The Seattle Kraken introduced Dave Bylsma as their newest coach. The pressure's on to bounce back from this year, but Bylsma will likely need an upgraded roster to do so.
The Seattle Kraken named veteran bench boss Dan Bylsma as their new coach Tuesday, bringing back a coach who has 565 regular-season NHL games and a Stanley Cup championship under his belt.
The 53-year-old Bylsma inherits a Kraken squad that took a step backward last season, winning 12 fewer games than they did in the 2022-23 season and finishing in sixth place in the Pacific Division, well out of the playoff picture.
Consequently, the pressure to produce positive results will be felt immediately by Bylsma, but the truth is he will need some significant help from Seattle GM Ron Francis to create a post-season-caliber group.
For starters, the Kraken must decide how to spend their $22.2 million salary cap space.
Much of Seattle’s roster is under contract for the 2024-25 campaign, but Francis has to spend much of his cap space on RFA forwards Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen.
That said, does Francis really want to double down on the same group of players? The Pacific is going to be a tougher division next season, with top teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights, all intending to be back in the playoffs. The Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks will also aim to be notably better.
It’s entirely likely Seattle could be right back in the same position in the standings next year, and that would be a waste of everyone’s time.
Meanwhile, the Kraken will also try to continue developing their young talent, including 2022 first-round draft pick Shane Wright, defenseman Ryker Evans and whoever they select with the eighth overall selection in the upcoming 2024 NHL draft. Beniers is clearly crucial to the cause, but Seattle needs another generational talent to keep pace with the best teams in the division and the league.
Bylsma has spent the past six seasons as either an assistant coach at the NHL level or as a head coach at the AHL level. Francis will be leaning on Bylsma to not only squeeze what he can out of the team’s veteran players but also to develop the Kraken’s younger talents and set a better foundation for the long term.
It’s going to be a delicate balance for Bylsma in Seattle, and there’s going to be little room for error and/or stagnation.
As we know now, the NHL’s coaching carousel is whipping in circles like never before, and if the Kraken don’t move forward in short order, Bylsma’s tenure in Seattle will come to a quick end.
Bylsma’s predecessor, Dave Hakstol, lasted three seasons with a 107-112-27 record. If Bylsma doesn’t improve on that points percentage, he’ll be a footnote in Kraken history.
The future is now in Seattle, and while Bylsma’s pedigree got his foot back in the door at the NHL level, it won’t be in there very long if he doesn’t convert that competitive capital into far more wins than losses.
It’s a zero-sum industry, and as a veteran of the business, Bylsma is fully aware that he’s now instantly under the gun to put the Kraken on a quick path to success. No excuses, no sideways steps – just win or be replaced by someone else.
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