While we wait for the NHL regular season to start in October, fans are frothing at the mouth for what September brings: training camp, exhibition games, and roster decisions. Given that the Seattle Kraken’s roster seems mostly complete (they have but $4,286 in cap space), it’s time to make some predictions. Who will lead the club in the major statistical categories this season? Here’s a look.
Who Will Lead the Kraken in Points
Consider that in 2023-24, the highest-ranked Kraken was Jared McCann. His 62 points were tied for 82nd in the NHL. Players from clubs that experienced disastrous seasons appear just after him – the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard ranked 84th, and San Jose Sharks’ Mikael Granlund was 88th). That’s a harsh truth. The 2022-23 season was much better for McCann, who tallied 70 points, which ranked…59th – perhaps not “much better,” but better nevertheless.
Related: Pacific Division Still Looks Top Heavy Heading into 2024-25
Given that the Stratford, Ontario native has been the most reliable point-getter on Seattle’s roster, the real question is: can anyone beat him? To further emphasize how little the forwards are contributing, two seasons ago, defenseman Vince Dunn finished second with 64 points to McCann’s 70. Last season, Oliver Bjorkstrand finished just behind McCann, with Dunn in third, but Dunn missed 23 games due to various injuries and still came in third. What gives McCann the edge is his ability to score goals and create opportunities for teammates. If he’s not putting the puck in the net, we can be sure that he assisted on someone else’s goal.
There must be people in the cozy offices at Climate Pledge Arena hoping that, if anyone surpasses McCann, it will be Matty Beniers. The 21-year-old is entering his third full NHL campaign and won the Calder Trophy in 2023 as rookie of the year, but his production dropped in 2023-24. He is now fresh off signing a seven-year deal worth a penny shy of $50 million. We’ll see if he’s the squad’s best weapon, but he’s getting paid as if he is. Until proven otherwise, McCann will take this crown.
Who Will Lead the Kraken in Goals
Bjorkstrand might give McCann a run for his money in this category. He’s potted 20 goals in each of the past two campaigns and was voted to the NHL All-Star festivities last season. He has a nose for the net, even though no one does a double-take over a 20-goal season. His best season was his final one with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021-22 when he netted 28.
He is capable of flirting with 30 goals, but the right linemates are necessary. To be fair, the whole team needs to get out of its offensive rut. But good vibes are contagious, so who knows what might happen if the squad finds momentum. By the way, Bjorkstrand suffered an injury during the Olympic qualifiers with the Danish national squad. Thankfully, general manager Ron Francis stated that the Dane should recover in time for training camp.
Not to beat a dead horse, but seeing Beniers lead this category would be nice. His 2022-23 campaign was quite impressive, as he lit the lamp 24 times, and that was with precious little NHL experience.
This is where those who bemoan the Chandler Stephenson signing have ammunition for their grief guns. He’s very expensive, has already turned 30 and has never been much of a goal scorer. His best season was 2021-22 when he found the back of the net 21 times. In an ironic twist, that was the year the Vegas Golden Knights did not make the playoffs. McCann should also lead this category, although Bjorkstrand and Beniers have a chance.
Who Will Lead the Kraken in Assists
This is the most interesting of the three major offensive statistical categories. We’ve already mentioned that McCann is equally good as a helper and a goal scorer. That said, there is no shortage of players on the roster who are great at helping teammates, and Dunn immediately comes to mind. His impressive ability to generate offense is the main reason he’s been in the running to lead the club in points the last two seasons. After all, he had 50 assists in 2022-23, then a respectable 35 during his truncated 2023-24 campaign. His numbers are not those of, say, Erik Karlsson, but he’s like the great Swede insofar as he’s often in the mix on scoring chances.
Related: More Seattle Kraken Season Preview Articles
A sleeper pick would be Brandon Montour. A look at his career suggests a good but not great offensive defenseman. However, there are also the franchises he’s been a part of to consider. He played two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks – one of which saw him suit for only 27 games – then went to the Buffalo Sabres, back to Anaheim for one year, then back to Buffalo for two more before finally landing on a respectable roster like the Florida Panthers where he enjoyed four happier seasons (especially the last one). Lo and behold, he had 57 assists in 2022-23, the only season in Florida when he played at least 80 games, averaging 20 minutes or more of ice time.
Don’t sleep on Eeli Tolvanen. He’s relatively young at 25 years old and 2023-24 was only his second in which he played at least 75 contests, allowing him to tally 25 assists. His work ethic and productivity were impressive enough for the Kraken brass to hand him a two-year extension. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be an assist machine, but he was one of the better players during an overall mediocre campaign for the club. Despite strong candidates, Dunn is the hero the Kraken need in this regard.
We’ve beaten the drum endlessly about Seattle’s anemic attacking prowess. That makes predicting statistical team leaders in the major categories an odd exercise. Judging by what precious little cap space remains, there is a lot of money invested in the roster. Not only would it be good for these players to perform for the fanbase’s and team’s sake, but arguably Francis’ as well.
