Philipp Grubauer Went From Public Enemy No. 1 to the Kraken's Feel-Good Story

Were fans booing or "Gruu-ing" at Climate Pledge Arena last season? Honestly, it was hard to tell. But this year there's no ambiguity: Philipp Grubauer is back, and the turnaround is real. The Kraken's first big free agent signing went from the worst place imaginable to certified fan favorite, and it's one of the few bright spots in what has otherwise been a rough 2025-26 campaign.

The Year He'd Rather Forget

Last season was brutal. The 34-year-old veteran goaltender and Stanley Cup champion got sent down to the American Hockey League after a miserable start. "Last year, really, really hard year, not gonna lie," Grubauer said. "Probably one of the hardest ones in my career."

But here's the thing: the Kraken weren't exactly making his job easy. The season started okay, then fell apart fast. Defenseman Vince Dunn didn't mince words about it. "It's hard to be a good goalie when you have a terrible team in front of you, and that's what we were a lot of the time when he played," Dunn said. "And I take accountability in that."

When Grubauer hit bottom in Coachella Valley, the numbers were ugly: 5-15-1 record, 3.83 goals-against average, .866 save percentage. Dead last among the 54 NHL goalies who'd played at least 15 games. The 6-4 loss to Anaheim on January 28 that got him sent down? That one stung.

Finding His Way Back

The coaching change mattered. Grubauer clearly prefers Lane Lambert's more defensive system over the aggressive approach that was in place before. "Last year, I don't know what system we played, if there even was a system, right?" he said. "We're playing a little bit more defensive and five guys are working back. It allows us to take a step back and read the game a little different."

He worked with Colin Zulianello, the Firebirds' goalie coach, who later got promoted to the same role with Seattle. It was his first AHL stint in nearly a decade. Grubauer set out to "basically just leave it all on the table and prove people wrong."

General manager Jason Botterill trusted the bounce-back when everyone else was ready to move on. "There's going to be criticisms and there's going to be opinions, and that's what we sign up for in our job," defenseman Jamie Oleksiak said. "He's done a good job of keeping that perspective and doing what he can to get better each day, and it's paid dividends."

The Climb

Grubauer surged back up the leaderboard. By February 5, when Seattle paused for the Olympics, his .916 save percentage tied for third in the NHL. A late-season 7-17-2 skid cost the Kraken a playoff spot and knocked him down to a tie for 10th by season's end, but the redemption arc is undeniable. He even represented the Kraken at the Olympics. Not bad for a guy who was supposedly done in Seattle.

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