The Seattle Kraken’s blue line is getting thinner by the day.
Brandon Montour left Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a lower-body injury, and Seattle was left to finish the night with only five defensemen on the ice. Montour logged just 8:05 before going down in the second period.
That came on top of the absence of Ryan Lindgren, who is expected to miss the next four to six weeks with an upper-body injury. Lindgren was hurt against the Vegas Golden Knights and did not return to the bench.
Seattle has not announced the full scope of Montour’s injury, but it was serious enough to prompt a roster move. The Kraken recalled rookie defenseman Ty Nelson from the Coachella Valley Firebirds ahead of their final game of a five-game East Coast road trip, a Saturday matchup with the Florida Panthers.
Nelson has spent the last two seasons in Coachella Valley and has built a strong track record there. In 2024-25, he appeared in 72 games and put up 32 points, including six goals and 26 assists. Last season, he improved on that pace, finishing with 35 points in 63 games despite playing in nine fewer contests.
He’s also posted solid plus-minus numbers in both years, finishing at plus-17 in 2024-25 and plus-13 in 2025-26.
This season, Nelson has already suited up for five games and recorded four assists, along with a plus-4 rating.
With the call-up in hand, Nelson has a real shot to make his NHL debut on Saturday against the Panthers. He’s shown an ability to drive offense from the back end while also helping keep the puck in the attacking zone, and his defensive game has made him stand out in the minors. The timing of the promotion also leaves Seattle hoping for better news on Montour, even as Nelson gets his first real crack with the big club.
In Other News...
Kraken Defense Just Hit A Breaking Point In Florida
The Krakens night in Florida quickly turned into damage control, with an 8-3 loss at Amerant Bank Arena exposing just how thin the blue line looked without two veteran defensemen. Seattle was already leaning on a patched-together lineup, and the task only got steeper once Florida started finding room in transition and around the crease.
Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each scored hat tricks for the Panthers, a brutal reminder of how much pressure Seattle was under from the opening stretch. Brandon Montour and Ryan Lindgren were out, and Josh Mahura, Cale Fleury and Ville Ottavainen dressed together for the first time this season, a new-look grouping that never really had a chance to settle in before the game got away. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Still Waiting To See When Perron Can Actually Help
David Perron is finally on the verge of joining the Dallas Stars after visa issues delayed his arrival, giving the club a chance to see what the veteran forward can add once he gets in the building. Dallas signed Perron to a one-year contract, and head coach Pete DeBoer said he will need some time to get up to speed, which makes this less about an immediate lineup fix and more about when he can realistically start helping.
For the Stars, the timing matters because every day he spends catching up is another day the team is waiting to see how he fits into its mix. Around the division, the injury and roster churn keep rolling too, with Seattles Brandon Montour sidelined by a lower-body injury, St. Louis missing Ross Johnston, and Vegas sending Ville Heinola to its AHL affiliate. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Get A Brandon Montour Scare They Cant Afford Right Now
The Krakens overtime loss to Tampa Bay on their East Coast trip was frustrating enough on the scoreboard, but the bigger concern came when Brandon Montour left early with an upper-body injury. Seattle is already juggling injuries on the blue line, including Ryan Lindgrens absence, so losing one of its key defensemen in the middle of a road swing is the kind of hit this group can ill afford.
With Montour sidelined, the club moved quickly and recalled Ty Nelson from Coachella Valley to give the defense some cover. For a team trying to stay afloat through a difficult stretch, the next few days will be about getting more clarity on Montour and hoping the injury turns out to be something Seattle can manage without losing him for long. [Read more 🡒]