Kraken By The Numbers: Stats that explain why Seattle is playoff bound in Year 2

After a rocky inagural season that saw few wins and a ton of roster turnover, the Seattle Kraken are playoff bound in Year 2.

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It’s been an incredible turnaround for the NHL’s newest team, and we’re here to give you some numbers that explain why the Kraken are heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.

+17

This one is simple enough.

Last year, the Kraken won just 27 games. After Thursday’s playoff-clinching win over the lowly Arizona Coyotes, the Kraken are at 44 for 2022-23, which is tied for sixth-most in the Western Conference and tied for 11th in the NHL this year.

WINNER, WINNER, SCHULTZY DINNER!!! pic.twitter.com/3Q9k8Dqavc

— x – Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 18, 2022

Not bad for a team that finished with the third-worst record in hockey last season.

+36

Sticking with standings numbers, points are ultimately what matters for making it to the playoffs, and the Kraken have already gotten 26 more points this year than last.

In Year 1, the Kraken managed just 60 points (27 wins, six overtime losses). The Kraken are knocking on the 100-point door as they sit at 96 with four games to go.

+60

If there’s any singular part of the Kraken’s game to point to as to why they’re a playoff team, it’s scoring.

bjorkstrand got *oliv* that one on the breakaway 😍 pic.twitter.com/OkmsaLx1ru

— x – Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) February 17, 2023

Last year, Seattle finished 29th in scoring with just 216 goals. With four games left, the Kraken have 276, which is sixth-best in the league. They’re also fourth in the NHL in points per game.

-40

The Kraken’s defense isn’t the talk of the town by any means, but that side of the team’s game has gotten better this year.

In their first season, the Kraken allowed 285 goals, which was 24th in the NHL. With four games left, they’ve cut that number down by 40 to 245, 14th-best in the league.

+29

Sticking with the defense for just a sec, Seattle has one of the best defensemen pairing in the league in Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. Those two each have a plus/minus of plus-29, making them one of the best and most efficient tandems in the NHL.

LARSSON WINS IT! 🚨

Adam Larsson goes forehand-backhand to score the @Energizer OT winner and give the @SeattleKraken the win! pic.twitter.com/RGmDItqYyT

— NHL (@NHL) March 22, 2023

(Plus/minus is the difference between the player’s team’s goals scored versus goals allowed when the player is on the ice.)

At plus-29, Dunn and Larsson are tied for the 14th-best plus/minus in the league so far this season.

13, 7 and 4

Let’s go back to the scoring.

A strength of the Kraken this year has been the team’s offensive depth, which was far from the case in 2021-22.

Thirteen skaters have at least 30 points this year, compared to just six last season.

Additionally, seven have at least 40 points, while only three players (Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde and Jordan Eberle) did that in Year 1.

And four Kraken skaters have at least 50 points this season. Only McCann did that last year.

Mighty McCann

The Kraken’s scoring depth has catapulted them to the postseason this year, but they do indeed have a top-end scorer in the grand scheme of the NHL.

After leading Seattle in scoring last year, McCann has taken his game to a new level this season.

y'all…. Canner just scored his 100th goal in our team's 100th game 🥹 pic.twitter.com/jXSS4fAxwX

— x – Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 20, 2022

McCann scored 27 goals in 2021-22, and he’s at 38 this year, which is a career high and is tied for 16th-most in the NHL.

In addition to being one of the top scorers in the league, McCann has also been one of the most efficient, ranking eighth in shooting percentage in the NHL at 19.6%.

Dunn Deal

In addition to having one of the best plus/minus numbers in the league, Dunn has been a key part of Seattle’s scoring attack.

Dunn anchors the Kraken’s top power play line, and for good reason.

Dunn is second on the Kraken with 64 points, and that’s the 10th-most points by a defenseman this season in the NHL.

now THAT is how you get it dunn 🎯 pic.twitter.com/H1I2psheJR

— x – Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) March 10, 2023

Dunn is a pending restricted free agent who appears to be primed for a big payday in the near future.

Matty B

Seattle fans got a brief taste of the future of Kraken hockey last season when former No. 2 overall pick Matty Beniers played in the team’s final 10 games, tallying nine points.

Beniers has had a full season this year and made the most of it, earning All-Star honors while scoring 56 points in 76 games. Beniers is fourth on the team in scoring and second in goals.

matty beniers. dawg. pic.twitter.com/uWlWkaUHnq

— x – Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) April 7, 2023

Beniers is also the runaway favorite for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the top rookie in the NHL.

The Michigan product leads all NHL rookies in points, goals and plus/minus, and is second in assists. Not bad for someone who doesn’t turn 21 years old until November.

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