“I’m truly honored that you think I’m the guy to do that for you and your team, so I thank you for that,” Seattle Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said, addressing GM Ron Francis on May 28, 2024. Yet, it’s not even been a full year since that fateful day, and the 54-year-old is no longer head coach.

“The #SeaKraken have announced that head coach Dan Bylsma has been relieved of his duties,” read the official X post dated April 21. In light of the unexpected move, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reminded fans that Dan Bylsma still had two more seasons to go in his initial contract. “Kraken owe him for two more years,” explained the TSN journalist. The fans immediately made it clear that not everyone agreed with the move.

“Why do these teams refuse to give coaches a chance to create something? Can’t turn a program around or create a culture in these short window. They overachieved early on. Probably right where they should be in a tough Western Conference,” commented one fan. The community might have found the NHL expansion team not granting Bylsma a second chance surprising, because of his reputation for developing talent.

After all, one of the biggest reasons GM Ron Francis promoted Dan Bylsma was his success with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The former Stanley Cup-winning coach took Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate team to back-to-back Calder Cup Final appearances before becoming the Kraken’s head coach. “Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward,” said Ron Francis.

Bylsma became the third NHL head coach to be fired since Saturday after the Anaheim Ducks parted ways with Greg Cronin and the New York Rangers let go of Peter Laviolette. Cronin had concluded his second year in charge with a 35-37-10 in what was the seventh consecutive non-playoff season for the Ducks. Meanwhile, Laviolette was dismissed after the ugly exits of Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba triggered a meltdown that ultimately quashed their playoff hopes. And while Bylsma’s season was far from ideal, many fans think he is not the only one responsible for the Kraken’s problems.

Seattle Kraken fans didn’t hesitate to take names

While a section of fans did agree with the Kraken removing Dan Bylsma, many others pointed to different issues. Among the most common were the team’s overall management and the roster GM Francis put together, rather than Bylsma’s coaching. “No accountability for Ron Francis?” asked one fan who thought the GM was equally responsible for the lackluster season.

Others agreed, with some not holding back on the harshness of their criticism. “Kraken are proving to be one of the worst-run organizations in the league,” another fan wrote in the comments. Well, it turned out the fans aren’t the only ones who feel this way. Rumors about the general manager’s future with the Seattle Kraken have surfaced, as per Matt Calkins of The Seattle Times.

Calkins reported that rumors indicate that the NHL team may reassign Francis. Well, who’ll be his replacement, you ask? Calkins reports that Jason Botterill is the frontrunner to take the reins from Francis. If Jason Botterill does become the Seattle Kraken GM, it won’t be his first rodeo. He has experience as the associate GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres GM.

Unfortunately, his last stand as the Sabres GM didn’t end on a high note. In fact, the firing came after the Sabers missed their ninth straight playoffs. That being said, the Kraken aren’t in great shape either. In fact, fans said Bylsma could only do so much with the roster he had. “Coach falls for the poor roster construction,” one fan commented.

Meanwhile, another fan asked a question. “Wooow, did he do that bad of a job that they fired him after one year of a three-year deal?” asked the hockey fan. Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward answer. Things look bad on paper compared to how well the Seattle Kraken did during the 2022-23 season, making it all the way to the second round of the playoffs.

Bylsma’s 35-41-6 and 20 points shy of a wildcard spot also don’t look particularly impressive on paper. Yet, despite that, the team’s offense picked up under the former AHL coach, albeit at the cost of defense and goaltending. In fact, Seattle became the ninth-worst NHL team in terms of conceding goals this season. Yet, as the fans pointed out, the coach neither got much time nor did the Kraken GM manage to sign any NHL heavyweights who would provide consistent depth to the roster.

Matt Calkins said the Seattle Kraken are “starving for star power,” on the current roster. With that being said, letting go of Dan Bylsma wasn’t an easy decision for the Kraken. “After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench,” said GM Francis.

He even acknowledged the coach’s talent for developing young talent for Seattle in the AHL. However, it seems the team wants much faster results in the NHL and decided that the former Penguins’ coach wasn’t the man for the job. Yet, what did you think of the Seattle Kraken’s sudden decision to fire their head coach? Write your views in the comments.