The Kraken are heading into a November that could hand them a real chance to stack points, and the calendar doesn’t look nearly as punishing as some stretches around the league. Seattle still has to earn everything, of course, but this is the kind of month where a team can make noise if it handles business.
The road trip to Helsinki stands out immediately. In the middle of the month, the Kraken will travel to Finland for two NHL Global Series games against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Teams often split those overseas sets, and that’s usually the expectation going in. Against the defending champs, though, nothing comes easy.
Before and after that trip, Seattle will see the Flames again, plus the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. Four of those games are in the division, which makes them especially important if the Kraken want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender. The month closes with a tough one: a back-to-back, home-and-home set with the Edmonton Oilers on the 27th and 28th.
There’s also been plenty of trade chatter around players tied to USA Hockey, and not all of it is flattering. On the men’s side, Dylan Larkin, Brady Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck were all gold medalists for the United States in Italy in 2026, and all three have been part of recent trade drama.
Larkin, the longtime Red Wings captain, is now sitting out while demanding a trade after appearing in ten games this season. Tkachuk forced his way out of the Ottawa Senators organization and was dealt to the Florida Panthers to play with his brother Matthew.
Hellebuyck pushed for a move from the Winnipeg Jets and ended up with the New Jersey Devils earlier this season, with Winnipeg now in a tailspin.
The latest name in that conversation is Nikita Kucherov. He’s not American, but the Russian winger and last season’s Hart Trophy winner has said he won’t sign with the Lightning and wants to be traded after Tampa Bay’s apparent contract offer fell short.
Another trade situation to watch involves Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. He’s currently out as a restricted free agent and has also demanded a trade.
That name had already come up as a possible Kraken target a couple weeks ago, and now that idea sounds even more plausible. He’d also fit as a strong addition to the Canucks’ blue line as they continue their rebuild, if he has the patience for it.
In New York, the Rangers turned to a familiar veteran while Igor Shesterkin is injured. James Reimer signed with the club on October 25th, becoming his ninth NHL franchise.
The 38-year-old joined young Dylan Garand as the backup option, though his first appearance for the Rangers was rough, allowing three goals in twenty minutes. Reimer has long been known as a good room presence, and he posted decent numbers with the Ottawa Senators last season in 14 games.
There’s also a big result worth noting on the para hockey side. Team Canada beat the United States 5-1 in the final of the 2026 International Para Hockey Cup on October 24th.
Sledge hockey, officially para-hockey, is fast, physical and absolutely worth watching. North America still owns the top tier of the sport, with the Americans dominating recent World Championships and Paralympic Games, but that result raises the question of whether the balance is shifting again.
The next Worlds should be a must-watch.
On the women’s side, Team USA’s roster for the upcoming world championships in Denmark was announced a couple days ago. The tournament runs from November 6th through the 16th, and the Americans and Team Canada are once again the favorites. There are no Washington natives on the roster, but the Seattle Torrent of the PWHL are represented by forwards Alex Carpenter and Abbey Murphy, while Vancouver Goldeneyes defenseman Caroline Harvey is also on the team.
And if you’re looking for a couple of Kraken items from earlier in the week, there’s Lane Lambert’s frustration after the club’s most recent loss and the ongoing issues with the penalty kill.
Finally, the trivia answers: the Kraken have beaten both the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks eleven times, more than any other NHL team. And since entering the league in 1970, the Vancouver Canucks have lost more often to the Calgary Flames than anyone else, with 144 regular-season defeats against them.
In Other News...
Tye Kartye Is Giving The Rangers A Boost They Desperately Needed
Tye Kartye has quickly gone from a waiver pickup to one of the more important forwards in New Yorks early-season mix. Since arriving, he has settled into a meaningful role on the Rangers third and second lines, giving them a steady blend of energy, defense and offense at a time when they needed help up front. For a club looking for dependable wingers, Kartye has been one of the brighter surprises in the opening stretch.
The Rangers have leaned on him more than they probably expected, and that kind of usage tends to say plenty about where a player stands with a coaching staff. If Kartye keeps producing at this level, his place in the lineup should only get stronger, with a contract extension becoming a real possibility down the road. For Seattle, it is another reminder of how quickly a useful piece can become someone elses answer. [Read more 🡒]
What Shane Wright Really Brings To The Predators Now
Seattles latest roster move sends a familiar young forward out the door after Shane Wright spent parts of multiple seasons with the Kraken and their AHL affiliate. The trade gives the organization a different kind of prospect to work with in Matthew Wood, a first-round pick in 2023 who arrives after completing his rookie season with Nashville.
For the Kraken, the deal also closes the book on a player whose development had been watched closely since he entered the league as a top pick. Wrights path in Seattle included stretches with both the NHL club and its AHL affiliate, and the swap reflects another shift in how the team is shaping its young core while adding a player with a fresh start and a different timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Just Made A Shane Wright Move Fans Will Judge Quickly
The Kraken made a notable roster swap just ahead of a stretch that will put them face-to-face with Nashville, sending forward Shane Wright to the Predators and bringing in Matthew Wood, a 21-year-old right wing who was taken in the first round in 2023. General manager Jason Botterill announced the deal, which gives Seattle a different young forward to work into the mix and adds another layer of intrigue to a matchup already carrying some extra edge.
Wood arrives with NHL experience from last season, while Wright leaves Seattle after being drafted in the first round in 2022. Both players are expected to join their new clubs before the upcoming games between the Kraken and Predators, so this is the kind of move that gets judged quickly, especially when the two teams are about to see each other and the swap is still fresh enough to color the conversation around both benches. [Read more 🡒]