Kraken roster opening: “really good players” everywhere.

The new head coach who will lead these training sessions, Dan Bylsma, will have a squad that is characterized by strength and balance. The addition of free agent Stephenson from the Vegas Golden Knights gives the Kraken improved depth at the center position, led by himself, Matty Beniers, junior Shane Wright and veteran Yanni Gourde.

And the signing of Montour, the NHL's top free agent defenseman, from the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, now allows for improved left-right balance in all three pairings. Not only does Montour keep the top pairing of Dunn and the newly extended Adam Larsson together, but he also provides an improved second pairing with Jamie Oleksiak, while the talented Will Borgen slides down to a third pairing alongside top contender Ryker Evans.

“I think it’s full of really good players,” Bylsma said of his squad. “Maybe we don’t have the star ending. We may be missing the star player. But we have lots of good players. And that group of six or seven defensemen back there is probably one of the six best defensive forces in the NHL. And that showed in training camp.”

In fact, the squad is somewhat reminiscent of the balanced team that the Kraken achieved after a 100-point record in their second season with a single win in the Western Conference Finals. However, this one is arguably more talented and proven in the middle, with renewed interior depth and skill at the back supported by a goaltending duo of Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer that may be the team's best goaltending combination to date.

Offense is a priority for a team that went 34-35-13 last season, posting the fourth-lowest number of goals per game in the NHL (2.61 overall). The hope is that much of the improved offense will come from the backline, with the defense featuring offensive threats Dunn, Montour and Evans on each pairing.

Dunn missed most of the final quarter of last season due to injury. Previously, he was on pace to match his team's MVP total with 64 points from the 2022-23 season.

Dunn remembers how much of the same Kraken core came close to advancing to the third round of the playoffs just 17 months ago, when they were still relatively healthy. And now he hopes the additions of Montour and Stephenson will give the team even more momentum and remind them of what they can achieve under better circumstances.

“I think the guys we brought into the locker room have really been respected in this league over the last few years,” Dunn said. “So they also bring different experiences to the championship level. It’s really great to have that atmosphere in the locker room.”

The Kraken are hoping that a full season with Dunn, in addition to the offensively strong Montour, can spark a balanced offense across all four forward lines. And the Kraken put more pucks in the net as the preseason progressed. After conceding just one goal in each of the first two games, the Kraken went on to score three or more goals in each of the next four contests – 13 in the last three games.

On the forward line, Beniers, who has just completed a new seven-year contract extension, will be reunited with wingers McCann and Eberle. That trio was arguably the most successful in franchise history and was a major factor in Beniers winning the Calder Trophy as a top rookie two seasons ago.

New centerman Stephenson should start between childhood acquaintance Jaden Schwartz and former Washington Capitals linemate Andre Burakovsky – who is optimistic he will be back on his feet in a year after repeated injuries.

Wright, the former No. 4 2022 draft pick, scored three goals in his last two preseason games and will begin his first full NHL season, forming a third line between Eeli Tolvanen and reigning All-Star Oliver Bjorkstrand becomes.

That means Gourde drops to the fourth line in a trio with Tye Kartye and Brandon Tanev and can wreak havoc on the forecheck.

“There’s a lot to be excited about,” Bylsma said. “We just have to do it.”

This is where the faster start comes into play. The Kraken won just two of their first nine games last season and spent the rest of the season “chasing,” as McCann alluded, a .500 record. Kraken veteran Eberle is confident the group can build momentum into the season when it starts at home for the first time after the “competitive drills” she has seen throughout camp.

“I mean, look at the last game we played,” Eberle said of a 6-2 win over Edmonton. “You know, it wasn't our best, but we still did it. I saw guys selling out and blocking shots in the preseason. It didn't matter. That's the kind of effort we're going to need.

“I know the character of this group,” he added. “I think we got punched in the mouth and in the face last year and I hope we respond to that with a good start this year.”

A first key could be avoiding injuries that plagued the team in the first two months of last season, starting with Tanev missing the first game and then missing the following month. The Kraken spent as close to the $88 million salary cap as possible to upgrade the roster in the short term with Montour and Stephenson, as well as extensions for Beniers, Larsson, Tolvanen and Eberle last March.

But to stay within the cap, they will carry just 21 players to start — two fewer than the NHL maximum eligibility; 12 forwards, six defensemen, two goalkeepers and additional defender Josh Mahura. And that could leave Alaska Air Lines shuttles between Seattle and Palm Springs, Calif., pretty full with Coachella Valley AHL players traveling to and from the NHL team in case injuries occur.

For now, the Kraken are hoping that any challenges on the roster are far outweighed by the quality they added to an already strong group before injuries piled up from last season. McCann and Dunn say much of the camp was spent integrating the new faces into the roster and adjusting to the modified systems introduced by Bylsma.

And during a two-day team-building exercise — including a golf outing and dinner at Suncadia Resort — late last week, they spent time off the ice to better familiarize themselves with the expectations ahead.

“We have such a good leadership group here that everyone feels welcome no matter what,” McCann said. “That’s something you need in the NHL. At the start of the season we have to function as a group. All the boys, up and down the squad. Whether you’re new or have been here before like me, we all need to do our part to make this work.”