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Brandon Tanev Misses Game Due To Illness

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Nick Barden of The Hockey News is reporting that free agent defenseman John Klingberg is close to deciding on which team he will sign with for the remainder of the season. Klingberg hasn’t played an NHL game since November 2023 and is attempting to come back after having hip resurfacing surgery. He is hoping to latch on with a contender for the rest of this season. His decision is expected in the next 2-3 days, and Klingberg’s former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are reportedly still in the mix to sign the 32-year-old, as are a few other teams.

It was just a few years ago that Klingberg was considered a top-pairing offensive defenseman, however, those days are over, but if he is healthy Klingberg could certainly give a boost to a playoff team without costing an asset other than cap space. Through 633 NHL games, Klingberg has racked up 81 goals and 331 assists while playing with four different teams.

In other morning notes:

  • The Seattle Kraken announced last night that forward Brandon Tanev would miss their game with an apparent illness. Tye Kartye took Tanev’s spot in the lineup Thursday against Winnipeg and played just 7:12. The 33-year-old Tanev last dressed on Tuesday against Pittsburgh and played 13:14 in that game. The Kraken are back in action tomorrow night against Los Angeles and it seems likely they will have an update on Tanev before the puck drop. The Toronto, Ontario native has eight goals and seven assists in 44 games this season.
  • Colorado Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt has gone through a miserable slump this season and has now found himself demoted from the second-line center role and could find himself on the trade block soon (as per Avalanche reporter Adrian Deter). Mikko Rantanen took his spot in last night’s game against Edmonton, with Mittelstadt skating just 14:54 and playing on the third line. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has reportedly become unhappy with Mittelstadt’s play, after the 26-year-old looked like a true second-line center to start the season, posting 13 points in his first ten games. However, since that hot start, Mittelstadt has just 13 points in his last 36 games.

Kraken Listening To Offers On Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky

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After knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche and taking the Dallas Stars to Game Seven in Round Two of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s been a downhill ride for the Seattle Kraken. The team finished 17 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference last season and is currently nine points back through the halfway point this year.

That said, it comes with little surprise that in the latest episode of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s ’32 Thoughts’ podcast, he reported the Kraken are expanding their horizons beyond just selling away their pending unrestricted free agents. Friedman specifically notes Oliver Bjorkstrand and André Burakovsky as available trade candidates.

Trading either player won’t be simple, but it would help expand the prospect pool for an organization that’s had little time to do so, as Friedman notes. Bjorkstrand and Burakovsky are signed through the 2025-26 season, with an additional year for the latter, and their contracts include 10-team modified no-trade clauses.

Bjorkstrand should have the most value of the two given that he’s on pace for his third-straight 20-goal season in Seattle. He’s been one of the most consistent middle-six players for the Kraken over that stretch scoring 53 goals and 132 points in 206 games averaging 15:49 of ice time per game. He’s a strong possession player with a relatively affordable $5.4MM salary who can help on most team’s second power-play unit if not their first.

Burakovsky is on a much different trajectory. After scoring 22 goals and 61 points en route to a Stanley Cup ring in 2021-22 with the Colorado Avalanche, Burakovksy signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract with Seattle to give the team much-needed scoring.

He missed 66 games due to injury in the first two years of the deal and has missed three this season. The Klagenfurt, Austria native had decent production in limited action in the first year of the contract with 13 goals and 39 points in 49 games but has struggled since.

Since the first game of the 2023-24 NHL season, Burakovsky has scored 11 goals and 32 points in the following 90 regular season contests making his $5.4MM salary somewhat of a sunk cost. It’s reasonable the Kraken want to move on from Burakovsky and his contract but they shouldn’t expect to get much in return.

Seattle may listen to other players signed beyond this season should they receive adequate returns for Bjorkstrand and/or Burakovsky. Players such as Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, and Jared McCann could all become expendable with the latter likely having relatively high trade value across the league.

Kraken’s Daniel Sprong Clears Waivers

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Jan. 9: Sprong has cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He must be assigned to Coachella Valley within 30 days before needing to clear waivers again.

Jan. 8: The Kraken placed winger Daniel Sprong on waivers Tuesday, intending to assign him to AHL Coachella Valley, according to a team announcement.

Seattle picked up Sprong, 27, in a trade with the Canucks in November in exchange for future considerations. The Kraken were hoping to get the kind of production out of Sprong they got two years ago when he posted a career-best 21 goals and 46 points in only 66 appearances, but things haven’t gone to plan.

Sprong’s tumultuous season thus far comes after a turbulent summer during which, despite recording 43 points in 76 games for the Red Wings last season, Detroit opted not to qualify him and let him become an unrestricted free agent. The Amsterdam native unexpectedly had to wait nearly three weeks to land a deal, eventually signing a one-year, $975K commitment with the Canucks.

Most expected Vancouver to have Sprong factor in as a complementary top-nine piece, potentially even on Elias Pettersson’s wing, but that experiment didn’t last very long. He also bounced around lines with Pius Suter and Aatu Räty down the middle, averaging 11:39 per game and recording three points until the Canucks decided to cut bait after just nine games and traded him back to Seattle.

Sprong likely desired the move – he would have gotten a bit more playing time in a familiar environment where he’s had success before. He’s barely been utilized by new head coach Dan Bylsma, though, sitting in the press box for most of his second stint in the Emerald City. He’s logged only 10 appearances since the trade, including just four since the beginning of December, posting a goal and an assist with a plus-one rating.

Playing time became more scarce for Sprong last month when the Kraken acquired winger Kaapo Kakko from the Rangers. He’s sat in the press box for four straight now and hasn’t landed a job ahead of the newcomer or depth players like Tye Kartye. His inability to play down the middle has left him on the outside looking in, even with Yanni Gourde on injured reserve.

This season may not be pretty for Sprong, with five points through a combined 19 games, but teams should be willing to take a flyer based on his recent history of depth scoring. Despite averaging fewer than 12 minutes per game across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, he managed 39 goals and 89 points in 142 games for Seattle and Detroit – good for 0.63 per game.

Kraken Recall John Hayden

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The Kraken recalled right-winger John Hayden from AHL Coachella Valley on Thursday, the team said in an announcement.

Hayden, 29, comes up in anticipation of Daniel Sprong coming off the active roster later today. Seattle placed Sprong on waivers yesterday, so the Dutch winger will likely be unavailable for tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets, either by virtue of being claimed by another team or being reassigned to Coachella Valley.

It’s the second recall of the season for Hayden, who cleared waivers at the end of training camp. The pot-stirring winger made his season debut against the Avalanche on Nov. 5, recording a minor penalty and four hits in 8:54 of ice time.

Hayden is in his third season in the Kraken organization, but he’s appeared in only 10 NHL games during that time. He’s spent most of his time in Coachella Valley, where the Chicago native serves as an alternate captain and has 18 points in 30 games this season.

He won’t provide nearly as much offensive upside as Sprong in a depth role, but he does know the ropes. Initially a third-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2013, Hayden has 250 NHL games under his belt with Chicago and Seattle as well as the Sabres, Devils, and Coyotes.

Hayden is not expected to suit up in tonight’s contest. He’ll likely sit in the press box while Tye Kartye and Brandon Tanev flank the fourth line, centered by Mitchell Stephens.

The Kraken have a full active roster for now but will have an open spot when Sprong is removed in a couple of hours. Hayden carries a league-minimum cap hit of $775K on a one-way deal for this season and will have the opportunity to test unrestricted free agency this summer.

Kraken Activate Joey Daccord, Recall Mitchell Stephens

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The Seattle Kraken have activated starting goaltender Joey Daccord off of injured reserve. Daccord has missed Seattle’s last five games with an upper-body injury sustained in the team’s December 22nd matchup against Colorado. Seattle has also recalled forward Mitchell Stephens from, and assigned goaltender Ales Stezka and defenseman Cale Fleury to, the minor leagues in corresponding moves.

Daccord has stood as one of the best goalies in the league when healthy. He’s rivaled the top of multiple star categories – ranking 14th in both save percentage (.912) and goals-against-average (2.51). Daccord also ranked 13th in wins (12) and 14th in games played (23) at the time of his injury. He’s in the midst of another strong year after setting a 19-18-11 record and .916 Sv% in 50 games last season – Daccord’s first as a full-time starter in the NHL. He ascended to the role after years if string performances in the minor leagues, collectively recording a 60-27-7 record and .918 through 98 games, and four seasons, in the AHL.

Meanwhile, Stephens will return to his role as Seattle’s depth forward with Yanni Gourde on injured reserve. Stephens has been back and forth between the NHL and AHL lineup this season, most recently being assigned to the minors in mid-December. He’s scored four points in six games since, bringing his season total up to eight points in 18 games. He’s added one assist in nine NHL games. Stephens is likely to hang in the press box for the short-term, but could fight for fourth-line minutes above Tye Kartye.

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.

Kraken Recall Ben Meyers

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Ben Meyers’ stint in the minors wound up being relatively short-lived.  After being sent down before the holiday break last month, he’s now back up with the Kraken as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled him from AHL Coachella Valley.

It’s the third recall of the season for the 26-year-old.  Meyers has played in four games so far this season with Seattle and has been held off the scoresheet while winning nearly 46% of his faceoffs.  He has been quite productive with the Firebirds, however, collecting 10 goals and 12 assists in 25 games with them.  The threshold for Meyers needing to clear waivers again is when he reaches either 10 NHL games or 30 days on the active roster so he’s six away on the games played front and is around halfway there on NHL days.

Meyers is on a one-year, $775K contract and can easily be fit within Seattle’s remaining LTIR pool for Vince Dunn.  He’s eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency once again this summer but if he gets into nine more NHL games this season, he’ll revert to RFA status with arbitration eligibility.

Seattle had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to elevate Meyers to the NHL roster.

Tyson Jugnauth To Play At MSU Next Season

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  • Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth will soon get a second stint in the NCAA. The defenseman revealed on his Instagram page that he has committed to Michigan State University for next season.  Jugnauth, a fourth-round pick in 2022, spent a year and a half at the University of Wisconsin before moving to WHL Portland in December 2023.  The 20-year-old has been quite productive this season, tallying six goals and 40 assists in just 33 games for the Winterhawks but he has decided that it’s not time to turn pro just yet.  Seattle has until August 15, 2026 to sign Jugnauth as his transfer to the WHL didn’t change his original signing timeline.

Seattle Kraken Reassign Gustav Olofsson

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Defenseman Gustav Olofsson’s time on an NHL roster is over for now. The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve reassigned Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The roster move likely serves as a paper transaction given the Kraken don’t play again for a few more days. They’ll go down to six healthy defensemen on the roster but will likely want some available insurance with upcoming matchups against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.

Despite spending nearly a week on the active roster, Olofsson hasn’t factored into any games for the Kraken this season. His only playing time has come in AHL Coachella Valley where he’s scored two goals and 11 points in 29 contests.

Seattle’s upper management may keep Olofsson in the AHL for some time. The Firebirds are pursuing their third-straight appearance in the Calder Cup Final but have struggled this season. They’ve managed a 14-11-1-4 record through 33 games this season and sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division.

There are a few more options in Coachella Valley they could choose from. Defensemen Maxime Lajoie and Cale Fleury have NHL experience and are available to recall although the former is on a one-way contract. Whatever the case may be, the Kraken are expected to call up one of the trio over the next few days.

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