The Kraken are getting help on the back end Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it comes with a fresh face up front too.
Ryan Lindgren has been activated from injured reserve and is set to return after missing the last 13 games with an upper-body injury. He was placed on IR a couple days after the injury, and Friday’s practice gave the clearest look at how Seattle plans to use him: on the bottom pair with Cale Fleury, plus a spot on the top penalty kill unit.
Lindgren’s season has been brief so far. He was pointless in the four games he played before getting hurt.
Fleury is back in the lineup as well after sitting as a healthy scratch for the previous three games. He has one assist in six games this season.
To clear space for Lindgren on the NHL roster, the Kraken reassigned center Logan Morrison to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle had been carrying 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies before the moves, and now has an extra forward and two extra defensemen available for the time being.
Morrison was recalled on November 8th, but didn’t get into game action in his only chance Thursday. With Coachella Valley this season, he has three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 12 games. He has not appeared in an NHL game since the 2023-24 season.
Saturday will also bring an NHL debut for Jagger Firkus. The second-round pick from 2022 has spent two more seasons in the OHL after being drafted, then two pro seasons in the AHL along with this year before reaching this point. He has four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 12 games with the Firebirds this season.
In Other News...
Juuso Valimaki Just Delivered Carolinas Best Feel Good Story Yet
Juuso Valimakis path back to relevance has been the kind of grind that can disappear in the churn of an NHL season, which is why his recent run with the Carolina Hurricanes has stood out. The Finnish defenseman has fought through multiple injuries and time in the minors, and now he is back contributing in a way that has clearly resonated inside the room. Rod BrindAmour and teammates have been quick to point out how much his return to form has meant, both for Valimaki and for a Hurricanes blue line that can use every steady hand it can get.
The latest reminder came during the NHL Global Series, when Valimaki found the net in his home country and gave the moment a little extra weight. For a player whose career has been interrupted so often, the goal felt like more than just another mark on the scoresheet, even if the full story of how he got there still carries a harder edge underneath it. The Hurricanes have seen enough to know the comeback is real, but the most compelling part of it may be the part still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Linked To A Major Trade Target They May Not Control
The defense market around the NHL is already getting squeezed, and that matters for a Hurricanes team that has never been shy about chasing upgrades. Toronto wants to add help on the blue line but is running into salary-cap limits that make any move harder without first clearing money, which only adds to the pressure on teams trying to do business before the market tightens further.
One name drawing attention is Erik Karlsson, who has emerged as a trade candidate with Carolina among the clubs interested in his services. The fit is easy to understand from the Hurricanes side, but the path is not, because any serious pursuit would still have to navigate the kind of control that can complicate even the most aggressive front-office plan. [Read more 🡒]
Nikolaj Ehlers Is Giving The Hurricanes A Dangerous New Dimension
Nikolaj Ehlers has fit into Carolinas attack in a way that goes beyond simple box-score production. Through 20 games, he has given the Hurricanes another reliable scoring threat behind the top names, while his skating has added a different layer to an offense that already likes to push pace and attack in waves.
What stands out most is how his speed changes the way Carolina can enter the zone and get set up, especially on the power play and in transition. The underlying numbers have backed up the eye test, too, with strong expected goals-for impact and a knack for creating offense off the rush, which makes him a dangerous secondary scorer the Hurricanes can lean on as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]