The Seattle Kraken announced today that forward Ryan Winterton has taken a temporary leave of absence to attend to a family matter. The Kraken did not provide further detail and requested that the privacy of Winterton and his family be respected. As is always the case with situations like these, what happens on the ice is secondary. With that said, Winterton’s absence does have lineup implications for a Kraken team that is still under pressure to chase down a playoff spot.
Winterton had missed Seattle’s last two games with an illness. Before then, he had been on one of the stronger runs of his young NHL career. He scored a goal and an assist in Seattle’s 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers on March 15, and had a solid five points in his last 11 games playing largely in a bottom-six capacity. When he was last in the lineup, Winterton occupied a fourth-line left wing spot, skating alongside Ben Meyers and Jacob Melanson. 21-year-old Jani Nyman, who has 18 goals and 27 points in just 29 AHL games this season, was placed into that fourth-line role with Winterton sidelined.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- The Minnesota Wild have interest in signing NCAA free agent center Nathan Pilling of the University of St. Thomas, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported today. Pilling, who turns 22 in June, ended his first campaign of college hockey with 15 goals and 29 points in 38 games. The Calgary native, who was a point-per-game pivot in his final campaign in the WHL, has previously been tied to two NHL teams. He attended the development camp of the San Jose Sharks in 2024, and the Ottawa Senators in 2025. Pilling was ranked as the No. 5 NCAA free agent by the team at Elite Prospects, with the outlet projecting him as a “potential bottom-6 checker” with “versatile upside.”
- Veteran netminder Tristan Jarry will return to the crease for the Edmonton Oilers at some point during the team’s upcoming two-game road trip, head coach Kris Knoblauch told the media today. Jarry hasn’t made a start since surrendering seven goals in a loss to the Dallas Stars, which was on March 12. The 30-year-old began the season with a strong 14 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting a .909 save percentage and 9-3-1 record. He’s struggled mightily since his trade to Edmonton, though, putting up a grisly .855 save percentage and 4.17 goals-against average in 15 games. With the Oilers looking to build momentum and lock down a playoff spot in a wide-open Pacific Division, they’ll be hoping Jarry can rediscover some of the form he had at the start of the season.