The Kraken's Third Straight Playoff Miss: How a Month Ago They Were Still Alive

It's official. The 2025-26 Seattle Kraken won't be playing postseason hockey. Again. And this time, they didn't even have control over their own fate when the math caught up with them.

About a half-hour before puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday, the L.A. Kings shut out the Edmonton Oilers 1-0. That goal, or rather that lack of goals for Edmonton, was the dagger. Seattle was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the third straight season, and four of five since the franchise started.

They Were Still Breathing on Thursday

The Kraken had one last desperate path to stay alive: beat Vegas and hope Nashville lost to Utah in regulation. Both things happened. Seattle took down the Golden Knights 4-3 in a shootout, a genuinely impressive result considering they'd been a dreadful 1-6 in shootouts all season before that win.

But it didn't matter. The door was already closing, and it slammed shut before their game even started Saturday.

From Playoff Position to 28th Place in Six Weeks

Here's what makes this sting worse: a month ago, Seattle was sitting in a playoff spot. Three-quarters of the way through the season, they looked like they might actually make it. Then they collapsed all the way down to 28th in the 32-team league.

Captain Jordan Eberle broke down the dysfunction after Thursday's win: "The power play's gone dry. The PK's let in some goals. It's not just one thing. We just haven't played the way that we were playing, the detailed hockey, knowing the importance of each shift, the importance of special teams." The penalty kill was actually in last place at 71.5% heading into Saturday.

The pattern was brutal. They dropped 10 of 11 in December, recovered to win eight of nine, then the team went right back into freefall after the Olympics break. Ten of 11 losses again. That's not bad luck. That's a team that can't find any consistency.

General Manager Ron Francis Is Out

The Kraken announced Wednesday that Ron Francis, who shifted from general manager to president of hockey operations, will step down at the end of the season. Everyone knows more changes are coming.

Eberle summed up the frustration perfectly: "There was a lot of optimism going into the break. I thought where we were and where we were playing, at that level, and to come out of it like this, it's been frustrating and disheartening."

The painful part? In 2023, Seattle made the playoffs. They know what it takes. They've done it before. This year, they just couldn't do it again.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.