Seattle Kraken Struggles: Analyzing the 2025-26 Season Issues

The Seattle Kraken faced significant challenges during the 2025-26 NHL season, leading to a disappointing performance. One of the most glaring issues was their penalty kill, which ranked 31st in the league with a mere 72 percent success rate. The team struggled with consistency, allowing power-play goals in nine consecutive games at one point. Injuries impacted player availability, but the systemic issues seemed to run deeper than just personnel changes. Scoring also proved to be a major hurdle for the Seattle Kraken, as they finished 28th in the NHL, averaging only 2.7 goals per game. This decline in offensive production was unexpected, especially after a more successful scoring year in 2022-23. The lack of contributions from key players further exacerbated the problem, with only four players reaching the 15-goal mark, the lowest since the team's inaugural season. Additionally, the Kraken spent too much time in their defensive zone, averaging 42 percent of their 5-on-5 play there in the final games of the season. This imbalance hindered their ability to generate offense. Overall, the Seattle Kraken struggled with consistency across various aspects of their game, which will need to be addressed moving forward.