After falling far short of expectations, the Seattle Kraken decided to make some changes. On Monday, they announced they’re moving on from Dan Bylsma, after only one year behind the bench. This means that the Kraken will be looking for their third head coach in their five-year history.
The #SeaKraken have announced that head coach Dan Bylsma has been relieved of his duties.Read more → bit.ly/SEA_042125
— Seattle Kraken (@seattlekraken.com) 2025-04-21T21:47:40.806Z
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Why Dan Bylsma Was Fired and Where the Kraken Can Go From Here
Last offseason, the Kraken brought in Bylsma as their replacement for Dave Hakstol. Despite making their inaugural playoff run in the 2022-23 season, the Kraken struggled in 2023-24, finishing with a record of 34-35-13 for 81 points, missing the playoffs by 17 points. The hope was that Bylsma could recapture what made the Kraken so good in 2022-23 and lead them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That wasn’t the case, however, as Seattle finished 2024-25 with a record of 35-41-6 for 76 points. A step back from where they were under Hakstol.
The decision to move on from Bylsma is part of a wide-scale organizational change across the Kraken. According to ESPN, General Manager Ron Francis will be reassigned to a different position within the front office. Assistant General Manager Jason Botterill will take over for Francis. With changes happening all over the Seattle organization, no one is safe. This shakeup might not stop at just the front office; we could also see the roster undergo a shakeup. After back-to-back seasons of underperformance, the Kraken may feel the need to overhaul their roster to regain competitiveness. We could see staples like Vince Dunn or Jaden Schwartz be on the trade block this summer.
What It Means
The Kraken are the fourth team in the last couple of days to let go of their head coach. They join the Rangers, Cancuks, and Ducks, all of which moved on from their coach over the weekend. While it’s unclear who the Kraken feel is the favorite, they’ve said their search will be far and wide. While the decision to move on from Bylsma may seem surprising, the hope is that it’ll help the Kraken become a consistent playoff contender.
Main photo by: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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