Joey Daccord Emerging as Top-10 Goalie For Kraken
Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord prepares to block an oncoming shot during a game against the San Jose Sharks. Credit: Jennthulhu Photos
In July 2021, the Seattle Kraken began their journey as an NHL franchise. They made several important moves during their expansion draft, and interestingly enough, one selection that went relatively unheralded almost four years ago is paying major dividends now.
After making his mark in the Ottawa Senators’ system in the ECHL and AHL, goalie Joey Daccord landed on Seattle’s radar. He only had nine games of NHL experience under his belt before the Kraken selected him sixth in their expansion draft.
The problem? Seattle had already drafted Chris Driedger from the Panthers a few slots earlier, making Daccord the second goalie selected.
To further slim the odds for Daccord cracking the lineup early, Seattle also agreed to a large contract with Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer, a grizzled vet of nine seasons in the NHL. His six-year, $35.4 million contract basically demanded he be the Day 1 goaltender for Seattle’s franchise.
Over time, underperformance from Grubauer and injuries to Driedger forced Seattle to sign veteran netminder Martin Jones in free agency following their inaugural season. He helped the Kraken down the stretch, tag-teaming with Grubauer, to help the franchise earn their first ever playoff berth in the 2022-2023 season.
During that playoff run that ended in a Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals, Grubauer enjoyed a historic hotstreak. He started all 14 playoff games during that unexpected run and they were one win away from reaching the Western Conference semifinals before falling in seven games to the Stars.
After that, the Kraken let Jones walk in free agency, thinking Grubauer had found another level of performance. Unfortunately, the German goalie slogged through a difficult 2023-2024 season, as his save percentage (.899) dipped to 35th in the NHL.
Enter Joey Daccord.
After cutting his teeth in the Kraken’s system with first, the Charlotte Checkers, then the Coachella Valley in 2022-2023, Daccord was finally ready for his close-up. Even though he made 22 starts before the 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park on New Year’s Day, that spectacle became something of a coming-out party for the former Arizona State Sun Devil.
Facing the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights on national TV, Daccord had his work cut out for him. He stepped up to the moment and put on perhaps the most memorable performance for a Kraken goalie in its short history. He made 35 saves against the Golden Knights, on his way to shutting out the defending champs.
In front of a packed house at T-Mobile Park, the Kraken shut out Vegas 3-0 for a momentous win. That was in the middle of what became a franchise-record nine-game winning streak.
From then on, Daccord became a fan favorite. He finished that season with 46 total starts and ranked sixth in all the NHL in save percentage and goals average against. He had arrived.
Not only did he earn himself respect around the league, but he announced himself as the best goalie the Kraken have on the roster.
Given his gaudy contract, Grubauer was still the guy between the pipes to start this 2024-2025 season. However, in his first 13 starts, the team floundered to a 3-10 record as he continued to struggle keeping pucks out of the net.
Daccord started earning the lion’s share of the playing time from that time on. After Grubauer posted a dismal 5-15-1 record, he was placed on waivers on January 29. He cleared waivers and is currently on the AHL’s Coachella Valley squad.
Meanwhile, Daccord continues to provide a solid, reliable presence in net for the Kraken. The North Andover, Mass native is currently eighth in the NHL in save percentage and quality starts (22).
It’s not only that Daccord is playing solid hockey right now, but it’s when. With a minimum of 300 shot attempts, Daccord is the best third period goalie in the league right now with a save percentage of .942 in the final period. For comparison, Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg, widely considered the best goalie in the NHL right now, has posted a .915 save percentage in the third period.
After biding his time in Charlotte and Coachella Valley, Daccord appears to be in the Emerald City to stay as the main man between the pipes for the Kraken moving forward. A strong case can be made that he’s starting to round into form as a top 10 goalie in the NHL by certain metrics.
Not only that, but Seattle saw him as the present and future at goalie at Climate Pledge Arena by extending him on a five-year, $25 million deal last October, putting him under contract through 2030. Just 28 years old, or five years younger than Grubauer, he appears to be entering his prime and that new extension could be a major bargain down the line if his play continues to improve.
The elephant in the room is that Grubauer’s six-year deal does not expire for two more seasons after this. Given he is owed just under $6 million per season, Seattle will have a hard time finding a suitor in a possible trade, and he likely will end up being a very expensive backup to Daccord if they cannot find a suitor willing to absorb his large contract.
Perhaps Grubauer can re-find himself while in Coachella Valley and build up more value. For now, Seattle’s current backup to Daccord is Ales Stezka, formerly of the HC Vítkovice Ridera in the 2nd Czech Republic Hockey League.
Either way, the Kraken have their main goalie for the next handful of years to come. With more experience, Daccord should keep growing and improving. Seattle certainly has several big issues being 11 points short of the last playoff spot at 23-29-4. However, one of their problems certainly isn’t the present and future at goalie, which should provide optimism for the future at a crucial position that has been plagued by inconsistency in the franchise’s initial seasons.
