Seattle Kraken’s Youth Movement Has Jason Botterill Excited About What’s Ahead – The Hockey Writers –

The Seattle Kraken are entering the 2026-27 season with a noticeably different outlook than they had a year ago. There is a legitimate youth movement taking shape in Seattle, and general manager Jason Botterill is embracing it. In comments shared by NHL.com writer Kevin Woodley, Botterill revealed that the Kraken could potentially have seven or eight forwards age 23 or younger on their opening-night roster.

“There’s a possibility we could have seven or eight forwards 23-and-under on opening night; it gets us pretty excited about where we are and what we could accomplish this year,” Botterill said.

That would represent a significant shift for a franchise that has traditionally leaned heavily on veteran players. More importantly, it is a sign that Seattle’s young talent is no longer simply waiting for an opportunity. The Kraken appear increasingly ready to give their prospects and younger NHL players meaningful roles.

Kraken’s Youth Movement Is Becoming a Reality

Seattle’s younger players have been at the center of the organization’s long-term plans for several seasons, but the 2026-27 campaign could be the year that group truly becomes a defining part of the roster.

Matty Beniers has already established himself as a core piece, while players such as Berkly Catton and Ryan Winterton are entering important stages of their development. The Kraken also have other young forwards competing for NHL opportunities, creating a situation where the organization’s future could quickly become its present.

Having seven or eight forwards under the age of 23 on opening night would not automatically make Seattle a young team overall, but it would give the roster a very different dynamic.

For a team that missed the playoffs last season, getting more from its younger players will be crucial. Seattle cannot afford to simply hope that its veterans carry the offense while its prospects develop in the background. If the Kraken are going to take a step forward, some of that improvement likely needs to come from players who are still establishing themselves in the NHL.

The organization isn’t looking at its young players simply as pieces for some distant rebuild. It believes they can contribute now, and with several players competing for NHL jobs, there should be legitimate internal competition throughout training camp.

Seattle Isn’t Starting From Ground Zero

The other part of Botterill’s comments may ultimately prove just as important. The Kraken entered last season with Lane Lambert taking over behind the bench, meaning the team had to learn a new system, establish new expectations and adjust to a new coaching staff. This season, that learning curve should be considerably smaller.

Botterill pointed to the increased familiarity between the coaching staff and players as another reason for optimism. “And then the fact there’s a better cohesiveness between our coaching staff and our players, just from the standpoint of they know what to expect from Lane, what the system is,” Botterill said. “It’s not like we’re starting from ground zero like we did last season.”

A coaching change can create significant growing pains, particularly when a team is trying to establish a new identity. Players have to learn what their coach expects from them, while the coaching staff has to figure out how its personnel best fit into the system.

Lambert and his players should have a much clearer understanding of one another heading into 2026-27. That does not guarantee success, but it removes one of the variables that complicated last season. Seattle should know what its system looks like. Its players should know what is expected of them. And Lambert should have a better understanding of how to deploy his roster.

That could allow the Kraken to spend less time adjusting and more time actually improving.

The Kraken Need Their Young Players to Take the Next Step

Of course, optimism in August does not guarantee anything once the regular season begins. The Kraken still have plenty of questions to answer. Their young players will face increased expectations, and some will inevitably experience the inconsistency that comes with developing at the NHL level.

What Seattle needs, however, is for enough of those players to take meaningful steps forward at the same time. Beniers needs to continue growing into a bigger offensive role. Catton will be under significant attention as one of the organization’s most exciting young talents. Players such as Winterton and others competing for NHL minutes need to prove they can consistently contribute rather than simply provide flashes of potential.

If that happens, the Kraken could find themselves with something they haven’t always had: a young core capable of growing together while still contributing to a competitive NHL roster.

The Kraken aren’t promising that seven or eight young forwards will suddenly transform the team into a Stanley Cup contender. They are acknowledging that the organization has reached a point where its young talent is ready to become a much larger part of the equation. Unlike last season, Seattle isn’t asking those players to learn everything while the coaching staff is learning alongside them.

The Kraken know what Lambert wants; their players know what to expect. Now, they have to show that the combination of youth, continuity and experience can finally translate into a team capable of taking the next step.