Don’t look now, but the Seattle Kraken are a wagon. Since losing 4-2 to the Calgary Flames on the day of my last column (Dec. 18), the Kraken are unbeaten in regulation, have won eight of their previous nine games, and earned 17 of a possible 18 points. They also either lead the league or are tied for the lead in points, regulation wins (seven), regulation plus overtime wins (seven), and goals against per game (1.89) over that stretch.
The team has orchestrated an impressive turnaround by beating up on its divisional rivals, with six of their last eight wins coming against opponents from the Pacific. The Kraken have leapfrogged several teams and now occupy a playoff spot courtesy of a 20-14-7 record (47 points) at the halfway point of the season.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the three key factors driving the Kraken’s hot streak and evaluate how likely each is to continue to hold in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Kraken Offense Has Been Awakened
It’s important to start with the greatest factor powering Seattle’s recent success: goals. Since their last loss in regulation, the Kraken are third in the league with 3.89 goals per game after ranking 31st over their first 32 games of the year (2.47 per game).
As has usually been the case in Seattle, the increase in scoring has been a team effort. Nine players have scored two goals or more, while seven have scored three or more. Seven players have tallied six or more points, with three (Kaapo Kakko, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jared McCann) producing at a point-per-game rate.
Injuries have robbed the Kraken of putting their most talented players together for an extended stretch. McCann (missed 24 games), Jaden Schwartz (18), Kakko (16), Brandon Montour (14), and Ryker Evans (14) have been absent for prolonged periods of time this season. That group represents three of their top 10 skaters by points per game last season, with McCann (first) being injured, the key reason for their power outage.
I wouldn’t wager that the Kraken will remain one of the league’s most prolific scoring teams over the second half, given their prior history and lack of elite talent, but having their best players available for most of the season can only help their cause.
Kraken Special Teams Effective
After the last loss before the current streak, the Kraken owned a slightly above-average power play (14th in the NHL at 20.2%) and the league’s worst penalty kill (68.5%). The penalty kill still ranks last as of this writing (70.4%), but both special teams units have stepped up over the past nine games.
The Kraken have capitalized on seven of their last 20 opportunities (35%) and only rank second behind the Edmonton Oilers (41.7%) since Dec. 19. The return of some of their top offensive players has juiced up an already respectable power play which now sits inside the top 10, and could be a key factor in clinching a playoff spot this spring.
The penalty kill hasn’t been anything special in killing 18 of their last 23 shorthanded moments, but it still represents a 10% swing over the first 32 games of the season. That puts them around league average over this run at 78.3%, and means much less momentum being halted by a porous penalty kill.
Most of that improvement can be attributed to goaltending (fifth in PK SV% since Dec. 19), but some credit is due to the players and the coaching staff, even if the underlying numbers still aren’t pretty while shorthanded.
Grubauer Turning Back the Clock with Recent Performance
As I noted earlier, the Kraken have allowed the fewest goals against per game in the league since Dec. 19 and boast the NHL’s best save percentage (.943 SV%) despite also allowing the most shots against per game (33.1) over that span.
The contradiction has been mediated by arguably the most stunning development of the season: veteran goaltender Philipp Grubauer turning back the clock and rediscovering the form that made him a finalist for the Vezina Trophy during the 2020-21 season. That was his final season with the Colorado Avalanche before joining the Kraken as a free agent, with his .922 SV% earned while appearing in 40 of the team’s 56 games, catching the eye of potential suitors across the league.
Grubauer has, for the most part, failed to live up to his side of the bargain through four and a half seasons in Seattle. Despite being one of the league’s 10 highest-paid goalies for the majority of his tenure (until this season), he ranks in the bottom quarter of all qualified netminders (minimum 20 games played since 2021-22) in SV%. He is in the bottom 10 by goals saved above expected.
A strong half-season where Grubauer remains the backup (.926 SV% in 14 appearances) and a sparkling three weeks (.972 SV% in four games to lead the league since Dec. 19) doesn’t – and shouldn’t – wipe away years of underperformance.
Usual starter Joey Daccord has also been his typically steady self over this nine-game run (.924 SV% in his five appearances). Still, Grubauer’s abrupt reversal in performance has kept Seattle steady without its leading man in the crease and given them a chance to win every night. If Daccord reverts to the league-average range he currently occupies this season (.903 in 26 appearances), Grubauer has the opportunity to grab the starter’s role for himself.
Kraken Underlying Numbers Still Troubling
For all of the renewed optimism around the Kraken’s season, some cold water needs to be thrown onto the flames conjured up by their hot streak. Eight of their nine games and seven of their eight wins have come against teams below them in the overall league standings by points percentage (PTS%), so the current streak has been forged against less-than-stellar opposition.
Despite the reduced quality of competition, the Kraken have not put up promising underlying numbers. Over this run, Seattle has accounted for well under 40% of the expected goals, scoring chances, and high-danger opportunities at five-on-five, ranking last in the league by significant margins in those departments since Dec. 19. That the Kraken have found a way to win most of those games is encouraging, but that they are still struggling to control possession and defying the odds is not a good omen for the rest of the season.
Seattle has revived its season on the back of an uptick in scoring, improved special teams play, and strong goaltending. Real questions remain about their play underneath the hood and if this run is sustainable, but the situation appears much more tenable than it did before the holidays. A second-ever playoff berth is well within reach.
Data courtesy of Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, and the NHL.
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