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Yanni Gourde

Kraken Place Two On IR, Recall Cale Fleury And Gustav Olofsson On Emergency Basis

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The Kraken have made several roster moves leading into Monday’s game against New Jersey.  The team announced (Twitter links) that goaltender Joey Daccord and center Yanni Gourde have been placed on injured reserve.  Taking their place on the active roster are defensemen Cale Fleury and Gustav Olofsson who have both been recalled from AHL Coachella Valley on an emergency basis.

Daccord has been dealing with an upper-body injury sustained just before the holiday break.  Fresh off a long-term extension signed before the season, he has lived up to the expectations of that new deal as he has a 2.51 GAA and a .912 SV% in his first 23 starts, numbers that were very close to his ones from last season (2.46 and .916, respectively).  Philipp Grubauer will continue to serve as the starter in Daccord’s absence.  His placement was retroactive to December 22nd so he has already served the minimum number of days on there, meaning he can be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return.

As for Gourde, he missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury, his second one in recent weeks.  The 33-year-old has been relatively quiet offensively when he has played, tallying six goals and 10 assists in 35 games while his playing time is down to 15:34 per game, his lowest since 2019-20 when he was still with Tampa Bay.  It’s a contract year for Gourde so the decline in production certainly isn’t coming at an opportune time, nor is the continued injury trouble.  His placement is retroactive to Saturday so he’ll be out through the rest of the week at a minimum.

It’s the fourth recall of the year for Fleury but he didn’t see much action in his first three, playing just twice.  He has played in 19 games with the Firebirds, picking up 14 points.  Fleury has 65 career NHL appearances under his belt between Montreal and Seattle and is the likelier blueliner to draw in if needed.

As for Olofsson, it’s his third recall in the last two weeks but he didn’t play in the first two.  He has 11 points in 29 games with Coachella Valley, one point shy of matching his output from last year in 22 fewer games.  Olofsson has 63 career appearances at the top level with Minnesota, Montreal, and Seattle.  It’s unclear which defensemen’s availability for Monday’s game are in question at the time, necessitating the recalls with an emergency designation.

Yanni Gourde Out With Lower-Body Injury, Joey Daccord Progressing

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Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde missed last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers with an apparent lower-body injury (Twitter link). Gourde skipped practice on Friday, taking what was called a “Maintenance day” but did take the morning skate with the Kraken yesterday. The injury could be a bit of a concern, given that the 33-year-old did miss time in December with a lower-body injury. The two-time Stanley Cup Champion has been durable during his ten-year career, missing just a couple dozen games.

Gourde has been a reliable depth scorer throughout his NHL career, although he has never been able to recapture his offensive touch from his first full NHL season when he posted 25 goals and 39 assists in 82 games. This season, the Saint-Narcisse, Quebec native has registered six goals and 10 assists in 35 games.

Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord also missed last night’s game as he remains sidelined with an upper-body injury (as per Kraken producer Scott Malone). Like Gourde, Daccord took part in yesterday’s morning skate but isn’t quite ready to return. The 28-year-old hasn’t played since December 22nd and lost his last four appearances prior to going down to injury.

Despite recent struggles, Daccord has been good overall this season for Seattle, ranking 11th in the entire NHL with a goals saved above expected of 9.3 (as per Money Puck), and a record of 12-9-2.

Evening Notes: Pegula, Gourde, Bannister

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Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula met with the team in Montreal to discuss their recent woes. The Sabres are 0-7-3 in their last ten games and have had trade rumors swirling around the team as they are on the way to extending their 13-year playoff drought.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that Pegula’s message to the Sabres was largely a positive one as he believes the solution to the teams problems are within the room and he said he has faith in general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff. Many believed that Pegula could be headed to Montreal to make major changes, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case, for now.

In other evening notes:

  • Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde was in a regular contact jersey and fully participated in team practice today (as per Kraken contributor Alison Lukan). The Kraken are going to monitor the 33-year-old to see how he responds to the practice before they decide on whether or not he will play tomorrow night. Gourde has been dealing with a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the last two games, and unfortunately broke up a bit of a hot streak as he had 11 points in his last 14 games, after posting just three assists in his first 15 games of the season.
  • Former St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister made his first public comments today since being fired by the team (as per St. Louis Today). Bannister said that he holds no resentment towards the organization because they were so good to him during his time there and he forged a lot of good relationships with people inside the club. Bannister was the head coach for just 76 games after spending seven years with the Blues in various roles and was replaced by former Bruins bench boss, Jim Montgomery.

Kraken Notes: Daccord, Matyas, Gourde

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Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord sat out of the team’s Sunday game against New York due to illness. Head coach Dan Bylsma told media, including Seattle broadcaster Piper Shaw, that Daccord is specifically struggling to keep food down and will be available as soon as he feels better. Daccord’s absence sets up Philipp Grubauer for a second consecutive start. Grubauer made 33 saves on 36 shots in Seattle’s Friday loss to New Jersey.

Daccord has been a noticeable difference-maker for Seattle when healthy. He’s played in 19 of the team’s 28 games this season, setting 12 wins and a .913 save percentage. Daccord ranks sixth in the NHL in both stats. He’s continuing to stamp his spot as an everyday starter, building on to this dazzling 2023-24 campaign. Daccord posted a .916 save percentage – ninth-best in the league – through 50 games last year, thriving in what was his first year as an NHL starter. He’s had a winding career up to this point, serving three seasons in the crowded mix of Ottawa Senators’ goaltenders prior to his selection in the 2021 Expansion Draft. He excelled with the change of scenery, posting a .925 in 34 AHL games in his first year in the Kraken organization and serving as Seattle’s top goalie call-up. He followed that year with a .918 in 38 games for Coachella Valley, serving as the brick wall behind a team that ultimately lost the Calder Cup finals in overtime of game seven. Still, the playoff run was enough to stamp Daccord’s chance at an NHL role, and he hasn’t looked back since. That momentum will slot Daccord right back into the starting role once he’s back to full health.

Other notes out of Seattle:

  • Seattle has signed Michael Matyas to an amateur try-out agreement in response to Daccord’s absence. He’ll be tasked with backing up Grubauer. Matyas hasn’t formally played since the 2013-14 season, when he served as the third-string goaltender at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The Calgary-native played three years, and 14 games, with the Seawolves – recording three wins and a .870 save percentage. He had a three-year juniors career in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before moving to college, where he set a .907 save percentage across 106 games. Matyas has spent the 11 years since his college days working towards a financial career in New York City.
  • In more positive news, forward Yanni Gourde returned to the Seattle lineup on Sunday, after missing the team’s Friday game with an undisclosed injury. Gourde lined up next to Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz, per Mike Benton of the Seattle Kraken Audio Network. Gourde has scored four goals and 12 points in 27 games this season, and ranks fourth among Kraken forwards with 39 hits. He’s rotated through the middle-six and averaged 15:29 in ice time.

Pacific Notes: Stone, Smith, Gourde, Parekh

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As expected, the Golden Knights will welcome back winger Mark Stone to their lineup tonight, notes Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  The 32-year-old wound up missing 14 games overall due to a pulled muscle, stalling what was a very strong start to his season.  Stone had six goals and 15 assists in 13 games prior to the injury, putting him among Vegas’ top scorers along with linemate Jack Eichel.  With them being off for five days after this game, this is a good chance to test him while ensuring he’ll have ample time off to make sure he’s fully healthy.  Prior to his activation, the Golden Knights had two active roster spots so no corresponding transaction needed to be made.

More from the Pacific:

  • Sharks center Will Smith is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday’s game versus Florida, relays Max Miller of The Hockey News. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky indicated that the rookie is dealing with an upper-body injury but wasn’t sure when it happened.  Smith is off to a decent start to his NHL career, posting five goals and six assists while averaging a little over 14 minutes a night as San Jose tries to ease him in to an extent.
  • Kraken center Yanni Gourde missed tonight’s game versus New Jersey with an undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has four goals and eight assists in 27 games so far while averaging just 15:29 per night, his lowest ATOI since the 2019-20 campaign when he was with Tampa Bay.  Gourde missed the final 17 minutes of action on Thursday night while the injury is not believed to be a long-term issue.
  • Flames prospect Zayne Parekh has been added to Canada’s World Junior camp roster as first reported by TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter link). Calgary drafted the blueliner ninth overall back in June following a dominant showing with OHL Saginaw that saw him record 33 goals and 63 assists in 66 games.  He’s at a slightly lesser pace this season but still has eight goals and 22 helpers in 23 appearances.  Parekh will take the place of Penguins prospect Harrison Brunicke who was initially named to the camp roster but won’t be able to participate due to injury.

West Notes: Predators, Gourde, Daccord

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that the Nashville Predators aren’t looking to move any of their three 2025 first-round picks. The news comes in as the team’s general manager Barry Trotz is reportedly shopping for a center as well as a top-four defenseman with some term left on their contract.

The Predators have had a disappointing start to the season and are currently sitting in the second-last spot in the Western Conference with a 6-11-3 record. The team had high hopes coming into the season after several high-priced free-agent acquisitions. However, it’s easy to see why Trotz is apprehensive to move out any first-round picks to try and salvage this season.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • The Seattle Kraken reportedly want to keep forward Yanni Gourde in Seattle long-term (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet).  The 32-year-old has had a slow start to the season with just two goals and five assists in his first 20 games, but that hasn’t deterred the Kraken, who love the player. Gourde is in the final season of a six-year $31MM contract he signed back in November of 2018 while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and would likely have a hard time matching that kind of deal in free agency. However, if the Kraken wants to keep the two-time Stanley Cup Champion in Seattle, he should still score a lucrative deal once again.
  • Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord is receiving interest from two different countries for two different upcoming tournaments despite not being born in either country. Daccord was born in the United States but is reportedly receiving interest from Team Canada (as per Ken Campbell of The Hockey News) for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Daccord’s father was born in Montreal, Canada, while his mother was born in Switzerland, and he is apparently receiving interest from the Swiss team for the upcoming Olympics (as per Friedman). Daccord came out of nowhere last season, dressing in 50 games for the Kraken in his age-27 season. He put up strong numbers last year and has been even better this season, starting out the year with a 9-3-1 record and a .923 save percentage.

Bruins Could Turn To Trade Market For Spark

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The Boston Bruins have finally acknowledged how underwhelming their season has been, becoming the first team to fire a head coach this season when they let go all-time single-season wins record holder Jim Montgomery. Associate coach and penalty-kill expert Joe Sacco has been promoted in his place. That move is likely to bring a wave of defense to a Bruins lineup that’s tied for the third-most goals-against this season. But general manager Don Sweeney isn’t waiting around for hypotheticals, with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reporting that the team is simultaneously exploring the trade market for a potential spark.

LeBrun said Sweeney isn’t beating around the bush, directly calling out the poor play of new additions like Elias Lindholm – who Boston signed a seven-year, $54.25MM contract with Boston this summer. He’s followed that deal with just two goals and nine points through Boston’s first 20 games. That’s miles away from the production of the true top-line center that Lindholm was signed to be, and his rank of third on the team in scoring underlines just how bad the offense has been. LeBrun, not Sweeney, also pointed to the struggles of goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who leads the league in goals-against (47) in just 14 games. That equates to an .884 save percentage and 3.47 goals-against-average – perhaps the very last thing Boston expected when they went through rounds of contract negotiations during training camp.

The woes continue with Sweeney’s other gut calls. Defender Nikita Zadorov only has five assists in 20 games – and leads the league in penalty minutes (46) – and forward Max Jones hasn’t scored once in four appearances. It’s not all bad for the lineup – in fact, the breakout of bottom-six fixtures like Justin Brazeau, Cole Koepke, and Mark Kastelic would cause celebration anywhere else – but it’s clear that the team is completely missing their engine. They’ve done little to restock the cupboards since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci stepped down from their posts, instead casting a wide net for depth forwards and hoping for the best.

Should Boston pursue a trade, it’d almost certainly be for a high-impact, top-six forward. Where they’ll find a team willing to part with a major piece is less clear. Seattle Kraken centerman Yanni Gourde has popped up in early trade rumors, though his seven points in 20 games wouldn’t bring the spark Boston needs. Gourde did score 25 goals and 64 points on the 2017-18 Tampa Bay Lightning, and has hit 48 points three times since – though he’s failed to pass the half-century mark. The Bruins have been leaning into grit and physicality amid their struggles, evident by their recent call-ups – both pieces that Gourde brings in abundance.

But Gourde won’t carry Boston’s top-line, still leaving a glaring hole in what was supposed to be Lindholm’s role. That may necessitate a more brazen trade, like attempting to acquire hard-nosed Nashville Predators center Thomas Novak, who’s missed a handful of games to injury this season and only posted four points in the 14 games he has played. That’s far below the 18 goals and 45 points Novak posted last season, which was itself an improvement on 43 points the year before. Novak has been square in the middle of a Predators’ middle-six that simply isn’t working – but his gritty style and finishing ability would both be heralded by this Bruins club.

If Don Sweeney is truly looking to push all his chips in, he could also target former superstar prospect Shane Wright, who’s been healthy scratched in Seattle’s last two games after scoring just two points in 18 games this season. Wright has yet to find it out at the top level, now standing at nine points through 34 career games – contrary to his 60 points in 71 total AHL games last season. Wright’s talent has never been questioned, but his fit in Seattle is starting to look quickly uncomfortable. For the right price – likely a hefty package with plenty of draft capital – Boston could try to steal away the 20-year-old burgeoning star, and put him in a far better spot to succeed between David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

So early into the season, it’s hard to gauge which top forwards could actually be pried away from their lineup. The Bruins will wait to see how things go under Sacco before making any large moves. But a strong array of centermen should await Don Sweeney on the trade market, with the limiting factor being Boston’s wallet – and underbaked assets – more than the options ahead of them. They’ll have to push the boundaries of the budget to pull out of a difficult 8-9-3 start to the year.

Kraken Have Received Trade Interest In Yanni Gourde

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The Kraken went into the season extremely tight to the salary cap and have been using Vince Dunn’s LTIR placement to keep compliant since then and even allowing them to pick up Daniel Sprong from Vancouver.  While they’re okay cap-wise as long as Dunn is on LTIR (which should last another three weeks or so), they will need to do something to get back into compliance once he’s cleared to return.

To that end, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported this week (video link) that teams have been calling Seattle about center Yanni Gourde.  To this point, however, it appears GM Ron Francis has been rebuffing those inquiries so far.

The 32-year-old has been a reliable middle-six center for several years now.  While his point total dropped to 33 last season (11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games), Gourde has still reached the 30-point mark in now seven straight years, his first seven full seasons in the NHL.

That streak might very well be in jeopardy though as this season has not gotten off to a good start for Gourde.  Through the first 15 games of this season, he has yet to score a goal and has been limited to just three assists.  After averaging nearly two shots on goal per game a year ago, he’s barely over one with his shot attempts down by a similar percentage.  His struggles have led to a relatively steep drop in playing time as well, going from 17:27 per game last season to just 14:56 so far in 2024-25.

Gourde is in the final season of a six-year, $31MM contract carrying a $5.16MM cap charge.  When he’s producing at his usual level, Gourde is generally worth that price tag after you factor in his strong defensive game.  But now, that’s looking somewhat on the high side, especially with Seattle having good center depth in front of him in Matthew Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, and Shane Wright.  With their cap situation, one that is slightly exacerbated with the addition of Sprong and his $975K price tag, can the Kraken afford to keep him?

It seems like other teams are wondering the same thing based on their reported interest.  That said, there aren’t many teams that can take that contract on outright; it stands to reason that they’d likely be looking to have the Kraken either retain a portion (they have all three retention slots available) or take a lower-priced contract back to help offset the cost.

For now, Seattle doesn’t have to do anything; they have a few weeks to work with until Dunn is cleared to return.  But if there aren’t any long-term injuries that could buy them a bit more time by the time Dunn gets back in the lineup, the Kraken will have to do something to get back into cap compliance.  It seems like moving Gourde could be one way to accomplish just that and evidently, there will be a market for his services despite his early-season struggles.

Trade Notes: Eberle, Kraken, Blues

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The Seattle Kraken are making their decisions ahead of the Trade Deadline, now preferring to sign forward Jordan Eberle to an extension, rather than trading him, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared the same in the latest 32 Thoughts article, adding that the team could continue extension talks with Eberle beyond the Deadline, pouring cold water on trade rumors surrounding the 14-year pro. Eberle was previously linked to the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Eberle is having yet another productive season, scoring 14 goals and 35 points in 56 games. He’s once again scoring at a 20-goal pace, a feat he’s managed in each of his last two seasons with the Kraken. Eberle also managed 63 points last year, the most he’s scored since the 2014-15 season in Edmonton, and ranks third in all-time scoring for the Kraken with 142 points in 217 games. He offers great complementary value in the top six, a strong power-play presence, and the experience of a 1,000-game veteran – all highly-coveted assets on the trade market. But with teammate Alexander Wennberg generating plenty of trade interest of his own, the Kraken are seemingly opting to hang on to Eberle for now.

Other trade notes from around the league:

  • Kraken general manager Ron Francis is reportedly content with standing pat outside of Wennberg and Eberle, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts. Friedman adds that there has been modest interest in Adam Larsson and Yanni Gourde, though Francis isn’t eager to mess with the team’s core pieces. Seattle has generally refrained from making much of a deadline splash, though they did sell off Mark Giordano, Marcus Johansson, and Calle Jarnkrok at the 2022 Trade Deadline.
  • St. Louis Blues defensemen Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Marco Scandella are both still available, reports The Fourth Period. The Blues attempted to move Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers this summer but he invoked his no-trade clause, halting the deal. There’s no shortage of teams in need of defensive help this Spring and the Blues have something for everyone – offering stout defense in Parayko, strong offense in Krug, and good all-around play in Scandella. But salary cap will be a likely concern in any negotiations, as both Krug and Parayko carrying a $6.5MM cap hit and Scandella set at $3.275MM. All three carry either full or modified no-trade clauses.

Seattle Kraken’s Yanni Gourde Suspended Two Games For Charging

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Seattle Kraken centerman Yanni Gourde has been suspended for a charging penalty against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm. The play in question occurred in the final few minutes of the Thursday night matchup, with the NHL Department of Player Safety saying that Gourde unnecessarily elevated himself into Ekholm’s head on the hit. The league also cited Gourde’s one previous career suspension – a two-game punishment for a hit to the head of Jordan Staal in the 2018-19 season.

Gourde has appeared in all 45 of Seattle’s games this season, boasting seven goals and 19 points. He’s also added 48 penalty minutes, a mark that’s tied with Vince Dunn for team lead. Gourde is in his third season with the Kraken, serving as the selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He’s served in a prominent role for the Kraken, averaging over 17 minutes of ice time in each season since. That includes the 17:48 he’s averaging this year, operating as a middle-six centerman and go-to penalty killer.

Gourde went unselected in the NHL Draft, instead beginning his pro career with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks at the end of the 2011-12 season. He scored three points in four games in his first taste of pros but struggled to maintain that production in his official rookie year – scoring just 14 points in 54 games during the 2012-13 season. He found his way back on draft in the following year, though, and was able to work his way into more prominent roles each season before eventually making his NHL debut in 2015-16 and playing his first full pro season in 2017-18. Gourde made a splash when he finally joined the Tampa lineup, netting an impressive 25 goals and 64 points in 82 games. That remains a career-high in goals and points, though Gourde has nonetheless remained consistent, scoring 48 points in three separate seasons since, including last year.

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