Seattle Kraken gets ready to make significant moves!

The 2020-21 season has yet to get underway, however we are just eight months away from the Seattle Kraken’s official debut in the league, hence becoming the 32nd franchise in the National Hockey League. 

With the current pandemic raging around the world, the new expansion team is expected to benefit the most from the direct consequences, as the NHL and the Players' Association have had no choice but to flatten the salary cap moving forward. While it’s likely that the cap will remain the same for the upcoming three campaigns, it puts several clubs in 
precarious situations on the financial side of things. 

Kraken general manager Ron Francis is well aware that the situation will become a huge benefit for his organization and it is up to him to take advantage of it.

“We were looking at that $85 million, $86 million cap when we started,” Francis said to the Seattle Times. “So, there are some teams in that situation where the cap staying flat kind of affects their planning and they may have to do different things.”

Francis did not stop there, admitting that his team was getting ready to make significant moves to build a strong roster and be a contending club in its inaugural season. 

“We have to spend money and we’re looking to spend money,” Francis said. “Certainly, in today’s world, cap space is extremely valuable, so we’ve got to be careful as we build things.”

He also hinted at the fact that contracts ordinarily considered “risky’’ or “bad’’ because of high salary won’t necessarily generate such fears for the Kraken.

“It’s certainly one possibility that you could take on what some teams determine to be bad contracts,” Francis said. “But that’s not necessarily the case.”

And so, we know the Kraken is ready for business, however, there is still some mystery on what to expect from the new NHL club. We can’t wait to see what happens next, but it’s exciting to see things are in motion.