Ron Francis’ future.

[kihei]

Beniers might, but no way does Wright suddenly become that. Draft bust is a little harsh maybe but I don't see him ever getting above a 3rd line or depth role in the NHL.

Patience.

I still think there is a decent chance Wright eventually becomes a quality top six player. It would help if he had top six wingers, true.

 

[GrungeHockey]

Patience.

I still think there is a decent chance Wright eventually becomes a quality top six player. It would help if he had top six wingers, true.

Honestly do you want to think that waiting for Wright to become a top 6 forward is a viable strategy? I think it's a better plan to assume he's never going to be that and move on to a new plan. If he does somehow become that well, then it's a bonus and you'll be great.

 

[kihei]

Honestly do you want to think that waiting for Wright to become a top 6 forward is a viable strategy? I think it's a better plan to assume he's never going to be that and move on to a new plan. If he does somehow become that well, then it's a bonus and you'll be great.

Maybe we won't have to wait long the way he is playing at the moment. I really believe his ceiling is higher than Beniers. And what kind of plans are you talking about? Why can't any team have complementary plans, including us?

 

[Kat Predator]

Maybe we won't have to wait long the way he is playing at the moment. I really believe his ceiling is higher than Beniers. And what kind of plans are you talking about? Why can't any team have complementary plans, including us?

12 microwave and ready McDavids or blow it up. No middle ground whatsoever.

 

[majormajor]

Though, the one thing we've got to give to both Beniers and Wright is that they've never had an actual 1st line winger playing with them.
If they do I think their production will go up, but I don't expect more than 60-70 point seasons from them.

On the contrary, I think Jared McCann is an actual 1st line caliber winger and he's the one who has never had an actual #1C to play with.

But I agree Beniers and Wright will look better not just as they get stronger and better as athletes, and smarter and more mature, but as the team gets better around them (which may take a while). Having a couple 60-70 pt centers is a good thing, and if Catton can be that 90 pt catalyst who you double shift when you need a goal (I can see him being that, as a winger for one of Beniers or Wright), then I like the setup.

 

[majormajor]

Patience.

I still think there is a decent chance Wright eventually becomes a quality top six player. It would help if he had top six wingers, true.

A decent chance is underselling it. He doesn't even look bad out there, I'm surprised there is this attitude. His underlying skillset for scoring is terrific, I'm confident the points will come.

Honestly do you want to think that waiting for Wright to become a top 6 forward is a viable strategy? I think it's a better plan to assume he's never going to be that and move on to a new plan. If he does somehow become that well, then it's a bonus and you'll be great.

It doesn't matter, because the club isn't selling him and doesn't have an alternative way to get a player like him. So whatever you mark him as, we're going to be waiting.

 

[GrungeHockey]

Maybe we won't have to wait long the way he is playing at the moment. I really believe his ceiling is higher than Beniers. And what kind of plans are you talking about? Why can't any team have complementary plans, including us?

The plan would be to tear it down and start over.

A decent chance is underselling it. He doesn't even look bad out there, I'm surprised there is this attitude. His underlying skillset for scoring is terrific, I'm confident the points will come.



It doesn't matter, because the club isn't selling him and doesn't have an alternative way to get a player like him. So whatever you mark him as, we're going to be waiting.

No, he's not a big contract or a veteran piece. They can move on and he just becomes a whatever.

 

[majormajor]

No, he's not a big contract or a veteran piece. They can move on and he just becomes a whatever.

I'm honestly confused. Are we talking about the same Shane Wright who has 9 pts in his last 8 games?

 

[kihei]

The plan would be to tear it down and start over.

The expression "throwing the baby out with the bath water" came immediately to mind.


I was just curious. So far this year:

Stafkovsky 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points
Wright 7 goals, 4 assists, 11 points

 

[gstommylee]

I don't bother having discussions on Reddit or X/Bluesky because most people posting there are not as knowledgeable about hockey as HFBoards.

Some people hate hearing anything negative about the team, but you ask the same people how to improve it, and they will have no answer. It's like they expect things to fix themselves magically. Generally, those are the same kind of people who would want Gourde and Tanev re-signed and have no idea on how cap logistics work.

Don't waste your time there.

Definitely agree with ya on places like reddit and various social media. i stopped getting discussion like that cause people just don't want to explain their thoughts as to why the team should do this or do that. I don't post on the kraken subreddit these days as much for those reasons.

 

[gstommylee]

And unfortunately the time for creativity is past. With the contracts we currently have there is not much flexibility to "fix" the team. The creativity to trade assets within the last 2 seasons to get a true difference maker may have helped put the team on the right track. But now, I think its too late.

Problem with making those kind of trades is actually wanting those kind of difference makes whom i assume would be on the final year of the contract to want to remain with the team long term to even make it worth trading away top prospects. I definitely agree Seattle does need to stop being conservative when it comes willing to making trades.

 

[gstommylee]

The plan would be to tear it down and start over.


No, he's not a big contract or a veteran piece. They can move on and he just becomes a whatever.

Tearing down and start over is the last thing this team should do especially when it comes to trying to get the talent that this team needs. The talent this team needs more than likely will go elsewhere than to want to come to a team that is in a total tear down and rebuild mode.

Wright is still a kid he needs time to develop. Getting rid of young players cause they aren't producing fast enough is not going to help the team long term. A team needs the young players in order to balance out the roster in terms of the cap which in the long term would help us spend more on individual players that could very well be those difference makers the team needs.

 

[GrungeHockey]

Tearing down and start over is the last thing this team should do especially when it comes to trying to get the talent that this team needs. The talent this team needs more than likely will go elsewhere than to want to come to a team that is in a total tear down and rebuild mode.

Wright is still a kid he needs time to develop. Getting rid of young players cause they aren't producing fast enough is not going to help the team long term. A team needs the young players in order to balance out the roster in terms of the cap which in the long term would help us spend more on individual players that could very well be those difference makers the team needs.

I'm not "getting rid of young players". A tear down involves getting rid of veteran players.

Slavkovsky's a bust too by the way.

 

[Anthem]

Honestly do you want to think that waiting for Wright to become a top 6 forward is a viable strategy? I think it's a better plan to assume he's never going to be that and move on to a new plan. If he does somehow become that well, then it's a bonus and you'll be great.

It's a perfectly fine strategy. The team is in no rush.

The plan would be to tear it down and start over.


No, he's not a big contract or a veteran piece. They can move on and he just becomes a whatever.

Why would you get rid of your 20 year old 4th overall pick if the intent is to tear it down and build up again.

Wright is the guy you keep in that scenario. Him, Beniers, Evans. Everyone older is who you want to dump.

The expression "throwing the baby out with the bath water" came immediately to mind.


I was just curious. So far this year:

Stafkovsky 2 goals, 12 assists, 14 points
Wright 7 goals, 4 assists, 11 points

One shooting 6.5, the other 26.5.

Neither getting enough shots. Neither playing as well as you would hope given their draft position.

But both have solid tools. I'd bet on Slaf since he's way more proven at this point.

 

[GrungeHockey]

I'm not being understood so to be clear on Wright, he's just another player, he's not the top level guy we wanted him to be when he was drafted high. Hence, you won't go far building around that guy. You need that guy. Beniers is good but not good enough on his own.

Francis screwed up by overpaying for Montour and Stephenson and so the team has these giant anchor contracts and not enough cap room to build through free agency going forward. With the current scenario you have to hope and pray your draft picks coming up get it done and I don't see that happening. mediocrity at best.

So if you want to be a top tier team you need to tear it down with veteran big contract removal and soft tank to get a better young player than Wright. Maybe 2 or 3. You're never going to win a cup without your core Crosby Malkin or Kane Toews or Stamkos Kucherov or Eichel Stone and so forth. Just never going to happen.

 

[kihei]

Though it seems like a shoddy year so far in many ways, we are only three points away from a wild card spot and a trip to the playoffs. If that occurs, I doubt upper-management fires Francis at all. If all ownership wants to do is make the playoffs, it seems unrealistic to expect that they would fire the GM for doing his job by accomplishing this outcome. He might even get a contract extension, especially if the Kraken win a round.

Not the way I would wish it, but it seems like a possibility nonetheless.

 

[Anthem]

I'm not being understood so to be clear on Wright, he's just another player, he's not the top level guy we wanted him to be when he was drafted high. Hence, you won't go far building around that guy. You need that guy. Beniers is good but not good enough on his own.

Francis screwed up by overpaying for Montour and Stephenson and so the team has these giant anchor contracts and not enough cap room to build through free agency going forward. With the current scenario you have to hope and pray your draft picks coming up get it done and I don't see that happening. mediocrity at best.

So if you want to be a top tier team you need to tear it down with veteran big contract removal and soft tank to get a better young player than Wright. Maybe 2 or 3. You're never going to win a cup without your core Crosby Malkin or Kane Toews or Stamkos Kucherov or Eichel Stone and so forth. Just never going to happen.

The team as never going to build through free agency because that's just not a valid path in the NHL.

You can maybe grab a star if you're lucky. You aren't grabbing 4 top 6 guys.

Though it seems like a shoddy year so far in many ways, we are only three points away from a wild card spot and a trip to the playoffs. If that occurs, I doubt upper-management fires Francis at all. If all ownership wants to do is make the playoffs, it seems unrealistic to expect that they would fire the GM for doing his job by accomplishing this outcome. He might even get a contract extension, especially if the Kraken win a round.

Not the way I would wish it, but it seems like a possibility nonetheless.

3 points but they have to pass 3 teams and one of those is the avs (who just fixed their goaltending).

They are struggling to even get to .500. This isn't a playoff team.

 

[kihei]

3 points but they have to pass 3 teams and one of those is the avs (who just fixed their goaltending).

They are struggling to even get to .500. This isn't a playoff team.

My main point, though: I wasn't predicting that the Kraken would make the playoffs. Rather, I was saying that if the team somehow managed to do so, then Francis likely keeps his job for another year, maybe longer.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Though it seems like a shoddy year so far in many ways, we are only three points away from a wild card spot and a trip to the playoffs. If that occurs, I doubt upper-management fires Francis at all. If all ownership wants to do is make the playoffs, it seems unrealistic to expect that they would fire the GM for doing his job by accomplishing this outcome. He might even get a contract extension, especially if the Kraken win a round.

Not the way I would wish it, but it seems like a possibility nonetheless.

It might be three points but besides Winnipeg(10 points ahead of Seattle) and Colorado(way better team) everyone else in front uf us has played less games and more points.

I think we'll be able to overtake Calgary(cause they'll sell whatever they can) in our division but that's it.

Overall I think you're right.
The team seems destined to finish anywhere between 9th - 12th in the western conference and probably ends up picking in the 12 - 16 range.

That might save Francis job and probably means he's not going to sell at the TDL(fumbling assets once again) cause we're "right in it" at that point, most likely.
And of course it means more mediocre stuff next offseason to "stay competitive".

 

[GrungeHockey]

The team as never going to build through free agency because that's just not a valid path in the NHL.

You can maybe grab a star if you're lucky. You aren't grabbing 4 top 6 guys.


3 points but they have to pass 3 teams and one of those is the avs (who just fixed their goaltending).

They are struggling to even get to .500. This isn't a playoff team.

I agree about free agency. You can plug a hole or two or slightly overpay for a mid level guy and help your team but dumping piles of cash on big names is suicide and that's what Francis did.

This team is nowhere near the playoffs.

 

[Fuhrious]

It might be three points but besides Winnipeg(10 points ahead of Seattle) and Colorado(way better team) everyone else in front uf us has played less games and more points.

I think we'll be able to overtake Calgary(cause they'll sell whatever they can) in our division but that's it.

Overall I think you're right.
The team seems destined to finish anywhere between 9th - 12th in the western conference and probably ends up picking in the 12 - 16 range.

That might save Francis job and probably means he's not going to sell at the TDL(fumbling assets once again) cause we're "right in it" at that point, most likely.
And of course it means more mediocre stuff next offseason to "stay competitive".

You’ve posted 2 or 3 things in the last half hour that make me think we’re sharing a brain

 

[RainyCityHockey]

You’ve posted 2 or 3 things in the last half hour that make me think we’re sharing a brain

"Two idiots one thought" as we say in Germany.

 

[GrungeHockey]

"Two idiots one thought" as we say in Germany.

Or things are so glaringly obvious lots of people will see it the same. Add me in to the thoughtful idiots pile.

 

[larueskee]

The Kraken have become the most uninteresting team in the NHL and maybe all of hockey. This is on Francis as he had ample opportunity with an expansion draft and high picks. Signing free agents like Oleksiak and Larsson to over payments? Jaden Schwartz? Up and down the roster just a boring team that let some good ones get away. New leadership in the management suite is overdue. I knew it would be a tough slog with a name as bad as the Kraken. Should have just called them the Seattle Hockey Club of Sasquatch.

 

[Fuhrious]

I shit on Francis a lot, but it’s not exactly his fault the drafts the Kraken were gifted high picks in have proven to be historically thin and only produced a handful of top 6 players? That’s surely at least somewhat attributable to bad luck?