Kraken shake up start of offseason, firing Bylsma, reassigning GM Francis

Dan Bylsma's run behind the Seattle Kraken bench is over, while another shake-up in the front office is on the horizon.

The Kraken let go of Bylsma after just one season behind the bench on Monday and will conduct a full search for his replacement, according to reports. Ron Francis, who has served as the organization's general manager for the last six years, will reportedly be moved to an upper management role, vacating the general manager position in favor of Jason Botterill, promoted from his assistant general manager role.

The Kraken are scheduled to hold a 1pm PT news conference on Tuesday with Francis at Kraken Community Iceplex.

Bylsma, who replaced Dave Hakstol last summer, oversaw a team that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season, and third time in four years. They were eliminated from postseason contention on Mar. 29 after St. Louis defeated Colorado, 2-1 and finished with a record 35-41-6 (76 points), their second lowest point total in franchise history.

“After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench," said Francis in a team statement.

"Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.”

The Kraken record under Francis, as general manager, will end at 142-153-33 (.483 percentage), after he oversaw the team’s expansion draft, first four entry drafts, and the first playoff run in franchise history. Botterill is preparing to take on his second run as a general manager in his NHL career, previously overseeing the Buffalo Sabres for three seasons, when they missed the playoffs between 2017-20. He joined the Kraken six months before the expansion draft in 2021, hired under Francis as assistant general manager.

Botterill previously earned three Stanley Cup rings as assistant general manager under Jim Rutherford and with the Pittsburgh Penguins, from 2015-17 and under Ray Shero as director of hockey operations in 2008-09.

Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell, with a year remaining on her current deal, will be retained on the team's coaching staff, according to multiple reports.