With the NHL on break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, I intentionally waited until now to provide an update on the playoff chances for the Seattle Kraken (spoiler: they aren’t very good). Since the start of 2025, the Kraken have played 19 games, going 7-10-2 and falling out of the playoff picture. With 25 games remaining, they are not mathematically eliminated—winning out would give them 102 points. Since the Kraken joined the league in 2021, the lowest point total for a playoff team was 91, recorded by the Washington Capitals in 2023-24. Using that as a benchmark, the Kraken have just five losses to spare, meaning they need to go 20-5-0 (or any combination that nets 40 points) over their remaining games.
“So, you’re telling me there’s a chance!” – Lloyd Christmas, Dumb and Dumber
January and February play
To stay on pace for 95 points, the Kraken needed 20 points in January but earned only 13. In their first four games of February, they picked up just three points when they needed six. That leaves them 10 points off pace and tracking more realistically toward something in the 80’s for the second straight season (they finished with 81 in 2023-24).
There are some positives from the first part of 2025. Goal scoring is up slightly, with the Kraken averaging 3.15 goals per game, totaling 60 goals in 19 games. Joey Daccord has continued his fantastic play, posting a .917 save percentage and a 7-5-1 record over this span.
On the other hand, Philipp Grubauer has had another rough season. He went 0-5-1 in January, was pulled twice, and has since been sent down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He struggled mightily, posting an .827 save percentage—his worst stretch of the season. It was not entirely the German goaltender’s fault, as the Kraken failed to provide goal support. During Grubauer’s starts, the Kraken managed just 13 goals or an average of 2.79 goals per game, while they scored 49 in front of Daccord, an average of 3.44 goals per game. 3.44 is a high number. For the full season, only three NHL teams have a higher goals-per-game average than 3.44: the Winnipeg Jets (3.61), Washington Capitals (3.56), and Tampa Bay Lightning (3.56).
Only time will tell if Grubauer’s tenure with the Kraken is over, but in Coachella Valley, he has posted a .933 save percentage and won his first two games.
Team tears
No, “tears” was not a typo; it was my sadness hitting the keyboard, as I officially relegated the Seattle Kraken into the “Tankers” tier.
Bolded = Remaining teams the Kraken play, Starred* = moved tiers, x2 = play twiceUpcoming Schedule
There’s no sugarcoating it—the upcoming schedule is brutal. Of the remaining 25 games, 12 are against teams in the Playoff Bound tier, six against teams in the Bubble tier, and seven against teams in the Tanker tier. Unfortunately for Seattle, they only have 10 home games left, meaning 15 will be on the road. This makes the rest of the season even more challenging, as illustrated in my recent piece on home-ice advantage. On the bright side, 20 of the remaining games are against Western Conference opponents, minimizing travel demands.
Playoff Bound tier
The Kraken will face eight of the 10 teams in this tier, with the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers each playing Seattle twice. These teams rank among the league’s best, but the Kraken have proven capable of scoring and are comfortable playing from behind. In fact, Seattle leads the NHL with seven wins after trailing by two goals at any point in a game.
With the #SeaKraken come from behind win last night, they now lead the league in wins after being down 2 goals at any point in a game.
— Sound Of Hockey (@soundofhockey.com) February 9, 2025 at 9:12 AMBubble tier
The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the cusp of moving up to the Playoff Bound tier. They can score in bunches but were recently on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. The other teams Seattle faces in this tier are all from the Western Conference, meaning the Kraken get to embrace their new role as potential spoilers.
The Vancouver Canucks currently hold a three-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot. The Kraken’s recent comeback win against Calgary before the break must have stung. Utah is trying to stay competitive but sits six points out of a playoff spot and is slipping fast.
Seattle has finished its season series with the Colorado Avalanche, who just missed the Playoff Bound tier. The Western Conference playoff picture seems mostly set, with seven teams comfortably ahead. That leaves Vancouver, Calgary, Utah, and possibly St. Louis battling for the final spot.
Tankers tier
The Kraken are newcomers to the Tanker tier with this update. Their remaining games against these teams include two against the St. Louis Blues and one each against the Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks. It will be interesting to see how these teams approach the trade deadline, as many will likely make moves to reshape their rosters for next season.
Personally, I’m not a fan of tanking. I want to see the Kraken compete in every game, and I wish the NHL would find a way to reward teams that strive to win rather than tearing things down for better draft positioning—but that’s a topic for a future article.
Expectations have been lowered
Since the beginning of 2025, the Kraken have played really well, really poorly, or somewhere in between—but they’ve remained entertaining. Their two-goal comeback against Calgary is fresh in fans’ minds, but even their 2-1 loss to Winnipeg on Jan. 16 was a hard-fought, competitive game. More of that effort down the stretch is what I want to see.
With the trade deadline approaching (March 7), expect some activity from Seattle. Will they go after more prospects, target a goal scorer, or secure a backup goaltender? Sound Of Hockey’s Darren Brown recently wrote about which Kraken players could be on the move.
The Kraken’s next game is set for Feb. 22 versus the Florida Panthers, their first game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, which runs through Feb. 20. Kaapo Kakko is the only Kraken in the tournament and will represent Finland, whose first game is Thursday versus Team USA at 5 p.m. Pacific.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below or reach out to me on my socials.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.