Seattle Kraken Offense Firing Early On In 2026-27 Season

Despite low expectations heading into the season, the Seattle Kraken have roared out of the gate through mid-October. With a 5-2-0 record in seven games (10 points), the team is one of nine in the league with a points percentage (PTS%) of .700 or higher and sits third in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers. With less than a tenth of the season played, the early results are music to the ears of the Kraken brass, who entered the season as playoff hopefuls.

The team’s goaltending tandem of Joey Daccord (.913 save percentage through four games) and Philipp Grubauer (.918 through four games) has been impenetrable, with the team ranking in the top five by save percentage at both five-on-five and in all situations. Yet, while that’s a welcome sign after Daccord’s poor 2025-26 campaign, much of the team’s success has also come from an uncharacteristically hot attack.

Kraken Offense Scoring Goals Galore

A surprising jump in offensive output (four players with three or more goals and nine with two or more) has the Kraken firing at just under four goals per game, ranking third in the entire league. The two above them? The high-flying Colorado Avalanche and the Oilers, two teams that boast several of the NHL’s top offensive talents in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard.

While Seattle’s unsustainable shooting percentage (SH%) of 14.9% cannot be dismissed (the average is under 12%), another key factor is that the Kraken finally look to have multiple forward lines capable of driving play in the right direction at five-on-five. 

The McCann-Beniers-Samoskevich and Wright-Catton-Kakko lines are both earning more than a 59% share of expected goals, while outscoring their opponents 5-1 and 5-2, respectively. The latter trio also ranks eighth among qualified forward lines (minimum 25 minutes played) with 6.3 goals per 60 minutes, while the former is 12th at 5.8 goals per 60.

Related: 3 Factors Powering The Seattle Kraken’s Start To The 2026-27 Season

Berkly Catton, my personal breakout pick, has made good on his promise as an eighth-overall pick. He had a respectable rookie season, tallying seven goals and 17 points in 66 games while playing just under 13 minutes per game in all situations, including about a minute per game on the power play.

The 2026-27 season has seen Catton anchor the aforementioned line between fellow lottery picks Shane Wright and Kaapo Kakko, and he’s already scoring more than a quarter of the goals he did last season. The 20-year-old’s two goals and four points in seven games put him on pace to produce 24 goals and 48 points as a sophomore, driven by increased usage in offense-friendly situations.

Catton’s usage has increased by over two minutes per game this season, driven primarily by more ice time with the man advantage, where he is tied for second among all Kraken forwards with Jared McCann. He’s the team’s sixth-most utilized forward at five-on-five and seventh across all situations.

Catton, along with captain Jordan Eberle, is one of only two forwards on the team to have a net-positive on-ice share of shots, expected goals, scoring chances, and high-danger opportunities at five-on-five, which, combined with his high powerplay usage, demonstrates the level of confidence head coach Lane Lambert already has in his fledgling pupil.

Kraken Playing Faster in 2026-27

One of the biggest criticisms of the Kraken over the franchise’s first few years is that they haven’t been particularly exciting. Whether it’s a lack of clear-cut star talent or skating like the players have trudged through molasses before hitting the ice, Lambert has his team playing much differently this season.

According to the NHL’s EDGE data, the Kraken are one of the league’s most frenetic teams, with the most bursts of speed per game. Compare the team’s current league rank to last season by how often each speed threshold is reached and maintained.

The Kraken have made it a point to play with pace, pushing opponents to make quicker decisions and preventing them from setting their defensive structures. Part of the strategy is having more talented players who can corral the puck, but a decent chunk of it is intentionally creating chaos at both ends, with or without the puck.

The team has also seen its per-60 output jump, creating more chances (24.8 vs. 22.8) and high-danger looks (11.1 vs. 9) at five-on-five than last season.

Catton has posted the third- and fourth-highest max skating speeds among Kraken skaters this season and ranks in the 97th percentile or higher on each burst threshold among all NHL forwards. Speed kills in the modern NHL, and Catton (along with the Kraken) has had that in spades so far.

Kraken Off to Positive Start

While the Kraken have undoubtedly improved their playoff odds with their hot start, they still face an uphill battle, according to the leading publicly available projection models.

Taking a more proactive approach to offense and defense looks like a sound strategy, and the team’s goaltending is strong enough to weather the odd-man rushes and looser defensive systems that come with playing quicker and more open at five-on-five.

If nothing else, the Kraken are more exciting to watch and are giving the youth a shot. If both trends continue, the fanbase can stomach a retool. After all, shouldn’t entertainment products be entertaining?

Data courtesy of Hockey Stats, MoneyPuck, NHL EDGE, and Natural Stat Trick.