Seattle, WA

Seattle Kraken voice details key to team’s surprising start

Published

4 months ago

November 22, 2025

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Seattle Kraken voice details key to team’s surprising start

The Seattle Kraken have been one of NHL’s biggest surprises at the quarter poll of the 2025-26 season.

Seattle Kraken get top goalie back from IR, but lose another to injury

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign led to the firing of head coach Dan Bylsma following his first season, the Kraken have turned things around early on under new bench boss Lane Lambert.

Seattle entered Saturday in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 10-5-5 and 25 points, just two points behind first-place Anaheim in a crowded race.

Kraken play-by-play voice John Forslund shared his insight on how the team has taken a step forward this year when he joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Friday.

“Lane Lambert has done a remarkable job from day one of training camp just coming in and letting everybody know I’m the new sheriff, this is how we need to play, it’s not that complicated, I need a buy-in from the players,” Forslund said. “And as you know, that’s the most important thing in pro sports. You have to have a buy-in no matter what the game is, and they have (bought in).”

An identity that fits

One look at the stat sheet gives a pretty clear indicator as to why the Kraken have taken a step forward early on. Seattle’s 56 goals allowed are tied for the lowest mark in the Pacific Division and the fourth-lowest across the NHL. It’s held opponents to two goals or fewer nine times.

Last year the Kraken allowed the 10th-most goals (265) in the league.

“It gets back to where they were last year. So last season, for me – and I said it over and over again, wasn’t afraid to say it – but it was their lack of defensive recognition, their lack of awareness in the defensive zone, the (lack of) trust they had in each other as a five-man group in front of the goalie,” Forslund said. “That’s hockey. That’s how you play the game. And Lane had to come in and lay down a system that would get to those basics. (It’s) like building a house. You don’t start with the roof. You start with the foundation and you work up.

“So if you do that, you can awaken a team. You can provide more energy.”

While their defense has been among the league’s best, the Kraken have struggled to score this year. Their 54 goals are tied for the third-lowest mark in the league, and they’ve been held to two or fewer goals in eight games.

The lack of firepower on offense has been a troubling sign for Seattle, but it also illustrates why a shift to a more defensive identity under Lambert is a better fit for this group, according to Forslund.

“The Kraken do not have high-end offensive talent. That’s the one thing they need,” Forslund said. “… They don’t have guys who can break the game open on their own talent. Other teams do. (Other teams) can get away with playing a game that maybe isn’t as based in a work ethic but more or less based on talent, and they can win and they can outscore their chances or outscore their problems. The Kraken don’t have that.

“So you had to get back to that (defensive identity) and he did it, and he did it in short order. And because he did, they started to gain momentum, and momentum leads to energy, leads to a new way of playing.”

Forslund highlighted how Seattle’s attempt to get more scoring out of its group a year ago ultimately led to exposing its defense.

“If you stretch out your game, take risks, try to do what they attempted to do last year and score, you’re gonna get victimized,” Forslund said. “So for me, I think this is a great starting point (this year). And I think if they just continue to play this way, it’ll get better and better and better. And who knows as you get into the second half of the year? The league is asleep on them, no one expected them to be very good. So that’s where they’re at right now, but people will become more aware of their style as we move forward with the season. It’ll get tougher and we’ll see where it goes.”

Why Forslund likes Seattle Kraken’s chances in Pacific

The race in the Pacific Division is very crowded early on with just four points separating its first- and sixth-place teams.

Forslund views Vegas, which is currently tied for second with 26 points, as the team to beat in the Pacific Division. He also highlighted a rising Anaheim squad as another contender.

But Forslund likes Seattle’s chances to continue surprising thanks the identity it’s taken on so far this season.

“I like the fact that they can compete with all of these teams, including Vegas, based on their style,” Forslund said. “And that’s gonna put them in a good position, because of all the teams that we talked about in the Pacific Division, the team that, to me, has the most grit and the ability to grind and make it tough to play against are the Kraken. They don’t have the talent level of Vegas, and they don’t have the talent level certainly of Edmonton and … even (Los Angeles), but they have the ability to grind games.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays form 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Thursday: Seattle Kraken score 3 in third in 3-2 comeback win over Chicago

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners make 5 more roster moves as opener nears

Published

2 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Mariners make 5 more roster moves as opener nears

With spring training wrapping up and opening day just a few days away, the Seattle Mariners continued to whittle down their roster on Sunday.

Drayer: Mariners to go with Garver as backup catcher

The Mariners optioned catcher Jhonny Pereda, right-handed reliever Cole Wilcox and right-handed reliever Yosver Zulueta to Triple-A Tacoma. They also re-assigned first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe and infield prospect Brock Rodden to minor league camp.

The Mariners’ spring training roster is now at 31 players.

Pereda, 29, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash in January. He was brought in to compete for Seattle’s backup catcher role, but Mariners insider Shannon Drayer reported earlier Sunday that veteran Mitch Garver will break camp as Cal Raleigh’s backup. Pereda batted .200 in 25 Cactus League at-bats this spring.

Wilcox, 26, flashed potential this spring after he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash last November. He struck out 11 batters across 8 1/3 innings in eight Cactus League appearances, while allowing four runs, six hits and four walks. Mariners manager Dan Wilson said earlier this month that “his stuff has been tremendous” and he “has opened some eyes.”

Zulueta, 28, struck out 10 batters across seven innings in eight Cactus League appearances, while allowing three runs, six hits and three walks. He was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in a January trade.

Joe, 33, signed a minor league contract with Seattle in February. The six-year MLB veteran had a strong spring, batting .362 with one home run, one triple and six doubles in 47 Cactus League at-bats.

Rodden, 25, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Mariners’ No. 18 prospect. A 2023 fifth-round draft pick out of Wichita State, Rodden hit .361 with two homers, one triple and one double in 36 Cactus League at-bats.

More on the Seattle Mariners

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• Seattle Mariners re-assign Colt Emerson to minor league camp
• Seattle Mariners’ Cole Young blasts 478-foot moonshot home run
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Seattle, WA

Seattle Weather: Sunny & Dry Spring Weekend

Published

14 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Weather: Sunny & Dry Spring Weekend

Seattle – March has been off to a very wet start. We have already surpassed the normal monthly rainfall total by an inch with more on the way next week. The atmospheric river event we were tracking wrapped up yesterday and our area rivers have crested and continue to recede. The rain also triggered a landslide on I-5 near Bellingham. Fortunately, the risk of additional landslides is also decreasing.

It’s been a wet start to the month with more than 5″ of rain already recorded so far.

We’ve enjoyed a pleasant, dry first weekend of Spring. Much of Sunday is also expected to be dry. A weak system is forecast to brush by which may bring a few sprinkles with it to a few spots. A few stray flurries are also possible in the mountains.

Futurecast clouds and radar for the region on Sunday.

The much-needed break in rain will continue. Only a stray shower is possible on Sunday.

The cold front which swept through yesterday, ending the days-long rain, also brought some cooler air with it. Afternoon highs will remain slightly below normal on Sunday.

Regional high temperatures around the region on Sunday.

Highs near normal on Sunday with some afternoon sunbreaks.

While Sunday and Monday remain mostly dry, a more significant weather system is expected to move into the region on Tuesday, bringing widespread rain to the lowlands and snow to the mountain passes along with breezy winds.

The extended forecast for the Seattle metro area.

Increasing clouds Monday with rain returning by Tuesday. Snow in the mountains.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners’ Randy Arozarena says he apologized to Cal

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Mariners’ Randy Arozarena says he apologized to Cal

PEORIA, Ariz. – Seattle Mariners camp has been a flurry of activity since the return of the last group of players from the World Baseball Classic. There have been innings and at-bats to be found, schedules and lineups scrambled, whatever it takes to get in the work they need for what in just a few short days will be the 26-man roster.

Mariners re-assign Colt Emerson to minor league camp

Somewhere amongst that flurry of activity, a long-awaited conversation was had, according to Randy Arozarena.

About about two hours before the Mariners’ Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, Arozarena put out a statement via the team that addressed the WBC incident between him and teammate Cal Raleigh.

“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena said. “Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”

The statement echoes much of the sentiment of Raleigh’s comments to members of the Seattle media the morning after he refused Arozarena’s handshake in the March 9 WBC game between the United States and Mexico, which prompted postgame comments from Arozarena that spurred unwanted attention on the Mariners.

“I love Randy,” Raleigh said back on March 10. “I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico. I already reached out to him personally to talk with him. And obviously, when we’re back in Seattle, we’re family, we’re brothers, and I’ll do anything for him. I’ll do anything for our team to win.”

Neither player would want anything within their control to put achieving the Mariners’ lofty goals they have set this season in jeopardy. It is likely those words alone from Arozarena would have helped close the door on the incident. The fact he said he apologized to Raleigh for his comments at the WBC in Houston hopefully helps lock that door and put the focus back on what happens on the field, as has been the case with the players in Peoria all along.

An unpleasant sidenote to the WBC should not be a season-changing episode for a team that has put itself in the position the Mariners have.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Seattle Mariners’ Cole Young blasts 478-foot moonshot home run
• Seattle Mariners release their first commercial for 2026 season
• 3 standouts from Seattle Mariners’ Spring Breakout game
• Gilbert’s final spring start features surprises from Raleigh
• Callis: Seattle Mariners have MLB’s best pitching prospect duo

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