The Kraken will face-off exclusively against Canadian-based foes this coming September.
That would be the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
Seattle opens its preseason on September 21st against its closest rival, the Canucks, a team the Kraken dominated in the regular season with a 3-0-and-1 record. Yes, the tide seemed to turn in the cross-border rivalry, one that saw Vancouver go from being a serious playoff contender to being completely dishevelled.
The Canucks will try to bounce back under new head coach Adam Foote after Rick Tocchet bailed in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers. Of course, the Kraken will be operating under a new bench boss as well, Lane Lambert. Dan Bylsma was replaced after just one season.
The preseason schedule will see Seattle taking on each of the aforementioned teams twice, once at home and once on the road. A potential bonus, similar to last autumn, the last game of the six sees the Edmonton Oilers visiting Climate Pledge Arena. That means, since it’s the end of the preseason schedule, regulars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will very likely be in the line-up.
The Oilers skated all the way to the Stanley Cup Final again, only to lose to the Florida Panthers for the 2nd consecutive year. The Flames, Canucks and Kraken all failed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Seattle finished 4th from the bottom.
Between the “free agent frenzy” this Tuesday and the culmination of development camp, the hockey world will remain mostly quiet until the rookie and regular camps and the start of the preseason schedule in September.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Select A Duo Of Big D-Men
