Kraken reflect on run: ‘We played like a real team’
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
DALLAS — The plaque in the Seattle Kraken locker room held seven game pucks, signifying the first seven Stanley Cup playoff wins in franchise history.
There wouldn’t be an eighth. An equipment manager tucked the plaque under his arm after Game 7 against the Dallas Stars, packing it away once the Kraken were eliminated in a 2-1 loss Monday night.
But as veteran Jordan Eberle explained, not many believed the Kraken would even be a playoff team, let alone come one win away from the Western Conference finals.
“They didn’t expect us to make the playoffs. They didn’t expect us to beat Colorado. I’m sure no one had us getting to the seven here,” Eberle said. “As a group, this is the first time we’ve been through this. You’re got to learn how to lose first and then you’ll find a way to win.”
Seattle had a 40-point improvement in the standings from its inaugural season, making the playoffs in Year 2. The Kraken shocked the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round and pushed the Stars to a Game 7 after winning Game 6 at home.
It was a run that announced their arrival as a contender in the Western Conference; more importantly for the Kraken, it was the first time they felt like something more than a disparate collection of players on an expansion franchise.
“I think the group got tighter and tighter together. I think Matty [Beniers] said it: We played like a real team,” said goalie Philipp Grubauer. “Everybody’s playing for each other and that’s what made it fun. Unfortunately, we didn’t win that game today. But you need to go through those moments in order to get stronger. To feel that pain in the summer and get back at it for next season.”
Coach Dave Hakstol said that disappointment also helped strengthen the bonds between his players.
“Look at the pain of the veteran guys in that room,” he said. “When you’ve got guys that have won Cups and you’ve got guys that have been on playoff runs before, they understand how difficult it is to not only get into the playoffs but to get to the point where we’re one win away from being one of the final four teams.”
Hakstol said his first inkling that the Kraken could do something special was in training camp.
“There was a different feel to it,” he said. “I knew there was something there, but I had no idea exactly how or when we would be able to come together as a group. Did we grow over the last month? One hundred percent.”
“Guys kind of joke about it: Some players don’t even get a seven-game series in the first five years of their career. I’m already on my second.”
Matty Beniers
The Kraken had several players that won Stanley Cup championships and several more with palpable playoff experience — many of whom are signed through next season. But they also had some younger players on this playoff ride like forwards Tye Kartye and Beniers, who is a finalist for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
“Guys kind of joke about it: Some players don’t even get a seven-game series in the first five years of their career. I’m already on my second,” Beniers said.
Hakstol said having players like Beniers feel the sting of playoff elimination will also benefit them down the line.
“You see that pain in the veteran guys but for the young guys on the roster, the realization is there as well,” Hakstol said. “We’ll see the growth in those guys and the importance of the experience that they just went through.”
As Eberle said: “It took me seven years to get to the postseason. You don’t want to take it for granted.”
While forging bonds as teammates, the Kraken also forged an identity as a team. At their best, they were relentless on the forecheck and never folded in the face of adversity.
“It’s the culture. I think we grew as a team, as an organization, as a group,” said center Yanni Gourde. “Doing the right things night in and night out. Never cheating. We grew tremendously. That’s what we have to take away from this year.”
They didn’t have their best in Game 7. The Stars were a step faster and more aggressive on the forecheck. Grubauer, who had a redemptive postseason after two middling regular seasons in Seattle, made 26 saves to keep the Kraken in reach. They fought to the end, as winger Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with just over 17 seconds left in regulation to cut the lead to 2-1. But they ran out of runway.
“They’re an opportunistic team. You’ve got to give them credit,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. “I was really impressed with the job Dave Hakstol and his staff did, but also with how hard they played. They were relentless, right up until the final buzzer. They made us earn it.”
There were seven pucks in that locker room plaque. Three of them were from games played in Seattle, where the Kraken gave their fans a memorable first postseason ride. As much as the Kraken were put on the map with their play, Seattle was given its moment in the playoff spotlight with raucous home crowds.
“I think Seattle’s going to be a hot spot. Players are going to want to play there,” Eberle said. “It’s a great city, great facilities, great management, great organization and obviously we’re a great team. So it was awesome to give them some playoff hockey and give them the chance to see that.”
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David Schoenfield
There’s plenty of history in the rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. It’s about 116 miles from Citi Field to Citizens Bank Park. The two teams been competing for the NL East since 1969. Star players from Tug McGraw to Jerry Koosman to Lenny Dykstra to Pedro Martinez to Zack Wheeler have played for both franchises. Mets fans loathe the Phanatic, and Phillies fans laugh derisively at Mr. Met.
Despite this longevity, the two teams have rarely battled for a division title in the same season. The only years they finished No. 1 and 2 or were battling for a division lead late in the season:
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1986: Mets finished 21.5 games ahead
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2001: Both finished within six games of the Braves
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2006: Mets finished 12 games ahead
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2007: Phillies finished one game ahead
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2008: Phillies finished three games ahead
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2024: Phillies finished six games ahead of Mets and Braves
So it’s a rare treat to see the Mets and Phillies battling for the NL East lead in as New York faces the San Francisco Giants on “Sunday Night Baseball” this week. This season has also been a bit of bumpy ride for both teams, so there is pressure on both front offices to make trade deadline additions in hopes of winning the World Series that has eluded both franchises in recent years despite high payrolls and star-laden rosters. Let’s dig into what both teams need to do before Thursday.
The perfect trade deadline for the Mets
1. Bullpen help
The Mets already acquired hard-throwing lefty Gregory Soto from the Orioles, but David Stearns will likely look for another reliever, given that the Mets’ bullpen has struggled since the beginning of June with a 5.02 ERA. In my grade of the trade, I pointed out the importance for the Mets to add left-handed relief. Think of potential playoff opponents and all the key left-handed batters: Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper on the Phillies; Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy on the Dodgers; Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Cubs.
Soto has held lefties to a .138 average this season, and it does help that the Mets have two lefty starters in David Peterson and Sean Manaea. They also just activated Brooks Raley after he had been out since early 2024. If he is back to his 2022-23 form, when he had a 2.74 ERA and held lefties to a .209 average, maybe the Mets will feel good enough about their southpaw relief.
They could still use another dependable righty reliever. Mets starters were hot early on, but they weren’t going deep into games, and outside of Peterson, the lack of longer outings is a big reason the bullpen ERA has skyrocketed. Carlos Mendoza has overworked his setup guys, including Huascar Brazoban and Reed Garrett. Brazoban has never been much of a strike thrower anyway, and Garrett similarly faded in the second half last season. Adding a high-leverage righty to set up Edwin Diaz makes sense. Candidates there include David Bednar of the Pirates, Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran of the Twins, or maybe a longer shot such as Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith of the Guardians.
2. Think big, as in Eugenio Suarez
Mark Vientos was a huge key to last season’s playoff appearance and trip to the NLCS, hitting .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs after beginning the season in Triple-A. He hasn’t been able to replicate that performance, though, hitting .224/.279/.354. That has led to a revolving door at third base, with Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio starting games there in July. Overall, Mets third basemen ranked 24th in the majors in OPS entering Friday.
Lack of production at third is one reason the Mets’ offense has been mediocre rather than very good — they’re averaging 4.38 runs per game, just below the NL average of 4.43. They could use another premium bat, given the lack of production they’ve received from center field and catcher (not to mention Francisco Lindor‘s slump since the middle of June). Maybe Francisco Alvarez‘s short stint back in Triple-A will get his bat going now that he’s back in the majors, but going after Suarez to hit behind Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would lengthen the lineup.
3. Reacquire Harrison Bader to play CF
Tyrone Taylor is a plus defender in center and has made several incredible catches, but he’s hitting .209/.264/.306 for a lowly OPS+ of 65. Old friend Bader is having a nice season with the Twins, hitting .251/.330/.435. Maybe that’s a little over his head, given that he had a .657 OPS with the Mets last season, but he would still be an offensive upgrade over Taylor without losing anything on defense — and he wouldn’t cost a top-tier prospect. The Mets could still mix in Jeff McNeil against the really tough righties, but adding Suarez and Bader would give this lineup more of a championship feel.
The perfect deadline for the Phillies
1. Acquire Jhoan Duran
Like the Mets, the Phillies already made a move here, signing free agent David Robertson, who had a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings last season with the Rangers. On paper, he should help, but he’s also 40 and will need a few games in the minors to get ready. Even with Robertson, the Phillies could use some more help here. They’ll eventually get Jose Alvarado back from his 60-game PED suspension, but Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason. At least the Mets have an elite closer in Edwin Diaz. Jordan Romano leads the Phillies with eight saves and has a 6.69 ERA. Matt Strahm is solid, but more useful as a lefty setup guy than a closer (think of all those left-handed batters we listed for the Mets, then sub out Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo for Harper and Schwarber).
And the Phillies’ bullpen has consistently come up short in big games. Think back to last year’s NLDS, when Jeff Hoffman lost twice to the Mets. Or 2023, when Craig Kimbrel lost two games in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. Or the 2022 World Series, when Yordan Alvarez hit the huge home run off Alvarado in the clinching Game 6.
So, yes, a shutdown closer is a must. Maybe that’s Bednar, maybe Clase if he’s available (although he struggled in last year’s postseason), maybe Helsley. But the guy Dave Dombrowski should go all-in to get: Duran. The window for the Phillies is slowly closing as the core players get older. Duran is under control through 2027, so he’s a fit for now and the immediate future. The trade cost might be painful, but with his 100 mph fastball and splitter, he has the elite stuff you need in October.
2. Add Ryan O’Hearn
The Phillies have received below-average production from both left field (mostly Max Kepler) and center field (Brandon Marsh/Johan Rojas platoon). The center-field market is pretty thin except for Bader or maybe a gamble on Luis Robert Jr. I’d pass on Robert, stick with the Marsh/Rojas platoon and upgrade left field with O’Hearn, who is hitting .281/.375/.452 for the Orioles. He isn’t the perfect fit since, like Kepler, he hits left-handed and struggles against lefties, but he’s a patient hitter with a much better OBP, and he’s passable in the outfield.
3. Acquire Willi Castro
Here’s the bottom line: The Phillies have to admit that some of their long-term position players aren’t getting the job done — such as second baseman Bryson Stott, who has a 77 OPS+. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been better but also has a below-average OPS.
That makes Castro a nice fit. He’s not a star, but he’s an above-average hitter, a switch-hitter who plays all over the field for the Twins, having started games at five different positions. He could play second or third or start in left field against a lefty. Philadelphia could even start him in center instead of Rojas, although that would be a defensive hit. Bottom line: Castro would give the Phillies a lot more versatility — or a significant offensive upgrade over Stott if they start him every day at second.
Note as well: Stott has hit .188 in 33 career postseason games. Bohm has hit .214 with two home runs in 34 postseason games. The Phillies need a different offensive look for October.
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