Season Preview: Seattle Kraken
- Jason Moser
- Oct 4, 2022
- 2 min read
Conference: Western
Division: Pacific
Menu:
Offseason
Additions: Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Shane Wright, Justin Schultz, Martin Jones, John Hayden, Michal Kempny, Austin Poganski
Subtractions: Riley Sheahan, Victor Rask, Haydn Fleury
The Kraken made some really nice adds in the offseason beginning with the top prospect in the draft falling to them in Shane Wright. Two underrated top-six producers in Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand should really improve the top end of the lineup, and Schultz comes in to give Seattle a proven powerplay quarterback.
Injury Report
Probable For Opener: -None-
Questionable For Opener: -None-
Out To Begin Season: Chris Driedger (Knee)
Out For Season: -None-
The Kraken's most effective goalie last season - Driedger - will miss the majority of the season with a knee injury.
Projected Lineup
(league ranks in parentheses)
Forwards (11th)
Jaden Schwartz - Matty Beniers - Andre Burakovsky
Jared McCann - Shane Wright - Jordan Eberle
Ryan Donato - Alex Wennberg - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Brandon Tanev - Yanni Gourde - Morgan Geekie
Defense (22nd)
Jamie Oleksiak - Adam Larsson
Vince Dunn - Justin Schultz
Carson Soucy - William Borgen
Goalies (30th)
Philipp Grubauer
Martin Jones
With a much-improved forward group, the major thing projected to hold Seattle back is the goaltending. Grubauer struggled mightily last season, and needs a huge bounce-back in order to keep this team competitive. Jones is veteran who's mostly been unimpressive lately, so he's likely not the answer if Grubauer does struggle.
Dynamic Players
Snipers: Andre Burakovsky | Matty Beniers
Playmakers: Andre Burakovsky | Matty Beniers | Yanni Gourde
Volume Shooters: -None-
Play-Drivers: -None-
Shutdown Defenders: Brandon Tanev | William Borgen
Shot Blockers: -None-
Hitters: Brandon Tanev
Enforcers: William Borgen
Penalty Drawers: -None-
PP Specialists: Matty Beniers
PK Specialists: -None-
Faceoff Specialists: -None-
Fantasy Impact
Studs: -None-
Duds: -None-
Sleepers: Matty Beniers, Shane Wright
Other Roster Worthy: Andre Burakovsky, Jared McCann, Philipp Grubauer
The two highly-drafted rookie centers - Beniers and Wright - are major sleepers this season as they should play big roles on the club's top two lines. As far as late-round wingers go, taking fliers on the shot-heavy Burakovsky and McCann are certainly not bad moves.
If you see Grubauer rebounding from his tough year, he could provide average goalie numbers for your fantasy teams. Also, keep an eye on the Kraken as they experiment with line combinations for daily fantasy value.
2022-2023 PuckLuck Projections | | | | | | | | |
PLAYER | POS | G | A | PTS | W | GA | SV | SO |
Andre Burakovsky | F | 29 | 45 | 74 | | | | |
Jared McCann | F | 31 | 24 | 56 | | | | |
Matty Beniers | F | 20 | 57 | 76 | | | | |
Philipp Grubauer | G | | | | 26 | 153 | 1345 | 4 |
Oliver Bjorkstrand | F | 21 | 23 | 44 | | | | |
Jaden Schwartz | F | 17 | 28 | 45 | | | | |
Jordan Eberle | F | 23 | 28 | 50 | | | | |
Betting Impact
PuckLuck Projection: 85 points
Floor: 73 points Ceiling: 99 points
Projection Data Confidence: 72%
(League Average: 70%)
PuckLuck Odds:
Stanley Cup: +8000
President's Trophy: +5500
Conference: +1600
Division: +1500
DraftKings Sportsbook Lines:
Stanley Cup: +10000
President's Trophy: +15000
Conference: +5000
Division: +6500
The Kraken are a solid longshot play if you believe their rookie centers can provide enough in their first seasons to push the team into contention. A ceiling of 99 points isn't enough for them to win anything, but you may be able to find a standings points over or to make playoffs at a good value.
They'll also be a fun underdog bet to begin the season, as they should be able to compete in the Pacific Division.
Season Outlook
Division Projection: 6th
Conference Projection: 12th
League Projection: 21st
Playoffs? Unlikely
With five Pacific Division teams projected to make the playoffs, Seattle may be another year or two away from true contention. Regardless, they should be a fun team to watch grow throughout the season, and the possibility of adding to the squad in-season could vault them up the standings.
Will the Seattle Kraken make the playoffs?
Yes
No
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