When the Seattle Kraken open the 2026-27 season against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on October 1, Vince Dunn will carry more than the puck through the neutral zone. He will carry the responsibility for fixing a power play that showed promise last season without becoming dependable.
Seattle converted 19.5% of its power-play opportunities in 2025-26. That ranked near the middle of the NHL, but the number concealed a larger offensive problem. The Kraken averaged 2.73 goals per game and scored 224 times. They rarely had enough five-on-five production to waste a man advantage.
Calgary’s penalty kill presents a real test. The Flames finished last season at 80.4%, a significant edge over Seattle’s 72.2% short-handed rate. Calgary did not need an elite offense to remain competitive when its penalty killers protected leads and cleared rebounds.
That contrast places Dunn at the center of opening night. Seattle needs him to move the puck cleanly, enter the zone with control, and establish possession before Calgary can settle into its defensive shape.
The clearest evidence comes from last season’s results, each team’s special-teams record, and Dunn’s established role as Seattle’s primary offensive defenseman.
Dunn remains Seattle’s power-play quarterback
Dunn finished the 2025-26 season with 11 goals, 33 assists and 44 points in 77 games. He provided offense from the blue line, moved the puck through pressure and gave Seattle a left-shot option at the top of its power-play formation.
His responsibilities begin well before the Kraken set up in the attacking zone.
A power-play quarterback must read the penalty kill while gathering the puck behind his own net. Dunn needs to identify how many Calgary skaters are holding the blue line, where the first forechecker applies pressure, and whether Seattle’s forwards have built enough speed through the neutral zone.
Those reads determine the entry.
Dunn can carry the puck when Calgary leaves space in front of him. He can move it toward the wall if a winger reaches the line with speed. The drop pass remains another option, but Seattle cannot lean on it so heavily that the Flames recognize the play before it develops.
The puck must move with purpose. A slow breakout allows Calgary to station three penalty killers near the line and protect the middle. Seattle then faces two poor choices: carry the puck into a crowd or dump it into the corner without a clear retrieval advantage.
Dunn gives the Kraken a better option when he changes pace. One burst can force the first penalty killer backward. A short pass can then exploit the space behind that defender.
Seattle does not need him to create a highlight on every entry. It needs him to make the clean decision.
The blue line will expose Seattle’s spacing
Controlled entries require more than a skilled puck carrier. The four skaters around Dunn must give him usable lanes.
Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson can provide support through the middle. Both centers can receive the puck in motion and carry it through a narrowing gap. Their routes also pull defenders away from Seattle’s outside threats.
Jared McCann gives the power play its most established finishing option. He holds the Kraken’s franchise records for career goals, points, power-play goals and power-play points. Calgary cannot lose track of him once Seattle crosses the line.
That threat can help before the setup begins. If a penalty killer shades toward McCann, Dunn may find more room through the middle. If Calgary protects the center, Seattle can release McCann along the wall and ask him to attack from the outside.
The spacing must remain connected. A winger who reaches the blue line too early may stop and lose momentum. A trailing forward who falls too far behind leaves Dunn isolated against the first layer of pressure.
Seattle’s best entries will place two options within one pass of the puck. Its worst will leave five skaters moving at different speeds.
The distance between Dunn and the first forward ahead of him will reveal whether Seattle has built an entry or merely started another individual rush.
Winning the entry will not be enough
Crossing the blue line solves the first problem. Seattle must then turn possession into pressure.
The Kraken too often allowed their power play to settle around the outside. Perimeter possession may look organized, but it rarely forces a penalty kill to break shape. Calgary can survive those stretches by keeping its sticks in passing lanes and giving the goaltender a clear view of shots from the point.
Dunn must move after releasing the puck. If he remains stationary at the blue line, Calgary can lock its box around the slot. A few lateral steps can change the shooting angle and force the high penalty killer to follow him.
That movement creates options for the players below.
Beniers can occupy the bumper between Calgary’s four defenders. Jordan Eberle, who led Seattle with 26 goals and 55 points last season, can work closer to the crease. McCann can wait along the flank for a one-timer or slide toward the middle when the penalty kill shifts.
Dunn’s shot remains useful, but only when Seattle places traffic in front. A serious attempt through an open lane gives the power play a chance at a tip or rebound. A shot driven into the nearest defender usually ends the possession.
The Kraken should judge their power play by more than shot totals. They need touches in the middle, recovered rebounds, and second opportunities before Calgary can clear.
Calgary can punish careless possession
The Flames’ power play converted only 16.2% of its opportunities last season, one of the lowest rates in the league. That weakness should not make Seattle comfortable.
Matt Coronato led Calgary with 45 points, recording 18 goals and 27 assists in 80 games. His release remains a threat from the circle, especially when a cross-zone pass forces the goaltender to move before the shot.
Seattle struggled badly while short-handed in 2025-26. Its 72.2% penalty kill ranked near the bottom of the league. The Kraken allowed opponents to establish possession too easily and often lost shooting lanes after the puck crossed the middle.
That makes discipline essential. Seattle cannot hand Calgary repeated advantages through offensive-zone penalties or careless stick infractions. Even an inefficient power play can find confidence when given enough chances.
Dunn will have a defensive role in that battle. He must protect the middle, help Seattle retrieve loose pucks, and make a clean first pass after a stop. A failed clearance can leave exhausted penalty killers trapped for another 20 or 30 seconds.
Calgary’s numbers suggest that Seattle should win this part of the matchup. The Kraken’s penalty-killing record suggests nothing should be assumed.
Last season showed how quickly this matchup can turn
The teams split the momentum across three regular-season meetings in 2025-26.
Calgary won the first game 4-2 on December 18. The Flames scored three times in the third period after Seattle carried a lead into the final frame. Their pressure overwhelmed the Kraken, who leaned heavily on their goaltending and failed to close the game.
Seattle responded with a 5-1 victory in Calgary on January 5. Dunn scored in that win, while the Kraken produced four unanswered goals after falling behind.
The season series ended with Seattle beating Calgary 4-1 on April 11. The Kraken again recovered from an early deficit and scored four consecutive goals.
Those results do not predict opening night, but they establish two useful points. First, Seattle can create offense against Calgary when it attacks with speed. Second, neither team handled momentum reliably throughout the series.
Special teams can magnify those swings. A successful power play can settle a road team, quiet the building, and change how aggressively the opponent defends. A failed advantage can give the home side energy.
Opening night will test Dunn’s control
The first game will not define Seattle’s season, but it can reveal whether the power play has become more precise.
Dunn’s work begins behind his own net. Seattle needs him to move before Calgary organizes its forecheck, while the forwards must build speed together. A varied entry plan will prevent the Flames from anticipating the same drop pass on every attempt.
After crossing the line, Dunn must support the puck and move laterally. That movement can pull Calgary’s high penalty killer out of position and open a lane toward the middle. If Seattle becomes stationary, the Flames can protect the slot without extending their defensive shape.
The next test comes after the first shot. Seattle must recover rebounds, hold the blue line, and create another attacking sequence. Strong power plays exhaust penalty killers by extending possessions. Weak ones allow every blocked shot to end the threat.
Dunn cannot solve those problems alone. Matty Beniers must offer support through the middle. Jordan Eberle must create traffic. Jared McCann must find shooting space. The five-man unit needs shared timing.
Still, the structure runs through Dunn. He controls the first pass, reads the pressure, and determines how Seattle crosses the most contested strip of ice.
Opening night may produce a brilliant goal or an ugly rebound. The decisive work will happen earlier, when Dunn approaches Calgary’s blue line and makes his choice.
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FAQs
Q1. When do the Seattle Kraken play the Calgary Flames?
A. Seattle opens the 2026-27 season in Calgary on October 1. The game will take place at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Q2. Who quarterbacks the Seattle Kraken power play?
A. Vince Dunn controls Seattle’s power-play breakouts and works from the blue line after the Kraken establish possession.
Q3. What was Seattle’s power-play percentage last season?
A. The Kraken converted 19.5% of their power-play opportunities during the 2025-26 season.
Q4. Why do power-play entries matter against Calgary?
A. Clean entries let Seattle establish possession before Calgary organizes its penalty kill. Failed entries waste time and force the Kraken to restart.
Q5. Who led the Kraken in scoring last season?
A. Jordan Eberle led Seattle with 26 goals and 55 points during the 2025-26 season.
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