The Seattle Kraken traveled to St. Louis, where they took on the Blues on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The Blues were relentless, handing Seattle a 7-2 loss.
Daccord Out, Kokko In
Joey Daccord performed poorly against the Blues. He earned a save percentage (SV%) of .762 in 30 minutes, his lowest this season. Even though he allowed five goals, he still made 21 saves. After those five goals, head coach Dan Byslma had seen enough. Daccord got the boot, and Niklas Kokko was in.
Related: Kraken Call Up Niklas Kokko From Coachella Valley
In the second half of the game, Kokko came in to try and do some damage control. He let an additional two goals slip past him, putting the Blues total up to seven. In his first game in the NHL, his stats currently sit at a SV% of .667 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 4.01. He did make six saves to try and pad his stats at least.
For his first game in the NHL, Kokko should still be proud. Playing at the NHL level is no joke. He is currently ranked 12th in the American Hockey League (AHL) where he has been playing with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. His .909 SV% and 2.44 GAA proves that. Hopefully, when he gets his chance at a full 60 minutes of ice time, he will have better results.
Kokko is now the youngest goalie to play at the NHL level since Leevi Merilainen was called up in 2023. The 20-year-old should be proud of his accomplishments thus far.
Two Former Blues Put Up Goals
The Kraken were finally able to get on the board in the third period. Both goals came from players who previously donned the Blues uniform.
The first of the two goals came from Vince Dunn five minutes into the third. He gained control of the puck off a missed pass at the blue line. He skated up towards the goal from center ice and sent a wrist shot past Jordan Binnington to put Seattle on the board.
Jaden Schwartz scored the second goal for the Kraken at the 12-minute mark of the third period. Matty Beniers skated the puck behind the net, sending a pass to Adam Larsson along the boards. He took a shot that Kaapo Kakko attempted to deflect into the net. The puck went wide, but Schwartz was able to recover the rebound. While Binnington was far out of his net, he didn’t hesitate at the opportunity. Schwartz tipped the puck into the net to bring the Kraken within five.
Schwartz previously played for St. Louis from 2011 until the end of the 2020-21 season. He was acquired by Seattle on July 18, 2021, when they signed him as a free agent. Dunn was with the Blues from 2017 until the end of the 2020-21 season as well. He was selected by Seattle in their expansion draft on July 21, 2021.
Trade Deadline Looms
As the March 7 trade deadline draws closer, all eyes are on general manager Ron Francis and what he will decide to do with his team. The Kraken made one trade earlier this season when they traded Will Borgen for Kakko on Dec. 18, 2024. They have already begun to reap the benefits of this trade. Kakko has earned 19 points in the 27 games he has played for Seattle. He has been a solid addition so far.
One of the players in the rumor mill is Brandon Tanev. In 58 games, he has earned 17 points via nine goals and eight assists. Compared to some of the other players on the team, such as Kakko, he is not putting up the numbers that he should be. In last night’s game, Tanev took 17 shifts and reached a total time on ice (TOI) of 12:15.
Another player potentially up on the trade block is Yanni Gourde. However, he has been on injured reserve since he received surgery to repair a sports hernia. His last game was on Jan. 2 against the Vancouver Canucks. In the 35 games that he has played, he has earned 16 points via six goals and ten assists. It will be interesting to see whether or not he will be traded, or if his injury will keep him in Seattle until the end of the season.
Could other players face the same fate as Borgen? There are only nine more days to decide before the trade deadline closes at 3 pm ET on March 7.
Next Up
The Kraken will be back in action on Saturday, March 1 when they take on the Canucks at Climate Pledge Arena.
