When the Kraken needed a compass in their early seasons, Jared McCann didn’t wave his arms. He just skated to the hard places and made the next right play.
The box score tells one story the 40 goal pop, the timely finishes but his value shows up in the quiet frames between whistles.
Line changes on time. Sticks in lanes. The extra glide to seal the wall so a breakout can breathe.
McCann isn’t loud. His game doesn’t need to be.
Why Coaches Love Him (Even When the Highlights Don’t)
Coaches fall for players who make systems work, and McCann is a coach’s player. On entries, he reads the weak side defenseman, tapping the puck wide instead of forcing it middle.
In the defensive zone, he shoulder checks twice, then angles a puck carrier into a dead corner. Those are little wins that turn shifts, and those shifts turn nights.
On the penalty kill, his first three strides matter. He doesn’t chase; he measures. Stick in the lane, then pressure with speed.
The threat of a short handed counter keeps power plays honest and buys Seattle just enough doubt to reset structure. It’s not a stat you’ll see on a chyron, but you feel it if you watch him for a week.
The Finisher Who Starts Plays the Right Way
Yes, the shot is real. McCann leans on a quick release that looks like a half touch, half snap goalies read pass, and it’s already past their pad.
But the finish usually starts with something small: a board win in the neutral zone, a delayed entry to let support arrive, a shoulder fake to open a seam on the power play. He builds chances patiently, then ends them decisively.
That balance is why he’s lined up in every situation. Need a late defensive draw? He’s over the boards. Need a one timer on the flank? Same answer.
And it’s why his teammates talk about trust. A two way forward like McCann becomes the hinge for a line: he tilts the ice, then locks it there.
The Identity Piece Seattle Needed
Expansion teams crave identity. McCann helped give Seattle one: fast, layered, unselfish. You can see it when he hunts pucks on the forecheck and immediately reloads above the play, so odd man rushes don’t boomerang the other way.
You hear it in how the Kraken talk about “five in the frame.” He’s the guy who keeps five in the frame.
The star label usually lands on flash. McCann’s star turn lives in rhythm a rhythm the Kraken depend on. He’ll never need a spotlight to validate it. The bench already knows.
