All I’ve asked for down the stretch is for the Seattle Kraken to play competitive games that are enjoyable to watch. Over the past week, that’s exactly what they delivered during a tough three-game stretch. The Kraken lost in overtime to the Calgary Flames, blew the doors off an injury-riddled Edmonton Oilers team, and then got handled by a Stanley Cup-contending Dallas Stars team.

Even in the Stars game, it was a one-goal game heading into the third period. But when Mason Marchment scored just 28 seconds into the period, it felt like that was all the Stars would need to put the Kraken away. If you had told me the Kraken would go 1-1-1 for the week, I would have taken it.

I try to be objective when analyzing this team, and it feels like they’ve been more competitive than their record suggests. One stat people often look to beyond the standings to evaluate a team is goal differential. I take a slightly different approach by excluding empty-net goals for and against, which I call ‘adjusted goal differential.’ Historically, teams with a positive adjusted goal differential are more likely to make the playoffs, while those with a negative one tend to miss out. Teams hovering around zero are usually the bubble wild-card contenders.

Here’s a look at the adjusted goals for/against across the league, with the net result of the two metrics shown in the right-side graph.

The diagonal line represents where ‘adjusted goals for’ equal ‘adjusted goals against.’ The idea is that teams above the line—those with a positive ‘adjusted goal differential’—are more likely to be playoff teams. As of Monday, every team above the line is currently in a playoff spot, with the only exceptions being the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, who are in playoff positions despite being below the line.

The key takeaway from the graphic is that teams close to the diagonal line have been in the playoff hunt over the past month, except for one outlier: the Seattle Kraken.

I’m not saying the Kraken should be a playoff team, but they probably should have been in the mix down the stretch of the season.

PWHL to Seattle

On last week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast, I shared my belief that Seattle will be named as one of the expansion cities for a new PWHL team for the 2025-26 season. I haven’t received official confirmation, but I’ve reached out to several sources both locally and nationally. What I’ve heard has given me enough confidence to say that this is going to happen. I’d put the likelihood at 75 percent, and we could hear an announcement as early as Tuesday of this week.

A few months ago, I published an article arguing that Seattle would be a great location for a PWHL team, but the timing didn’t seem right. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I believe Seattle is an ideal market. The PWHL has always aimed bigger than any of its predecessors in professional women’s hockey, and expanding aggressively aligns with that vision. Seattle and Vancouver are strong markets for pro women’s hockey, and I assume the Kraken organization is leading this effort. If they are, they’ll do it right. They certainly make mistakes, but they operate at a first-class level. That kind of launch in a key market would likely appeal to the PWHL.

Seattle PWHL arena thoughts

One challenge I speculated about in January was the arena situation. The turnout for both the USA-Canada game in 2022 and the PWHL Takeover Tour earlier this year proves there’s real demand for elite women’s hockey. Those two games drew 14,500 and 12,608 fans, respectively, undeniably impressive numbers. However, those were marquee events, which are traditionally easier to rally fans around when they’re one-offs rather than part of a full season.

The PWHL’s average attendance over the past two seasons was 5,485, less than a third of Climate Pledge Arena’s hockey capacity. That said, the 5,485 figure lacks context. New York’s attendance has dragged the league average down, and Toronto played its first season in the limited-capacity Mattamy Athletic Centre.

I don’t know what the forecast would be for attendance over 15 regular-season games in Seattle, but I’ve speculated that a hybrid approach could work—splitting games between Climate Pledge Arena and Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Both venues are managed by Oak View Group and could help tap into different geographical markets. I haven’t heard anything to suggest this is the plan, but it could be a good solution if arena availability becomes an issue and/or they want to expand their reach. In the PWHL’s first season, three of the six teams played in multiple home arenas. This season, only the Boston Fleet continue to do so. You also have to consider whether the Kraken Hockey Network, along with their local TV and streaming relationships, is part of the appeal of Seattle for the PWHL.

The thought of having a PWHL team to call our own really excites me. I already watch plenty of women’s hockey, but it’s more scattered: split between the PWHL, college hockey, and national team games. Having a dedicated team to follow, with appointment-based viewing both on TV and in person, would take engagement to another level. Instead of catching random games when schedules align, I could follow a team consistently, learn the players’ stories, and invest in their journey throughout the season.

A Seattle-based PWHL team would provide a rallying point for local fans, building a community around women’s hockey much like the Kraken have done. It’s one thing to appreciate the game from afar, but having a hometown team would make the experience more personal, immersive, and meaningful.

Other musingsThe Kraken’s 6-1 win over Edmonton on Thursday night was their largest margin of victory this season since they beat Montreal back in October.

It was also just the third time in 15 games that the Kraken have beaten the Oilers in franchise history.

As shared by the Kraken Hockey Network, the Kraken’s three goals in 111 seconds against the Oilers on Thursday were the second-fastest trio of goals in franchise history.

No matter how much Alison Lukan disagrees with me, I don’t think a goal scored by the same team should be counted as a “response goal.” In my opinion, a response goal should only be when a team answers a goal against with one of their own. A goal for that comes within a set interval of another goal for should be considered a “pile-on goal.” Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The Kraken rank third in the league in pile-on goals (12) and first in response goals (12) using a 60-second interval. (I also don’t think we have consensus on the interval length either.)

Earlier this season, I mentioned that Seattle was one of the most disciplined teams in the league and didn’t put themselves shorthanded often. Before the trade deadline, the Kraken averaged 2.2 shorthanded situations per game, the third-fewest in the league at the time. Since the deadline, they are averaging 2.9 per game. This really bit them in the butt on Saturday when the Stars had five power plays and executed on two of them.

I think we can safely assume Jani Nyman will make the Kraken roster next fall.

The WHL playoffs kicked off over the weekend, and here’s your friendly reminder that you can watch all games for free on Victory+. The Everett Silvertips versus Seattle Thunderbirds series is shaping up to be a doozie.

The first game of the Portland–Prince George WHL playoff series was wild. Portland entered the third period with a three-goal lead, only for Prince George to score four straight to take the lead. Portland then tied the game with about three minutes left, forcing overtime where Prince George won it on this play:

Terik Parascak scores his second of the night for the W!

The @PGCougars storm back from a 5-2 deficit to take Game 1 in overtime 🔥

And they’ll do it all over again tomorrow. #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #LeafsForever📷 pic.twitter.com/ZEkHijVo8C

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 29, 2025

The Coachella Valley Firebirds announced they have signed Justin Janicke to an AHL contract for the 2025-26 season. Janicke, a Kraken seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, was not signed by Seattle but remains in the system. Now that he’s in the organization, it should be a smoother path for him to eventually sign with the Kraken. He had a terrific season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, leading the team with 15 goals and finishing second with 34 points.Goal of the week

This was incredible.

6-1 #SeaKraken

Jared McCann celebrates opening day for baseball with a backhander into the net after Eyssimont bats the puck up pic.twitter.com/xfgP9dKLMZ

— Alison (@AlisonL) March 28, 2025

Player Performances

Ryan Donato (CHI) – The former Seattle Kraken forward had four goals and two assists over his last three games. He has 29 goals this season, and assuming Chicago doesn’t sign him to an extension before July 1, he will be hitting the free agent market this summer.

Scott Ratzlaff (SEA-WHL) – The Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender saved 89 shots on 94 attempts in his two games against Everett over the weekend in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. He won the first game and would lose in overtime in the second game. Go check out this series if you get a chance.

Victor Ostman (SEA-CVF) – Victor Ostman posted a shutout for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in just his third career AHL game. The Kraken-signed goaltender has spent most of the season with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL.

The week ahead

The Kraken will face the Dallas Stars again on Monday night to close out their second-to-last homestand of the season before hitting the road for five games. Their first stop will be Wednesday night in Vancouver, where they could deliver a serious blow to the Canucks’ playoff hopes with a regulation win. The Canucks are 5-3-2 over their last 10 games, but they’re chasing the Blues for the final wild-card spot. St. Louis has won nine straight and currently holds a six-point lead over Vancouver, which has just eight games remaining. The Kraken then head to San Jose for a Saturday night matchup—at least on paper, a lighter opponent than they’ve faced lately.

Beyond the three Kraken games, it’s shaping up to be a jam-packed week of hockey, featuring three I-5 rivalry games in the Everett–Seattle WHL series and a possible PWHL expansion announcement. Not to mention the ongoing playoff races, especially in the East.

I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t keeping an eye on the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators—and the potential impact their results could have on the current lottery odds.