The Seattle Kraken are off to a great start for the 2025-26 season, their best in their five seasons in the league. Their current record sits at 5-2-3, and they are just under the Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.
The team battled hard for their first ten games of the season, defeating strong opponents such as the Edmonton Oilers and the Knights, but losing some surprising matchups, such as the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, on their six-game road trip. Regardless, the Kraken have been surprising many out of the gate. Here are some takeaways from their impressive first ten games.
Kraken Have Their Best Start to a Season Thus Far
As mentioned above in the opening, the Kraken have had their best start to a season to kick off their fifth season in the league. Seattle winning their home opener was a huge indicator of this. For the first four seasons, the Kraken lost all of their home openers. The Kraken opened the season against the Anaheim Ducks and recorded their first home opener win with a 3-1 final score.
They then went on to beat the Vegas Golden Knights in their next home game, a team that they have had notoriously bad luck against. In the 16 times they have played one another, this was only Seattle’s fourth win against Vegas.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Kraken’s 4-3 OT Loss to the Canadiens
Following Vegas, they began a six-game road trip in Canada. They lost to both the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators in overtime, so they at least managed to get two points in the standings. They then moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where they won in overtime.
The Kraken did not lose in regulation until six games into the season, against the Flyers on Oct. 20. They were handed another loss against the Capitals the next day. However, they managed to end the road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets with Joey Daccord recording his first shutout of the season.
While the Kraken didn’t win all ten of their games to start the season, they still had a terrific start. They earned 13 out of a possible 20 points and are currently fourth in their division. This is impressive for a team that experienced an early exit in the 2024-25 season.
Kraken Are Not Letting Injuries Get Them Down
Before the season even began, the Kraken lost strong players in both the forward group and the blue line. Kaapo Kakko was injured during a preseason game, so the top six took a hit. On top of this, Ryker Evans was injured during the preseason as well, leaving the team down a defenseman. As the season progressed, more injuries started rolling in. Frederick Gaudreau and Jared McCann are both sidelined with injuries, taking away from the depth of both the top six and the bottom six.
Despite losing so many strong players, one would never know due to the Kraken’s strong start to the season. They have been playing a hard game and will continue to do so. Once all four of these injured players slot back into the lineup, there is no telling what this team can accomplish.
Three Goalies on the Roster Not Benefitting Seattle
Last season, the Kraken struggled with their goaltending tandem. Daccord excelled for the team, but he played too many games. Philipp Grubauer struggled to the point that they sent him down to the American Hockey League (AHL) for a conditioning stint. To try to combat Daccord becoming overplayed and getting lethargic, the coaching staff decided to try out a three-goaltender roster. However, it hasn’t truly worked in their favor.
Seattle picked up Matt Murray during the offseason, and while many thought he might be sent down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL, he has maintained his position on the Kraken roster. He has only played one game and has either been a bench warmer or a healthy scratch in the other nine. Same thing for Grubauer; he has only played two games this season.
Daccord has played in eight of the ten Kraken games this season. There is no denying that he is the team’s strongest goaltender and clearly their starter. However, most teams have a two-goaltender tandem and have evenly split the amount of games played. If the Kraken keep treating Daccord like this, he will get tired or worse, injured, as the season progresses.
Other than picking up another goaltender, the Kraken made some offseason adjustments. They picked up forwards Mason Marchment and Frederick Gaudreau as well as defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Although they are all playing with new teams, they are fitting in well.
Marchment has recorded a total of five points in nine games. He missed a game on Oct. 21 due to a lower-body injury but immediately came back into the lineup for the next game in Winnipeg. He has been a great depth addition, playing amongst both the top six and the bottom six. He initially started out in the bottom six, but after McCann’s injury, he found his way to the top six. Regardless of where he is in the lineup, he is helping his teammates find a scoring chance.
As mentioned above, Gaudreau unfortunately suffered an upper-body injury and will be out for four to six weeks. Before he sustained the injury against the Senators, he played in four games and recorded one assist. He was playing on the fourth line, providing expert veteran experience to the younger players Tye Kartye and Ryan Winterton. Here’s hoping he recovers well soon to get back into the lineup and mentor these young players.
Defenseman Lindgren was another offseason acquisition. So far for Seattle, he has played in ten games and recorded one assist. Although he is not providing much in terms of offense, his defense is what he is really here for anyway. Lindgren has averaged 18:33 on the ice in ten games, playing on the second defensive pairing. Playing what equates to almost a full period each game and only having a minus-1, Lindgren has been a huge added benefit to Seattle’s blue line.
Catton Earned His Spot on the Team
Rookie Berkly Catton wasn’t sure if he was going to make the team. Although he made the opening night roster and began traveling with the team, he continued to be a healthy scratch. However, when McCann was injured, head coach Lane Lambert put Catton on the first line and watched the magic happen.
In his first NHL game, Catton recorded an assist. In the four subsequent games, he has recorded two more assists. The 19-year-old rookie had a lot of pressure in his first game, playing alongside Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle on the first line. However, he didn’t let it get the best of him. He recorded a total of 13:49 on the ice in this game and has since averaged a total of 13:53 in all five games he has played. He has a plus-2 rating as well.
Although he is still slow to start, Catton has proved he deserves a spot on the Kraken roster. He continues to go out on the ice and give it his all. In McCann’s absence, he has provided a great top-six performance. Catton has a lot to prove, and each night he brings his all to the ice.
November Brings 14 More Games
The Kraken have shaken off the rust and are now a full month into the season. The second month of the 2025-26 season brings 14 more games their way. They are kicking things off by hosting the New York Rangers on Nov. 1. This game is special, as they are also debuting their third jerseys on the ice for the first time. Seattle will have two more home games, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 3 and the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 5 before hitting the road once more.
On Nov. 8 and 9, the Kraken will play their second back-to-back of the season. They will take on the St. Louis Blues and then the Dallas Stars, both on the road. Seattle’s two back-to-back games in October both resulted in a loss; let’s try to aim for a win in one of these at least.
After two road games, the Kraken head back home for another homestand. They will host the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Jets, and the Sharks once more. They’ll have a couple of days’ rest before hitting the road again to make their way out to the East Coast. On this trip, they will stop at the Detroit Red Wings, the Blackhawks, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and finally the New York Islanders.
To close out November, the Kraken will host two more home games. On Nov. 26, they will host the Stars. The Kraken will be home for Thanksgiving, and then they will host the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 29 for the last game of the month.
