For the Seattle fans, something will be missing when the Kraken opens a three-game homestand on Wednesday evening against the Montreal Canadiens.
Namely Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev.
The high-energy forwards, which were with the Kraken from the beginning after being selected in the draft NHL extension in 2021, were among the player General Manager Ron Francis treated at last week’s trading deadline while the team was on the way.
Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, Seattle’s representative in the NHL All-Star game this season, were sent to Tampa Bay last Wednesday, and Tanev went to Winnipeg on Friday.
“The things they did for this organization, on and off the ice, were huge,” Francis said. “We can’t thank them (enough). … they really represented the Kraken well. We wish them nothing but the best ahead. Unfortunately, it has become part of the business.”
It was not surprising that the Kraken, in seventh place in the Western Conference Wild card position and a dozen points from the last playoffs, was a seller at the deadline.
They will spend the rest of the season watching some of their younger views.
“The strength of our team is the depth, the number of good players we have throughout our range,” said the Kraken coach Dan Bylsma. “With the lack of these (traded) guys, bigger and more prominent roles will be asked for the whole group.”
The Kraken will return home after a 1-2-0 trip that included a 4-2 loss on Sunday at Eastern Conference-leading Washington. Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle did for the Kraken, and Joey Daccord made 20 rescues.
“It sticks,” said Eberle, the Capain Capain. “I think we played good enough to at least get away with one point, get it to OT. I liked the competition. I liked the battle. I like it. But in the end you play, it’s a good team, but you want to get ahead.”
The Canadiens will play the second half of a back-to-back set after a 4-2 victory Tuesday in Vancouver where Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and two assists and goalkeeper Sam Montembeault had 29 rescues.
The Canadian pulled within two points from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the race for the East’s second and last Wild-Card-Kaj.
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist when the Canadiens improved to 6-1-1 in the last eight games. Suzuki leads Montreal with 67 points (20 goals, 47 assists) this season, and Canfield has a team high 32 goals.
Unlike the Kraken, Canadia’s pat was at the trade deadline.
“The plan from the beginning of the season was that what we did at the time of trade would be dictated by the team,” said Canadian Director General Kent Hughes. “On our way into the break of the four nations we were at one down, so we thought we would probably do the same as in previous years and trade our players.
“Then, credit to the players and coaches, won the five in a row and turned things.”
-Field level media
