Kraken hire Lambert as coach, bring in Marchment to boost forward group

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2025-26 regular season, which starts Oct. 7. Today, the Seattle Kraken:

2024-25 season: 35-41-6, seventh in Pacific Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Key arrivals

Mason Marchment, F: Acquired on June 19 in a trade with the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (forward Brandon Gorzynski) and a third-round pick in 2026, the 30-year-old had 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 62 regular-season games for Dallas last season and five points (one goal, four assists) in 18 playoff games. He has one season left on a four-year contract. Marchment has 189 points (76 goals, 113 assists) in 302 career games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Stars, and 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 59 playoff games. … Frederick Gaudreau, F: The 32-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft (forward Adam Benak). Gaudreau had 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in 82 games for the Wild last season but did not have a point in six playoff games. He has 152 points (61 goals, 91 assists) in 410 career games with the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Wild, and 10 points (eight goals, two assists) in 32 playoff games. He has three seasons left on a five-year contract. … Ryan Lindgren, D: The 27-year-old signed a four-year contract on July 1 after he had 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 54 games with the New York Rangers and three points (two goals, one assist) in 18 games with the Colorado Avalanche after he was traded to Colorado on March 1. He also had three assists in seven playoff games for the Avalanche. In his career, he has 102 points (14 goals, 88 assists) in 405 games for the Rangers and Avalanche, and 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 50 playoff games. … Lane Lambert, coach: The 60-year-old was hired May 29 to be the third coach in Kraken history, replacing Dan Bylsma after one season. In his first NHL coaching job, Lambert was 61-46-20 in 127 regular-season games and 2-4 in six playoff games for the New York Islanders, who fired him during his second season on Jan. 20, 2024.

Key departures

Andre Burakovsky, F: The 30-year-old was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on June 21 for forward Joe Veleno, whose contract was then bought out by the Kraken. Burakovsky had 92 points (30 goals, 62 assists) in 177 games across three seasons for Seattle, including 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) in 79 games last season.

On the cusp

Berkly Catton, F: The 19-year-old, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Seattle on July 5, 2024, has yet to make his NHL debut but is expected to make the team out of training camp. Selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Catton had 109 points (38 goals, 71 assists) in 57 games as captain of Spokane of the Western Hockey League last season and 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 20 WHL playoff games. …Jani Nyman, F: The 20-year-old, known for his heavy shot, played 12 games for the Kraken last season and had six points (three goals, three assists). Selected by Seattle in the second round (No. 49) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Nyman also had 44 points (28 goals, 16 assists) in 58 games with Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League last season and one assist in six Calder Cup Playoff games. He will be considered for a full-time roster spot during training camp.

What they still need

Another scoring wing for one of the top two lines. Seattle’s top three centers -- Matty Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, and Shane Wright -- can all score goals, but none of the three is a pure scorer. Beniers had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games last season, Wright had 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 79 games, and Stephenson, who had 51 points (13 goals, 38 assists) in 78 games, plays a pass-first style. The closest thing Seattle has to a pure goal-scorer is Jared McCann, who primarily plays left wing, but even he is coming off a down season in terms of goals with 22 in 82 games and could use some help shouldering the offensive load.

They said it

“We’ll be strong structurally, but we will also create offense, and we’ll play fast, we’ll be aggressive, we’ll be at the net in the offensive zone, we’ll shoot pucks. These are things that, if you look at the balance and you look at stressing offense or stressing defense, there’s both in there.” -- coach Lane Lambert

EDGE stat to watch

The Kraken were tied for third in long-range goals (23) last season and ranked fifth in long-range shots on goal (564). Defenseman Brandon Montour ranked third in the NHL in both long-range goals (seven) and long-range shots on goal (124) during his first season with Seattle after winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024. Montour, who ranked fourth among defensemen in both goals (18) and shots on goal (231), was also a standout at his position in 20-plus mph speed bursts (140; fourth), midrange goals (eight; tied for fourth), 90-plus mph shots on goal (34; seventh) and total skating distance (279.17 miles; ninth). -- Troy Perlowitz

Fantasy spin

Wright’s 44 points included 13 power-play points (third on Seattle) in his first full NHL season. He ranked in the 96th percentile in 20-plus mph speed bursts (209) last season, is the only player from the Kraken in NHL.com’s fantasy keeper and dynasty rankings and has breakout potential considering he averaged 15:14 of time on ice per game in the second half of the season (compared to 13:32 in first half). -- Chris Meaney

Projected lineup

Jaden Schwartz -- Matty Beniers -- Kaapo Kakko

Jared McCann -- Chandler Stephenson -- Mason Marchment

Berkly Catton -- Shane Wright -- Jordan Eberle

Jani Nyman -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Eeli Tolvanen

Vince Dunn -- Adam Larsson

Ryan Lindgren -- Brandon Montour

Ryker Evans -- Jamie Oleksiak

Joey Daccord

Philipp Grubauer