Is this fellow expansion team a problem for the Golden Knights?

Once upon a time, there was an expansion team that followed the Vegas Golden Knights into the NHL landscape. They were known as the Seattle Kraken and broke the monotony of watching the Seahawks and the Mariners constantly lose. The goal? Make Kraken hockey cool.

Believe it or not, the team had a good season in 2022-23. They defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, before being eliminated in seven games by the Dallas Stars in the next round. Unfortunately for them, the other expansion team won the Stanley Cup that season.

Still, that didn't stop podcasters from the Pacific Northwest from making bold proclamations about their beloved club. They even thought the Kraken had a better expansion story than the Golden Knights.

Siri, play the worst take in the world.

Forgetting that Seattle has a larger overall market than Las Vegas should be punishable by being tarred and feathered. This cold take also gave way to an unforgettable meme that played whenever the Golden Knights defeated the Kraken. Hey, at least you got that Winter Classic win, right?

Will this claim hold up for the Seattle Kraken against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025-26?

Here's the thing about Seattle. They've done extensive work in reinventing their roster to capitalize on their young core. Bringing in Kaapo Kakko was a good start, especially since he looked comfortable with the Kraken. The 24-year-old scored 14 goals and 30 assists last season, establishing himself as a bright star.

However, they're still lagging behind the Pacific Division top dogs in the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers. Both have veteran-led rosters who have elite centers and dynamic forwards.

That's something that the Kraken lack. Matty Beniers sounds like a nice player on the surface. However, one would expect that high former first-round pick would eclipse 20 goals and 30 assists in his fourth season. While the center did that in his second season, the fourth was much less impressive (20 goals and 23 assists).

In fact, the roster is comprised entirely of middle-of-the-lineup guys. Nobody truly stands out in this group, leaving fans wondering, "Where's the beef?" Is this the season the Kraken's expansion story gets more beef than the Golden Knights?

...

No.

The Seattle Kraken will have a rough time figuring out the Vegas Golden Knights... or any Pacific Division rival

Let's be honest here. Getting middle-of-the-lineup guys to compete in the Pacific Division isn't enough to win it. Does Mason Marchment sound nice? Sure. Scoring 22 goals and 25 assists last season is good enough to earn you a solid roster spot.

However, Seattle's problem lies within the top line. While a group of Jaden Schwartz, Matty Beniers, and Kappo Kaako sounds fun, it's not beating teams that have Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel or Connor McDavid. Heck, that line couldn't beat Leon Draisaitl's line if they tried.

The same logic applies to the second line, where Jared McCann, Chandler Stephenson, and Jordan Eberle reside. Is that beating Draisaitl's line? Can that group take on Brandon Saad, Tomas Hertl, and Mark Stone (or Ivan Barbashev)? It's unlikely to happen.

You can even apply that logic to the defenseman group, where there's no true No. 1 defender. Who's going to move the puck for Seattle and play stay-at-home defense? As much as I make fun of Edmonton on here for their backchecking and defense, you must admit that Evan Bouchard has evolved into one of the best puck-moving defenders in the game. The same goes for Shea Theodore, who's proven he can contribute in spades when healthy.

Golden Knights fans should expect more of the same from the "Greatest Expansion Story Ever" (let's be real, they're far from the greatest). Middle-of-the-pack hockey without a true elite player or leadership is on the docket. That'll be enough for Vegas and Edmonton to feast on their carcasses once 2025-26 rolls around.