Kraken's Jared Mccann named one of NHL's five most underrated forwards

At 28, McCann is preparing for his fourth season with the Kraken. Initially selected from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the expansion draft, McCann's offensive output had yet to truly take off. His previous career highs of 14 goals and 35 points were obliterated, as he's now set career marks with 40 goals and 70 points.

As McCann's role with the Kraken grew, so did his numbers and overall impact on the ice. He became a reliable force across 5v5 play, the power play, and the penalty kill, consistently finding ways to unleash his lethal shot.

He's evolved into a bona fide star in the league, earning Stoller's high praise.

Boy, do the Toronto Maple Leafs probably regret exposing Jared McCann in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft. Back then, McCann was a 25-year-old defensively responsible bottom-six center who had just wrapped up back-to-back 14-goal seasons. The Leafs had traded for him from the Pittsburgh Penguins solely to leave him unprotected in the expansion draft, prioritizing Alexander Kerfoot instead. McCann, a decent secondary scorer, never really got a top-six opportunity with the Penguins, Florida Panthers, or Vancouver Canucks. But that all changed in Seattle. Since joining the NHL's newest franchise in 2021-22, only Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak, Filip Forsberg, and Nathan MacKinnon have more 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes than McCann (1.33), according to naturalstattrick.com. McCann set a career-high with 40 goals in the 2022-23 season while hovering near the 30-goal mark in both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons, scoring 27 and 29 goals, respectively. Plus, he's notched 50-plus points in each of his three seasons with Seattle.

Not only has McCann become the Kraken's top player, but he's also emerged as a leader. With Seattle still lacking an official captain, McCann stands as a prime candidate to be named the second captain in franchise history.

POLL
18 AOUT \| 18 ANSWERS Kraken's Jared Mccann named one of NHL's five most underrated forwards Should Jared McCann be named the next captain of the Seattle Kraken?
Yes	11	61.1 %
No	7	38.9 %
LIST OF POLLS

Kraken's Jared Mccann named one of NHL's five most underrated forwards

Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann was recently highlighted as one of the NHL's five most underappreciated forwards by Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News.

Should Jared McCann be named the next captain of the Seattle Kraken?