Seattle’s 2026-27 picture starts with pace up front, heavy point shots from the blue line and a bigger finishing role for Matty Beniers. No injury updates, scratches or upcoming game date were provided, but Bobby McMann’s arrival gives the Kraken a different gear in the top six.
Seattle Kraken Shift Report: McMann Speed, Montour Shot, Beniers Finish
SEO Title: Seattle Kraken Shift Report: McMann, Montour and Beniers
SEO Description: Seattle Kraken notebook on Bobby McMann’s speed, Brandon Montour’s shot production and Matty Beniers’ high-danger scoring ahead of 2026-27.
-
Bobby McMann: Acquired from Toronto on March 6. He produced 14 points over 18 games after joining Seattle, including 10 goals from his March 14 Kraken debut through the end of the regular season.
-
McMann finished tied for 10th in the NHL in goals during that closing stretch. His 58 shots matched Brandon Montour for ninth in the League over the same span.
-
His top recorded skating speed last season was 24.25 mph, seventh among NHL players. That peak came Dec. 2, 2025, while with Toronto, but four of his six quickest bursts came after the trade.
-
McMann posted 28 bursts above 22 mph, placing him in the 98th percentile among forwards. He also had 267 bursts above 20 mph.
-
Seattle ranked 29th in the NHL with 47 bursts above 22 mph and 26th with 1,568 bursts above 20 mph. McMann can address that lack of open-ice speed.
-
McMann scored 15 high-danger goals, good for the 90th percentile among NHL forwards, and added nine from mid-range areas, ranking in the 89th percentile.
-
Seattle had only two 50-point players last season: Jordan Eberle with 55 and Beniers with 50. Eberle’s 26 goals led the club, leaving the Kraken without a 30-goal scorer.
-
Brandon Montour: Since 2024-25, his 29 goals rank sixth among NHL defensemen. Only Cale Makar, Jakob Chychrun, Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin and Evan Bouchard scored more over that period.
-
Montour had 11 goals in 64 games last season, tying Vince Dunn for the Seattle blue-line lead.
-
He registered 37 shot attempts at 90 mph or harder, tied for seventh in the NHL. His hardest blast reached 101.56 mph on March 26, the League’s eighth-fastest shot.
-
Seattle’s blue line and shooting structure remain a strength: the club was fifth with 86 attempts at 90-plus mph and fourth in average shot speed at 59.62 mph.
-
Montour had 99 long-range shots on goal, tied for eighth among NHL defensemen. Dunn was 10th with 96, giving Seattle a productive pair from the points.
-
Montour also recorded four long-range goals, ranking in the 90th percentile among defensemen, plus 32 mid-range shots on goal and 10 high-danger shots on goal.
-
Matty Beniers: The No. 2 selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and 2022-23 Calder Trophy winner has not reached his 57-point rookie total in the following three seasons. His underlying work last year pointed upward.
-
Beniers and Eberle each scored 16 high-danger goals, the most on Seattle. Both sat in the 92nd percentile among forwards in that category.
-
Beniers shared the team lead in multipoint games with Eberle and Chandler Stephenson. Each had 10.
-
His hardest shot was 90.36 mph, in the 85th percentile. He added 130 skating bursts above 20 mph, 63 high-danger shots on goal and 53 mid-range shots on goal.
-
Beniers covered 267.67 miles, placing him in the 98th percentile among NHL forwards. His 64.0 percent power-play offensive-zone time ranked in the 96th percentile.
-
Potential supporting pieces include Shane Wright, the No. 4 pick in 2022; Kaapo Kakko, selected No. 2 in 2019; and Berkly Catton, chosen No. 8 in 2024.
-
Mackie Samoskevich, taken 24th overall by Florida in 2021, joined Seattle in a June 21 trade and could be another option alongside Beniers.
McMann gives Seattle a credible candidate to push past the club’s recent scoring ceiling. Montour and Dunn can keep pressure on opponents from the blue line. Beniers remains the pivot point: if his dangerous-area chances continue turning into goals, the Kraken’s young forwards have a stronger base to chase a playoff return after missing the postseason in four of their first five seasons.
