The Seattle Kraken’s early-season surge took a major hit Sunday, when the team put Jared McCann on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and said he’ll be sidelined for 10 weeks.
McCann had already missed Seattle’s 5-1 home loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Now the Kraken will move forward without the veteran left wing, who has been one of the defining players in franchise history and a major reason for the club’s best start ever.
Through 11 games this season, McCann has eight points, with three goals and five assists, for the 7-4-1 Kraken. He now joins right wing Jacob Melanson and defenseman Ryan Lindgren on injured reserve.
For Seattle, the blow lands hard because McCann isn’t just productive - he’s woven into the team’s identity. He’s an original Kraken, taken in the expansion draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs before Seattle’s inaugural 2021-22 season, and he’s the franchise leader in goals with 141, assists with 180 and points with 291. He also led the team in scoring in each of its first four seasons.
McCann is in his 12th NHL season, and durability has been part of his value when he’s been healthy. He played at least 74 games in each of his first four seasons with the Kraken, though lower-body injuries limited him to 52 of Seattle’s 82 games last season.
His NHL path started well before Seattle. The Vancouver Canucks chose the Ontario native with the No. 24 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, and he made his debut with Vancouver in 2015.
He later spent 2 1/2 seasons apiece with the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins before being traded from Pittsburgh to the Maple Leafs in July 2021. Just days later, Seattle selected him in the expansion draft.
Even with the injury setback, the Kraken remain third in the Pacific Division with 15 points, two behind Edmonton and Vegas, who are tied for first with 17.
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Wild Suddenly Looked Dangerous Again After Flames Sent Them Reeling
After a rough stretch that had the Wild looking vulnerable, they answered with a strong two-game set against the Kraken and the Canucks, beating both teams in back-to-back nights. Jesper Wallstedt and Calvin Pickard handled the goaltending duties in the two wins, and Minnesota got enough offense from the top and the supporting cast to steady itself after the earlier stumble.
The bigger concern for Seattle was how many different Wild players found ways to chip in, with depth scoring helping tilt both games in Minnesotas favor. Quinn Hughes also reached a major career milestone while playing a key role in the win over Vancouver, and the Wilds recent turnaround suddenly made them look a lot more dangerous than they did just days earlier. [Read more 🡒]