their Round 2 series against the Dallas Stars and finished the postseason with a goal and three points in eight games.
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It’s hard to blame McCann for the lack of production given the injury, and just having him back on the ice was a good sign for him and the team long-term. In fact, he did tally a goal and an assist in the four games he played after returning to the lineup against the Stars. He recorded an assist in an elimination game as well.
I’d have liked to have seen a bit more of an impact from him early on in that series against the Avalanche, and I think it showed as he tallied six shots in his three games pre-injury, and the Kraken lost two of those games. His lone goal of the postseason came against the Stars once he returned from injury. It was only three games, against the then-defending Stanley Cup champions, but for a 40-goal scorer I wanted to see a bit more than a lone assist early on.
Jared McCann Player Grade: A
It’s really hard to knock McCann’s grade due to his playoff performance, impacted by an injury. Additionally, you can’t overstate how big of a regular season this was for both him and the Kraken as a whole. I don’t think it’s fair to expect 40 goals from a player every single year (unless your names are Alexander Ovechkin or Auston Matthews), but if he can settle in the 30-goal range, the Kraken will be in a fantastic spot.
McCann’s ability to play in all situations, mentor their young star and help him elevate his game, and continue to evolve his own are what factored into my decision of presenting him with an “A” player grade for the 2022-23 season.
Be sure to check out THW’s Draft Guide for everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft
