Just as the Kraken line-up started to round out with the return of some healthy bodies, the club announced on Saturday the recent injury to veteran winger Jaden Schwartz would cost the 33-year-old six weeks.
His lower body injury occurred on Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena against the Dallas Stars when he went down awkwardly in the second period. He left and didn’t return after playing 11:26 and registering two shots-on-goal.
It’s a revolving door for the Kraken. As Schwartz departed, big winger Kaapo Kakko returned to the Seattle line-up for the game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday after missing six.
The Finn has played in just eight games the entire season after an earlier malady cost him the entire month of October. He has one goal, his only point, on the season.
Schwartz leaves as the club’s leading scorer with 15 points through 23 matches.
He joins third goalie Matt Murray on injured reserve. The former back-to-back Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, Murray is expected to miss another four weeks with a lower body injury. His numbers this season were outstanding, posting a save percentage of .922 and a goals against average of 2.21.
Ultimately it still seems the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of the Kraken’s MASH unit. Center Freddie Gaudreau has been back for seven games after missing a month, and franchise all-time leading scorer Jared McCann returned Wednesday after missing 17 games.
Despite being shut-out 4-0 by the Oilers on Saturday, Seattle still sits in a playoff spot. The Kraken have 28 points, good for the first wild card position in the Western Conference.
Seattle has a complete day off Sunday before practising for three straight days ahead of a rematch against the Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken, Canucks, NHL Goalies; Demko’s Deal, Trauma, Records
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks Lose Weird OT Game To Kings 2-1