Given how competitive the Western Conference is this season and the fact the Seattle Kraken were at just 71 points in late March, it signified that last season was nothing more than a one-off for the NHL playoffs. But Seattle still has a strong group of players. One good thing about the Kraken is that only three players in the active lineup are slated to be unrestricted free agents this summer, while another three are pending restricted free agents.
This gives Seattle a good chance to re-sign their RFAs while their three unrestricted free agents will likely end up elsewhere or perhaps shift toward retirement. Expect Seattle to get a little younger as a result as they also continue to build franchise stability with the players they have signed through at least 2024-25.
Seattle Kraken will have stability, ample cap space in 2024 offseason
The Kraken don’t have more cap space than most of the NHL, but they are currently 11th in the league with just over $23 million to spend this offseason. This will give Seattle enough money to sign Eeli Tolvanen, Kailer Yamamoto, and Matty Beniers to extensions in the offseason, and they will have enough money left over to lure a prize free agent to join the team and help them return to the playoffs in 2025.
Besides their cap space, Seattle has enough stability for an unrestricted free agent to seriously consider making the Emerald City their new home, and their success last season shows how quickly this franchise can turn around its fortunes.
The only tough part would be navigating through what will be a competitive Pacific Division with teams like the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Vegas Golden Knights looking like they will be hot for a while. If the Kraken keep their existing talent, let their older players walk, and bring in some solid contributors, making a run next year after a good offseason is a realistic goal.