Kraken Activate Jared McCann
The Kraken will see Jared McCann return to the lineup against the Flyers tonight, teammate Matty Beniers told reporters (including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). The team subsequently announced he’s been activated from injured reserve. With an open roster spot, there’s no need for a corresponding move.
McCann’s return comes a few days ahead of schedule. The 29-year-old sustained a lower-body injury against the Kings on Dec. 10 that was expected to keep him out for three weeks. That would have put his return late next week.
Lower-body issues have kept McCann on the sidelines for much of this season. His latest seven-game absence teamed up with a weeks-long one earlier in the year. All told, he’s been limited to 11 appearances but has kept up his longstanding role as the Kraken’s top offensive weapon, totaling five goals and eight points.
Seattle’s woeful offense, 31st in the league at 2.54 goals per game, now gets back its franchise-leading scorer on the heels of a three-game win streak leading into the holiday break. The Kraken were 11-5-5 through their first 21 games, putting themselves in the playoff conversation, before undoing all that work with a 1-9-1 run over their next 11. That win streak has them back above .500 and three points back of the Sharks for the wild-card cutoff with three games in hand, though.
For a group that’s been without Jaden Schwartz for several weeks due to a lower-body injury and lost Mason Marchment when he was traded to the Blue Jackets earlier this month, getting McCann back in on the wing is a true needle-mover. Seattle has gone 4-5-2 with McCann in the lineup this season.
The Kraken will also be getting top-pair staple Vince Dunn back in the lineup on the back end, head coach Lane Lambert said (via Alison Lukan of NHL.com). He missed Seattle’s last game before the break with an upper-body injury but, along with McCann, was a full participant in yesterday’s practice. With 19 points in 34 games this season, he leads Kraken defenders in scoring and is fifth on the team overall but has a team-worst -15 rating.
Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Pacific Notes: Kraken, Carlsson, Kuemper, Chytil, Coghlan
The Seattle Kraken, who have been bitten by the injury bug as of late, may be returning a few high-end players soon. Earlier today, team producer Scott Malone reported that forward Jared McCann and defenseman Vince Dunn had returned to practice in regular jerseys.
There’s no indication either will return to the Kraken’s game tomorrow against the Philadelphia Flyers, though it is encouraging. McCann has been limited to 11 games with Seattle this season, scoring five goals and three points, with his last contest coming on December 10th.
Still, Dunn only missed the Kraken’s game on Tuesday due to an upper-body injury, and he’s not on the team’s injured reserve, unlike McCann. If there’s any silver lining to what’s shaping up to be another disappointing season for the Kraken, is that Dunn has been healthy for much of the season. Over the last two years, he had played in less than 75% of Seattle’s games due to injury. He has scored five goals and 19 points in 34 games this season.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- In a positive update for the Anaheim Ducks, center Leo Carlsson‘s lower-body injury from earlier in the week will only cost him one game. In an article this morning, Derek Lee of The Hockey News confirmed that Carlsson would return to the lineup tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Aside from an external addition, there truly couldn’t be better news for the Ducks, who are tied for the lead in the Pacific Division after several difficult seasons. Carlsson is leading that effort, scoring 17 goals and 41 points in 34 games as Anaheim’s leading scorer.
- On the flip side of tonight’s matchup, netminder Darcy Kuemper will miss a fifth consecutive game for the Kings due to an upper-body injury. Fortunately, that absence shouldn’t last too much longer. Team reporter Zach Dooley shared earlier that Kuemper had returned to practice for the Kings, joining the team for their morning skate.
- Moving to the Western portion of Canada, host of Rink Wide: Vancouver, Jeff Paterson, reported earlier that Filip Chytil had returned to practice for the Vancouver Canucks in a non-contact jersey. Chytil has not played since mid-October due to what is believed to be another concussion in his nine-year career. Unfortunately, despite the positive update that Chytil has returned to the ice, there’s no timeline for his return.
- On the transaction side, the Vegas Golden Knights quietly reassigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. The Golden Knights exit the holiday break on a three-game homestand, so they likely have little need for a depth defenseman, unlike they would on a road trip. Coghlan didn’t feature in any games throughout the duration of his recall.
West Notes: Dunn, Walman, Avalanche Recalls
Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is currently being evaluated for an injury and is considered out at this time on a day-to-day recovery timeline, per Kraken head coach Lane Lambert. (via team reporter/analyst Alison Lukan) Dunn did not practice today after suffering an injury in the team’s preseason contest yesterday against the Calgary Flames. At this moment, whether Dunn will be ready for the team’s season-opening game on October 9th is unclear.
Dunn, 28, is one of Seattle’s most important players. The blueliner led the team in time-on-ice per game in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, before this past summer’s signing of defender Brandon Montour. He also ranks second in points scored for the franchise all-time. Should Dunn end up missing regular-season time during this injury, his spot in the team’s lineup is likely to be taken by depth defenseman Josh Mahura. Alongside Dunn, Lambert also issued updates on the status of injured Kraken forwards Jared McCann and Chandler Stephenson, saying each is “progressing in the right direction.”
Additional notes from the Western Conference:
- Edmonton Sports Talk’s Tom Gazzola relayed word from Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch that injured defenseman Jake Walman is expected to be ready in time for the club’s season opener on October 8th, but added that he will not play in tomorrow’s preseason game against Seattle and is unlikely to play in Friday’s game as well. Walman was sidelined with a day-to-day injury last week, and appears to now be nearing a return to the ice, though he’s not quite there yet. The 29-year-old is entering a crucial contract season and could position himself to receive a lucrative next contract should he find a way to replicate his form from 2024-25, when he posted 40 points in 65 games.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled five players from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles: defensemen Ronnie Attard and Alex Gagne, and forwards Tye Felhaber, Jason Polin, and T.J. Tynan. Four of five players (everyone but Gagne) in that group cleared waivers on Sunday, and now appear to have been recalled for the purpose of skating in, at the very least, the team’s preseason contest tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tynan is the most notable veteran name of the crop as the two-time AHL MVP is expected to play a massive role for the Eagles.
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.
Vince Dunn To Miss Three More Weeks With Mid-Body Injury
Star Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn may begin skating with the team this weekend but is still around three weeks away from returning from his mid-body injury, general manager Ron Francis told Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network.
Dunn originally sustained an upper-body injury in Seattle’s second game of the season on Oct. 12. He sat out the next game but returned for just two more, getting banged up again in the middle of an Oct. 17 contest against the Flyers. He hasn’t played since, and while he was initially listed as day-to-day, the team placed him on long-term injured reserve a few days later, ruling him out for the past few weeks.
The 28-year-old was theoretically eligible to come off LTIR ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets, but it’ll still be a while before he’s back on the ice. A three-week return timeline from yesterday keeps him out past Thanksgiving and puts his next game on Nov. 29 against the Sharks, meaning he’s still set to miss around nine contests.
Dunn has been a mainstay on Seattle’s top pairing since he was plucked from the Blues in the 2021 expansion draft, but injury troubles have now limited him to 63 combined appearances since the beginning of last season. In his four appearances in 2024-25, he has a goal and two assists while averaging 18:49 per game, dragged down by leaving multiple games prematurely.
With the Kraken off to a 6-8-1 start despite spending big on Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour in free agency, it’s an inauspicious sign for their chances of returning to the postseason. Dunn’s spot at left defense alongside Adam Larsson has been filled by sophomore Ryker Evans, who’s filling in admirably with eight points in 15 appearances while averaging over 20 minutes per game. But Seattle has controlled just 38.3% of expected goals with Evans and Larsson on the ice compared to 49.5% with Dunn and Larsson last year, per MoneyPuck, a key culprit in their defensive struggles. They’re allowing 3.20 goals per game, tied with the Blackhawks for 20th in the league.
Dunn is in the second season of the four-year, $29.4MM deal he signed in 2023 after becoming a restricted free agent.
Pacific Notes: Kraken, Walman, Turcotte, Janmark, Stonehouse
With another day off after losing to the Colorado Avalanche on November 5th, the Seattle Kraken have made a few transactions to shore up their cap space. The organization announced they reassigned Cale Fleury, John Hayden, and Ryan Winterton to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, although all three are expected to return tomorrow.
Each of the trio has played in limited action at this point in the regular season as Fleury leads the pack with only two games played. Considering how close the Kraken are to the salary cap limit it’s likely not the last team these three will be papered down to the AHL this year.
On the injury front, Seattle won’t have Philipp Grubauer for the next few days with reports indicating he had an “unfortunate accident” at home (X Link). There weren’t specifics offered for Grubauer’s injury though it’s not expected to be long-term.
It’s not all bad news on the injury front for the Kraken as the team’s radio host Mike Benton shared that defenseman Vince Dunn is expected to begin skating soon. Dunn hasn’t played since October 17th after starting the year with one goal and three points in four games.
Other Pacific notes:
- Defenseman Jake Walman was surprisingly listed as a healthy scratch for the San Jose Sharks’ most recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, this may not have been the full story with Max Miller of The Hockey News reporting Walman won’t play tonight due to an upper-body injury. He’s been a bright spot on the Sharks’ roster this season with nine points in 13 games while averaging 22:42 of ice time per game.
- Los Angeles Kings’ manager of editorial content, Zach Dooley, reported earlier that forward Alex Turcotte will not play tonight due to an upper-body injury. Dooley noted that it’s not a head injury for Turcotte but he will still miss a second straight game. He’s only scored one goal and five points in 13 games this season but he has been one of the Kings’ most formidable players with a team-leading 3.6 E +/- according to Hockey Reference.
- In more injury news from the Pacific Division, Edmonton Oilers’ reporter Tony Brar shared that Mattias Janmark is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. There won’t be a major shakeup in Edmonton’s roster in Janmark’s absence with the veteran forward averaging under 13 minutes a night on the season.
- Staying in Edmonton, the organization announced Brady Stonehouse had been activated from the season-opening injured reserve and loaned back to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. Stonehouse will begin his fourth season with the 67’s after signing his entry-level contract with the Oilers 13 months ago. In his first three years with OHL Ottawa Stonehouse has collected 75 goals and 136 points in 200 games.
Kraken Recall Cale Fleury, Vince Dunn To LTIR
The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Cale Fleury from the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League. Fleury is fresh off a hat trick on Friday night against San Diego in what was the Firebirds’ first win of the season.
The 25-year-old Fleury is in his fourth season in the Kraken organization and had a spectacular playoff run with the team last year, posting five goals and nine assists in 18 AHL playoff games. The Calgary, Alberta native has dressed in 22 NHL games for Seattle over parts of three seasons and has one assist.
In a corresponding move, the Kraken have placed defenseman Vince Dunn on the long-term injured reserve in a move that was retroactive to October 17th. The move signals that Dunn’s injury could be more serious than the Kraken previously believed or it could be Seattle trying to navigate the tight confines of the NHL salary cap. Dunn will not be eligible to play again until November 8th against the Ottawa Senators.
Dunn was having a good offensive start to his season before suffering an upper-body injury. In four games the 27-year-old had a goal and two assists and was logging just under 19 minutes of ice time per game. Despite the good scoring numbers, Dunn’s underlying numbers have not been great. His CF% thus far this year is 15% lower than last season and he has committed turnovers at an alarming rate.
Injury Updates: Dunn, Bjugstad, Steel, Eklund
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn missed a game last week due to an upper-body injury and now he’s banged up again. Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times notes that the 27-year-old is listed as day-to-day after being injured in Friday’s victory over Philadelphia; he didn’t play in the final 23 minutes of the contest. Head coach Dan Bylsma didn’t have a timeline for his return, stating that Dunn is still waiting on further evaluation. Dunn is off to a solid start to his season with a goal and two assists in his first four appearances while logging a little under 19 minutes per night.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Utah HC center Nick Bjugstad is seven to ten days away from returning, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury that kept him out at the start of training camp. He’s coming off one of his best seasons offensively after putting up 22 goals and 23 assists in 76 games with Arizona and was originally expected to miss all of October. Now, it appears he might be able to beat that by a game or two.
- Stars center Sam Steel was injured on his final shift on Thursday against Washington and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest versus Edmonton, mentions team radio analyst Bruce LeVine (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has a goal and an assist through his first five appearances this season. With Tyler Seguin already out, Dallas would need to bring up a forward if Steel can’t play. However, they can’t even afford a recall making $800K per PuckPedia which will limit their options.
- Sharks forward William Eklund missed tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury, relays Max Miller of The Hockey News. He had been listed as a game-time decision on Thursday but he managed two assists in the loss; head coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged postgame that the 22-year-old isn’t fully healthy. With that in mind, holding him out of a back-to-back certainly made sense.
Evening Notes: Myers, Dunn, Peterka
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is dressed tonight for the Vancouver Canucks as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (as per TSN). Myers was injured in the Canucks shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday and was considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The initial reports were that the 16-year NHL veteran and the Canucks had dodged a bullet and given that he is playing tonight, that appears to be the case.
Myers has worked to improve his defensive game in recent seasons and is coming off his best season with the Canucks last year. The 34-year-old posted five goals and 24 assists in 77 games last season and was signed to a three-year $9MM contract extension on June 27th.
In other evening notes:
- Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn took the pre-game skate with the team and is playing tonight against the Nashville Predators (as per Kraken reporter Bob Condor). Dunn had been dealing with an upper-body injury that caused him to miss the team’s last game against the Dallas Stars. He reportedly suffered the injury after taking a hit from Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno and has reclaimed his spot on the top pair as well as the first powerplay unit. Dunn has a goal and an assist at the start of the year but has struggled on the possession front in his limited sample size, posting a CF% of 40% at even strength.
- Michael Augello of The Hockey News is reporting that the Buffalo Sabres are hopeful that they will have forward JJ Peterka in the lineup tomorrow night when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Peterka joined his teammates for practice once again, marking his second day in a row as a full participant after suffering a concussion in Czechia. The 22-year-old exited Buffalo’s 3-1 loss to New Jersey on October 5th after he took a hit up high from Devils defender Brenden Dillon. Peterka returned to the ice a few days later and worked out for almost a week in a limited capacity before he began to ramp things up. If he responds well to the extra work in practice the Sabres are optimistic that he can play tomorrow night.
Snapshots: Greig, Blake, Dunn, Kolosov
Senators center Ridly Greig is dealing with an upper-body injury, relays Sportsnet’s Alex Adams (Twitter link). The 22-year-old locked down a regular spot in Ottawa’s lineup for most of last season, notching 13 goals and 13 assists in 72 games while logging nearly 15 minutes a night. Greig has been on the wing to start the year and missed a couple of shifts in Saturday’s game against Montreal, presumably due to the injury. He might not be out for long, however, as head coach Travis Green noted that Greig could still suit up on Monday against Los Angeles.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Hurricanes quietly papered winger Jackson Blake down to AHL Chicago on Saturday. However, his time there was short-lived as he has already been recalled, per the AHL’s transactions log. The move simply allowed them to bank a few thousand dollars in cap space with Carolina’s game against Tampa Bay postponed yesterday. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hurricanes do this with some regularity with Blake, their lone waiver-exempt player, to try to open up a bit more spending flexibility.
- Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, relays team broadcaster Piper Shaw (Twitter link). He played into the final minute of Saturday’s game but the issue was enough to keep him out of tonight’s contest against Dallas. The 27-year-old has two points in his first two games this season after putting up 46 in 59 appearances in 2023-24.
- Late last month, Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov ended his stalemate with the team, reporting to training camp after an agreement was reached that could allow for a potential return later on. That potential return might come sooner than later, however, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week in his 32 Thoughts column that Philadelphia only has until the end of the month to convince him about their plans for him. Kolosov made it known over the summer that he wants to play in the KHL this season if he was going to be in the minors. While he’s with the Phantoms for now, he might not be there for too much longer based on Friedman’s report.