Jared McCann, Vince Dunn Return To Practice
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.
Assessing The Kraken’s Goaltending Situation
The Kraken entered the break on a strong note with three straight wins, but they’ve only won four of their last 14 games. Thanks to many of their tweener companions in the West struggling, they’re only three points out of a playoff spot with four games in hand on the Mammoth.
Seattle isn’t a surefire playoff team by any stretch at a record of 15-14-6, but given the level of goaltending they’ve received thus far from Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray, they should be able to at least stay in the mix until the trade deadline. Seattle’s issue has clearly been its offense this year, which ranks third-last in the league at 2.54 goals per game. On the defensive side, Seattle’s 2.97 goals against per game rank 13th.
Earlier in 2025, two NHL contracts that seemed unmovable were those of Grubauer and Tristan Jarry. Jarry was dealt to the Oilers earlier this month after passing through waivers a year ago. However, his play this year opened the door for the Penguins to move him and his entire $5.375MM cap hit, even though it had another two years after this one.
Something that seemed impossible a year ago happened, and the Penguins netted two roster players and a second-round pick. The trade highlighted the limited goaltending options available across the NHL, which brings us to the Kraken and, specifically, Grubauer.
The 34-year-old has been a disaster since signing with Seattle as a free agent in 2021. The Stanley Cup winner signed a six-year deal worth $5.9MM annually, and he has never been able to give the Kraken anything close to the goaltending he provided to the Avalanche in his few seasons as their starter.
Grubauer was a Vezina Trophy finalist in his platform season, finishing third, and posted a 30-9-1 record with a .922 SV% and a 1.95 GAA. As impressive as those numbers were, his underlying numbers painted a clearer picture, minimizing Grubauer’s overall impact and suggesting a goaltender playing behind an excellent team. Grubauer still had to stop the saveable pucks and avoid the bad goals, and that’s precisely what he did, but he only registered 5.2 goals saved above expected (as per MoneyPuck), 11th in the league.
Fast-forward to that summer, when Seattle thought they were getting a netminder capable of backstopping them on deep playoff runs. Now, his contract has become one of, if not the, least movable agreements in the NHL, until perhaps this season.
Grubauer has started the season well, even though traditional metrics don’t necessarily reflect it. He has played 11 games this season, going 5-3-1 with a .911 SV% and a 2.59 GAA. Those numbers are nothing to write home about, but a deeper dive shows that Grubauer has 7.1 goals saved above expected on the year – the best figure on the Kraken.
That great start to the season could give Seattle the chance to move him, if he agrees. Grubauer has a modified no-trade clause in his contract, which further complicates a trade even if Seattle were able to find a dance partner.
To add to an already complicated dynamic, the third-string Murray is injured. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed a career that once looked incredibly bright. That said, when Murray returns to the lineup, the Kraken will presumably have three capable NHL goaltenders and will need to move one or assign one to the AHL.
This is where it gets really complicated. Losing Grubauer for Murray is a lateral move at this point, but is Seattle really willing to roll the dice with Murray as the backup? Hard to say, but talent-wise, Murray is more than capable, and the risk of moving Grubauer might just be worth it if it means shedding his massive contract, especially if the Kraken remain out of the playoff picture.
It’s not dissimilar to what the Penguins had to do to shed Jarry’s contract. They took back Stuart Skinner and are rolling with him and Arturs Silovs, but the big win is not having Jarry’s money on the books, which opens the door for Pittsburgh to do a lot next summer. Seattle could put itself in a similar spot if it moved all of Grubauer’s deal, which would bring it to $40MM in available cap room for 2026-27 with just six players to sign (as per PuckPedia)
Seattle has already begun selling off free agents, as evidenced by the Mason Marchment trade to the Blue Jackets, and is signalling that it plans to punt on this season. Murray is a pending free agent, but even if Seattle were to trade the two-time Stanley Cup Champion, it wouldn’t get much for him given his play in previous seasons and his long injury history. The Kraken’s best course of action is to try to move Grubauer for something, anything really, to clear the books and make some bigger moves next summer.
Now, teams are obviously desperate for goaltending, but that doesn’t mean Seattle can move all of Grubauer’s contract. They should be able to move half or more, but they have to do it soon, so his play doesn’t fall back to the level it was at in the last few seasons. They also need to be concerned that a team like Pittsburgh tries to move Skinner, which would further diminish Seattle’s trading partners.
Kraken Activate Berkly Catton
Ahead of tonight’s game at Los Angeles, the Seattle Kraken have activated Berkly Catton from injured reserve (Twitter Link). The top prospect is back 15 days after his week-to-week diagnosis (upper-body injury), last playing on December 6.
Starting out as an organization, Seattle understandably tried to follow the Vegas business model of sorts, and quickly assemble a win-now team. As a result, they missed out on some needed high-end draft capital after Matty Beniers, who in year five is still trying to put it all together. Therefore, Catton, drafted eighth overall in 2024, is the Kraken’s #1 prospect, and is much needed from the franchise to break through as a young star.
The Saskatoon native torched the WHL as a Spokane Chief, concluding his junior career not far from 300 career points. He also earned awards for his sportsmanship. As is usually the case for teenagers entering their professional careers, Catton is still growing, as he has not yet scored a goal in 21 games, but has notched five helpers before the injury.
As was shared two days ago, Seattle chose not to loan him to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Such a decision signals that despite early growing pains at times, the team views Catton as a legitimate key contributor, especially now that Mason Marchment has been shipped out to Columbus. The power forward immediately found his scoring touch as a Jacket, long lost in Seattle, but regardless the focus now is to get the healthy Catton going in a more favorable role.
The Kraken currently rank dead last in goals scored (86), and with their veterans not getting it done, it will be up to the next wave, led by Catton, to create some excitement in 2026 and usher in a new era.
Seattle’s Brandon Montour Out Week-To-Week
The Seattle Kraken announced today that defenseman Brandon Montour will miss approximately four weeks after undergoing successful hand surgery. Montour left the Kraken’s game last Tuesday with what was at the time an undisclosed injury, and didn’t dress for either of the team’s next two games. He has been placed on injured reserve.
With today’s announcement, the reason for Montour’s unavailability has become clear. The 31-year-old defenseman has become a key part of the Kraken blueline since signing a $7.14MM AAV deal with Seattle in 2024. He currently ranks No. 2 on the Kraken in time on ice per game, averaging 21:55 per game with 2:02 per game on the power play, just behind No. 1 defenseman Vince Dunn in each category.
Montour scored 18 goals and 41 points in his first season in Seattle, and has managed six goals and 16 points in 27 games this season, a scoring rate that is a slight tick above where he landed in 2024-25. Montour paired with lefty Ryan Lindgren to form Seattle’s second defensive pairing on Dec. 16, the date Montour suffered his injury.
With Montour sidelined, head coach Lane Lambert elevated Jamie Oleksiak off of the team’s third pairing into Montour’s role, electing to play Oleksiak on his off hand next to Lindgren. The elevation of Oleksiak paved the way for Josh Mahura to re-enter the Kraken lineup on the third pairing next to young defenseman Ryker Evans. Mahura, who averages 15:15 time on ice per game this season, had been a healthy scratch the prior two games and sat out most of November.
This injury to Montour will challenge the Kraken’s ability to re-enter the Western Conference playoff race. They sit seven points behind the Utah Mammoth, who hold the conference’s second wild card spot, though they have only played in 33 games compared to Utah’s 38. Seattle has gone 2-8-0 in its last 10 games, and losing a key veteran defenseman for four weeks certainly won’t help them reverse that trend.
Latest On Berkly Catton
Similar to Dickinson, Catton has not exactly had a Schaefer-like impact yet either, with five points in 21 games, all assists. However, as emphasized by Seravalli, Catton is set to return from injury soon, and with Mason Marchment traded to Columbus, he will have a larger role on the Kraken once healthy, enough to keep the skilled forward from a Team Canada return.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/2025
The midpoint of the season has sparked a flurry of action across the hockey world. Some players are finally being moved from a slow start to the season, while others are finding their first contracts of the year. The notable moves have been rounded up and captured below:
- Former New York Islanders center Leo Komarov has signed a one-year contract with HC Davos of Switzerland’s National League. The 38-year-old Estonian spent the last two seasons with HIFK of Finland’s Liiga. He scored 23 points in 55 games with the club, but wasn’t able to secure a contract for this season. That will change with a move to Switzerland, marking the eighth professional hockey league that Komarov has played in – on top of tenures in Finland’s Mestis and Liiga, Russia’s KHL, the AHL and NHL, and Sweden’s SHL. He will offer Davos veteran depth.
- Also signing an overseas contract is former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski, who has left his professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to sign a deal with Lowen Frankfurt of Germany’s DEL. Tokarski made two appearances with Grand Rapids on his try-out, posting one win and a .929 save percentage. He posted a .897 Sv% in 21 AHL games, and a .902 Sv% in six NHL games, in the Carolina Hurricanes’ organization last season. He’ll join Frankfurt for the second-half of the year and could have an open path to the starting role, with all three of Frankfurt’s goaltenders posting sub-.900 Sv% through the first half of the season.
- Hard-hitting Utah Mammoth prospect Tomas Lavoie has been traded in the QMJHL. He will head to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in exchange for five draft picks, including a first-rounder, headed back to the Cape Breton Eagles. Lavoie was a core piece of the Eagles this season, offering stalwart defense and reliable puck-moving. The former third-round pick has 21 points in 24 games this season and could bring a reliable, shutdown role to a Saguenéens lineup currently leaning on high-octane defenders like Alex Huang.
- Seattle Kraken prospect Alexis Bernier will also head to the Saguenéens in exchange for Leo-Gabriel Gosselin and five draft picks. Bernier is a volume shooter who racked up 14 goals and 46 points in 59 games with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last season, but hasn’t yet played this year. He could be due for a major breakout after rivaling point-per-game scoring last season, which should only bolster a Saguenéens lineup that has already propped up shoot-first wingers Maxim Massé and Émile Guité. The Saguenéens will go all-in on this season before likely losing Masse, Guite, and many others to pro deals.
Blue Jackets Acquire Mason Marchment
The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick and the New York Rangers’ 2026 fourth-round pick. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the move. There is no salary retention in the trade, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
It’s been exactly six months since Marchment originally joined the Kraken in an offseason trade. Seattle used a combination of a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick at the time. Despite Marchment’s play leaving much to be desired, they were able to improve their draft capital somewhat.
Outside of some mild injury concerns, Marchment never looked fully at home in the Pacific Northwest. Before the trade, the 30-year-old winger was tied for eighth on the team in scoring with four goals and 13 points in 29 games with a -4 rating. Seattle was likely looking for much more offense since Marchment was averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice time per night.
In fairness, Marchment had been averaging a 13.4% shooting percentage since the 2021-22 season, meaning his 8.7% mark this year was likely going to increase at some point. His possession metrics and on-ice save percentage at even strength have each stayed fairly consistent.
Still, there was no sticking around in Seattle for the long haul this year. The Kraken started relatively well this year, managing an 11-5-5 record through their first 21 contests. At the time, Seattle was second in the Pacific Division and only one point back of the division-leading Anaheim Ducks.
Unfortunately, it has been an unmitigated disaster since, winning only one of their previous 11 contests, falling to a tie of last place in the entire league. That made Marchment and the rest of the Kraken’s pending unrestricted free agents obvious trade candidates.
The trade is somewhat peculiar from the Blue Jackets’ perspective. While the Kraken are tied for last place in the Western Conference (and league), Columbus can say the same in the Eastern Conference. At the time of writing, the Blue Jackets are six points back of the final wild-card spot, and seven points back of a Metro Division playoff position.
Furthermore, they aren’t having many issues regarding offense. Columbus is currently 21st in the league, averaging 2.88 GF/G and an 18th-ranked power play (18.07%). It’ll help if Marchment can return to the 55-point average he enjoyed from 2021-22 to 2024-25, but the Blue Jackets needed much more help on defense.
The Blue Jackets are 32nd in the league in GF/G (3.50), 30th in penalty kill percentage (72.04%), 21st in SV% (.887), and 30th in shots against (1056). Marchment is a perfectly capable winger on the defensive side of the puck, but there’s no guarantee he’ll garner enough ice time in Columbus to make a real difference in that aspect. Assuming he’s placed in a familiar middle-six role while at even strength, the Blue Jackets may continue to struggle regardless of adding Marchment to the lineup.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Mason Marchment Generating Trade Interest
- Sherwood is far from the only middle-six winger that is receiving interest. Speaking on the NHL’s Coast to Coast, insider Frank Seravalli shared that Seattle Kraken forward Mason Marchment is generating traction on the market and may even move before the holiday roster freeze. Unlike Sherwood, Marchment isn’t as affordable ($4.5MM) and is having a disappointing year, scoring four goals and 13 points in 29 games. Still, he’s coming off a four-year run with the Florida Panthers and Stars, where he scored 74 goals and 178 points in 265 games.
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Canada Cuts Jake O’Brien, Jackson Smith, Marek Vanacker From WJC
Hockey Canada announced Thursday that they’ve cut center Jake O’Brien (Kraken), defenseman Jackson Smith (Blue Jackets), and winger Marek Vanacker (Blackhawks) from their preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship.
All three dressed in yesterday’s 2-1 pre-tournament exhibition win over Sweden, played in Kitchener, Ontario. That’s par for the course for the Canadian staff to get a look at their bubble players in friendly action before making their final roster submission, which is due before the preliminary round begins on Dec. 26.
Canada announced its preliminary roster back on Dec. 8, needing to cut two names before the tournament started. That number jumped to three when they added Vanacker to their training camp roster last weekend. Today’s cuts get them down to 14 forwards and eight defensemen, satisfying the IIHF’s 22-skater roster limit. They’ve also indicated they’ll only carry two goalies to the event, so one of Carter George (Kings), Jack Ivankovic (Predators), and Joshua Ravensbergen (Sharks) will likely be heading back to their club team in the next week as well.
O’Brien is the most surprising cut of the three. He won gold with the under-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last season as a draft-eligible on his way toward becoming the eighth overall pick by Seattle.
This season, he’s been named captain of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs and leads the league with 35 assists in 27 games, adding 11 goals for 46 points. His 1.70 points per game also lead the league, and his +20 rating is in the top 10.
Smith is a similarly eyebrow-raising omission, but Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff relays that he had a tough showing against Sweden that hurt his stock. Still, he won gold with the under-18s last year at both the Hlinka Gretzky and the U-18 World Juniors, scoring four goals in seven games from the blue line. He’s averaged well north of 20 minutes per game for Penn State this season and has a 3-6–9 scoring line in 14 games for the Nittany Lions.
Vanacker’s late inclusion was more of an insurance policy if the Sharks opted not to loan Michael Misa to them as expected. However, that doubt was erased when San Jose officially cleared Misa to participate yesterday. He’ll head back to Brantford alongside his linemate, O’Brien. Vanacker’s goal-per-game pace so far has him in the OHL lead with 26, one year removed from a late first-round selection by Chicago.
These Pending UFAs Have Increased Their Stock
The 2026 UFA class had been highly anticipated for quite some time free agency even opened this year. That excitement only grew through July and August as many potential UFAs didn’t sign extensions with their current clubs. However, that feeling was quickly dampened in the fall as players like Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel began signing new contracts, taking the energy out of the 2026 free-agent frenzy. While many stars have signed new deals, a noticeable group of talented players is still set to hit the open market on July 1, 2026, with some having significantly boosted their stock after a strong start to the season.
Jack Roslovic has encountered two difficult situations in the UFA market, with the first ending in him signing a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024. His second attempt this past summer saw him join the Oilers for one year at $1.5MM. This year’s outcome was quite unexpected, given that Roslovic played well last season with 22 goals for Carolina, yet a multi-year deal that suited him never materialized. Roslovic was not alone this summer; defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also couldn’t secure a multi-year contract that met his expectations, despite having a career-best season last year in Pittsburgh.
This summer, however, Roslovic seems to be positioning himself for a multi-year deal that has eluded him. Injuries could affect his market value, but through 23 games in Edmonton this season, the 28-year-old has scored 10 goals and added eight assists. He’s also averaging over three more minutes of ice time per game compared to his career average. These impressive stats could spark a bidding war for his services if he stays healthy and maintains his current level of performance for the remainder of the season.
Nick Schmaltz is another forward whose performance this season has increased his value. The 29-year-old has 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 34 games, and he will likely exceed his current $5.85MM cap hit when he signs his next contract next summer. Schmaltz’s impending free agency puts the Utah Mammoth in a tough spot, as Schmaltz has recorded back-to-back 60+ point seasons and is on track to do so again, which could raise his next cap hit to around $9MM annually.
The Mammoth might not want to commit to that kind of deal for Schmaltz, which means they will either trade him before the trade deadline or let him walk for nothing at the end of the year. Utah reportedly held trade talks for Schmaltz last summer, and it doesn’t seem likely that a deal will be finalized soon, meaning Schmaltz might enter the open market at the best possible time.
Another forward whose future remains uncertain is Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres. Tuch has scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 31 games and initiated contract talks at the beginning of the season, which puts the Sabres in a difficult position. The Sabres find themselves in a familiar spot at the bottom of the standings, and while Tuch has done his part, the team appears to be heading nowhere. If Tuch continues at his current pace, his value will only increase, which might be what the Sabres want if they plan to trade the Syracuse, New York native.
Two veterans nearing the end of their careers are Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Both entered this season with significant questions about their futures, and so far they’ve performed well, raising even more questions about what lies ahead for them.
Evgeni Malkin seems to have no interest in playing anywhere in the NHL other than Pittsburgh. This could lead to some interesting contract negotiations after the season if he maintains his current level of play. Malkin is in the final season of a four-year, $24.4MM contract he signed in the summer of 2022. Many believed last summer that the 2025-26 season could be Malkin’s last in the NHL and possibly his final season as a player at all. However, with the 39-year-old experiencing a significant resurgence this season with eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games, there’s a chance he continues playing, especially if Pittsburgh remains competitive and has a role for him moving forward. Nobody could have predicted that the Penguins would start the season as they have. With more young players emerging and an incredible amount of cap space next summer, the short-term future for Pittsburgh actually looks quite promising. It seemed unlikely that Malkin would receive a contract offer from Pittsburgh next summer, but now it seems like a real possibility he returns, assuming he can maintain his current work rate.
For Panarin, it’s not so much his play this season that has raised his profile, but rather the better options being taken off the table next summer. With many of the top pending UFAs now tied up in extensions, Panarin has risen on the list as one of the best offensive options available. The 34-year-old, for his part, remains a point-per-game player with 11 goals and 22 assists in 33 games, which should attract a healthy market despite his age by NHL standards. AFP Analytics is projecting a four-year, $41MM deal for Panarin, which, considering market conditions and his performance, looks pretty feasible.
On defense, arguably the top available player is Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Andersson had a tough year last season but has bounced back in 2025-26, which should give him a strong market if and when he hits free agency. The Flames have started poorly this year, opening up the possibility that Andersson becomes a key trade piece before the NHL Trade Deadline, giving him a chance to play meaningful hockey in the spring if he joins a contender. The 29-year-old has been used in more defensive roles this season but has still managed 22 points in 33 games, after recording just 31 points in 81 games last season. If Andersson maintains this offensive level, his cap hit could rise closer to $9MM a season on his next contract, likely the last major deal of his career. Some teams might hesitate because of his less successful past seasons, but for now, Andersson is hitting his stride at just the right moment.
A couple of honorable mentions to round things out include forwards Victor Olofsson, Jaden Schwartz, and Kiefer Sherwood. Olofsson signed his second straight one-year “prove it” contract this summer, signing with the Colorado Avalanche for a $1.575MM AAV. Since then, Olofsson has been a steady performer for the Avalanche, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 32 games. AFP Analytics projects a three-year deal at $3.41MM per year, which would be a nice bump for the 30-year-old.
A year ago, Schwartz looked like a player who would need to accept a significant pay cut when his current contract ends. The 33-year-old is currently earning a $5.5MM AAV in the final year of a five-year deal. After scoring 49 points last season, Schwartz is on pace for a 65-point season this year, which would be a career best. Considering that level of production, AFP is predicting a two-year deal worth just under $10.8MM, which would be a slight decrease from his next contract but not the huge drop expected a year ago.
Sherwood has become a bit of a goal scorer since joining the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2024 as a free agent. He is on track to surpass 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career (after posting 19 a year ago), and the timing could not be better since he is expected to hit the open market next summer. His lack of long-term NHL experience may somewhat limit Sherwood’s market value, as he was a late bloomer, becoming a full-time NHLer at the age of 28. He has just one season with more than thirty points (last year), but if he can do that again, he should still attract a team willing to offer a multi-year deal at an AAV that might surprise some people.