It’s a testament to how quickly things evolve when late September hits. We thought we’d let the weekend slide and come back on Monday to write a news recap, but so much has happened with the Seattle Kraken since Friday afternoon and Monday is already another preseason gameday, so why not a Sunday update? More prospects were sent home, a pair of preseason bouts, injury news, and a new sponsorship partner. Let’s discuss.
Kraken Improve vs. Canucks and Oilers
The Kraken’s preseason curtain raiser when they were trounced at home by the Calgary Flames is starting to feel like a long time ago. Are things perfect? No, of course not. Head coach Dan Bylsma and his staff are still figuring out line combinations, and giving young guns some ice time, and the club has lost more often than it has won, but there is much more reason for optimism as the side travels to Calgary for a Monday night showdown.
On Friday the Kraken completed their home-and-home with the Vancouver Canucks and returned the favor of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss with a victory by the same scoreline. Seattle completely dominated the faceoff circle, winning 39 of 59 opportunities for a 66.1% success rate. That was after edging the Canucks in the circle in the previous tilt (52.1%) despite losing the match. The good news was that both Brandon Montour and Eeli Tolvanen tallied. Montour is one of the team’s new offseason acquisitions and Tolvanen signed a two-year extension. Netminder Joey Daccord also resembled his 2023-24 self, repelling 19 of the 20 shots sent his way.
There was no time to celebrate. The Edmonton Oilers awaited at home on Saturday evening. This was a vastly different affair in pace and style. The Kraken couldn’t hold on to a 4-2 advantage, eventually succumbing to Edmonton’s speed and skill in a 5-4 defeat. While the result was disappointing, Seattle showed that it too can skate with the best. The team – reinforcements included – looked very good at times. Jacob Melanson (2021 draft class), Eduard Sale (2023 first-round pick), John Hayden, and Ben Meyers (offseason signing) all scored.
There is no shame in losing to last season’s Stanley Cup finalists, especially in a high-scoring affair with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the ice. The loss disappointed, but the Kraken went toe-to-toe with a supremely well-oiled machine, pardon the pun.
Kokko, Winterton, and Friends Sent to Coachella Valley
On Friday and Saturday, many players were sent down south to Coachella Valley to get ready for the Firebirds’ upcoming American Hockey League (AHL) campaign. Goaltenders Niklas Kokko and Victor Ostman had been around since the start of training camp but had not seen any ice time in the team’s quarter of preseason games.
Forward Lleyton Roed was sent packing, but not before putting on a good show in Friday’s Canucks game. He orchestrated a brilliant sequence in the middle frame by stealing the puck at center ice, racing down the left side and serving a pass into the crease for Ryan Winterton to put in.
Jagger Firkus, the 2022 Draft selection who has terrorized the Western Hockey League for the past couple of seasons, is also joining the Firebirds. Sadly, his only preseason ice time came in that dreadful Flames game on Sept. 22, not to mention that he finished a minus-2 that evening. He’s an amazing talent, but maybe not NHL-ready yet. It’s important to keep in mind that he’s only 20 years old.
Related: Recapping the Seattle Kraken’s Week 2 of 2024 Training Camp
22-year-old Logan Morrison, a player who was teased last season (four games) will continue to hone his craft at the AHL level.
Defensemen Ty Nelson and Nikolas Brouillard (cleared waivers) are two other names that got an opportunity this September but will ultimately line up for the Firebirds. Brouillard’s fate might have been sealed in the same manner as Firkus’ given that his only contest was the loss against the Flames. Nelson was a participant in the defeat in Vancouver last week.
Status Update on Dunn and Burakovsky
With game recaps and cuts out of the way, what about the meat and potatoes? With more than a week of training camp in the books and four preseason matches played, isn’t it a bit funny that defenseman Vince Dunn hasn’t seen much action?
To be fair, he has been on the ice for some drills. He’s been paired with Adam Larsson most often during camp. To bring readers up to speed, Dunn had a rough 2023-24, missing a total of 23 contests because of injuries. The Mississauga, Ontario native saw action only twice in March before returning for a pair of matches in April.
As we’ve written before, Dunn is a critically important part of this team’s success and cohesion. That he hasn’t hit the ice in preseason is both good and bad. It’s bad insofar as his absence from the lineups means he’s not 100% yet. It’s good because, well, if he’s not 100% then he shouldn’t be tussling in September hockey. Regarding Dunn’s chances of playing a bit before the regular season, coach Dan Bylsma told the media that “he’s progressing that way.”
As for Burakovsky, his injury is not so bad that he can’t skate with his mates. By the same token, he’s wearing a red practice uniform, which means contact is a no-no. This is not the first time this week Bylsma expressed the need for caution with Burakosvky. Mid-week the Austrian was entirely absent from practice and that was for “maintenance” reasons. Now the red shirt is for “precautionary” reasons. Obviously this is not fun news, but if there is ever a time when not playing games doesn’t hurt the club that much, it’s during the preseason.
Slick Seattle Shoe Deal
The Kraken run on Brooks. That’s correct. Not skate. Run. In our last bit of news, on Sept. 26 the club and Seattle-based sports clothing company Brooks announced a partnership. Founded in 1914, Brooks used to make ice skates, but since 2001 have mostly focused on running shoes.
As such, whenever Kraken players want to hit the treadmill, another gym-bound activity, or exercise outdoors they’ll be adorned in Brooks gear. The news comes just in time for the Kraken’s 5K Fun Run, which will occur on Saturday, Oct. 5 and help raise funds for the organization’s cancer foundation. Brooks will support the event as well.
As the Kraken head into the final week of camp/preseason, the team is taking shape. There aren’t many cuts left to make, some players need the next 10 days or so to get into better shape or heal from injuries, and a pair of preseason bouts remain. The Kraken stay in Alberta for an extra couple of days, with a rematch against the Flames on Monday night.
