Kraken Activate Chandler Stephenson, Reassign Oscar Fisker Molgaard
The Seattle Kraken have returned to a fully healthy forward core. The Kraken announced that they’ve activated Chandler Stephenson from the non-roster list and have reassigned Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a corresponding roster move.
Stephenson was placed on the non-roster list only three days ago, as he and his wife were expecting the birth of their child. He missed two games for Seattle, and the team earned a split decision, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes before beating the New York Rangers.
He’s expected to reprise his role as the team’s second-line center, where he’s played relatively well this season. He’s third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 27 points in 42 games, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s been the best faceoff taker on the team, winning 52.4% of his draws.
Still, there is reason to believe that his production may dip relatively soon. Stephenson is averaging a 38.6% CorsiFor% at even strength, far and away the worst output of his career. However, it’s not an issue unique to Stephenson, as the Kraken themselves are 31st in the league in terms of possession quality, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks.
Meanwhile, Fisker Molgaard returns to AHL Coachella Valley after failing to appear in a game with Seattle throughout the duration of his recall. He’s skated in two games for the team this season, registering an assist while averaging 6:00 of ice time per game. He’s understandably been far more productive with the Firebirds, scoring six goals and 18 points in 30 games with a -5 rating.
Kraken Recall Oscar Fisker Molgaard
Fresh off being named to Denmark’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, center Oscar Fisker Molgaard has been recalled by the Kraken, the team announced. They’ve been operating with an open roster spot for quite some time, so no corresponding move is required.
Molgaard, 21 next month, was a second-round pick in 2023. Just two years on from being drafted, he’s already got NHL games under his belt. Seattle recalled Molgaard for a pair of games in November, recording an assist and going 5-for-7 on faceoffs in the process, before being swiftly returned to AHL Coachella Valley when Jared McCann returned from a lower-body injury.
Now, with Jaden Schwartz on injured reserve and Eeli Tolvanen dealing with an illness, Fisker Molgaard will get another crack at entering the lineup. Even if he’s just around for a few games as an extra forward, it’s an indication of how pleased the organization has been with his development. The lanky 6’0″ pivot had a pair of strong seasons in Sweden’s top league with HV71 after being drafted, notching 40 points in 88 games before coming to North America.
In his first season of pro hockey stateside, Molgaard ranks fourth on Coachella Valley in scoring with a 6-12–18 line in 30 games. A good skater with a great shot, he’s been the centerpiece of Denmark’s national junior teams for several years and already has three World Championship appearances with the senior team under his belt, including a great showing in 2025 with seven points in 10 games. He figures to slot into the Danes’ top-six forward group at the Olympics alongside fellow NHLers Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nikolaj Ehlers, Lars Eller, and Jonas Rondbjerg.
Kraken Activate Jared McCann, Reassign Oscar Fisker Molgaard
The Seattle Kraken will welcome back their franchise-leading scorer tonight. Seattle announced they’ve activated Jared McCann from the injured reserve, and reassigned Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a corresponding roster move.
McCann returns after being away from the team for over a month. The 11-year veteran has been recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in the Kraken’s October 18th game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. His absence, originally designated as a day-to-day issue, kept him out of the lineup much longer than expected.
Regardless, he’ll be an important reintroduction for Seattle’s offense. Before the 2025-26 campaign, McCann had scored 118 goals and 243 points in 315 games as a Kraken while on an exceptionally affordable $5MM salary. This season, before succumbing to the lower-body ailment, McCann had scored three goals and four points in five games, averaging 17:17 of ice time per game.
Although they aren’t the worst offensive team in the league, they aren’t far off. Seattle has averaged 2.59 goals per game through their first 22 contests — even while averaging a nearly 20% success rate with a man advantage. Still, the Kraken’s goaltending and defense, while at even strength, have kept Seattle in the playoff conversation as we approach American Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, Fisker Molgaard will return to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds after appearing in a couple of games for the Kraken. The 20-year-old former second-round pick was extremely limited in his two contests, scoring one assist while averaging 6:00 of action. He’ll attempt to continue where he left off with the Firebirds, where he scored three goals and 10 points through his first 14 contests.
Seattle Kraken Recall Oscar Fisker Molgaard
The Seattle Kraken have recalled an intriguing forward prospect one game into their four-game road trip. Seattle announced they’ve recalled Oscar Fisker Molgaard from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Before the recall, the Kraken had 23 players on their active roster, meaning they’d need to remove at least one body somehow. Seattle will likely place netminder Matt Murray on the injured reserve if they haven’t done so already. The Kraken announced that Murray would miss the next six weeks with a lower-body injury.
Although there’s no guarantee of it, it would be Fisker Molgaard’s NHL debut should he find his way into the Kraken’s lineup throughout the callup. Seattle selected the 20-year-old Dane with the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s currently enthralled in his first full season on North American soil.
Before joining AHL Coachella Valley, Fisker Molgaard had spent the last two years with the SHL’s HV71. He performed relatively well, given his age, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 88 games. Internationally, he was one of the brighter spots on Team Denmark, scoring six goals and 23 points in 32 international contests, including seven points in the IIHF World Championships last summer.
Additionally, his transition to the Firebirds’ roster has gone smoothly. Despite being tied as the youngest player on the team, Fisker Molgaard is tied for third on the team in scoring to begin the 2025-26 campaign with three goals and 10 points in 14 games.
Fortunately, there may be some wiggle room for Fisker Molgaard to find his way into the lineup despite the Kraken having 13 healthy forwards. The trio of Jani Nyman, Berkly Catton, and Tye Kartye have all disappointed to varying degrees through the first month and a half of the 2025-26 season. This means that Fisker Molgaard could easily replace any of them in the lineup, especially if Seattle believes one could use a brief mental reset.
Pacific Notes: Draisaitl, Frederic, Gudas, Mølgaard
The Edmonton Oilers will again be without star forward Leon Draisaitl in their lineup. According to team TV host Tony Brar, Draisaitl has sustained a minor lower-body injury, although it’s unrelated to his previous ailment.
Draisaitl had recently missed four consecutive games for Edmonton with an undisclosed injury. Upon his return on April 1st, the 11-year veteran tallied one goal and one assist against the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. Thankfully for the Oilers, there’s no concern that Draisaitl’s recent string of injuries will impact his availability for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
On a more positive injury note for Edmonton, Brar also reported there is a “slight” chance that Trent Frederic could debut with the team tomorrow against the Los Angeles Kings. Frederic is still recovering from a lower-body injury suffered in February when he was rostered with the Boston Bruins.
Other notes from the Pacfic Division:
- Contrary to a report from yesterday evening, Anaheim Ducks’ captain, Radko Gudas, isn’t headed for the operating room this off-season (Tweet Link). The initial was generated to contextualize Gudas’s “struggles” this season, but it doesn’t appear to be based on much accuracy. Gudas has essentially only struggled with his possession quality this year, as his physicality and defensive metrics (both of which he’s excelled at his entire career) have improved.
- Moving to a prospect note, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, announced that prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard is joining the team for the remainder of the season. Mølgaard, the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently finished a strong campaign with the SHL’s HV71, scoring five goals and 19 points in 38 contests.
Kraken Sign Oscar Fisker Mølgaard To Entry-Level Deal
The Kraken have signed center prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday. It carries a cap hit of $950K, the maximum for a rookie deal.
Mølgaard, 19, was a second-round pick of Seattle in last year’s draft. Taken 52nd overall, he was the middle of three second-round selections the Kraken owned in the 2023 draft, joining left winger Carson Rehkopf (50th overall) and right-shot defenseman Lukas Dragicevic (57th overall).
The Danish pivot has a good shot to cap off a well-rounded two-way game. Standing at 6’0″ and 168 lbs, he has some room to grow into his frame before he’s ready for NHL action. But he has spent most of the past two seasons in a top-level professional league, suiting up for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.
In 50 games with HV71 this season, Mølgaard had nine goals and 21 points with a -4 rating and was extremely disciplined, logging only 6 PIMs. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and added three assists in their seven-game relegation series win over IK Oskarshamn, helping them stay up in the SHL for the third year in a row.
Mølgaard has also been a fixture on the Danish national junior team, appearing at all the IIHF U18 and U20 events he’s been eligible for since 2022. He also made his senior national team debut this year at the World Championship, scoring a goal and three assists in seven games as the Danes finished seventh in Group A and avoided relegation to next year’s Division IA tournament.
Since he played in the SHL during his draft year, he’s subject to the transfer agreement the NHL has with Swedish leagues. As he was not drafted in the first round, the Kraken must offer him back to HV71 next season before assigning him to their AHL affiliate. He’ll likely challenge for a top-six role on HV71 next season, so they’ll likely gladly take him back on loan.
And, since his 20th birthday doesn’t fall until 2025, the first year of his entry-level deal will slide if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season. In that likely event, he’ll receive his first-year signing bonuses but nothing else. His contract will then begin in earnest in the 2025-26 season, keeping him under his rookie deal through the 2027-28 campaign. He will be a restricted free agent upon expiry.