Kraken Get a Resilient Joey Daccord in Latest NHL Call-Up
As is often the case in their young history, the Seattle Kraken saw a goaltender fall from the lineup last week. Joey Daccord stepped in and we continue to see a drastic change in his game from last season. Obviously the team is very different from last year; between new staff, team chemistry and performance. However, I think we should look at his recent performance as he is the team’s injury/emergency call and Chris Driedger is eligible for waivers.
I’ve written several times that above all, Daccord needed consistent playing time. During his time with the Kraken last season there were often long gaps between his starts and I think that partly contributed to head coach Dave Hakstol overriding Philipp Grubauer. We saw Daccord fare for the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season when he had consistent ice time all along the line and even was named AHL Goaltender of the Month for March.
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This season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ inaugural season, he’s picking up where he left off. He has played more than any of the five goalies to see ice for the Firebirds and holds a 24-6-3 record with three shutouts while helping lead the team to their first place in the playoffs. His 2.43 goals against average (GAA) and 0.915 save percentage (SV%) are exactly the numbers you want to see from him.
I berate Daccord so much because he really is the only young goaltender on the team with an immediate NHL future. They drafted two in Semyon Vyazovoy and Niklas Kokko, but I don’t see them really impacting the team for at least two or three years. With that, we dive deep into his final stint.
March 21, 2023: Seattle Kraken 5 – Dallas Stars 4 (OT)
The Kraken were early on the Dallas Stars in two periods of this Western Conference tournament, but that crumbled in the third period. The teams scored in the first 15 minutes of the third period to make it 4:2 Kraken. Here’s my take on that game: Daccord was able to bounce back from a difficult period.
Also see: 3 Takeaways from Krakens 5-4 Overtime Win Over Stars
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The Kraken were passed 29-27, and 11 of those shots came in the third period. According to the Natural Stat Trick, the Stars had a 73.53 Corsi For (CF%) percentage and owned 77.78 percent of high-risk scoring chances, both at all strengths. The kicker? The decisive goal came at 19:59 of the third party. Adam Larsson sealed the deal in overtime with his sixth goal of the season and Daccord made a single save in overtime to secure the win.
If Daccord had been in the same situation last season I’m not sure we would have seen the same result. Consistent playing time coupled with success helps build confidence and that confidence helped him recover from a hiccup he experienced in the third period. Despite conceding four goals, he was able to bounce back and help secure the win in extra time rather than be swayed by throwing him out of his game and allowing things to go the other way. He finished with 25 saves on 29 shots for .862 SV%. Not the prettiest percentage, but he won.
March 23, 2023: Seattle Kraken 1 – Nashville Predators 2 (SO)
In the game against the Stars, the Kraken opened the scoring at 2:32 courtesy of Brandon “Turbo” Tanev. Against the Nashville Predators, Daniel Sprong decided to open the scoring four seconds early. However, it would be her only goal of the game. In the second half, Kiefer Sherwood equalized before going to a penalty shootout. The shootout… didn’t last long as the Predators won it 2-0.
The takeaway of this? We saw Daccord take on a hungry team struggling to stay alive in the wildcard chase. We also saw him upside down as he had to turn upside down in overtime to even force the shootout. The Kraken were beaten 6-1 in overtime, which thanks to Natural Stat Trick contributed to the Predators’ 72.73 CF% in that period.
For my money, Daccord played its best game of the season. He stopped 23 of 24 shots for .958 SV%, and his only clean sheet is the least he’s ever conceded in a game for the Kraken, and it’s under the NHL games that his career took off. He beat the Calgary Flames for his first win as a Kraken in November 2022, but that was early in the season, not against a team fighting for their playoff life. He might not have gotten the win, but to take a point and play so well when it counts was a pretty significant leap from last season.
What Daccord’s latest stint says about his future
Daccord is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights and currently earns $750,000. I don’t think he would get a significant raise, but his performance in both the AHL and NHL this season should see him land another contract with the Kraken. Driedger will have another year under contract, but there are more question marks with upcoming unrestricted free agent Martin Jones leading the way for most of the season.
When Daccord is back next season I think he could be in the same role he is in now. He would be a viable NHL backup better prepared to play well in spot call-ups and as an AHL starter. No doubt the improved squad ahead of him has contributed to his decent game this season, but at the end of the day he still has to stop the puck. A lot could happen between the end of this season and the start of the next, but based on his last two games I’d say the best scenario for Daccord is for him to be a backup for the start of the season (although unlikely).
As for the immediate future, Daccord returns to the Firebirds with the Calder Cup on his mind. It’s proof that goalies take longer to develop and shows that over time he has the potential to stay in the NHL. I really want to see a deep playoff run from the Firebirds. Not only because of the importance to Daccord in his continued development, he had a playoff run as a pro and that was last season, but also because of the Kraken’s prospects of playing in the AHL.