- Chandler Stephenson may return to the Seattle Kraken tonight after missing three games due to a lower-body injury. Earlier today, Seattle’s broadcast analyst Alison Lukan reported that Stephenson has been upgraded to a game-time decision. His return would be significant for the Kraken, as he is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals and 48 points in 69 games.
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Kraken Rumors
Chandler Stephenson Participates In Full Contact Practice
Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno returned to the lineup last night, dressing for the first time in almost two weeks (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic). The 33-year-old missed five games due to an upper-body injury but suited up against Washington and was +1 in 18:10 of play. The veteran winger is having a routine season by his standards, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists in 68 games with 66 PIM and 221 hits.
The Wild are clinging to the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference despite dealing with injuries to some of their top players. The team welcomed defenseman Jonas Brodin back earlier this week, and with Foligno now returning it looks as though Minnesota should get most players back by the beginning of the postseason.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury (as per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports). It’s the first game that Kiviranta has missed this season as he has made 72 appearances while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game. No word yet on how long Kiviranta is expected to be out but there should be an update before the Avalanche take on St. Louis on Saturday afternoon. The 29-year-old has set a career-high this season in goals (16), assists (7) and points (23) and likely won’t have to settle for a one-year deal at league minimum this summer when he re-enters free agency.
- Seattle Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson practiced yesterday in a full-contact jersey but did not play last night against the Edmonton Oilers (as per Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). Stephenson suffered an upper-body injury back on March 19th in a game against Minnesota and has missed the past two games. Given that he has returned to full contact, it seems likely that the 30-year-old will return to the lineup at some point in the next week. Stephenson signed a massive seven-year contract ($6.25MM AAV) with the Kraken last July, and while the deal was a massive overpay, Stephenson has provided depth offense this season in more of a defensive role, posting 11 goals and 37 assists in 69 games.
Kraken Recall Jani Nyman
The Seattle Kraken have recalled top forward prospect Jani Nyman to the NHL. This marks the first call-up of Nyman’s young pro career. He currently leads the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in scoring with 26 goals and 41 points in 55 games. Nyman also leads all AHL rookies in goals.
Nyman is playing through his first full year in North American pros after stopping by the AHL for a five-game trial at the end of last season. He’s taken quickly to the AHL and is currently on pace for 34 goals in 71 games this season. That total would make Nyman just the sixth U21 AHL skater to net 34 or more goals since 2000-01, and would mark the most a minor-leaguer has scored since Nigel Dawes managed 35 goals in 2005-06.
Seattle originally drafted Nyman in the second-round of the 2022 NHL Draft, after trading defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Nashville Predators to acquire the pick. Nyman followed his draft selection with a return to the Liiga’s Ilves. He managed 10 goals and 14 points in 29 games of what was his first year in Finland’s top level. With his feet under him, Nyman was able to lap those totals last year – netting 26 goals and 43 points in 48 games before moving to North America.
It’s not often that players score more goals than they do assists, and Nyman is one of the rare cases of a player making it habitual. He’s a stocky and controlled forward with a stellar shot and strong drive towards the low-slot. Those attributes helped Nyman earn an AHL All-Star Game bid in his rookie season, and could now help him step into his NHL debut. Kraken general manager Ron Francis hinted at wanting to give Nyman NHL reps before the season ended during a post-deadline media availability – and now seems to be following through with the proper roster moves. That could pose the challenge of a lineup shakeup for head coach Dan Bylsma, but the upside of adding a goal-scorer of Nyman’s level would be hard to ignore for a Kraken lineup currently well outside of the playoff race.
Kraken Recall John Hayden, Reassign Jacob Melanson, Ben Meyers
- After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
- In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
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Devils Acquire Daniel Sprong From Kraken
The Devils have acquired depth winger Daniel Sprong from the Kraken, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Seattle is receiving a seventh-round pick in return, according to Tim Booth of the Seattle Times.
A minimal return will be all Seattle lands for scoring winger Sprong, who they acquired for future considerations from the Vancouver Canucks in November. Sprong went unclaimed on waivers two months later, and the Kraken used that chance to assign him to the minor leagues. He’s been absolutely red-hot ever since, with 11 goals and 25 points in 19 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. That’s exorbitantly more than the five points Sprong scored in 19 NHL games to start the season, split between time in Vancouver and Seattle.
Despite minimal NHL scoring this year, Sprong has shown flashed of bringing his hot touch to the NHL. He scored 21 goals and 46 points with the Kraken in the 2022-23 season, then followed it with 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games with Detroit last year. The pair of seasons seemed to finally push Sprong onto the track of strong goal-scoring – and Vancouver took the upside bet by signing him to a one-year contract last summer.
Sprong didn’t find his spark in Vancouver, or in a return to Seattle – but he could find it as the New Jersey Devils search for more scoring options. The Devils rank 14th in the league with 2.98 goals-per-game on average, a step above both Vancouver (26th, 2.74) and Seattle (16th, 2.94). That could set Sprong up for a more welcome committee as he takes on the remaining season on a playoff contender. Sprong should step in as a depth-winger for the Devils lineup – and his ice time could be largely dependent on how well he’s able to rediscover his scoring.
Jets Acquire Brandon Tanev From Kraken
2:40 p.m.: Both parties have made the deal official, confirming the terms as reported.
11:50 a.m.: The Winnipeg Jets aren’t done adding grit to their lineup. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Jets are acquiring bottom-six forward Brandon Tanev from the Seattle Kraken for a 2027 second-round pick.
After a six-year hiatus with the Kraken and Pittsburgh Penguins, Tanev returns to the organization that signed him as an undrafted collegiate free agent in 2016. The speedy, hard-hitting winger has scored 24 goals and 51 points in 195 games with the Jets from 2016 to 2019, adding a whopping 601 hits to his resume.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Jets utilize Tanev during his second time with the team. Winnipeg already has a relatively deep bottom-six with Nino Niederreiter, Mason Appleton, Morgan Barron, and Alex Iafallo on the wings. Tanev doesn’t have much experience down the middle, so the team will likely shift Barron back to center on the fourth line.
Tanev’s exploits in the NHL are well known. He’s an effective penalty killer who plays with a physical edge. Outside of an impressive 16-goal, 35-point performance in 2022-23, Tanev is likely to score between 20 and 29 points most years. He’s scored nine goals and 17 points in 60 games for the Kraken this season, averaging 13:56 of ice time per game.
At the time of writing, Winnipeg ranked 21st in the NHL in hits given with a total of 1147. Factoring in Luke Schenn’s acquisition, the Jets should have no issues upping their physicality through the final stretch of the regular season and playoffs.
The trade was fairly simple from Seattle’s perspective. As a pending unrestricted free agent, Tanev had value as a trade candidate for a team well outside the playoff picture. With another second-round pick in their arsenal, the Kraken have nine picks in the first two rounds through the 2027 NHL Draft.
Maple Leafs Showing Interest In Several Bottom-Six Forwards
With their cap space relatively limited (though likely to grow once Ryan Reaves is off the roster either via waivers or AHL assignment), the Maple Leafs appear to be looking at some lower-cost options up front. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that among the bottom-six players Toronto is looking at are Kraken winger Brandon Tanev and Sharks forward Luke Kunin. Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that they’re also in the mix for Flyers center Scott Laughton.
Tanev is in the final season of a six-year, $21MM contract carrying a $3.5MM AAV. The 33-year-old had a breakout offensive year in 2022-23, a campaign that saw him set new personal bests in goals (16), assists (19), and points (35). However, he hasn’t been able to reach that point total in the last two seasons combined as he has reverted to his more typical level of production.
This season, Tanev has nine goals and eight assists through 61 games. Of course, physicality is his main calling card and he’s once again averaging over two hits per contest. He’s also Seattle’s most-used forward on the penalty kill which will make him more appealing to Toronto and other playoff contenders. He has a 10-team no-trade list which could come into play depending on where he’s moved, assuming the Kraken find a swap to their liking.
Kunin, meanwhile, is the most versatile player out of this group as he can be deployed at all three forward positions. The 27-year-old has only reached the 30-point mark once in his career, that being back in 2019-20 when he had 31 points in 63 games. He has equaled his line from last year, tallying 11 goals and seven assists in 63 contests while chipping in with 163 hits. Like Tanev, Kunin is also heavily used on the penalty kill.
He’s in the last year of his contract, one that carries a $2.75MM AAV. Notably, San Jose does not have any remaining retention slots while Toronto doesn’t quite have enough money to bring him in, even if Reaves is off the roster. So if the Maple Leafs are to land Kunin, they’ll either have to open up some more cap space or a third team will need to get involved to retain a chunk of the contract.
As for Laughton, he’s more of a higher-end bottom-six piece. Through 59 games this season, he has 11 goals and 16 assists, his second straight season of a decline in per-game production. Of course, the 30-year-old is known for his sound defensive game and brings the size, physicality, and penalty killing acumen that many teams are known to be coveting.
Notably, Laughton has another year left on his contract on a deal that carries a $3MM AAV. Between that and the dearth of centers available, Philadelphia is believed to have set a high asking price for Laughton’s services, a package that includes a first-round pick. If Toronto GM Brad Treliving wants to make a longer-term splash over going for a rental, he’ll have to pay a pretty hefty price to do so.
Kraken Holding Out Brandon Tanev For Trade Purposes
The Seattle Kraken are planning to hold winger Brandon Tanev out of the lineup in Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Predators per Sporstnet’s Elliotte Friedman. This will be Seattle’s way of protecting their assets with Friday’s Trade Deadline looming. Tanev has been a frequent mention in trade rumors leading into deadline season.
Tanev has played for three different clubs in his 10-year career, but the heat of trade rumors is a new feeling. He’s never been traded before, instead making his moves through free agency and NHL expansion drafts. Tanev broke into the pros after scoring 28 points in 38 games of his senior season at Providence College. That convinced Winnipeg to sign Tanev to a one-year, undrafted free agent contract out of college and promote him directly to the NHL. He received a handful of games across the next three seasons, each time performing well enough in a bottom-six role to convince the Jets to re-up his contract. But he struggled to muster much production, with just 22 points and 44 penalty minutes in the first 116 games and three seasons of his NHL career. But continued trust from the Jets organization paid off in the 2018-19 season. Tanev lapped his previous totals that year, posting 14 goals, 29 points, and 41 penalty minutes in 80 games.
With a burgeoning bottom-six, Winnipeg opted to let Tanev walk to free agency after his breakout year. After four years of one-year contracts and with one substantial performance under his belt, Tanev landed a six-year, $21MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on the open market. He held up his performances in his first year with Pittsburgh, netting 11 goals and 25 points in 68 games – but routine absences quickly became troublesome. Tanev would play in just 62 games of the next two seasons. He scored an encouraging 16 goals and 31 points in those appearances – and seem well set up for a breakout year whenever he found his way back to full health.
That’s exactly what happened in Seattle after the Kraken chose the hard-nosed winger with their expansion draft selection from Pittsburgh. Tanev managed a career-high 16 goals, 35 points, and 44 penalty minutes in 82 games of Seattle’s 2022-23 season. It was another breakout for the hard-hitting wing, though he’s failed to live up to it in the two years since – with 33 points and 61 penalty minutes in his last 126 games. Tanev is still a hard-working, physical, and strong bottom-six winger with a flash of goal-scoring upside. He’s in the final year of his multi-year extension originally signed in Pittsburgh, and could offer a cheap and physical rental option on a market now without former Bruins center Trent Frederic.
Kraken Recall Tye Kartye, Cale Fleury
The Kraken announced they’ve reinstated winger Tye Kartye from his conditioning loan to AHL Coachella Valley, which managed to avoid us when it was announced on Feb. 27. They’ve also summoned defenseman Cale Fleury from the minors, filling the roster spot they opened in yesterday’s trade with the Lightning.
Kartye, 23, was an undrafted free agent signing by Seattle in 2022 and has quickly climbed up their depth chart. He burst onto the scene with a 57-point rookie season in AHL Coachella Valley that got him called up for the Kraken’s first-ever playoff appearance in 2023, making his NHL debut in the postseason and performing well with 3-2–5 in 10 games.
The center/winger has been a fixture on Seattle’s roster since. The 5’11”, 202-lb lefty was solid in a fourth-line role last year, contributing 11-9–20 in 77 games with a team-leading 229 hits. He shot with aplomb for his limited minutes too, ranking 10th on the team with 109 shots on goal with a good 10.1% finishing rate. This season has been far less successful. Kartye has just 3-4–7 through 49 games with a team-worst -16 rating and has been averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game. He was a healthy scratch in three games coming out of the 4 Nations break before his conditioning loan last week.
Kartye did well in his return to AHL play, posting 2-2–4 and a plus-one rating in three games for Coachella Valley. The Kraken hopes that bodes well for his confidence ahead of his expected return to the lineup down the stretch. They’re widely expected to deal pending UFA Brandon Tanev before tomorrow’s deadline, creating a spot for Kartye as their fourth-line right wing.
Fleury, meanwhile, continues his season-long shuffle between leagues. It’s his first recall since Feb. 24, and he’ll likely be sent back to the AHL tomorrow to make him eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs. He’ll give Seattle injury insurance for their road game against the Predators tonight, although he’s not currently expected to draw into the lineup. The 26-year-old has an assist and a plus-two rating in seven showings with the Kraken this year, seeing brief NHL action in all four years of the team’s existence. He has 6-18–24 through 36 minor-league appearances this year.
Seattle Kraken Recall Ben Meyers, Jacob Melanson
After trading Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier today, the Seattle Kraken opened up a pair of roster spots. Newly acquired Michael Eyssimont will take one of those spots, and the Kraken announced they’re recalling Ben Meyers and Jacob Melanson for additional depth.
Meyers has been an infrequent depth option for the Kraken this season. Despite longer-term injuries to Gourde and captain Jordan Eberle throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Seattle hasn’t called upon Meyers too much. He signed a one-year, $775K contract last summer and has gone scoreless in seven games for the Kraken, averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
He’s a completely different player in the AHL. He’s second on the Firebirds in scoring with 19 goals and 40 points in 45 AHL contests and continues to show the offensive potential he flashed during his last year at the University of Minnesota in 2021-22. At the time of writing, his production this season brings his career totals to 36 goals and 89 points in 107 AHL games.
Meanwhile, today’s roster move is the first call-up of Melanson’s career. Unfortunately, a lower-body injury cost him approximately the first 30 games of the season. Still, he’s performed adequately upon his return, scoring seven goals and 10 points in 27 contests for AHL Coachella Valley.
Should Melanson draw into the Kraken’s lineup tomorrow night, the former 131st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft will join James Malatesta (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Joshua Roy (Montreal Canadiens) as the only fifth-round picks from that draft to make their NHL debuts.