Insider Says Pacific Division Team Could Have Trouble Attracting Players

The Seattle Kraken finished the 2025-26 season tied for fourth-fewest points in the entire NHL, out of a playoff spot, and on their third head coach in five years. 

CEO Tod Leiweke addressed reporters last week. "It's not acceptable," he said, "and we're committed to fixing it." 

Ron Francis is out as president of hockey operations at the end of the season, which is a mutual parting, the team said, though Leiweke acknowledged it would be fair to say the Hall of Famer had grown fatigued in the role. 

Elliotte Friedman: Re Kraken: So Ron Francis stepped down; I don't know how much influence he still had; I think things really changed there between Francis and the rest of the Kraken front office...with the Dan Bylsma hire; there was a split there - 32 Thoughts (4/10)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) April 12, 2026

The organization is now leaning on GM Jason Botterill to run what Leiweke described as a "prolific" offseason, pointing to over $29 million in projected cap space as their weapon of choice. The goal, per the CEO, isn't just to sneak back into the playoffs, it's to build a team that's a perennial contender. 

"We saw the potential in year two," Leiweke said of the 2022-23 run to the second round. "It was incredible." 

The problem is that cap space and ambition don't automatically translate into players, and Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos is throwing cold water on Seattle's offseason plans before they've even started. 

The Players Who Said No

Kypreos reported this week that the Kraken's struggles this season weren't just about what happened on the ice, but they were also about what didn't happen at the trade deadline. 

GM Botterill had interest in St. Louis Blues forwards Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, but couldn't get either to waive their no-trade clauses to come to Seattle. 

The Kraken also had permission from the New York Rangers to make a contract extension offer to Artemi Panarin at more than $14 million per year, which was a number that would have made him one of the highest-paid wingers in the league. 

David Pagnotta: I think this is going to be an interesting summer for the Kraken; it's no secret that they have been trying to go big fish hunting; they were in on Kyrou; Panarin; if they make a big splash it's gonna surprise probably zero people - Daily Faceoff Live (4/9)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) April 10, 2026

Panarin wasn't interested in going to Seattle. He was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Kings instead. The Kraken also believed they had a deal in place with the Nashville Predators for Erik Haula, a second and a third-round pick on the table, but there was never a trade call, and no explanation for why it fell apart. 

Three separate attempts to add an impact player, three separate dead ends. 

Botterill will need to target players without no-trade clauses, which is a narrow pool, and even then, convincing them Seattle is the right destination is a different conversation entirely. 

A Market Problem on Top of a Seattle Problem

The situation is compounded by what is a thin UFA market this summer, with not enough difference-making players available to fill the holes a team like Seattle needs filled. 

Since the franchise's inception, the only proven free agents who have actually signed long-term with the Kraken are Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour, both locked in through 2030-31. 

Beyond those two, luring top talent to the Pacific Northwest has been a persistent and mostly unsolved problem. 

Elliotte Friedman: Re Kraken: I think they're serious about getting a player who can electrify them offensively - 32 Thoughts (2/27)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 3, 2026

The farm system is legitimate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds are one of the better AHL affiliates in the league, but prospects don't fix a roster that needs impact now. 

Pending UFAs Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, and Jamie Oleksiak are all 33 or older and likely departing, which creates space but not solutions. Leiweke said something is "out of alignment" with the franchise and promised it would get fixed. 

What he didn't say is how you fix a market perception problem with cap space alone. 

Photo Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images