3 disappointing Seattle Kraken players who are bounce-back candidates for next season feat. Philipp Grubauer 

By Evan Bell

Modified Aug 02, 2024 16:03 GMT

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Last season, the Seattle Kraken finished the regular season sixth in the Pacific Division, narrowly missing out on a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. While the team struggled to find consistency last season, general manager Ron Francis has worked on bolstering the team's roster for the year ahead in hopes of returning to playoff contention.

Atop the team's offseason to-do list was improving their offense after a season in which they finished in the bottom five for goals per game. The team's biggest acquisition this summer has been center Chandler Stephenson, a two-time Stanley Cup champion poised to make waves for Seattle.

If the team wants to contend in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, it will need several players to step up in a big way. For some players, that means improving their play from last season; for others, it will come down to durability.

Three Seattle Kraken players poised for bounce-back years

#1: Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer's save percentage has been below 90 percent since he joined the Kraken for the 2021-22 season. Before that, Grubauer had a save percentage of over 90 percent, however, that all changed when he got to Seattle.

In his first year with the team, his save percentage dropped from 92.2 percent to 88.9 percent before his save percentage dipped again to 89.5 percent the following year. Last season, over just 36 games for Seattle, Grubauer posted an 89.9 percent save percentage again, which he'll need to improve on this year.

#2: Andre Burakovsky

Injuries have plagued Andre Burakovsky over the past two seasons. Before joining the Kraken, Burakovsky was fresh off his biggest year yet, logging 61 points in 80 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22.

Burakovsky played in just 49 games in his first year with the team, logging 39 points. Last season, his numbers went from bad to worse, with just 16 points in 49 games. After two down years, Burakovsky is poised for a big bounce-back year — so long as he remains healthy.

#3: Brandon Tanev

Brandon Tanev joined Seattle in the 2021-22 season after a rough year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he played in just 32 games. Despite that, he averaged half a point per game — had he remained healthy, he could have been a difference-maker.

His first year with the Kraken was nearly identical to his last in Pittsburgh, as Tanev logged 15 points in 30 games. The following year (2022-23) he remained healthy, playing all 82 games while contributing 35 points, giving fans hope for the future.

Last season, however, while Tanev remained healthy and played 66 games, he totaled just 16 points. That was the same as the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons when he played 32 and 30 games, respectively. After back-to-back healthy years, look for Tanev to have a big season.