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Fifteen years ago, Dan Bylsma, the new Seattle Kraken head coach, was in the right place at the right time. On Feb. 15, 2009, a Pittsburgh Penguin team struggling to make the playoffs promoted Bylsma then coaching the Pens’ American Hockey League Wilkes-Barrie affiliate. Bylsma at 38, became the youngest coach in the National Hockey League. He compiled an 18-3-4 record for 40 points, the second most compiled by an NHL coach in his first 40 games. On June 12, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup making him the second mid-season coaching replacement to win a championship. No one’s expecting to Bylsma to duplicate that feat next season (although stranger things have happened) but there’s one similarity – the past two seasons, Bylsma has coached the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, In fact, the Firebirds are still in action. They begin their Western Conference series final against the Milwaukee Admirals starting tonight (Mar. 29). Bylsma took time out from coaching...

While four teams are still competing in the National Hockey League playoffs – and trying to figure out what NHL refs consider a penalty- most teams, including the Seattle Kraken, are preparing for the off-season. The NHL free-agent window opens on July 1 with a flock of free-agent signees announced on that day. For the Kraken it’s an opportunity to bring back Daniel Sprong, which would delight many fans, or Alex Wennberg, which probably wouldn’t please too many Kraken followers. The Kraken are likely to dip their toes into free-agent waters, but the question is how deep are the pockets of Kraken brass. Currently the team has $1,331,742 in salary cap space with an expected cap increase of $4 million for NHL teams this summer. In non-free agent news, Rob Brind`Amour has signed a contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes. Brind’Amour was believed to be a top choice of the Kraken in a search for their new head coach. A lack of scoring punch was the Kraken’s downfall this seas...

  The Seattle Kraken have scooped up the number-eight pick- about where the Kraken would have selected minus the lottery- in a draft that the `experts’ say is top-heavy with defensemen. A lottery was used to determine draft order, with the 11 teams who failed to make the playoffs this season, eligible to win the top pick. The NHL like most leagues goes to a lottery format to discourage blatant `tanking’ by a team trying to secure the top pick. Only the top two selections are determined by lottery, after that teams are seeded by record. The San Jose Sharks captured the number-one pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft- yes, the NHL draft lottery has a sponsor. The Chicago Blackhawks, who picked `can’t-miss’ prospect Connor Bedard with last year’s number-one pick, will draft second followed by the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks are expected to take Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, at 17, the youngest player in Division 1 men’s hockey this season and the youngest player to...