Tonight, the Seattle Kraken hit the road to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in a matchup between two teams looking to turn their seasons around. While the Blue Jackets’ record sits just under .500, the Kraken have struggled mightily and currently find themselves in the league’s bottom five. With playoff hopes fading fast—Moneypuck lists Seattle’s chances at a mere 0.7%—this game marks an opportunity for the Kraken to regroup, refocus, and possibly tinker with lineups to get younger players more ice time.
A bright spot for the Kraken is the expected return of goaltender Joey Daccord, who has been sidelined since December 22. His presence in net could provide a much-needed boost, especially with Seattle having dropped its last three contests—all close games that ended in frustration. The Kraken’s offense has been on an upward trend lately, but the team needs contributions from across the lineup to turn moral victories into actual wins.
One player the Kraken will be watching closely is forward Jared McCann. He’s coming off a challenging December—posting just five points (3G, 2A) in the entire month—and has only notched one point in the last three outings. Given his talent and potential, Seattle is eager to see him break out again and help lift the offense. If McCann can rediscover his scoring touch, it could spark the whole team heading into the second half of the season.
With Columbus sporting an 18-17-6 record, the Kraken will need to tighten up defensively to contain a Blue Jackets squad that has enough firepower to take advantage of mistakes. On the flip side, Seattle’s coaching staff might use this game as a chance to experiment, giving younger players bigger roles to prepare them for the future.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST (4:00 PM PST). Keep an eye on how Daccord performs in his return, watch for McCann to fight out of his recent slump, and don’t be surprised if the Kraken try some new looks as they balance the present with an eye toward building for tomorrow.