The Kraken are heading into the season without two forwards they were counting on, placing Mackie Samoskevich and Jake O’Brien on injured reserve to open the year.
That move clears the way for Seattle to submit a compliant opening-night roster without any additional transactions. The camp roster has already been trimmed to 25 players for nearly a week, so the club is set for tomorrow’s deadline.
O’Brien’s situation has been the more persistent one. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury that has followed him through camp, knocking him out of the mix for an opening-night job.
The 2025 eighth overall pick had been in line to push for a roster spot after a strong post-draft run with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, but at 19, Seattle has less reason to keep him around in a depth role when he’s eligible for an AHL assignment. Once he’s healthy, he’s expected to land in Coachella Valley.
Because he’s on a two-way deal and didn’t play any NHL games last season, the Kraken won’t have to make any immediate cap-related adjustments.
Samoskevich’s absence carries a different kind of concern. He’s day-to-day with an upper-body issue, which suggests a short stay on injured reserve is possible.
His IR placement can be backdated to Sep. 24, when he last appeared in the preseason against the Flames, so he could technically be available for the Kraken’s regular-season opener against the Flames on Thursday. Still, Seattle probably wouldn’t have used the IR move if he were a real option for that game, which points to a return more likely during next weekend’s back-to-back against Edmonton and Calgary.
Seattle acquired Samoskevich from the Panthers in June for a pair of draft picks. Florida had taken him in the first round in 2021, and he’s entering his third full NHL season.
After back-to-back 30-point seasons with the Panthers, he was expected to slot into a top-nine role. With him sidelined, bruiser Jacob Melanson could get a chance to fill in early, while O’Brien would have been the natural candidate to step into that opening if he were available.
With both forwards out, the Kraken appear likely to start with 13 forwards and eight defensemen. That leaves Ville Ottavainen as the last defenseman on the depth chart. The 2021 fourth-round pick made his NHL debut in 2024-25 and is expected to hit waivers once Seattle needs room for Samoskevich.
In Other News...
Jared McCann Could Change Seattles Top Line In A Big Way
After a season spent fighting chronic lower-body pain, Jared McCann arrived at Kraken training camp with a much cleaner slate. Seattles all-time leading scorer went through a summer procedure and a focused training program, and the early read is that he looks more like the player the Kraken have built around at the top of the lineup.
Lane Lambert singled out McCanns speed and importance after the first day of camp, and the setup around him is starting to take shape. McCann is expected to skate on Seattles top line with Matty Beniers and Mackie Samoskevich, though Samoskevich is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body issue, leaving the Kraken to sort out how quickly that trio can actually get rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Fans Just Got A Much Easier Way To Watch This Season
The Kraken are making it easier for fans across the Pacific Northwest to follow the team this season, with a regional broadcast setup that reaches homes on local television and streaming alike. Games will air on Seattle stations such as KONG and KING 5, along with other regional outlets, and will also be available through Prime Video, giving viewers a broader menu than the old grab-and-go scramble to find a channel.
The coverage plan also keeps familiar voices in place, with John Forslund handling play-by-play and JT Brown working alongside him as analyst. Add in the iHeart Kraken Audio Network and a weekly show on KING 5, and the organization is clearly trying to make sure the action is easy to find whether fans want the full TV experience, a radio call on the move, or a regular local wrap-up. [Read more 🡒]