NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 28: Eduard Sale speaks to the media after being selected by the Seattle Kraken with the 20th overall pick during round one of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
And then there were 24.
The Seattle Kraken shipped out nine players destined for the American Hockey League in the latest round of roster cuts after Monday night’s 4-3 preseason overtime loss to the host Calgary Flames, a clear indication that the group of 24 players is as close as it gets to an opening night roster – barring any other unforeseen circumstances such as injury.
The Kraken will get one final tune-up on Wednesday night, their preseason finale against the Edmonton Oilers, 7pm PT at Climate Pledge Arena.
Jacob Melanson, Ville Ottavainen, and Eduard Šalé each were directly reassigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Six more, Brandon Biro, Max McCormick, Ben Meyers, Gustav Olofsson, Mitchell Stephens, and goaltender Ales Stezka will head there too upon clearing waivers. Presuming they wind up in Coachella Valley, they represent hints on a short list of potential call-ups during the season.
“Some of the guys that are getting reassigned today, they're going to play games for us throughout the year,” said Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma.
Melanson, who earned the attention and admiration of Bylsma for his physical, wrecking ball approach as a forward, had a pair of points in three games. Meyers, on his third organization after spending time up and down with Anaheim and Colorado, exited as the preseason’s active leading scorer for the Kraken with five points in four games, while winning five-of-six face-offs with an assist against the Flames on Monday. Ottavainen, a towering, six-foot-four defenseman headed back for his second season with the Firebirds, scored on Monday.
Šalé’s case is a curious one. The 19-year-old technically is eligible to return to the major junior level this season, though he’ll get a chance to stick in the AHL, over a year after the Kraken used their first-round pick on the skilled, six-foot-one forward out of Czechia. His adjustment to the North American game came with 38 points in a combined 49 games with Barrie and Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League and was traded to Kitchener in the middle of the season.
Šalé, who is exempt from the CHL-NHL transfer agreement (prohibiting NHL drafted players from CHL teams under age 20 from skating in the minor leagues) because he was drafted from HC Brno Kometa of the Czech Extraliga, didn’t’ skate, nor was on the roster in Kitchener’s camp a month ago. At the time, a team spokesperson told 93.3 KJR-FM “Eduard will be with the Kraken at the time of our camp.”
Bylsma attributed Šalé’s immediate fit for the AHL level to his on-ice progress, with a goal in two pre-season games.
“I think how he's done in camp, and how he showed games that he's played, his ability to be effective in in the games,” said Bylsma. “Today’s (he’s) getting reassigned, but it is indication of how well he's doing, how well he's showing … getting a chance to go to (Coachella Valley) and show it at the American Hockey League level.”
Bylsma said, "TBD" with regards to how long Šalé stays in Coachella Valley.
Among the notables looking to earn a new full-time spot for opening day, remaining in camp, are forwards (and prospect) Shane Wright, John Hayden, Ryan Winterton, and defenseman Cale Fleury.
With all players considered, the Kraken still have more moves on the horizon to satisfy not just an active 23-player limit, but more importantly, the salary cap limit of $88 million. Without factoring in Winterton, Hayden, and Fleury’s NHL salaries, the Kraken are only a projected $4,286 short of the cap limit, according to puckpedia.com.
Opening day rosters for each team are due into the league by 2pm PT next Monday.