It’s hard to believe, but the Seattle Kraken are just one shortened season away from entering the National Hockey League.
The Kraken are set to become the 32nd franchise in this ever-growing league, joining their expansion counterparts from Vegas and the Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division. To make room, the Arizona Coyotes will shift over to the Central, balancing out the league at four divisions each comprised of eight teams.
At this point in time, the Kraken have no players, and they won’t be able to change that until after this coming season’s trade deadline. You may recall that the Vegas Golden Knights signed their first player, Brandon Wheat Kings star Reid Duke, in the March directly preceding their inaugural season.