The Seattle Kraken could face major last-minute changes to their lineup ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forwards Chandler Stephenson and Jared McCann, and defenseman Ryker Evans, have all been listed as game-time decisions per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio network. Stephenson and McCann are out with upper-body injuries, while Evans’ injury is undisclosed.
Stephenson didn’t return for the third period of Seattle’s Thursday loss to the Washington Capitals. He skated at full speed through the end of the second and didn’t appear to suffer a clear injury. Even less is known about the absence of McCann and Evans, who both played through Thursday’s game but missed Friday morning’s practice. Neither player managed much in Seattle’s scoreless outing, though Evans did lead the team in “game score” per Cole Palmer.
The trio have stood as three of Seattle’s most utilized players all season long. McCann has scored 14 goals and a team-leading 36 points in 49 games, even despite ranking fourth in average ice-time among the team’s forwards. It’s actually Stephenson who stands as Seattle’s most-used centerman, averaging 19:35 in ice time each game. He has 25 assists and 33 points in 48 games to show for it. Stephenson is on pace for a career-high 43 assists, and 56 total points, through 82 games this season. Evans is averaging just north of 20 minutes of ice time each game of his own, finding a comfortable role on the team’s second-pair in his sophomore season. He has 16 assists and 21 points in 47 games, over double the nine points he scored in 36 games as a rookie last season.
Replacing the three players would be a whole-team effort, should they all sit. Seattle is currently only carrying one extra player on their roster – winger Tye Kartye, who hasn’t played since January 16th. He’ll be an easy fill-in in the face of injury, giving Kartye a chance to improve on his mere six points in 42 games this season – a number far below the 20 points he scored in 77 games last year.
But the Kraken will still need another forward and defender to ice a full lineup. Their best bets for the former will be Ben Meyers and top prospect Jani Nyman – the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ top two scorers. Meyers has 11 goals and 27 points in 32 games, while Nyman has 16 goals and 25 points in 39 games. Of the two, Meyers seems like the safer bet – having already played 73 games in the NHL. For help on defense, Seattle will likely turn towards one of Cale Fleury or Maxime Lajoie. Both have plenty of NHL experience, and their respective 16 and 20 points on the season are commendable. With roster space to spare, Seattle is likely to call at least one of these options up in advance of Saturday’s game, in the event that the majority of their game-time decisions are forced to sit.