The Seattle Kraken have announced Dan Bylsma as the second coach in Kraken history. The longtime coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins has not coached since the 16/17 season when he coached the Buffalo Sabres. Over the past two seasons, Bylsma has been the headcoach of Coachella Valley and has worked closely with a number of the Kraken's top prospects including Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Tye Kartyre.

This is a no-brainer for the Kraken and I think a huge win. Bylsma is very familiar with the organization and his AHL success, combined with the development that has occurred under his tutelage for a number of Seattle players and prospects makes him an excellent candidate. I expect both the overall offense and specifically the powerplay to be far more successful under Bylsma.

Another name to watch out for is Jessica Campbell, Campbell served as his assistant coach with the Thunderbirds and if she is brought up would be the first woman assistant coach in the NHL.

This move appears to be a shift in the Kraken's thinking as the team moves towards a more development focused initiative, banking on their prospects and young talent to take that next step forward. This is a good start for the off-season for the Kraken and I look forward to seeing what Ron Francis does next.

Thanks for reading.

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