Ever for the reason that Seattle Kraken joined the NHL, questions have surrounded how they constructed their team and handled their business. From the expansion draft to last offseason, the Kraken have been checked out as a team that may very well be higher, but they selected an extended path to success.
Even with their playoff appearance in 2023, where they made it to the second round of the playoffs, the Kraken have at all times done things in another way. Things seemed to be moving into the correct direction, but after back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs, they decided more change was needed.
The Seattle Kraken have announced a training change. Lower than a 12 months after replacing Dave Hakstol, the Kraken are moving on from Dan Bylsma.
Hearing the Seattle Kraken are making a training change.
Dan Bylsma will likely be let go…and a full search will begin.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 21, 2025
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Along with firing Bylsma, the team is promoting current general manager Ron Francis throughout the organization and making Jason Botterill, the assistant general manager, the brand new general manager.
Hearing there may also be change within the SEA front office. Jason Botterill recent GM, Ron Francis will likely be team president https://t.co/Eko68ULrak
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) April 21, 2025
These are interesting moves from a team that was not expected to make the playoffs this season. Bylsma replaced Hakstol because Francis thought they needed a brand new voice. Recall, Byslma took the Coachella Valley Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals before his promotion. He brought Jessica Campbell as much as the NHL. She is being retained as an assistant coach. Firing one other coach a 12 months later shows that the Seattle Kraken need a brand new direction of their front office.
“We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he dropped at our organization over the past 4 years on the NHL and AHL levels,” said Kraken General Manager Ron Francis in an announcement. “After an intensive review of the season and our expectations for next 12 months and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to maneuver in a unique direction behind the bench. Dan is an excellent person and a respected coach. He played a crucial role in the event of lots of our young prospects and was a giant a part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.”
?Night Cap Recap ?
Not So Sleepless in Seattle… Kraken making coaching and front office moves #seakraken #nhl pic.twitter.com/yPImSDY51I
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) April 21, 2025
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A team like Seattle shouldn’t be firing coaches 12 months after 12 months. That could be a Buffalo Sabres thing to do. Each teams wonder why they should not successful and never within the playoffs. There was some speculation that Ron Francis won’t get the total five years of his contract as General Manager. Many thought a GM change would come, especially after the contracts given out to Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson.
Bylsma did great work with the young players, including 2022 first-round draft pick Shane Wright and newly acquired forward Kaapo Kakko. The Kraken played well under Bylsma this season; nonetheless, when Francis didn’t qualify Morgan Geekie or Daniel Sprong after the team made the playoffs in 2023, many wondered what he was doing.
Now the seek for a full-time coach will begin. It’ll be an intensive search. Nonetheless, the coach isn’t the one issue in Seattle. Roster construction is one other problem, they usually must get the correct pieces to gel to get back to the playoffs. Nonetheless, the Kraken need to begin progressing in the correct direction, or else they may fall into Buffalo Sabres territory.
A team like Seattle can’t get stuck in rebuild mode with Utah inching closer to the playoffs. Everyone knows what the Vegas Golden Knights did of their first five seasons. It’s unfair to match Seattle to Vegas, however the Kraken must get back to the playoffs; otherwise, they may very well be stuck near the underside for a very long time.
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