The Seattle Kraken have a new head coach at the helm of their team, and his name is Dan Bylsma. A well-renowned and highly respected coach with a storied career thus far before coming to Seattle. Plain and simple, he knows how to win, and that should be enough to get you excited to have him as the second head coach in Kraken history.
As this team looks to get back into the success column, what kind of expectations does that look like? Considering it is his first season with a brand-new team still trying to figure out their own identity, these expectations are going to seem a bit high. The Kraken have a tough road ahead of them in 2024-25, just by looking at their schedule.
Let's take a look.
Back To The Postseason
This is an obvious one. In Bylsma's first campaign with the Kraken, he needs to do what he has done with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres before this tenure, which is to win hockey games. Enough games to make it out of the regular season as one of the select few Western Conference teams that make it to the postseason.
This is the first head coaching gig for Bylsma since leaving Buffalo at the end of the 2016-17 season. He has spent the time between as the assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, before coming over as the assistant and then head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken's American Hockey League affiliate.
Now, he has been promoted to the big leagues, as the Kraken's second head coach in their short history, replacing Dave Hakstol. And with a promotion like that, comes expectations that failure is not an option.
Bylsma's main expectation will be to get the Kraken back to being a playoff team. With a much stronger roster, they must get back into the hunt this upcoming season, rather than waiting another year to re-tool themselves. With a Stanley Cup-winning coach and a coach who has won 320 games in nine seasons, he is the right man for the job for the Kraken.
What are your expectations for Dan Bylsma in his first season as the Seattle Kraken head coach?