The Seattle Kraken enter their April 2, 2025, road matchup against the Vancouver Canucks searching for answers and perhaps a bit of redemption after a string of deflating losses. Following a 7-2 dismantling at the hands of the St. Louis Blues and a preceding loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the Kraken find themselves plummeting in the Western Conference standings. At 30-33-12, their playoff hopes are all but extinguished, but they remain dangerous as a spoiler—and nothing would lift their spirits more than derailing the postseason push of their Pacific Northwest rivals. Offensively, the Kraken have been mired in inconsistency. Jared McCann continues to lead the team in scoring with 43 points, but the drop-off behind him has been significant. Matty Beniers, once expected to be a breakout star in his sophomore season, has hit a developmental wall, while veterans like Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz have struggled to produce consistently. With a goals-per-game average near the bottom of the league, the Kraken simply haven’t generated enough offense to stay in the fight against deeper, more balanced teams. Their inability to capitalize on scoring chances and prolonged stretches of offensive zone time has left them vulnerable in close games. On special teams, the picture isn’t much brighter. Seattle’s power play ranks in the bottom third of the NHL and often looks disjointed, relying too heavily on point shots and perimeter passing rather than creating net-front chaos. Their struggles are compounded by a penalty kill that has been just as unreliable. While not the worst in the league, their PK unit has been unable to consistently clear the zone or pressure opposing power plays, often sagging and allowing dangerous seam passes.

Against Vancouver’s capable top unit led by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, staying out of the box and cleaning up their defensive reads will be crucial. Defensively, the Kraken have slipped from the structured, defensively responsible team that surprised many during their 2023–24 playoff run. Injuries and inconsistency have weakened their blue line. Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn continue to log heavy minutes, but the pair has been unable to mask the overall lack of mobility and depth on the back end. Defensive zone exits have become a recurring issue, and Seattle has given up four or more goals in six of their last eight games—a worrying stat that reflects their inability to regain structure after turnovers. In net, Joey Daccord has shouldered the bulk of the workload recently. While he’s shown flashes of brilliance and calm puck-handling, he’s also been hung out to dry far too often. Philipp Grubauer’s injury issues have limited his availability, and Seattle’s lack of goaltending depth is beginning to show as the season drags on. For the Kraken to have a chance in Vancouver, Daccord will need to steal one—because this isn’t a team built to win shootouts. Despite the bleak outlook, the Kraken have one intangible going for them: pride. Games against the Canucks carry a regional rivalry weight, and motivation won’t be lacking. If Seattle can tighten up defensively, avoid penalty trouble, and get timely saves, they can frustrate a Canucks team under immense pressure. In short, Seattle is playing for pride and disruption. They won’t make the playoffs—but they might make sure Vancouver doesn’t either.