The Seattle Kraken have had a few days off between games, but that doesn't mean they're fully off. Seattle held practice on Tuesday ahead of their game on Wednesday, in preparation to host the Calgary Flames. The Kraken just played against the Flames on Friday, and the two teams are about to close out the season series already. However, since Friday, there have been a few changes to the Kraken's lineup.
On Sunday, the Kraken traded Shane Wright to the Nashville Predators. In exchange, Seattle received forward Matthew Wood. He was a participant at practice, skating alongside Chandler Stephenson and Frederick Gaudreau on the top line.
While Wood made his practice debut with his new team, another newcomer was absent from the ice. Forward Curtis Douglas was not on the ice, and the team shared on social media he is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Douglas played only 4:29 seconds in the Kraken's last game. He got into a fight with Flames' Adam Klapka early in the game. He went down to the ice hard, which is potentially where he picked up this injury.
The Kraken just picked Douglas up during the offseason. They signed him to a two-year contract during free agency. So far, when Douglas has played with the Kraken, his minutes have been severely limited. It seems the only time they want Douglas to enter the lineup is to be in a bruiser-type role.
In addition to this, Jacob Melanson was out on the ice for the first time since his injury. He was a participant in a red, no-contact jersey, but for him to be back on the ice is a step in the right direction. Melanson also fits a bruiser role, as he led the Kraken in hits last season. However, he also contributes to Seattle's offense.
If the Kraken can get Melanson back in the lineup soon, that would be a massive boost to their overall team composition. With Wood potentially making his Kraken debut against Calgary, though, Seattle will be in a good spot.
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