Ron Francis out as president of hockey operations for the Seattle Kraken

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 02: President of Hockey Operations for the Seattle Kraken Ron Francis gives Adam Larsson #6 of the Seattle Kraken a silver stick for playing in his 1,000th NHL game before a game against the Utah Mammoth at Climate Pledge (Christopher Mast / NHLI / Getty Images)

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A staggering collapse for the Seattle Kraken that has them on the verge of playoff elimination has led to a big change in the team's front office.

Ron Francis – an NHL Hall of Fame center and the team's president of hockey operations – will exit the franchise at the end of the season in a "mutual decision" with the club, a year after ceding general manager duties to Jason Botterill. The Kraken announced the move on Wednesday afternoon, as the team has lost six straight games and 10 of their last 11. 

"Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition for both Ron and the organization, and move in a new direction," Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement. "From a small office in Lower Queen Anne to the 32nd NHL franchise, Ron’s leadership and vision were instrumental in building this franchise from the ground up. Under his stewardship, we reached the playoffs in our second season, and he leaves behind a strong foundation of draft picks and promising prospects that will continue to shape the future of the team. We are grateful for his dedication and professionalism, and we wish Ron and his family the very best."

Botterill will lead hockey operations as the team's executive vice president and general manager, the team said in a story announcing the move.

"It has been an honor to help launch and lead the Seattle Kraken over the past seven years," Francis said in a statement. "I am proud of the culture we built, the people we brought together, and the milestones we achieved, including our historic first playoff run. I want to thank our entire ownership group, everyone throughout the organization, and our incredible fans for their unwavering support. This organization has a bright future, and I’m grateful to have been part of its beginning."

Francis has been instrumental in building the Kraken from its early stages in July 2019, becoming the team's first general manager more than two years before the team took the ice for the first time. The franchise has done many things right under Francis' leadership, but the product on the ice has not been one of them.

Seattle has made the playoffs just once in five seasons of play. Though they have not officially been eliminated from contention this season, it's only a matter of time. They sit nine points out of a playoff spot with five games left in the season. They could be eliminated as soon as Thursday.

Ultimately, the team hasn't been good enough.

While matching the success of the Vegas Golden Knights as an expansion franchise was improbable, being this poor out of the gates is certainly not what the team was hoping to achieve. Vegas made the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, and have missed the playoffs only once in nine seasons. Seattle has made it just once in five years, with late collapses in 2023-24, and 2025-26 responsible for missing a postseason opportunity.

Returning from the Olympics break in late February, the Kraken were in third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points, which was the second-best mark the team has had through 56 games in team history. Despite playing a league-high 17 games in January, the team was playing well with a 10-5-2 record in the month. A split in Anaheim and Los Angeles to enter the break has Seattle extremely well-positioned to join the Mariners and Seahawks with playoff appearances this year.

"It's exciting," forward Jared McCann said. "I've been on both sides of it where we've been out at this point, so you want to be playing for something at this time.

"I've missed the playoffs for a couple years. It sucks. You want to play for something, and it's why we do it."

Instead, the Kraken have collectively faceplanted since returning to action. Seattle now has the fifth-worst record in the entire NHL. The only reason they have yet to be eliminated from playoff contention is that their Pacific Division rivals have also struggled. If Seattle was in the Eastern Conference, they'd be 17 points out of the final playoff spot with their fate decided long ago.

"It's disappointing," captain Jordan Eberle said after a 6-2 loss to Utah last week. "This point in the season, where we're at, it's frustrating. You're trying to fight for your lives, and you're getting beat and you're getting run out of your own rink. It's just disappointing."

Francis handed over general manager duties to Botterill last April as he transitioned into an oversight role. Botterill has been with the organization since their first season, serving under Francis as assistant general manager before getting the head job last year.

"I feel strongly that if we're asking Jason to step into the GM chair and manage all those responsibilities that he has to have final say in decisions," Francis said at the time. "We will have discussions. I will give him my opinion. I know it won't be 100 percent we'll be in agreement all the time, but we will have those discussions. But at the end of the day, he will make the decision, the final call, inn those regards."

Francis' departure puts a new person at the top of the hockey operations in Botterill. However, Botterill is apart of the same management structure overall that has the Kraken where they currently are. Perhaps without Francis at the top it allows the team to take a new direction and a new way forward. Perhaps their poor finish allows them to get a top-two pick in the NHL Draft Lottery to add a potential young star of the future to the lineup in a Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, Ivar Stenberg or Chase Reid.

But it's the first change in overall leadership in franchise history. How much difference it will make for the trajectory of the team remains to be seen.

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