It hasn’t gone well for the Kraken against the Oilers over the years, and it won’t get any easier at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday night.
Seattle will play without a key defenseman, two very important wingers, and a fourth-line center against an Edmonton Oilers team that’s won 12 of the 15 head-to-head games against the Kraken over the past four seasons. In eight matches at home, Seattle has won twice.
While the Oilers have begun a little two-game win streak, Seattle will continue to play with a shorthanded roster. The following four players are all listed on injured reserve, with forward Jared McCann added this weekend.
The team’s all-time leading scorer, McCann has missed three games with an injury likely associated with the surgery he had in the off-season. It’s a nagging lower body situation.
Winger Kaapo Kakko and D-man Ryker Evans have missed all eight games thus far. Summer acquisition, center Freddie Gaudreau, has missed four matches.
Yes, injuries happen in the NHL, but for some teams the impact is greater than for others. The Kraken will continue to try and work through this rash of maladies with hard work while bolstering their team identity. It’s everything by committee.
One piece of good news; defenseman Brandon Montour returns to the Seattle line-up after a personal leave-of-absence.
In our preview video below, Oilers play-by-play man Jack Michaels points to goaltending as one of Seattle’s key problems. That sets aside the fact that Joey Daccord jumped to the club’s top spot in net with some sterling performances last season and a new five year contract. On a microscale, Michaels is correct. It really hasn’t mattered who’s been in net against the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Seattle faces the age-old NHL challenge of playing a first home game on the west coast after playing multiple games out east. The Oilers face the challenge of having played every-other-night since Tuesday, October 14th, and with the 2nd-half of a back-to-back looming tomorrow night in Vancouver against the Canucks.
Puck drop on Saturday evening is a few minutes after 7 pm pacific.
Earlier Kraken:
— Seattle Let’s One Slip Away In 4-3 OT Loss In Ottawa
Of interest from the Canucks:
— Whining Underway Regarding Canucks Pettersson
