BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 1: Yanni Gourde #37 of the Seattle Kraken warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden on February 1, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
One more game exists to get it right.
One more game exists to make tough decisions.
One more game exists to measure up to NHL competition.
The Seattle Kraken (4-1) will get it all tonight at 6pm PT in their preseason finale at Rogers Place against the Edmonton Oilers, where head coach Dave Hakstol and staff must use the time they have to make important decisions.
There are still 28 players remaining on the pre-season roster. They must get it down to 23 active players. The deadline is Monday by 2:00pm PT.
How close are we to seeing the lineup tonight play out in the regular season? Hakstol said it’s close, but not at locked-in level.
"We've got guys in lineup with good camps, we've also got guys out of lineup who've had very good camps,” Hakstol said. "Well recuperate tonight after game, gathering all information, and start to make those harder decisions."
"Guys in the ice – I want them to be in their role and play in their role."
Shane Wright, 48 hours removed from having his name likely penciled in for the roster all season long, will finish the pre-season playing in five consecutive games. The 18-year-old has an assist in four pre-season games – and while the face-off circle has been an issue (he was 2-for-6 in a loss at Calgary on Monday), he has found himself in the thick of creating offense against NHL competition.
Wright, who will center Yanni Gourde (who missed Monday's game due to illness) and Jordan Eberle, leads the Kraken with 14 scoring opportunities.
"Shane’s progressed every day in little areas," said Hakstol. "He's had the opportunity gain experience in short period of time. We like his progression up the middle."
Philipp Grubauer will start in net, who hasn’t allowed a goal on 27 shots in two pre-season appearances.
He’ll face Jack Campbell of the Oilers (4-3), who will dress a significantly more challenging lineup than when the Kraken beat them, 3-0 on September 26. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl did not play. They will both suit up tonight.
Rookie forward Dylan Holloway leads the Oilers offensively with a terrific pre-season, scoring four goals with six points.
PROJECTED KRAKEN LINEUP
Schwartz-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
McCann-Beniers-Burakovsky
Gourde-Wright-Eberle
Sprong-Geekie-Tanev
Dunn-Larsson
Oleksiak-Schultz
Soucy-Borgen
Kraken radio color commentator Dave Tomlinson contributed to this story.