Ahead of the first day of the regular season, the Seattle Kraken unveiled their opening night roster.
Every team had to cut their roster down to 23 players ahead of the regular season, which begins on Oct. 7.
Forwards (14, 13 Healthy):
Jordan Eberle, Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beneirs, Tye Kartye, Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Eeli Tolvanen, Ryan Winterton, Mason Marchment, Jani Nyman, Shane Wright, Berkly Catton, Kaapo Kakko, Frederick Gaudreau
The good news: Chandler Stephenson and Jared McCann should be healthy to play once the regular season starts. The bad news: Kaapo Kakko is out with a broken hand after he sustained the injury in a preseason game.
This first regular season game will also be Mason Marchment’s first game in Kraken colors, after spending the last three seasons with the Dallas Stars. Marchment will not be the only newcomer to the team, though. Berkly Catton, Seattle’s 8th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, will also see his first regular season game with the team.
Ryan Winterton and Jani Nyman were also named to the Kraken roster for the first time in their career with the team. Both players spent last season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL). Both players proved they are ready for the NHL in the preseason, but depending on their performance to start the season, they could get sent back down to the AHL at any point.
Defensemen (8, 7 Healthy):
Adam Larsson, Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak, Josh Mahura, Vince Dunn, Ryker Evans, Ryan Lindgren, Brandon Montour
There is not much changing to the Kraken’s defensive core. The one newcomer is Ryan Lindgren, who was acquired by Seattle during free agency. He will bring a veteran presence to the Kraken blue line that will benefit Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury. The two younger defensemen have spent a majority of their time with the Firebirds. The two will likely be paired with either Lindgren or Jamie Oleksiak. Mahura and Fleury will not play with each other.
Ryker Evans will be out for the next six-to-eight weeks with an upper-body injury and it is unclear of Brandon Montour will be healthy enough for the home opener. Hopefully both heal soon, but until they do, the defense is in good hands anyway.
Goaltenders (3):
Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer, Matt Murray
After last season, it is in Seattle’s best interest to carry three goaltenders on their roster. While it seemed likely that Matt Murray would play in Coachella Valley after he was acquired, having him with Seattle is the better option for the team. This way, Seattle does not have to worry about overplaying Daccord they did in in the 2024-25 season when he played 57 of the 82 games.
The Kraken will play their first regular season game at home on Oct. 9 when they host the Anaheim Ducks.
