Analysis: Kraken Boast Formidable Offense to Start 2026-27 Season
Entering the season with mild expectations, the Seattle Kraken have one of the best offenses in the NHL, getting contributions throughout the lineup amid a 4-2 start.
The Seattle Kraken are outscoring their opponents 17-9 at 5-on-5 this season. No, that's not a typo. No, this isn't a dream.
That +8 goal differential is second-best in the NHL so far. Last season, Seattle finished 18th in 5-on-5 goal differential, with a -7 differential, playing a role in the team's second half collapse and missing the playoffs for a fourth time in five seasons.
Through two games on their current road trip, the Kraken have 11 goals. They’ve scored six goals three different times this season, after hitting that mark twice all of last season.
This is a different Kraken team. They added Bobby McMann last trade deadline and acquired Mackie Samoskevich this offseason, moves that have allowed Berkly Catton to flourish in a third line role in his second season. Simply put, this offense is significantly improved, and could hit several marks the Kraken have never reached before in their short franchise history.
Seattle’s top line of Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and Mackie Samoskevich has been sensational. McCann leads the team with seven points and Samoskevich has three goals in five games. According to MoneyPuck’s expected-goals model, they’ve controlled 57% of expected goals at 5-on-5. They’ve outscored opponents 3-1 so far.
“The coaching staff is giving us great ideas before the games,” McCann said after Sunday’s win over the Washington Capitals. “We're not doing anything crazy. We're winning pucks. We're getting the pucks to the net. We're banging them home. Things are going in for us right now, which is good. We just [have] to keep it going. We know what makes us successful.”
