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3 burning questions Seattle Kraken must answer in 2026 offseason
TL;DR
The Seattle Kraken missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season after a disappointing finish. With Ron Francis stepping down, Jason Botterill now faces critical decisions for the 2026 offseason.
Key points
- Seattle Kraken missed playoffs for second consecutive season
- Ron Francis stepped down as president of hockey operations
- Jason Botterill now has full control of the team
- Kraken finished with a record of 34-37-11
- Team struggled in March and April
Mentioned in this story
Ron FrancisJason Botterill
Seattle KrakenColorado Avalanche
The Seattle Kraken (34-37-11) have been stuck in mid-tier lottery territory for the past couple of seasons. After making the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they defeated the defending-champion Colorado Avalanche, they havenāt made the postseason since.
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The Kraken looked like they would make it, They took advantage of a top-heavy Western Conference to enter the final Wild Card spot with a few weeks to go in the season. Unfortunately, they slipped at the end of the season. They went 4-8-2 in March and 2-7-0 in April, missing the playoffs by 11 points.
That resulted in Ron Francis stepping down from his job as president of hockey operations. With Jason Botterill taking full control of the team, heāll get to execute his vision in a critical offseason.
Will the Kraken embrace a full rebuild?
The Kraken have been in no-manās land for a few seasons. Theyāve been bad enough to earn top-ten picks, but not bad enough to earn the No. 1 pick.
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They earned the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL draft and selected Matty Beniers, but while heās been a solid two-way center, heās not a game-changer. Neither is anyone else on the roster; the Kraken are tough to play against, but they donāt have a game-changer on the roster, like Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar.
Q&A
What caused the Seattle Kraken to miss the playoffs in 2026?
The Seattle Kraken missed the playoffs due to a poor finish, going 4-8-2 in March and 2-7-0 in April, which left them 11 points short.
Who is Jason Botterill and what is his role with the Seattle Kraken?
Jason Botterill is the new general manager of the Seattle Kraken, taking full control of the team following Ron Francis's resignation.
Is the Seattle Kraken planning a full rebuild for the 2026 offseason?
It remains to be seen if the Seattle Kraken will embrace a full rebuild, but this decision is critical for their future direction.
What were the Seattle Kraken's performance statistics for the 2025-2026 season?
The Seattle Kraken finished the 2025-2026 season with a record of 34 wins, 37 losses, and 11 overtime losses.
