- Kraken center Yanni Gourde missed tonight’s game versus New Jersey with an undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has four goals and eight assists in 27 games so far while averaging just 15:29 per night, his lowest ATOI since the 2019-20 campaign when he was with Tampa Bay. Gourde missed the final 17 minutes of action on Thursday night while the injury is not believed to be a long-term issue.
Kraken Rumors
Ryker Evans Out With Undisclosed Injury
- The Seattle Kraken won’t have defenseman Ryker Evans in the lineup tonight due to injury. Television broadcaster Piper Shaw shared that Evans is out with an undisclosed injury but there were no further updates regarding his timeline. It’s a big loss for the Kraken before a tough contest against the Carolina Hurricanes as Evans sits tied for second on the team in scoring with three goals and 16 points in 25 games.
[SOURCE LINK]
Daccord Not Yet Eligible To Play For Canada At 4 Nations Cup
- While Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord was a speculative candidate to make Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Cup since he holds Canadian citizenship, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend that this is not the case. Daccord does not have a Canadian passport which is one of the eligibility criteria for the tournament. However, it’s expected that he will get one in the near future, making him eligible to be named as a replacement should one of the three netminders named on Wednesday get injured leading up to the event. Regardless of whether he suits up in this event, he remains eligible to play for Canada, the United States, and Switzerland internationally.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Seattle Kraken
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Pacific Division, next up is the Kraken.
Seattle Kraken
Current Cap Hit: $90,108,465 (above the $88MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Ryker Evans (one year, $898K)
F Tye Kartye (one year, $859K)
F Shane Wright (three years, $887K)
Potential Bonuses
Kartye: $57.5K
Wright: $3.0625MM
Total: $3.12MM
Seattle was slow-playing Wright’s development in his first couple of seasons and even into his first full NHL campaign, his ice time is being managed carefully. Accordingly, he’s not on track to reach any of his bonuses and is probably heading for a bridge contract barring a big offensive breakout over the next year or two. If he stays on the slower development path, that bridge agreement should come in around the $3.5MM range. Kartye had a solid rookie season in the bottom six and is in that same role this year. His bonuses are based on games played so that’s something he should be able to reach if he stays healthy. Given his role and limited offensive numbers, he’s also looking at a short-term second contract, one around the $1.5MM mark.
Evans is in his first full NHL season after impressing in partial duty last season. He has locked down a spot in Seattle’s top four and is tied for the team lead in scoring among blueliners. If that holds up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Ron Francis try to work out a long-term deal, one that would check in a bit below their top veterans who are making a little over $7MM per season. A bridge agreement, meanwhile, would likely fall in the $4MM range. Either way, a big raise is coming his way this summer.
Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level
D William Borgen ($2.7MM, UFA)
F Yanni Gourde ($5.167MM, UFA)
D Josh Mahura ($775K, UFA)
F Daniel Sprong ($975K, UFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($3.5MM, UFA)
For most of his contract, Gourde has been well worth the contract, generally producing above a 40-point pace. But he struggled last season and is off to a similar start offensively this year which will hurt his value. Now that he’s being deployed as more of a third-line option, it would be difficult to see him command a similar price tag at 33. But a multi-year deal around $4MM per season should still be within reach.
Tanev’s contract felt like a steep overpayment at the time for someone who had only reached 20 points once at the time it was signed. However, he has produced enough offensively (when healthy) on this deal to at least reasonably justify the cost while providing plenty of physicality and enough defensive acumen to make it a fair deal overall. While most teams want to cut salary from their bottom six, he could be an outlier and land another contract around this price point. Sprong didn’t have much luck on the open market last summer despite his second straight year of over 40 points and things haven’t gone well for him this year. Accordingly, another dip might be coming his way.
Borgen had two straight seasons of at least 20 points coming into this one but his production and playing time have slipped through the first quarter of this year. Heading into the year, a jump to the $3.75MM range seemed possible, especially as a right-hand shot but that might come down more toward the $3.5MM level on a multi-year deal now. Mahura was only able get a minimum contract after being non-tendered by Florida and with the limited role he has had so far, he’s unlikely to command more than that next summer.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4MM, UFA)
F Jordan Eberle ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6MM, UFA)
F Jaden Schwartz ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Eeli Tolvanen ($3.475MM, UFA)
Schwartz was one of Seattle’s first free agent additions, a move that hasn’t panned out as well as they hoped. When healthy, he’s a capable second-line forward but staying healthy has been a serious challenge thus far. He’ll be 34 when his next contract starts and it’d be surprising if he came in at this price tag next time. Something in the $4MM range on a medium-term deal might be more likely. Bjorkstrand was acquired as a cap dump from the Blue Jackets in 2022 and he has given Seattle two straight 20-goal seasons plus a 59-point effort last year. If he can keep near 60 points, he could land another million or so on his next deal. But if he reverts to a point total more in the 40s, Bjorkstrand might have to settle for a bit less than his current salary in 2026.
Eberle signed this deal last season, taking himself off the trade block in the process. He’s still a capable secondary scorer but considering he’ll be 36 on his next deal (subject to 35-plus provisions on a multi-year contract), it wouldn’t be surprising if he went year-to-year from here on out, allowing for the possibility for a lower base salary with reachable performance bonuses to allow the signing team more flexibility. Tolvanen has turned into one of the better waiver claims in recent memory, picking up 41 points last season while being on pace for 20 goals this year. Still, he’s a bit inconsistent which has kept him out of a full-time top-six role. If that continues and he settles in as more of a middle-six option, his open market value will take a hit although he could still get a small increase if he stays in that 40-point range.
There was definitely some risk in the contract the Kraken gave Oleksiak after selecting him in expansion. He had been a third-pairing player up to that point with the exception of one year, the one that landed him this agreement. But Oleksiak has been able to maintain a top-four slot throughout his time with Seattle while even chipping in with a career year offensively in 2022-23. Of course, his offensive numbers don’t land him this role or this type of money but rather his defensive game (and being one of the tallest players in the league). The market isn’t as strong for the more stay-at-home type of players and Oleksiak will turn 34 early in the 26-27 season but even so, a small boost to the $5MM range on a medium-term pact could still be doable.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Andre Burakovsky ($5.5MM, UFA)
G Philipp Grubauer ($5.9MM, UFA)
D Vince Dunn ($7.35MM, UFA)
F Jared McCann ($5MM, UFA)
Burakovsky was another notable splash in free agency that hasn’t worked out particularly well thus far. Signed off a career year, he hasn’t been able to produce close to those numbers since then, nor has he stayed healthy. Lots can still change in the back half of the deal but he looks like someone heading for a cap hit closer to the $4MM range, if not less next time out. McCann, on the other hand, averaged 30 goals and 62 points over his first three seasons in Seattle, two of which were played on this contract. That’s a solid return for this price point and if those numbers continue, he could land closer to $7MM next time out, especially with the ability to play center.
Dunn is the other player who could challenge McCann as being the best of their original expansion picks. With a bigger role than he had with St. Louis, he has emerged as one of the better offensive blueliners league-wide while playing in all situations. In essence, he has the numbers of arguably a number one defender, if not a top-pairing piece. He’ll be turning 31 early in the 2027-28 season so a max-term contract is a very realistic possibility and if Dunn remains as impactful as he has been, he could add a couple million per season on that next deal.
Grubauer was a free agent acquisition that carried some risk given that he was coming off a breakout year with a career-high in games played of 40. Paying him to be the undisputed starter for that long had the potential to bust. And bust it has. After putting up a .922 SV% in his best year with Colorado, he has yet to reach the .900 mark since then. Along the way, Grubauer has gone from being their number one goalie to a part-time backup and is off to a dreadful start this season. Barring a change in fortunes, Seattle will need to seriously consider buying out the remainder of this deal this summer, even with it carrying close to a $2MM dead cap charge next season, nearly $3.1MM the following year, and close to $1.7MM for two years after that.
Kraken Recall Mitchell Stephens, Activate Vince Dunn Off LTIR
Prior to their game tonight against San Jose, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that forward Mitchell Stephens was recalled from AHL Coachella Valley. Additionally, defenseman Vince Dunn has been activated off LTIR according to the NHL’s media site.
Stephens is in his first season with Seattle after signing a two-year, two-way deal with them early in free agency back in July. The 27-year-old is a veteran of 95 career NHL appearances between Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Montreal. Stephens got into 23 appearances with the latter last season, notching three points while winning over 55% of his faceoffs in a little over nine minutes a night of playing time.
It’s his first recall of the season and it comes following somewhat of a slow start to his season. Stephens has three goals and an assist in 11 games so far with the Firebirds. By comparison, he had 35 points in 49 games with AHL Laval just last season.
Meanwhile, the return of Dunn is a welcome one for the Kraken. He has been one of the more impactful blueliners league-wide in recent years, especially on the offensive side of things after putting up 110 points in 140 games between 2022-23 and 2023-24 while logging over 23 minutes of ice time each night. Prior to suffering an upper-body injury that kept him out for nearly six weeks, Dunn was off to a good start on that front this season as well, notching three points in his first four outings.
Dunn’s return gives Seattle now three above-average threats from the back end which will help an offense that’s near the middle of the pack in terms of goals scored. Brandon Montour is off to a solid start in his first season with the Kraken while Ryker Evans has helped pick up the offensive slack in Dunn’s absence. Both players enter tonight’s action with 15 points, good for a tie for third in team scoring.
While there has been no announcement from the team, the only way that Seattle could have activated Dunn and recalled Stephens was by transferring winger Jordan Eberle to LTIR. The captain is expected to be out for at least the next three months after undergoing pelvic surgery a little more than a week ago.
Kraken Recall Ryan Winterton
The Seattle Kraken have recalled forward Ryan Winterton from Coachella Valley. It’s the second call-up of Winterton’s season, with the first awarding him one game – and a return to the AHL one day later. He didn’t record a point in his season debut, dragging Winterton through a 10th career game without his first point – after nine games last season. He currently leads the Coachella Valley Firebirds in goals and points, with seven goals and 15 points in 16 games.
Winterton has worked his way into a top-line role in Coachella Valley on the back of capable and quick play in the offensive end, stepping up as maybe the best playmaker and finisher on the Firebirds lineup. He’s showing noticeable improvements from his rookie AHL season last year, when he posted 22 goals and 35 points in 58 games.
Seattle captain Jordan Eberle is expected to miss the next three months after undergoing pelvis surgery earlier this week. His absence has cemented Tye Kartye and Daniel Sprong in the lineup, despite the pair scoring just four points in 22 games, and one point in six games, respectively. Meager production from his peers could open a chance for Winterton to work his way into minutes, and may even jump up the depth chart with a scoring spark.
Seattle Kraken Reassign Ben Meyers To AHL
- After debuting with the third team of his young career, forward Ben Meyers is headed back to the American Hockey League. The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve reassigned Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, a short while ago. In his first NHL action since last April Meyers picked up three games with the Kraken scoring zero points while averaging 7:56 of ice time.
[SOURCE LINK]
Jordan Eberle Out At Least Three Months
Kraken forward Jordan Eberle has missed the last week due to what was originally ruled as a lower-body injury. It’s one that is going to keep him out of the lineup for a considerable amount of time, however, as the team announced (Twitter link) that he underwent successful surgery on his pelvis earlier today. The recovery time from the procedure is a minimum of three months.
The 34-year-old was named as the second captain in franchise history last month. Eberle is in his fourth season with the Kraken after being selected by them in the Expansion Draft in 2021 and has been a valuable secondary scorer for them since then. He reached at least 17 goals and 44 points in each of his first three campaigns with them while his 63-point effort in 2022-23 was the third-best point total of his career.
Eberle was off to a strong start this season, recording six goals and five assists in his first 17 games before suffering the injury which would have had him at a 29-goal, 53-point pace over 82 appearances, a number he clearly won’t be reaching now. A three-month (minimum) recovery timeline will likely keep Eberle out through the 4 Nations Cup in February, or at least the next 37 games. That’s a significant blow to a Seattle team that’s around the middle of the pack offensively.
Eberle will likely be transferred to LTIR at some point in the next little while. The Kraken have ample cap flexibility at the moment with defenseman Vince Dunn on there already so Eberle’s placement won’t happen right away. When Dunn is able to come back – and he will be with the team on their upcoming road trip per the team’s Scott Malone (Twitter link) – that will be the time when Eberle should land on there. That will largely eliminate any hope of banking cap space in the meantime, however.
Kraken Want To Keep Gourde Long-Term
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that the Nashville Predators aren’t looking to move any of their three 2025 first-round picks. The news comes in as the team’s general manager Barry Trotz is reportedly shopping for a center as well as a top-four defenseman with some term left on their contract.
The Predators have had a disappointing start to the season and are currently sitting in the second-last spot in the Western Conference with a 6-11-3 record. The team had high hopes coming into the season after several high-priced free-agent acquisitions. However, it’s easy to see why Trotz is apprehensive to move out any first-round picks to try and salvage this season.
In other Western Conference notes:
- The Seattle Kraken reportedly want to keep forward Yanni Gourde in Seattle long-term (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). The 32-year-old has had a slow start to the season with just two goals and five assists in his first 20 games, but that hasn’t deterred the Kraken, who love the player. Gourde is in the final season of a six-year $31MM contract he signed back in November of 2018 while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and would likely have a hard time matching that kind of deal in free agency. However, if the Kraken wants to keep the two-time Stanley Cup Champion in Seattle, he should still score a lucrative deal once again.
- Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord is receiving interest from two different countries for two different upcoming tournaments despite not being born in either country. Daccord was born in the United States but is reportedly receiving interest from Team Canada (as per Ken Campbell of The Hockey News) for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Daccord’s father was born in Montreal, Canada, while his mother was born in Switzerland, and he is apparently receiving interest from the Swiss team for the upcoming Olympics (as per Friedman). Daccord came out of nowhere last season, dressing in 50 games for the Kraken in his age-27 season. He put up strong numbers last year and has been even better this season, starting out the year with a 9-3-1 record and a .923 save percentage.
Shane Wright To Serve As Healthy Scratch For Second Game In A Row
Kraken center Shane Wright was a healthy scratch for the first time this season in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Rangers. Despite the lack of offense from Seattle in that game, don’t expect him back in the lineup tonight against the Predators. He was out late at morning skate today and is projected to sit in the press box for a second straight game, Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times reports.
This season, it’s been a tough go of things for the 2022 fourth overall pick. Wright had played in Seattle’s first 18 games of the season but had struggled to produce, posting just a goal and an assist with 12 shots and an even rating while averaging 12:25 per game. He’s struggled in the faceoff dot, winning 43.9% of his draws, and has been a drag on the Kraken’s possession play at even strength. They’re controlling 46.8% of shot attempts compared to 49.8% without him, and Wright also has a negative expected goal differential for the first time out of his three NHL trials.