The Seattle Kraken are making some management changes this offseason as Ron Francis is stepping down because the President of Hockey Operations. Remember, Francis was the team’s first general manager and moved as much as President when Jason Botterill was promoted to general manager at the start of this season.
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Ron Francis Steps Down as President of Hockey Ops in Seattle
It’s What’s Best for Business #seakraken pic.twitter.com/qNn73MNt2d
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) April 8, 2026
Nonetheless, whilst Francis departs the Kraken, the organization is trying to understand what has gone fallacious since their inception within the 2021-22 season. The Kraken will miss the playoffs for the third straight 12 months and 4 of the primary five years of existence. Now there’s an argument to be made that the Seattle Kraken lucked their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023.
Since then, it has been one bad decision after one other by the management group, mainly for letting Morgan Geekie go for nothing, as they didn’t qualify the then 24-year-old after a nine-goal, 19-assist season in 69 games. He’s scored 89 goals prior to now three seasons for the Bruins, with 37 to this point this season. A team on the lookout for offense could use a man who scored 30 goals this season.
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So, given what has gone on over the past three seasons, CEO Tod Leiweke told the media that the organization will conduct an independent audit of hockey operations, with the present general manager leading the best way.
“We’re going to conduct a full independent audit of hockey operations. Jason (Botterill) will lead it, but we’re going to bring fresh eyes and make sure that that there’s no stone unturned,” Leiweke said.
First off, what does that even mean? How does one undergo a hockey operations department and find flaws and put numbers next to them? Then it has to return to the beginning with the 2021 expansion draft.
It would return even further to the hiring of Ron Francis, who didn’t take the Carolina Hurricanes to the playoffs under his reign during his eight seasons there, first as director of hockey operations after which general manager, from 2014 to 2018, before becoming president of hockey operations. While he got drafted, some good forwards like Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas (now in Colorado), and Morgan Geekie (originally drafted by Carolina, now in Boston), and defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce.
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So Francis tried that again with Seattle. Except this time, he had the advantage of drafting NHL-calibre players straight away and never having to develop them. Guys like Taylor Hall, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikita Zadorov, Brandon Montour (who signed as a free agent in 2024), Gabriel Landeskog, and the list goes on.
The best way the team was built, with complementary pieces moderately than difference-makers, was poor. Seattle did attempt to make deals just like the Vegas Golden Knights did in 2017. Nonetheless, general managers got sensible after what happened with Vegas and their trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 12 months one. But there was talent there for Seattle to select from.
The plan of constructing a team based on analytics and numbers didn’t work. Not to say constructing through the draft. It was built on the backend, with no pure sniper up front to vary the sport. That’s the form of player the Seattle Kraken tried to trade for this season. Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson are solid players on the backend, however the Chandler Stephson signing looks worse and worse.
The goal is to make the Seattle Kraken a consistent playoff team that generally is a threat to win. No one goes to be the Vegas Golden Knights, but there’s something broken about how the Kraken run their team. Seattle is a fantastic hockey market, however the Kraken can’t compete with the Seattle Mariners (who just went to the ALCS) and Seattle Seahawks (who just won the Super Bowl).
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Leiweke told the media that it’s time for a brand new plan, and that fans will hear about it every step of the best way.
“We’re going to develop a multi-faceted, multi-year plan to strengthen our roster. We talk loads about recruiting free agents. We’ve got to do more to make this a hockey city to maintain players, to draw other players, Leiweke said. “We’re going to set mile markers. Fans are going to know where we’re.
Again, the Kraken tried for Artemi Panarin, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and others. But everyone knew Panarin wasn’t going there because he desired to play in a giant city, despite reports of a $14 million-per-season contract offer. Again, what good is a no-state income tax that can go away in a few seasons if the team isn’t winning? Just ask the Florida Panthers before they got good. Same for the Nashville Predators.
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Winning matters to players. That’s why players wish to go to organizations just like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth, Golden Knights, Panthers, and others. Money is secondary if you happen to aren’t winning, and Seattle hasn’t done enough of it.
Again, Francis was a part of the issue and decided it was best for business to step aside. Not moving their remaining three pending unrestricted free agents (Jamie Oleksiak, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jaden Schwartz) after moving Mason Marchment and re-signing Jordan Eberle. Not getting more assets for those players was a mistake.
While adding Bobby McMann is large, he’s a pending UFA at the tip of the season. On the trade deadline, they did hold the second wild-card spot and were still within the weak Pacific division race. But in the event that they weren’t planning on extending any of their UFAs, they needed to accumulate assets for them. Just scrapping into the playoffs and getting bounced quickly in the primary round wouldn’t have put this group any further forward. One other opportunity was lost.
As Leiweke said quite a few times, “We’ve got a hell of lots of work to do. There’s a burning fire to get this fixed.” It’s a large number in Seattle.
While the Kraken are keeping Botterill to guide each hockey operations and general management during a rebuild or retool, that hasn’t been determined yet. It must be a rebuild and get the correct young pieces; there isn’t a guarantee Lane Lambert stays on as head coach. Leiweke was non-committal about his future.
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But losing organizations wonder why they’re on the hamster wheel of death. When there’s constant change with the coach, players can’t develop chemistry and continuity. In order that is the 1st step. The infinite cycle of hiring and firing coaches has to stop. Getting the correct people in charge and sticking with the plan also must occur. Then you definitely find the players to execute it.
If there’s more pain for the Seattle Kraken, then that’s what expansion franchises undergo. But when it was done right the primary time, possibly they wouldn’t need to do it again.
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