We are growing ever so closer to hockey season. The Seattle Kraken will be entering their fourth season in the NHL, and are looking to make it back to the playoffs for the second time. They need to rely on solid goaltending all season long to do that.
Who is the Starter?
This is obvious, as the Kraken have two goaltenders that could be the starter. The duo is Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer. Both goaltenders helped give the Kraken the ninth-least goals allowed in the NHL last season, which drastically improved their record. Without that, the Kraken would have been near the bottom, if not the bottom, of the NHL last season.
But who should get a majority of the starts next season? Who proved themselves enough last season to be named the starting goaltender?
It should be Joey Daccord, who was the number one goalie last season, and proved himself to be a solid goaltending for not only 2024-25, but the future beyond that. He has shown excellence on the ice, and also won over the hearts of the fans as well.
Additionally, Daccord is the only viable option, as Grubauer has been steadily declining over the past few seasons since joining the Kraken. He was a stud in Colorado and seemed to be a franchise goaltender for the Kraken, but it did not go that way. He has a chance to overtake Daccord's spot by his play and play alone. Obviously, if Daccord were to go down with injury, he would take over, but if he struggles, he will not have too long of a chance to win back over the front office.
The Kraken need to rely on solid goaltending in 2024-25. There is a consensus that the abysmal offensive effort last season was a fluke, and they will be a lot better with the signing of Chandler Stephenson and extensions of Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen. If the goaltending unit can mirror what they did in 2023-24, there is no doubt that this team could be seeing postseason action.
What are your projections of the goaltending unit in 2024-25?