One: Split-Squadding It, Goalie Duel Continues
With 56 players still in camp Monday morning, some Kraken regulars will sit out both of the night’s split-squad games. While one group will travel to Calgary for a 6 p.m. preseason matchup and a second Seattle squad hosts the other approximate half of Flames veterans and prospects at Climate Pledge Arena, alternate captains Yanni Gourde and Jaden Schwartz, along with Justin Schultz, Alex Wennberg, and Oliver Bjorkstrand, among others, will have to wait until at least Thursday’s home preseason game with Vancouver to get some action.
But home fans won’t be disappointed. The Matty Beniers line (Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann on the wings) tops the home-game lines and the No. 1 defensive pairing of Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn reunites after skating alongside younger partners in the early days of training camp. Philipp Grubauer suits up in goalie gear along with Joey Daccord.
Job search alert: Fans should not read too much into Daccord on the home roster while prime contender for backup goalie duties, a fully healed Chris Driedger, flies to Calgary with likely AHL-bound goaltender Ales Stezka (a standout in Czechia’s top pro league and summer free-agent signee). Daccord has been a star in scrimmages and proved his mettle with a superb 25-game playoff run with Coachella Valley last season (plus two wins with the Kraken during call-ups). But Driedger is admired by players and coaches alike for his work ethic in recovering from major knee surgery. Plus, Driedger is a local Calgary hero from junior days. Coach Dave Hakstol has been clear all job openings are in play throughout the six-game preseason slate, but it won’t hurt the cases of Daccord and Driedger to put up good numbers on Monday.
Note for radio listeners: At 7 p.m., 950 AM KJR will be airing a Kraken radiocast with play-by-play man Everett Fitzhugh and pre-and post-game personality Mike Benton hosting a show that will cover the action of both games and provide an in-depth season preview. Fitzhugh and Benton will be joined by special guests, such as Kraken analyst Nick Olczyk and Coachella Valley Firebirds play-by-play announcer Evan Pivnick, plus maybe a surprise or two.
Two: Ed-ucation of Veteran and Top Draft Choice
Fans attending the game at Climate Pledge Arena or watching/listening on ROOT SPORTS Plus/KJR 950 will also get to see 2023 first-round draft choice Eduard Sale on the presumed second line for the night. Sale (pronounced “Shah-la”) goes by the nickname “Eddie,” which helps all of us who will be spelling out the name of Sale’s center Monday: veteran Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who encourages the nickname, “Belly” and is already winning over teammates (and soon fans) with his positivity, hard-nosed play and faceoff prowess. Cameron Hughes, who starred for Coachella Valley in a deep playoff run last spring, will be the third linemate and has looked formidable in early camp scrimmages.
Three: Prospect Watch
In Calgary, linemates for the night and competitors for fourth-line roster spots, Kraken playoffs standout Tye Kartye and AHL leading postseason scorer Kole Lind, will be working with 18-year-old center Carson Rehkopf, a 2023 second-round draft choice (50th overall) who has impressed coaches and front office leaders from Day 1 of development camp back in July. Rehkopf has earned Monday’s NHL playing time.
The same goes for Ty Nelson, a 2022 third-rounder who didn’t see preseason-game action last fall with the Kraken but wasn’t fazed. He put together a high-scoring and defense-solid 2022-23 season in the Ontario Hockey League and filled a team leadership role with his relentless toughness, chatter, and team spirit. Nelson is considered undersized because he is not six feet but his progress defies that supposed flaw. He pairs with newcomer veteran and two-time Stanley Cup winner Brian Dumoulin, who signed with Seattle as a free agent this summer to add depth to the defensive corps, which is short Carson Soucy, who signed with Vancouver.
AHL all-star Ryker Evans (2021 second-rounder, 35th overall) is an intriguing young D-man and appears ready for NHL games whether he makes the opening night roster or not. He is a Calgary native and a natural choice to fly up north to pair with top-four blueliner Will Borgen for the night. Will Kraken fans see that fun and promising pairing in seasons ahead? Sounds fun.
