Were fans booing or \u201cGruu-ing\u201d at Climate Pledge Arena last season? It’s hard to tell in the best of times.<\/p>\n
It was certainly the latter this season, when Philipp Grubauer buckled down and turned his Seattle legacy around. The Kraken franchise\u2019s first splashy free agent signing went from Public Enemy No. 1 to certified fan favorite, one of the feel-good stories of a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.<\/p>\n
Last year the veteran goaltender and Stanley Cup champion was relegated to the American Hockey League after a miserable start.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year \u2014 really, really hard year, not gonna lie,\u201d Grubauer, 34, said. \u201cProbably one of the hardest ones in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let it be said that the Kraken weren\u2019t playing well in front of him. The season started well, then went quickly downhill.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s hard to be a good goalie when you have a terrible team in front of you, and that’s what we were a lot of the time when he played,\u201d defenseman Vince Dunn said. \u201cAnd I take accountability in that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on his exit interview comments, Grubauer very much prefers current coach Lane Lambert\u2019s conservative brand of hockey, which isn\u2019t sending \u201clike, a breakaway each period\u201d the goaltender\u2019s way.<\/p>\n
Dan Bylsma\u2019s more aggressive, swing-for-the-fences style was in effect during the worst statistical season in Grubauer\u2019s career, and Bylsma\u2019s staff caught a stray insult on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, I don’t know what system we played \u2014 if there even was a system, right?\u201d Grubauer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re playing a little bit more defensive and five guys are working back. It allows us (goalies) to take a step back and read the game a little different.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prior style of hockey may not have suited Grubauer, but he also had some truly bad outings where he let in multiple unscreened goals. An 8-5 drubbing the day after Thanksgiving by the lowly San Jose Sharks stands out, as does the game that got him sent down, a 6-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 28.<\/p>\n
When he was reassigned to Coachella Valley, Grubauer sported a 5-15-1 record. He carried a 3.83 goals-against average and .866 save percentage, both of which were last among the 54 NHL goalies who had played at least 15 games.<\/p>\n
He referenced talking to teammates in Coachella Valley, and those conversations helping him work through his own thoughts. No one else was in Grubauer\u2019s exact predicament, having fallen so far from grace. But no one was exactly where they wanted to be, which was the NHL.<\/p>\n