Report: At Least Six Kraken Players Could Miss Season Opener

UPDATE: McCann, Oleksiak, and Donskoi take warmups following removal from COVID-19 protocol. Expected to play in season opener.

Tonight was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the Seattle Kraken.

After all, it’s the opening game of their inaugural season. Many marked this date on their calendar several months ago.

Unfortunately, there have been multiple reports stating that as many as seven players could be missing from the starting lineup tonight. Their absences will likely do little to tarnish the excitement of fans who are still basking in that ‘new team smell’; however, they will significantly lessen Seattle’s chances of winning against the formidable Vegas Golden Knights.

gettin' ready. 🏒 pic.twitter.com/GS38pW6Io0

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 12, 2021

The players who are likely to miss tonight’s game are as follows—Jared McCann, Calle Jarnkrok, Joonas Donskoi, Jamie Oleksiak, Colin Blackwell, Yanni Gourde, and Alex Barre-Boulet. Luckily the Kraken will be able to dress Marcus Johansson, who was previously at-risk of missing due to being in close contact with a COVID-19 carrier. He never tested positive, however, and looks good to go.

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McCann, Jarnkrok, Donskoi, and Oleksiak are unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols. Gourde is still recovering from the shoulder surgery he received in July, and was initially expected to miss the first two months of the season. Fortunately, he was a full participant in Sunday’s practice and could be back sooner than expected—even though it won’t be in time for the season opener.

Yanni Gourde going to IR but Marcus Johansson appears ready to exit COVID protocol and play Tuesday for Kraken. Jarnkrok will not play and will be out for 10-day protocol but team hopes some of Donskoi, Oleksiak and McCann might play in Vegas. Crazy day! #SEAKraken #Kraken #NHL

— Geoff Baker (@GeoffBakerTIMES) October 12, 2021

Blackwell is still out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, and Barre-Boulet wasn’t in attendance for Tuesday morning practice after being claimed off of waivers on Monday. There’s a small chance Barre-Boulet could enter the lineup for Tuesday’s game, but nothing has indicated that will happen with certainty.

McCann looks to be the biggest loss from this group, given that he’s spent most of the preseason as the acting number-one center between Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle. Jarnkrok, Donskoi, and Oleksiak are also big losses as they are all capable of playing a top-six/top-four role. Same goes for Gourde. Blackwell and Barre-Boulet are important depth pieces, but will luckily be a bit easier to replace.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Arena. Fans can catch the game on ESPN.

pssssssst

it’s
⊂_ヽ
　 ＼＼ kraken
　　 ＼( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
　　　 >　⌒ヽ
　　　/ 　 へ＼
　　 /　　/　＼＼ season
　　 ﾚ　ノ　　 ヽ_つ
　　/　/
　 /　/|
　(　(ヽ.
　|　|、＼
　| 丿 ＼ ⌒)
　| |　　) /
ノ )　　Lﾉ
(_／

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 12, 2021

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