Kraken Off to Most ‘Prolific’ Start in Franchise's Short History

The NHL is playing an 84-game schedule this year for the first time. It’s going to feel more like a marathon than ever before.

Yet, for a three-game stretch, things feel different for the Seattle Kraken. That’s a dangerous feeling, of course. Those good vibes could float away and disappear like an ember from a campfire caught in an updraft. But for now, this is all we have to go on.

There were, and still are, legitimate concerns about the 2026-27 Kraken. Scoring has been a major concern for most of this franchise’s existence, dating back to its inaugural season of 2021-22. For at least the first three games, those concerns have been addressed.

If you were looking for reasons to feel good about the Seattle Kraken after three games, there are plenty of them. Yes, the record is 2-1, but the more encouraging part is how Seattle has played. The Kraken opened the season by dismantling Calgary 6-1 on the road, then went into Edmonton and pushed the Oilers to the final minutes before losing 3-1, and finally returned home and beat Calgary 6-1 again.

The biggest difference so far has been the energy and pace. Seattle looks like a team that wants to attack rather than simply react. The opening-night performance in Calgary was particularly impressive, with the Kraken jumping out to a 3-0 first-period lead getting contributions throughout the lineup. Six different Kraken skaters found the net with a goal.

During the offseason, Kraken executive vice president and general manager Jason Botterill suggested the offseason could be “prolific.” Most fans would not categorize the re-signing of Bobby McMann and trade for Mackie Samoskevich from Florida as “prolific.” It was positive, though. But was it enough?

Through three games, the Kraken have outscored their opponents 13 goals to 5. That is both the most goals scored in the team’s first three games in franchise history as well as biggest goal differential. 10 different Kraken skaters have a goal. Jordan Eberle, Samoskevich, and McMann all have multiple. That could be categorized as a “prolific” start offensively.

It's obviously far too early to declare this team a playoff contender based on three games, especially when both wins came against the lowly Flames. But that's exactly what makes this start so intriguing. Seattle doesn't need everything to go perfectly to be interesting this season.

If the veterans continue producing, the special teams remain improved, and the young players continue taking meaningful steps forward, this could be a much more entertaining and competitive Kraken team than we've seen in recent years. Three games don't tell us what Seattle is yet, but they certainly give us plenty of reasons to be excited about what this team could become.