The Seattle Kraken will be down a hot hand for the final two games of their current homestand. Depth forward Ben Meyers has been placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury that has him out week-to-week. Meyers scored three points in his last two games. The Kraken have responded to his injury by recalling forward Jacob Melanson in a corresponding move.
It isn’t entirely clear when Meyers sustained his injury. He played through the final minute of action in Wednesday night’s win over the New York Islanders and recorded one point and one shot in the contest. Meyers didn’t appear to be nursing an injury in his final shift but will now land on the shelf for a minimum of one week and three games. He will be eligible to return on January 29th, when the Krkaen host the Toronto Maple Leafs to close out a six-game homestand.
Meyers has chipped his way up to Seattle’s third-line with a strong, two-way effort as of late. He ranks third on the offense in hits (15) and second in penalty-kill ice time (20:41) since the start of 2026. On the year, Meyers has recorded 11 points, 36 hits, and 40 shots on goal in 31 games. He’s proven to be a responsible veteran near the bottom of Seattle’s lineup, a role that could be hard to replace with an AHL call-up.
Melanson has been a responsible piece of the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ lineup this year, with 16 points and 28 penalty minutes in 26 games. He has carved out a top-six role and ranks third among Firebirds forwards in plus-minus with a plus-seven. That diligence hasn’t quite translated to the top flight, with Melanson boasting only four points and a minus-two in 15 NHL games this season. They are the first NHL games of his career, except for his NHL debut, which he made at the end of last season.
That inexperience could be a motivator as Melanson looks to make himself comfortable in a bottom-six role in place of the toolsy Meyers. He will compete with Tye Kartye for a spot in the lineup. Kartye has recorded seven points and a minus-seven in 37 games this season.