The Seattle Kraken are undergoing management adjustments this offseason with Ron Francis stepping down as President of Hockey Operations. Francis, the team’s inaugural general manager, had transitioned to President when Jason Botterill was promoted to GM earlier this season.
Despite Francis’s departure, the organization is seeking to identify the root causes of their struggles since their 2021-22 debut. The Kraken are poised to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year, marking four missed postseasons in their first five years of existence. Some argue that their 2023 playoff appearance was more a matter of luck than strategic success.
Following that playoff berth, a series of questionable management decisions have plagued the team. A notable misstep was allowing Morgan Geekie to leave without receiving compensation. The team opted not to qualify the then 24-year-old, who had recorded 9 goals and 19 assists in 69 games. Geekie has since flourished, scoring 89 goals over the past three seasons for the Bruins, including 37 this current season—a significant offensive contribution any team would value.
In light of these persistent issues over the past three seasons, CEO Tod Leiweke has announced that the organization will conduct a comprehensive, independent audit of its hockey operations, with the current general manager at the helm.
“We are going to conduct a full independent audit of hockey operations. Jason (Botterill) will lead it, but we’re going to bring fresh eyes and make sure that there’s no stone unturned,” Leiweke stated.
The effectiveness and scope of such an audit are uncertain. Pinpointing organizational flaws and quantifying them in a hockey operations department, especially when tracing back to the 2021 expansion draft, presents a challenge. The review might even extend further back to Ron Francis’s tenure, as he failed to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to the playoffs during his eight seasons there (2014-2018) in various roles, from director of hockey operations to general manager and eventually president. While he was instrumental in drafting talented players like Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Jaccob Slavin, his success in Seattle has not mirrored that.
Francis seemingly attempted to replicate his drafting strategy with Seattle, albeit with the advantage of acquiring NHL-ready talent directly through the expansion draft. However, the team secured players like Taylor Hall, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Nikita Zadorov, alongside free agent acquisition Brandon Montour and the rumored interest in Gabriel Landeskog. The approach of acquiring complementary pieces rather than distinct difference-makers proved to be a flawed strategy. While Seattle aimed to emulate the Vegas Golden Knights’ successful expansion model from 2017, other general managers had already learned from Vegas’s swift trip to the Stanley Cup Final, making such gambles less effective.
The team’s foundation, built on analytics and statistics, has not yielded the desired results. Furthermore, a lack of a genuine “sniper” up front to alter game dynamics has been a critical deficiency, a type of player the Kraken have actively sought to acquire this season. While defensemen like Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson are solid contributors, the signing of Chandler Stephenson appears increasingly problematic.
The ultimate objective for the Seattle Kraken is to become a consistent playoff contender capable of challenging for the Stanley Cup. While emulating the Vegas Golden Knights might be unrealistic, there is clearly a fundamental issue in how the Kraken operate. Seattle is a vibrant hockey market, yet the Kraken are struggling to gain traction against the success of the Seattle Mariners (who reached the ALCS) and the Seattle Seahawks (who won the Super Bowl).
Leiweke has communicated the necessity for a new strategic direction, promising transparency with fans throughout the process.
“We’re going to develop a multi-faceted, multi-year plan to strengthen our roster. We talk a lot about recruiting free agents. We’ve got to do more to make this a hockey city to keep players, to attract other players,” Leiweke stated. “We’re going to set mile markers. Fans are going to know where we are.
The Kraken’s pursuit of high-profile free agents like Artemi Panarin, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou has been met with limited success. Panarin, for instance, reportedly preferred playing in a major market despite significant financial offers, including a reported $14 million per season contract. The allure of tax benefits can diminish if a team is not competitive, a lesson learned by teams like the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators before their recent successes.
Winning is a paramount factor for players. Organizations like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Utah Hockey Club, Golden Knights, and Panthers attract top talent because of their consistent winning cultures. Financial incentives often take a secondary role when success is absent, and the Kraken have fallen short in this regard.
Francis’s departure is seen as a recognition of the organizational shortcomings. The decision not to move their remaining three pending unrestricted free agents—Jamie Oleksiak, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jaden Schwartz—after trading Mason Marchment and re-signing Jordan Eberle was a missed opportunity to acquire further assets. Similarly, despite holding a playoff spot at the trade deadline, failing to secure assets for players they didn’t intend to re-sign was a strategic error.
The acquisition of Bobby McMann, while impactful, is temporary as he is a pending UFA. The team’s inability to capitalize on playoff contention by securing future assets for expiring contracts meant that even a quick first-round exit would not have advanced the team’s long-term prospects. Another opportunity was squandered.
As Leiweke has emphasized, “We have a hell of a lot of work to do. There is a burning fire to get this fixed.” The situation in Seattle is undeniably complex.
While Botterill will remain to oversee hockey operations and general management during what is described as a rebuild or retool, the path forward is not yet definitively set. A true rebuild focused on acquiring the right young talent is likely necessary. The future of head coach Lane Lambert also remains uncertain, with Leiweke offering no definitive commitment.
Losing organizations often find themselves on a repeating cycle of failure due to constant coaching changes, which hinder player development and continuity. Breaking this cycle by establishing stability with the right leadership and a consistent plan is crucial. Once the right personnel are in place, the focus can shift to acquiring players who can execute that vision.
If the Seattle Kraken face further struggles, it may be indicative of the natural growing pains experienced by expansion franchises. However, a more robust initial strategy could have potentially averted the need for such extensive reevaluation.
