On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Seattle Kraken continued on their road trip to open the 2026-27 National Hockey League (NHL) season, taking on the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers took an early lead, just two minutes into the first period. Seattle came back swinging with a power-play goal in the second to tie the game.
It appeared as though the Kraken were going to force this game to head into a tie until a late third-period goal from the Oilers put them back in the lead. The Kraken pulled their goaltender to try and even the score again, but an empty-net goal for Edmonton gave them a 3-1 victory, handing Seattle their first loss of the 2026-27 season.
McMann picked up right where he left off
Although Seattle was down by a goal, they made good use of their power play opportunity in the middle frame. Jared McCann took a shot, but it didn't make it through the goal posts. Jordan Eberle picked up the loose puck and skated it around the net. He passed it down to Bobby McMann in the face-off circle. McMann took a shot, and although it ricocheted through the net, he put the Kraken up on the board.
The Kraken acquired McMann at the end of the trade deadline last season, and he signed a six-year contract extensionwith the team during the offseason, solidifying him as a member of the Kraken's offensive core. Last season, McMann recorded 18 points in 14 games with the Kraken. Now, in his first full season with Seattle, McMann is already off to a strong offensive start. Let's hope he keeps this up throughout the season.
Grubauer entered the crease for the first time this season
This game was the second for the Kraken this season but the first for Philipp Grubauer in net. He stayed strong for the Kraken, earning a save percentage (SV%) of .917, stopping 22 of Edmonton's 24 shots. Unfortunately, after Seattle pulled Grubauer for the extra attacker, Edmonton secured an empty-net goal to take the win.
Grubauer looked steady and strong throughout the game, until the last possible second. Both he and Joey Daccord showed great promise to start the season. This is a great sign for the Kraken's goaltending moving forward. Now, they just need to get their offense in shape and they'll be golden.
Kraken are keeping special teams strong early
Although the Kraken have only played in two games so far this season, they are already doing a good job of keeping their special teams strong. Seattle's penalty kill is currently at a 100% success rate, which is a far cry from where they were last season.
Last season, the Kraken had the second-worst penalty kill in the league, with a 72.7% success rate, with only the Vancouver Canucks sitting below them. Now, the Kraken are one of 10 teams to have a perfect penalty kill to start the 2026-27 season.
Seattle is just two games into the season, so there is plenty of time for this strong penalty kill to change. The Kraken starting off the season with their special teams on a good note after a poor performance last season is a great shift in the right direction for the Kraken.
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