Seattle Kraken: 3 Important Things to get you Ready for Opening Night
Seattle Kraken Opening Night Roster
The Seattle Kraken announced their final roster ahead of opening night. There are quite a few returning players and notable additions to the team this season. Dave Hakstol has his work cut out for him but is going into the season with a stronger roster.
Opportunity Knocks
Highly touted forwards Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright both made the team out of training camp. The dynamic duo is gearing up for what is sure to be an exciting rookie and, hopefully, Calder-worthy season.
Watching Beniers and Wright develop and shine will be the highlight, whatever this season may bring.
Kraken GM Ron Francis made some key additions over the off-season, including a Stanley Cup Champion. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky, Martin Jones, and Justin Schultz are all set to make their Seattle Kraken debuts after signing with the team in free agency.
After short stints with the club last season, Will Borgen, Karson Kuhlman, and Daniel Sprong have the opportunity to showcase their talent on a larger scale this season. Sprong, an underdog to make the roster, impressed in training camp and will be an interesting player to watch as the season progresses.
The Core
Much of last season’s core returns to the Emerald City and will lead the way for the rest of the team. Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Donato, Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Wennberg, Yanni Gourde, and Morgan Geekie are ready for another season in Seattle.
On the blueline, Adam Larsson, Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak, Carson Soucy, and Vince Dunn will build off of their success from last season. Philipp Grubauer will also return as the Kraken’s mainstay between the pipes.
Brandon Tanev, a fan favorite, is finally back on the ice after missing significant time last season following ACL surgery in December. Chris Driedger and Joonas Donskoi both made the final roster. However, the team placed both on injured reserve. Hopefully, they will rejoin the team later this season.