Kraken Announce Front Office Shakeup

After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in their first four seasons of existence, the Seattle Kraken are making some big changes.

On Monday, the Kraken moved on from Stanley Cup-winning head coach Dan Bylsma after just one season at the helm. Now, the front office is seeing some major change as well.

Ron Francis - who had been the team's general manager since 2019, well before their inaugural season - received a promotion to president of hockey operations. In his place comes Jason Botterill, who previously spent three years as the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres and the past four years as an assistant in Seattle.

“I think what makes this a smooth transition is I’ve worked for the Kraken already, I know how we do things here and the people who make it happen,” Botterill said, per the team's website. “So, it’s not like a case where I’m somebody new coming in and have to learn how everything works. I already know our players, our prospects, our staff and we can just get down to work right away without us missing a beat.”

Botterill, 48, will lead the team's search for a new head coach, its third in as many seasons. Francis will continue to assist on some decisions, but Botterill will have final say now.

"We’ll have those discussions and I’ll give my opinion,” Francis said. “But I think, ultimately, he has got to have the ability to make the final call. Otherwise, it’s not fair to him to be in that chair and not have the ability to make the final call.”

Several other teams have followed a similar succession plan with their front office. The most notable example would be the Vegas Golden Knights, who promoted George McPhee to president after their second season in 2019 and handed the reins to assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon. Four years later, they became the fastest expansion team to win the Stanley Cup in league history.

The Kraken have a long way to go before they can even think about lifting the Stanley Cup, but maybe a shakeup is what the team needs right now.