Kraken Fire Bylsma, Botterill Expected as New GM

The Seattle Kraken have fired head coach Dan Bylsma after just one season, following a 35-41-6 record that left them tied for the fourth-fewest points in the NHL and missing the playoffs for a second straight year. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins, was elevated from the AHL affiliate but could not spark improvement. The organization is also expected to reassign longtime general manager Ron Francis and promote assistant Jason Botterill to the GM role, signaling a major shift in leadership. Bylsma's dismissal marks the third NHL coaching change in three days amid a league-wide wave of firings. The fate of assistant coach Jessica Campbell, the NHL’s first female full-time assistant, is now uncertain. The Kraken’s changes reflect a broader effort to retool after another disappointing season.