The Seattle Kraken have relieved assistant coach Bob Woods of his duties after just one season with the team.

"As Lane Lambert continues to evaluate the coaching staff, we have made the decision to relieve Bob Woods of his duties. We appreciate all of Bob’s hard work and dedication to the Kraken and wish him luck going forward," said Kraken general manager Jason Botterill. 

Woods was brought into the fold last season under HC Dan Bylsma, in charge of defensive strategies and the penalty kill. 

"Dan and I have had numerous conversations [about the two assistant coach openings, one of which opened up during the search when former Seattle assistant Jay Leach accepted a similar role for Boston]," said Ron Francis last year when Woods was hired. "Dan talked about Bob and his relationship with Bob, and part of my job is doing research. I’ve known Dean Evason for a long time and talked to him about Bob and other people Bob has worked with. He gets rave reviews. I am excited to bring him to work with our defenseman, young and more experienced. He’s got that pedigree to branch both sides."

It's quite common for new head coaches to bring in their own staff when joining a new team, which makes the move to relieve Woods unsurprising. Lambert and the Kraken front office will begin their search for the next assistant coach to join Lambert and Jessica Campbell on their staff. 

Lambert is a believer that defence wins games and is keen on inflicting his defensive structure onto the Kraken, and it's likely why he wants to employ an assistant coach he feels confident matches his philosophies.

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