Seattle Kraken Just Brought in Outside Help to Tear Down and Rebuild the Whole Operation

The Kraken are not messing around this offseason. After Ron Francis stepped away as President of Hockey Operations, the organization decided they needed a full external review, and they just hired The Sportsology Group to audit everything from the front office structure to how the team actually makes decisions on the ice. This is not a small thing. This is a signal that ownership knows something needs to change.

What the Audit Actually Covers

The Sportsology Group is going to dig into Seattle's organizational structure, scouting department, player development programs, decision-making processes, communication strategies, and analytics integration. Basically, they are examining every lever the Kraken pull when building a roster and running the hockey operations side. The firm specializes in helping sports organizations function better internally, and they have worked with some serious outfits: the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles. The company is headed by executive chairman Mike Forde, who was the director of football operations for Chelsea FC in the English Premier League.

Why Seattle Needed This Wake-Up Call

The numbers tell the story. The Kraken finished last season with 79 points, good for sixth place in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference. They have now missed the postseason in four of their five years as a franchise since entering the league in 2021-22. That is not the trajectory ownership wanted when they invested in this team.

With Francis out and general manager Jason Botterill taking over hockey operations, the ownership group One Roof Sports And Entertainment clearly wanted a professional assessment to make sure the organization is set up to win. Botterill's highest previous position was general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 to 2020, so bringing in an external firm to evaluate how things should run makes sense.

What Comes Next

The Kraken have the seventh overall pick in June's NHL Entry Draft and need to make decisions on pending unrestricted free agents including forwards Bobby McMann, Jaden Schwartz, and Eeli Tolvanen. Those moves come after whatever The Sportsology Group recommends. This audit could reshape how Seattle operates at the highest level. The rebuild just got real.

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