Kraken Lose Brandon Tanev for Season

The Seattle Kraken will be without forward Brandon Tanev for the remainder of the season.

While the NHL season remains on hold, more bad news has struck the Seattle Kraken. The team announced that forward Brandon Tanev will be out for the rest of the season. Tanev suffered a torn ACL during the team’s game against the Edmonton Oilers on December 18th.

Through 30 regular-season games prior to his injury, Tanev collected 9 goals and 15 points. He was on pace to set career-highs in both categories by a comfortable margin. His 98 hits and 13.45 hits/60 ranked best among full-time Kraken players.

Kraken Roster Moves

Aside from losing Tanev, Seattle also placed Mason Appleton on the COVID-19 protocol. The forward becomes the sixth player on the list for Seattle, whose next scheduled game is Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Ryan Donato and Vince Dunn were also recently added, joining defensemen Adam Larsson, Carson Soucy, and Jamie Oleksiak.

Seattle is now down four regular defensemen, leaving questions to be answered ahead of a potential return to play. The team could look to call up a number of blueliners, including Connor Carrick, Gustav Olofsson, and Cale Fleury. All three have seen regular time with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Will Borgen, who has been in and out of the lineup, should see a major boost with some regulars missing from action.

Expanded forward roles could be in the future for Kole Lind, Max McCormick, and Alex True, who are now listed on the team’s roster. The Kraken will be hoping for more success in the new year than they enjoyed in December. The team struggled to a 2-4-2 record in eight games this month, while being held to one or fewer goals in three of the losses. Better health for the Kraken and the league as a whole should allow for more success in 2022.