The Seattle Kraken spent a large portion of their off-season cleaning out their coaching staff, replacing their head coach, two assistant coaches and their player development staff.
The Kraken have made the playoffs just once in four seasons, and after consecutive seasons finishing inside the bottom 10, the Kraken are keen on changing the culture of the team.
The addition of Lane Lambert will do just that. The 60-year-old prides himself on his coaching style, which emphasizes attention to detail, especially on the defensive side of the puck. Although the Kraken may not have a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot this season, the Kraken will be a difficult team to beat on a nightly basis.
Joining Lambert on the bench are Aaron Schneekloth, who will be in charge of the penalty kill and defense, and Chris Taylor, who will run the power play and offense, replacing Jessica Campbell, who has been moved to a development role.
Campbell will work closely with the promoted Justin Rai, and it's unclear if she will remain on the bench for games. Campbell will also cover faceoffs.
Schneekloth worked as the head coach of the Colorado Eagles for the previous two seasons, helping to turn the Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate into one of the best defensive teams. He and Lambert will work closely to improve the Kraken's team defense.
Taylor had been working as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils for five years before agreeing to work with the Kraken. Throughout his time with New Jersey, players like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt have excelled, which should be good news for Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and several other young Kraken forwards.
The Kraken were in dire need of changes, and the management staff provided them. Now, patience will be the motto as the team begins to learn how to play under Lambert and the new assistant coaches.