{"podcast":{"title":"NHL Wraparound Podcast","slug":"nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","podcast_index_feed_id":6738916,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/nhl-wraparound-podcast/","website_url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b1f011ee-519a-4697-8650-bceee856df78/EY-HiA10QW6j_adqQ0EhGDtC.png","author":"Neil Smith & Vic Morren","episode_count":500,"summary":"Breadth and depth. Contemporary and historical. Straight-forward and experienced. The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League. Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past. With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you enterta…","last_synced_at":"2026-10-03T08:23:06.458636+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916"},"episode":{"title":"Summer Coolers – Seattle Kraken","slug":"summer-coolers-seattle-kraken","published_at":"2026-09-14T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-seattle-kraken","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/summer-coolers-seattle-kraken","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8f9dee69-5210-4203-84f5-133df0510c87.mp3","summary":"Summer Coolers – Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken enter 2026-27 facing serious questions about the direction of the franchise. Seattle finished with just 79 points and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season—and for the fourth time in five years since entering the NHL. Neil Smith and Vic Morren believe the early success of the Vegas Golden Knights created expectations Seattle has never been able to match. Even more concerning, high-end players appear unwilling to choose Seattle, while the Kraken have done little to pivot when those pursuits fail. IN THIS EPISODE: [00:00:00] Seattle finishes sixth with 79 points and misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season. [00:00:25] The Kraken have reached the postseason only once in five seasons, advancing to Game 7 of the second round in 2023. [00:00:45] Vic believes Vegas’ immediate expansion success created an unrealistic comparison for Seattle and raised expectations the Kraken have never approached. [00:01:00] Neil is surprised Seattle has struggled to attract free agents because he views the city as a tremendous hockey destination with an outstanding arena. [00:01:30] Despite those advantages, Neil says he does not like what he sees from Seattle heading into this season. [00:01:50] Vic compares Seattle’s inactivity to Calgary’s previous offseason, when the Flames did almost nothing despite needing improvement. [00:02:00] Seattle’s lone trade addition is Mackie Samoskevich from Florida for a 2026 first-round pick and conditional 2027 second. [00:02:25] Goaltender Viktor Östman re-signs, while captain Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann also remain with the Kraken. [00:02:45] Curtis Douglas arrives from Vancouver as a bottom-six forward, representing Seattle’s only notable outside UFA addition. [0…","meta_description":"Summer Coolers – Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken enter 2026-27 facing serious questions about the direction of the franchise. Seattle finished with just…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":381,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episodes/summer-coolers-seattle-kraken/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-seattle-kraken.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}