3 takeaways from the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural preseason
The Seattle Kraken wrapped up the preseason with a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. Next time the Kraken take the ice, it will be for real.
So as Seattle prepares to open its inaugural regular season, here are three takeaways from its six preseason games and training camp so far.
1. Vince Dunn is a player to watch
Defenseman Vince Dunn scored three goals in his final two preseason games, including twice in Tuesday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks. He scored the first goal of the game on a power play.
“I think taking chances when they’re there, really being patient with the puck and letting the puck do most of the work for me,” Dunn said of his success. “Every goal scored that (I’ve scored), it’s been amazing that front guys and goalies don’t really see it go by so that’s made my job a lot easier.
“For me, it’s just dialing in the systems here and I think when we’re all on the same page out there, it creates a lot of opportunity.”
Dunn said the defensemen have focused on puck possession, which helps create opportunities for them to jump in the rush. The Kraken have relied heavily on the line of Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz, and Jordan Eberle line for scoring and could use contributions from the blue line.
“Vince is really gaining in his skating and his legs,” head coach Dave Hakstol told NHL.com after Tuesday’s win. “He is seeing the ice so well for the blue line. He’s also getting back and breaking us out of the defensive zone.”
Known for being a strong scoring defenseman himself, Mark Giordano said Dunn has “great offensive instincts.”
“His shot’s a great shot,” Giordano said. “It’s one of the better shots I’ve seen, especially on the power play. He’s not overthinking it. He’s making smart, easy plays. He’s been really good, especially the last couple of games. You can tell when his confidence and instincts start to take over.’’
2. Philipp Grubauer looks ready
Goalie Philipp Grubauer finished the preseason with an exceptional performance against the Canucks. It was his first time playing a full game.
He had 38 saves during the 4-0 shutout and was particularly strong on the penalty kill. He finished with 12 saves when the Kraken were short-handed as Vancouver went 0-for-4 on the power play. Grubauer made nine saves during one power play in the second period.
A finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL last season, Grubauer signed a six-year, $35.4 million contract with the Kraken in July. He’s expected to be Seattle’s No. 1 goalie, but will form a tandem with Chris Driedger — an expansion draft pick from Florida.
“Everybody’s coming together, which makes it easy for not just me. It makes it easier for D partners, for forwards,” Grubauer told NHL.com. “Everybody is growing into the system and everybody is eliminating mistakes. We go over film, watch our mistakes and prevent them from happening again.”
3. The final days
Seattle will open its inaugural regular season on the road against Vegas on Oct. 12. After a grueling six preseason games in 10 days, head coach Dave Hakstol said the team used Wednesday’s practice as a “mental break.”
“Over the next six days, we have a lot of work that we want to do,” Hakstol said. “This will be our first real opportunity to put some practices back-to-back-to-back. That’s important.
“Practice time is at a real premium. It has been through training camp and it will be as we get into the regular season, as well. These are important days for us.”
The Kraken will also have to finalize their 23-player roster. They trimmed the roster more on Wednesday as forwards Kole Lind and Max McCormick were placed on league waivers.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 5:47 PM.
